Beyond digital access: citizen-centred public services in Central Europe

Abstract

Research problem: digitalisation has become a central instrument of public-administration reform, but the online availability of services does not necessarily make administrative journeys simple, inclusive or trusted. Research gap: comparative e-government studies often measure digital maturity and portal availability, while giving less attention to how Central European administrations transform digital access into integrated, accountable and citizen-centred service journeys. Objective: this article examines how digitalisation can support client- and citizen-centred public services in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia. Methodology: the study applies a qualitative comparative design based on documentary analysis and a structured review of public-administration literature; the analytical framework covers five dimensions: life-event service design, interoperability and the once-only principle, mobile and proactive delivery, inclusion and assisted access, and trust governance. Principal findings: the countries have moved beyond basic portal development, but progress remains uneven because strengths in digital identity, e-health, connectivity, skills, cybersecurity and life-event reform do not always coincide. Scientific novelty: the article proposes an integrated framework that links public value, administrative burden and digital-government maturity, shifting the analysis from the existence of digital channels to the quality, integration, accessibility and accountability of the full administrative journey. Practical implications: the study recommends life-event redesign, service-quality dashboards, institutionalisation of the once-only principle, assisted digital access, accountable mobile services, workforce reform, regional pilots and trust-by-design mechanisms.

More by Aigerim Amirova

• Designing implementable digital government under institutional constraint: recruitment rules, administrative burden and contestability in KazakhstanPolicy Design and Practice · 2026
• STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT ASSESSMENT MODEL FOR ENHANCING THE EFFICIENCY OF CITIZEN-CENTERED DIGITAL PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERY PROJECTS2026
• Digital state capacity as national security architecture: Kazakhstan’s civil service reform and policymaking in the data-driven ageFrontiers in Political Science · 2026 · Citations: 1
• Human-Centered Digital Human Resource Management Ecosystem in Kazakhstan’s Civil Service: Initial Calculations, Preliminary Evidence, and Policy AnalysisEconomies · 2026 · Citations: 1