Digital Transformation of Public Services from the Perception of ICT Practitioners in a Startup-Based Environment

Abstract

In 2021, the Brazilian government created the StartUp GOV.BR program to accelerate the digital transformation of the public sector in Brazil. Inspired by the business’s culture of startups, this program gathers ICT practitioners with multiple competencies dedicated to the planning, development and delivery of digital transformation projects. This article aims to investigate and understand the perception of these ICT practitioners about the StartUps GOV.BR program in order to identify possibilities for improvement. For this, we conducted 23 focus groups with up to 12 people, totaling 175 participants. Then, we fully transcribed and qualitatively analyzed the data from each of the focus groups based on the Grounded Theory. The results were organized and structured through the construction of models of relationships between categories, along with narratives that help to explain and understand the members’ perception of the StartUp GOV.BR program. As results, we present 34 improvement points and 62 actions to be carried out towards program improvement. The results achieved in this work can contribute to delineate growth strategies, as well as the assets and capabilities required in order to successfully transform digitally public services not only in Brazil but also in governments around the world.