Discover how the public sector is meeting the challenges of digitalization, with accessible, secure and responsible services to make life easier for citizens.
The digital transformation of the public sector is a national priority: according to the 2024 digital barometer, 87% of French people have carried out at least one online procedure with an administration in the last 12 months.
To meet these growing expectations, public authorities must now combine efficient online services, digital sustainability, and data sovereignty. Smile has been supporting you in this endeavor for over 20 years.
Three levers to succeed in your digital transformation
To meet the challenges of public administration digitalization, we have identified three key levers: open source, responsible digital practices, and user experience. These levers structure all of our support for public organizations.
Open source: control your costs and your digital sovereignty
Open source has become the primary lever for addressing the challenges of long-term budgetary control, while simultaneously creating user-friendly services without compromising quality. It is also the preferred response for public organizations to the major challenges of digital sovereignty, by reducing their dependence on foreign proprietary software vendors.
The Interministerial Directorate for Digital Affairs (DINUM) also recommends the use of free software in its "Digital and Freedoms" roadmap as a lever for controlling public data.
Key takeaway : Open source allows local authorities and administrations to reduce licensing costs, customize their tools and ensure the sustainability of their digital services.
Responsible digital technology: reducing the carbon footprint of the public sector
Public administrations have successfully grasped the importance of responsible digital practices. Their projects now incorporate the requirements of green IT, eco-design, accessibility, and inclusion to serve all citizens.
Digital technology currently accounts for approximately 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and this figure could double by 2030 according to ADEME (the French Agency for Ecological Transition). In this context, public authorities have become pioneers in the areas of digital sobriety, sovereign cloud computing , and cybersecurity. The REEN law (2021) mandates that local authorities with more than 50,000 inhabitants adopt a responsible digital strategy to reduce their carbon footprint.
Key takeaway : implementing a responsible digital approach means simultaneously meeting regulatory obligations, reducing the environmental footprint of public action and strengthening citizens' trust.
User experience: simplifying online administrative procedures
Finding information or services can still be complex at times. Public portals are dense, and simplifying the process has become essential to facilitate the use of digital services by all populations — including those least comfortable with using digital technology on a daily basis.
According to the 2023 annual report of the "Public Services+" program, 62% of users still consider online procedures too complex. Streamlining these processes will both improve citizen satisfaction and reduce the workload of public servants.
Key takeaway : a good user-centric digital strategy reduces online process abandonment and improves the operational efficiency of public services.
Smile has been supporting public organizations for over 20 years.
Smile supports public organizations in their approach to digitizing public services: ministries (National Education, Justice, Armed Forces), the Prime Minister's office, general councils, communities of municipalities, town halls, departmental councils and the State procurement department.
This accumulated experience allows us to implement complex projects, from strategic audit to deployment, with a detailed knowledge of the regulatory and budgetary constraints of the sector.