Linnar Viik, program director of the e-Governance Conference, said the conference aims to provide governments with a new perspective on how to systemize the experience gained from 2020 and move forward with more sustainable digital transformation.

"The pandemic accelerated changes that are worth a whole digital decade. Governments have received a huge and very valuable experience of how to transition online and do so very quickly. Now they have to focus on how to maintain the rapid digital transformation in a more sustainable way and also consider the digital responsibility the governments and corporate players have," said Viik.

The conference will feature 50 experts and leaders in the area of digital government development. The full program can be viewed below.

The conference will present the digital transformation journeys and lessons learned of 13 countries, including Australia, Albania, Barbados, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Japan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Sierra Leone, Uganda and Ukraine.

The e-Governance Conference is organized by the e-Governance Academy in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the European Commission, Intel, The Estonian ICT Cluster, and supported by Greenergy and Tallinn City.

CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

MAY 19 – New Normal

10:30 a.m. – 12 noon

Opening Remarks by Hannes Astok – executive director, e-Governance Academy

Joint Digital Steps Towards a Sustainable Future

• Kersti Kaljulaid – President of the Republic of Estonia,
• Jutta Urpilainen – commissioner, European Commission,
• Hannes Astok – executive director, e-Governance Academy (moderator).

Digital Payments that Work for Everyone to Boost Economic Recovery from COVID-19: "Must Have" or "Nice to Have"?

• Goodwin-Groen – managing director, Better Than Cash Alliance

How Crisis Transforms the Digital Governance Models

• Nicolas Ruiz – senior economist, OECD,
• Aki Enkenberg – senior adviser, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland,
• Nele Leosk – ambassador-at-large for Digital Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia (moderator).

12 noon – 1 p.m. Break

1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

How Has the Pandemic Affected the Ease of Doing Business? 

• Elsie Attafuah – UNDP president representative for Uganda,
• Joram Mwinamo – CEO and Founder, SNDBX,
• Wanjiru Gikonyo – national coordinator, The Institute for Social Accountability, Kenya,
• Lembit Loo – EU Digital Development Cooperation Projects Manager, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia (moderator).

Challenges and Successes of Digital Transformation During the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Valeriya Ionan – deputy minister, Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine,
• Bolor-Erdene Battsengel – chairwoman, Communication and Information Technology Authority of Mongolia,
• Nuria Kutnaeva – e-Government expert, Kyrgyzstan,
• Hannes Astok – executive director, e-Governance Academy (moderator).

2.30 p.m. – 3 p.m. Break

3 p.m. – 4.30 p.m.

Challenges and Successes of Digital Transformation During the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Takuya Hirai – minister for digital transformation of Japan,
• Joseph Mucheru – minister of information, communications and technology of Kenya,
• Mykhailo Fedorov – deputy prime minister, Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine,
• Kay McConney – minister of innovation, Science and Smart Technology of Barbados.

How to Achieve Digital Dividends Through e-Governance During any Crisis? 

• Mohamed Moumini Jalloh – director of communications, Ministry of Information and Communications of Sierra Leone,
• Ralph Oyini Mbouna – head of digital transformation, Smart Africa,
• Georg Nikolajevski – expert, Estonian ICT Cluster,
• Tuuli Pärenson – expert, Estonian ICT Cluster (moderator).

Development of Digital Skills 3.0 – What Next and Who's Responsibility Is It?

• Kristo Vaher – chief technology officer, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications of Estonia,
• Cigdem Ertem – global director for Public Sector Sales, Intel,
• Kristel Rillo – expert on e-Education and skills for growth (moderator).

Key Take-aways of the Conference Day with Linnar Viik – Programme Director of Smart Governance, e-Governance Academy

MAY 20 – Next Normal

10:30 a.m. – 12 noon

Opening Remarks by Andres Sutt – Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information Technology of Estonia

Next Normal for Governments: Which Trends Should Governments Follow in Their Digital Transformation Plans?

• Siim Sikkut – Government CIO of Estonia,
• Randall Brugeaud – chief executive officer of Australia,
• Linnar Viik – programme director of Smart Governance, e-Governance Academy (moderator).

Next Normal for Governments: from the European Union's Perspective by

• Anthony Whelan – digital advisor to the President of the European Commission

From Services to Systems: COVID-19, Climate Change and the Next Horizons for e-Governance

• Sir Geoff Mulgan – professor, University College London

12 noon – 1 p.m. Break

1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

Why Digital Responsibility Matters?

• Linnar Viik – programme director of Smart Governance, e-Governance Academy

Innovative Ways to Bring the Public Interest into the Tech Sector

• Eli Sugarman – content director, Oversight Board Administration

Digital Responsibility: Technology and the Corporate View

• Eli Sugarman – content director, Oversight Board Administration,
• Üllar Jaaksoo – CEO, Greenergy Data Centers,
• Merle Maigre – senior cyber security expert, e-Governance Academy (moderator).

Digital Responsibility: Government and the Civil Society View

• Robert Bjarnason – president & CEO, Citizens Foundation Iceland,
• Aldo Merkoci – executive director, MJAFT!,
• Kristina Mänd – senior expert on e-Democracy, e-Governance Academy (moderator).

2:30 p.m. – 3 p.m. Break

3 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. 

Next Normal: A Path Towards the e-Government of Tomorrow

• Trond Arne Undheim – Futurist, Venture Partner & Author

Next Normal: Digital Only?

• Trond Arne Undheim – futurist, venture partner & author,
• Toomas Hendrik Ilves – former President of the Republic of Estonia,
• Linnar Viik – programme director of Smart Governance, e-Governance Academy (moderator).

Key Take-aways of the Conference by Hannes Astok – executive director, e-Governance Academy

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