The potential of digitalization lies in the departments. With the new function of digital pilots, the city administration is supporting its employees in the implementation of digitalization.

In order to drive forward the digitalization of the city administration, concrete knowledge from the specialist departments about their work processes is needed in addition to the strategy. To this end, Office 10 and the CDO (Chief Digital Officer) office set up the Digital Pilots function at the beginning of 2022. They will help, for example, to identify the opportunities for digitalization in the departments and implement digital formats. The digital pilots motivate people to use digital tools such as whiteboards and MS Teams and show them how these tools work.

There are now 29 digital pilots from various offices. They advise and support their colleagues in the use of digital tools. The digital pilots help to identify the needs and benefits of changing digital work processes and can thus alleviate concerns and fears when using digital tools. Like a guide, they accompany colleagues on the path to digitalization.

HR Development, IT and the CDO office have jointly set up a series of training courses so that the digital pilots can fulfill their role well. The digital pilots get to know the in-house IT portfolio and learn how to use the applications from the portfolio in a targeted manner. They also gain an insight into project management in order to provide support in digitalization projects.

"With this movement from the specialist departments, we are achieving a change from analog to digital that is geared towards the needs of the administration," says Friedrich Fuß, Chief Digital Officer. Together with Office 10, the CDO Office organized an initial networking event at the end of August, at which digital pilots, digital promoters and employees from IT and HR development were able to get to know each other and exchange ideas. Networking events now take place regularly. Digital pilots and promoters, as well as employees in the CDO office, work closely and directly with each other.

"Only if tasks and processes are tried out, optimized and implemented on site will the administration have the chance to digitize and automate the relevant process steps and get Bonn off the ground as a modern city administration in the coming years," says Friedrich Fuß, explaining the approach.