Digitale Kompetenzen in oberösterreichischen Gemeinden

: Eine empirische Untersuchung des Handlungsbedarfs in oberösterreichischen Gemeinden und Ableitung von Handlungsempfehlungen zur nachhaltigen Förderung digitaler Kompetenzen

Abstract

The increasing digitalisation is changing not only private and professional life, but also the requirements for public administration – especially at the local level. Developing digital skills is becoming a key condition for modernising public administration in a future-oriented way. This Master's thesis explores how a practical and effective concept must be designed to support the digital skills of municipal staff in Upper Austria in a sustainable way. The theoretical basis is the national reference model DigComp 2.3 AT, supported by scientific findings on influencing factors, framework conditions, and challenges related to digital competence development. For the empirical part, a mixed-methods approach was used. It included a quantitative online survey and additional qualitative expert interviews. A total of n = 229 people from N = 438 municipalities took part in the survey, resulting in a response rate of around 52.3%. Based on these results, four expert interviews were conducted with people in key positions in local administration and digitalisation to gain deeper insights. The results of the survey show clear development needs, especially in the areas of problem solving, innovation and lifelong learning, as well as digital security and communication and collaboration. The expert interviews confirmed these findings and also highlighted the need for structured training plans, active digital leadership, and learning formats tailored to different target groups. Based on these findings, four key areas of action and twelve relevant levers were identified. They form the foundation for developing a practice-oriented concept to promote digital skills. In addition, seven recommendations for action were formulated, which can be implemented at the municipal level and also provide important guidance for higher-level actors such as the federal government, the State of Upper Austria, the Upper Austrian Association of Municipalities, and external training providers.

Date of Award	2025
Original language	German (Austria)
Supervisor	Johannes Kriegel (Supervisor)