The Great Interconnecting

Context

The voivodship of Opolskie is one of Poland’s sixteen administrative areas. Its capital is the city of the same name. Although it is the smallest (9,412 km²) and least populated (1,055,667) voivodship, its location and its economic potential make it a prime partner for the other regions and neighbouring countries. It is now seen as one of the “innovating regions” at the heart of the EU’s new Cohesion Policy. In this instance, innovation implies structural evolution of the economy towards new communication and information technologies (ICT) for local government. The e-Government project is part of this process and is a key facet of the Opolskie regional operational programme.

The Project

The main goal of the “e-Government project for Opolskie citizens” is to increase on-line access to public services and reduce disparities in Internet access. This means implementing services for both private and institutional clients. The project is built on three pillars. These are the “e-circuit” (a document management system), the “e-base” (a database for all municipalities involved in the project) and “e-services” which include remote services for clients with Internet access and the implementation of public Internet access points (PIAP). The goal is equip 57 municipalities with high-speed access, to install 60 PIAP, and to create a digital signature system.

Results

Job Creation

The first direct results came quickly: easier access to public services, shorter document management cycles, a reduction in the number of visits to administration offices, increased transparency of government operations, decreased costs… Easier ICT access has helped improve results in three areas: increased efficiency for administrative work, increased economic competition and increased cohesion among the regions. In addition, innovative uses of these technologies have led to the creation of jobs which are attractive enough to keep qualified managers in place.

The @School Project

The networking of the Opolskie region has resulted in new opportunities like the “@szkola” (@School) project. The goal of this project is to provide teachers with online access to methodologies, to new testing and correction materials, to a new way to communicate grades to parents over the Internet, etc. It has improved the level of teaching, made management more effective and improved communication between teachers, students and parents.

This combined support to education and the information society holds promise for the ongoing economic development of the region. In 2007-2013, the overall amount allocated to Polish operational programmes was 67.28 billion euros. The Opolskie region will be receiving a total of 427 million euros, that is, 408 euros per person, over the programme period.