E-services in municipal offices during the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

Objectives The Covid-19 pandemic and the social and economic crisis it caused made it necessary for local government units to quickly adapt to functioning in the new reality. Local governments were forced to take steps to reorganize their operations, as well as additional measures to minimize the negative effects of the pandemic. It became necessary to provide services using electronic tools and distance communication. Not all local government units were prepared for such changes. The aim of the research was to assess the adaptation of commune offices of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship to provide e-services under the conditions of the Covid-19 pandemic. Material and methods The spatial scope of the research covered the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. The research was conducted in 2022. The paper uses the results of own research conducted with the help of a survey questionnaire addressed to secretaries of communes. Results The research found that significant factors that prevented the remote work were the low level of digitization of offices, lack of sufficient hardware and software for remote work, and insufficient staff competence. Lack of sufficient equipment also made it impossible to provide distance learning to all students in schools supervised by the local government. Conclusions Although it concerns only one voivodeship, and therefore it cannot be generalized to the whole country, it gives some picture of the “covid” situation in many Polish communes. The research found that significant factors that prevented the remote work were the low level of digitization of offices, lack of sufficient hardware and software for remote work, and insufficient staff competence.

Keywords

• distance learning
• local government
• pandemic
• remote working
• digitization of offices