Digital transformation is one of the key catalysts for the Eastern partner countries to maintain sustainable economic growth, ensure human capital development and improve governance. The European Union aims to set the basis for digitally empowering one million Eastern Partnership (EaP) citizens via the provision of digital learning opportunities and the EU4Digital Digital Skills stream is conducting activities that support these goals. One focus is to bridge the digital divide through a digital competence framework for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In this area, EU4Digital is facilitating the development of a regional EU4Digital Academy to provide skills training, and developing country-specific methodologies to facilitate mentorship programmes. EU4Digital Facility also supports the work of a regional Digital Skills network.
Building on EU4Digital Facility Phase I work to develop a methodology to measure and forecast digital skills gaps in the EaP, in line with DESI, the Digital Economy and Society Index, the EU4Digital DESI Accelerator is now active. With DESI Accelerator assistance, the Eastern partner countries are anticipated to establish full DESI indicator collection and be able to independently and sustainably adopt any methodological changes. This requires strong national statistical offices and proven systematic mechanisms of data collection. With this capability, Eastern partner countries will be able to incorporate more accurate digital performance-related data in their national strategies, supporting evidence-based policy planning. Also, as DESI becomes aligned even more closely with the EU Digital Decade, in five years, Eastern partner countries should be able to gather data in a common way and in line with EU practices.
The Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) is a tool for evaluating the degree of digitalisation of economies and societies in the European Union. It has been used by the European Commission to measure Member States’ digital progress since 2014 and remains the most widely used index of digital performance within Member States. It represents a set of indicators to track the evolution of four major areas: human capital, connectivity (though this dimension is not targeted by the EU4Digital DESI Accelerator), integration of digital technology and digital public services.
Adopting DESI indicator collection would provide Eastern partner countries with significant opportunities in the field of digital development. First, it enables the assessment of the impact of strategic and investment initiatives for developing digital economy and society, both on a regional and national level. The current DESI indicator collection and measurement maturity in Eastern partner countries does not allow for a comprehensive comparison between the Eastern partner countries and with EU countries. Harmonised data measurement would make it possible to compare individual country progress with that in the EU. It would also enable the measurement of progress in such digital transformation priorities as digital skills, connectivity, adoption of digital technologies in businesses as well as the development and use of public digital services. Moreover, DESI adoption provides a baseline for Eastern partner countries to move in one direction along with EU Member States, utilising shared frameworks such as the Digital Decade policy programme 2030, therefore, creating ground for integration to global digital markets.
The EU4Digital Digital Skills thematic area launched its DESI acceleration activities on 30 May 2023. The primary goal of the EU4Digital DESI Accelerator is to facilitate the implementation of the Digital Economy and Society Index in the Eastern partner countries and their adoption of DESI indicator collection. Three out of four DESI dimensions will be covered – i.e. human capital, integration of digital technology and integration of digital public services – as collection of full connectivity dimension data is already performed by another EU4Digital stream.
In the first stage, EU4Digital is analysing gaps between current and envisioned data collection practices in Eastern partner countries. We will develop operational recommendations for regional and national levels to move towards implementing full DESI indicator collection in line with EU methodologies. These recommendations will be based on the existing status of data collection related to DESI indicators in the countries. Eastern partner stakeholders shall have the opportunity to provide inputs and validate the reports. The DESI Accelerator will also provide support and capacity building for promoting the adoption of DESI collection. This will involve Eastern partner countries in capacity-building and experience-exchangeactivities with EU Member States, facilitating training and consultations on DESI indicator measurement, and developing the capacity of institutions involved in data collection and measurement. The primary focus will be on national training and consultations, as well as regional events.
The DESI Accelerator is not foreseen as a framework for provision of funding, but it will deliver full methodological support and tailored best practices for DESI indicator collection.
Availability of data plays a key role in the development of digital transformation strategies in Eastern partner countries and their harmonisation with European level strategies. Part of the EU4Digital DESI Accelerator activities focuses on developing a clear and concise methodology for measuring gaps in current digital skills, business and government digitalisation, and related indicator collection in the Eastern partner countries. This will consider each country’s background and tailor the methodology accordingly.
A harmonised approach for digital progress measurement allows the identification of digital skills shortfalls and gaps in the digitalisation process on business and governmental levels. This will help to seek remedies and assess the impact of regional and national initiatives. Tailoring national-level development strategies to concrete data measured in line with EU practices will also help to identify problem areas and supply-and-demand gaps. Although DESI is a composite index, it uses measures of concrete indicators in its calculations; this can lead to the improvement of decision-making processes in specific digital economy and society areas, such as internet users’ skills, digital technologies for businesses, the intensity of digital technology adoption, and digital government development. Harmonised data measurement also makes it possible to compare individual progress in digital developments among the Eastern partner countries and with EU countries.
The EU4Digital Facility Digital Skills thematic area has developed a concept to build the EU4Digital Academy programme, which will improve digital competencies and skills in the Eastern partner countries through an online learning platform. This digital platform, powered by EU4Digital Academy, is part of the EU commitment to provide support for 500,000 SMEs and to digitally empower 1 million EaP citizens. The concept envisages access to high-quality content in the local languages of each Eastern partner country, and targets the topics of eCommerce in the EU, digital marketing and digitalisation of business. The learning content is sourced from both local learning content providers as well as established EU-based and global providers and delivered through the online platform free of charge. The overall goal and purpose of the EU4Digital Academy programme is to increase the competitiveness of SMEs in the digital economy and improve the digital skills of citizens in the Eastern partner countries.