The need to facilitate the so-called twin transition – capitalizing on the potential of digital technologies while guaranteeing sustainable development – has become an imperative for the present and future competitiveness of the European Union, and consequently a priority on the agenda of the European public sector. Human resource management (HRM) departments play a critical role in this effort to effectively integrate digitalisation and sustainability at work and should place talent development at the center of their strategies.
This policy briefing examines the main areas of public service HRM where this twin transition has a key impact. The briefing provides illustrations of best practices, including examples of projects submitted to EPSA 2023–24, and offers recommendations to public administration on how to drive this transition to champion innovation through public employees.
To move towards the twin transition effectively, public sector officers are advised to:
- Anticipate the potential of technology to foster innovation, as well as the implications that its use/misuse may create in terms of sustainable development;
- Assess the impact that digital technologies are having in their workplaces, with special attention to the level of adoption among employees and their potential reluctance, to capture the maximum value for the purposes of public service;
- Work with managers and leaders to nurture a culture of digital sustainability to support the twin transition, developing digital tools that allow employees to take initiative and collaborate towards high-quality public service in green working environments;
- Develop skills in public employees to raise awareness of the benefits of technology for public service, use technology in an effective and responsible way, and find ways to innovate in public service as digital tools are implemented in their work environments;
- Design practices to attract and retain younger generations of public workers, capitalising on their natural use of technology and sustainability values to consolidate a twin transition culture in public organisations.
Learn more about all EPSA 2023-24 projects here.
