Digital Pilots

Signposts for digitalization

Digital Pilots are employed in all the offices at Heidelberg’s City Hall. Their job is to bring colleagues up to speed on activities in the administration concerning digitalization and to introduce digital thinking and practice into administrative processes.

It is important that no one is left behind on the journey towards the Smart City. A vital element in this is a city administration that embraces digitalization and plays an active part in shaping the technological transformation. The task of Heidelberg’s Digital Pilots is to raise awareness of the issue among all the municipal employees and motivate them. In each of the 40 or so city offices covering everything from waste management to transport and business development, one or two members of staff have been working as Digital Pilots since late 2017. As multipliers, their job is to bring colleagues up to speed with the administration’s activities on aspects of digitalization and to serve as contacts should questions on the issue arise. They also suggest ways in which their own departments might help to promote the digital city – by creating a citizen’s portal, for example.

Many of the Digital Pilots are highly tech savvy and therefore best equipped to inspire enthusiasm in others for the process of digitalization. In future, Heidelberg’s Digital Pilots will meet regularly to exchange ideas and experiences. There are also plans to set up a dialogue with other city halls throughout Germany. Moreover, Digital Pilots will have an opportunity to spend time in other cities in Germany and abroad in order to learn from best practices.

In this way, digital thinking and practice will become part of the organizational structure within Heidelberg’s city administration. This in turn enables the city to perform its role as a catalyst and enabler of digital change.