The digital revolution is changing the way governments deliver services, listen to voters and develop policy. Estonia has been an e-governance leader since the early nineties and is now exporting its e-governance expertise worldwide.

Taking advantage of new technologies is much more than a technical challenge: it requires significant organisational adjustments and complementary legislative frameworks. In northeastern Europe, Estonia’s comprehensive model of e-governance has accomplished this and is used an example in the developed and developing worlds.

Shortly before the EU-Australia Leadership Forum (EUALF) sectoral workshop on Digital Development, Executive Director of the Estonian e-Governance Academy, Dr Arvo Ott, spoke with Australian Outlook Editor Cameron Steer about the benefits of e-governance, implementing e-governance in developing countries and managing cyber threats.

Dr Arvo Ott is executive director of the e-Governance Academy in Estonia. Before joining the e-Governance Academy, Arvo served as the head of the Department of State Information Systems at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications. In that role he was responsible for Estonia’s e-government strategy planning and implementation for more than 12 years.

Interviewed by Cameron Steer.

The EU-Australia Leadership Forum is a three-year program to broaden and deepen existing ties between the EU and Australia. The AIIA is part of the consortium selected to deliver the project and the AIIA’s National Director Melissa Conley Tyler is team leader. For more information visit https://europeaustraliaforum.eu/ and sign up for regular updates.