Jornada para a transformação digital: potencialidades e desafios à implementação das estratégias de governo digital e nível de maturidade em instituição federal de ensino superior

Abstract

The use of technologies in the public service began two decades ago to implement a digital government, with the most recent documents being the Brazilian Strategy for Digital Transformation (2018) and the Digital Government Strategy (2022), which provide guidelines for implementing digital transformation in the bodies and entities that make up the Federal Public Administration, including universities. The general aim of this research was to ascertain the potential and challenges for implementing digital government strategies and to classify the level of digital maturity at the Federal University of Sergipe (UFS). As far as the methodological procedures are concerned, an interpretivist epistemological philosophy was adopted. As far as the objectives are concerned, this is a descriptive and exploratory study with a mixed approach (quantitative and qualitative), divided into two phases: the first adopted a survey strategy in universities and the second a case study at the UFS. In both phases, a bibliographic survey and documentary research were used as sources of evidence. In the first phase, the data was collected by applying a questionnaire to 45 respondents from 21 IFEs, and in the second phase semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 participants representative of the case. The synthesis of the results of the first and second phases showed that the majority of civil servants are not aware of the EGD and planning instruments, and that both the IFEs and the UFS have digitally transformed services. As for the potential, as verified in the case study, the following factors were highlighted as enabling digital transformation: the institution being a knowledge-producing environment; being recognized in the state; having a committed workforce; the will and interest of senior management; and the possibility of funds being released by the new federal administration. About challenges, the shortage of human resources, lack of budgetary resources, lack of equipment, infrastructure problems, acceptance of changes by civil servants, and organizational culture were noted in both phases. In terms of digital maturity, both the IFEs and the UFS were classified at an advanced level. These findings lead us to conclude that providing a digital culture that involves all the actors that make up the educational institution will allow the university to continue on this journey.