GOV-TRANSIT- Government in transition – how governments change the way they work and prepare the civil service for the futureHORIZON-CL2-2026-01-DEMOCRACY-03:

GOV-TRANSIT addresses the structural transformation of public administrations in the context of digitalisation, data-driven governance and increasing societal complexity. Across Europe, governments are required to adapt their working methods, decision-making processes and organisational cultures to respond to rapid technological change, climate pressures, demographic shifts and geopolitical uncertainty. However, many public administrations still rely on fragmented planning systems, siloed data structures and rigid bureaucratic routines that limit strategic agility and institutional learning.

The project investigates how governments change the way they work and how civil services can be prepared for a data-driven and anticipatory governance model. It develops and pilots an integrated Strategic Management Information System (SMIS) as a transition-enabling instrument, not merely as a digital tool but as a catalyst for organisational transformation, institutional redesign and competency renewal within public administrations.

GOV-TRANSIT combines comparative research across European public administrations with real-life pilot deployments at local and national levels. Through policy labs and co-creation processes involving civil servants, policymakers, digital transformation experts and researchers (including SSH disciplines), the project analyses institutional resistance, competency gaps, governance fragmentation and ethical challenges related to data governance and algorithmic decision-support systems.

The project will deliver:

• A Government Transformation Analytical Framework

• A Civil Service Future Competency Model

• Organisational Change and Digital Governance Toolkit

• Pilot-tested Strategic Management Information System model

• Policy recommendations for preparing European civil services for the future of public administration

GOV-TRANSIT contributes to strengthening Europe’s democratic governance capacity by enabling transparent, accountable and evidence-based decision-making while ensuring ethical data use and alignment with European public values.