Public administration in the European Union’s (EU) Member States is undergoing a fundamental digital transformation. Despite varying rates of progress across the EU, this digitalization process is driven by various factors: an ambition for a streamlined and citizen-centric future for public administration, the need of achieving a more efficient public administration process, the tendency to control, identify or predict behaviour of those enjoying or seeking civil services as well as to predict criminal behaviour. This transformation raises numerous ethical questions and concerns, which have up until now been largely dealt with on an ad-hoc basis.
DEO4PA project aims to reduce ethical, social and legal risks in the digitalization process of public administrations (PA), ensuring transparent and safe operations, respect for democratic principles, fundamental rights such as privacy and data protection, ethical supervision of digital processes and a culture of ethics among civil servants.
Throughout the learning program, the proficiency measurement at the entry level, competency testing for each training module and the final competency level assessment are interlinked processes providing a comprehensive evaluation of the training's effectiveness, culminating in a score that determines eligibility for a certification.
The DEO4PA programme contains 10 modules of which 7 are theoretical, 2 practical and 1 mixed. Before each online session, participants should cover the obligatory readings provided for the module and complete the self-assessment test on the learning platform, as part of the asynchronous learning. The practical modules (Modules 7 and 9) do not have a self-assessment test since there are implementation sessions of the theoretical modules previously taught. Modules 9 and 10 include two case studies that are shared for review before the class. The learning period will be culminated by a final test assessment.
The course corresponds to EQF level 5.