A guide to blockchain in public administration
01.03.2021
More transparent. More efficient. More trustworthy. Blockchain offers up huge potential for the public sector and all the administrative processes that it entails. But what's the best way to put blockchain technologies to work here? And what can they actually do for us? A practical new guide makes decision making easier.
Blockchain technology is one of the catalysts of the digital transformation. Used properly, it optimises inter-transactional flows and increases both transparency and trust. Sectors such as fintech and portfolio management have long been in on the secret, yet blockchain also has plenty of pluses for the public sector – from payments to register entries and identity management, through to elections and referenda. The question is where – and how – blockchain can be harnessed to maximum effect. What administration-specific, organisational, legal and technical conditions must be met?
Lots to offer – and lots to think about
To answer these questions, Ergon teamed up with the University of Zurich Blockchain Centre to develop guidance on behalf of the Chancellery of Canton Zurich. The guide cuts through the confusion, offering the various departments of the cantonal government a practical means of successfully pinpointing and evaluating potential business cases.
Easily identify benefits and feasibility
The guide contains tools to help evaluate and test the possible use of blockchain technology in individual business processes. Clear analyses of added value and potential in diverse areas of application are followed by aids to real-world decision making. The benefits and feasibility of blockchain projects can quickly and easily be identified using the decision tree and maturity model, for example. In addition, clearly worded test questions support external project and provider assessments, so that public administrations can find the right implementation partner for them.
Professional expertise in one place
Experts from a range of fields joined forces to develop the guide. Ergon contributed practical knowledge and consulting capabilities, e-government experience came from the Canton Zurich administration, and the scientific basis from the UZH Blockchain Centre. Bringing professional expertise together in one place, the result is pragmatic, well-founded guidance for decision-makers.
Want to know how best to harness blockchain in the public sector? Download the guide as a pdf here (in German).