‘We need data that flows’
From digital law to clouds to cyber security: Andrea Nahles, Chairwoman of the Federal Employment Agency, presented her six-point plan for the digitisation of administration.
Andrea Nahles, Chairwoman of the Executive Board of the Federal Employment Agency, presents her six-point plan for the digitisation of administration at SCCON 2025. Photo: Messe Berlin
‘What mindset do we want to use to drive digitalisation forward?’ Andrea Nahles, Chairwoman of the BA, opened her keynote speech ‘Digital administration – consistent implementation’ at the start of the second day of the trade fair with this question. She immediately made it clear what mindset she meant: a courageous, determined and collaborative one. She spoke primarily as the IT director of the largest public authority in Germany, which will have 33 AI applications in live operation by the end of the year. ‘Digital administration is the crucial issue NOW. The question is: how do we implement it now? Not: what are the arguments against the project,’ said Nahles. For her, six points are crucial for success.
Clear, comprehensible laws
Point 1: Digitalisation must play a role in the legislative process. ‘We need to reduce complexity. If laws are too complicated, full of exceptions, special regulations, media breaks and isolated solutions, we lack important building blocks for automation – and thus speed and efficiency,’ said Nahles. Legislators and implementers must work together from the outset.
Point 2: ‘We need data that flows,’ demanded the BA board member. Although the pilot project for register modernisation is already working very well, as long as the use of the identification number remains limited to a few administrative services, its full potential cannot be exploited.
Point 3: Standards are essential. ‘Treating similar cases equally, uniform processes, common interfaces, binding data formats – these are lacking in a country as highly federalised as Germany,’ said Nahles. Centralised structures and the will to implement processes where they can be implemented most quickly, efficiently, economically and in a citizen-friendly manner are needed.
Uniform IT security standards
Point 4: The right technological basis is important. ‘We need cloud technologies that until recently were not even available to us in public administration,’ said Nahles. Her agency is currently doing pioneering work in this area – ‘a huge effort’.
Point 5: Uniform IT security standards and cyber security: ‘Our agency pays out hundreds of billions of euros a year, which alone makes us an attractive target,’ said the BA expert. The threat level is extremely high. ‘We can no longer afford to have different systems and levels of protection in the long term.’
Point 6: Training and empowering employees, but also citizens: ‘Digital access alone is not enough; people must also be able to use it. The e-ID card must become as commonplace as the bank card,’ said Nahles, concluding with a call to action: ‘Let's make digital administration a joint task.’