Introduction

The digitalization of public administration is currently one of the key development priorities of Czech local governments. Growing demands for the accessibility and quality of services for citizens, pressure to use public funds efficiently, and a long-term shortage of personnel are forcing organizations to seek new ways to optimize processes and increase performance.

As a result, attention is increasingly focused not only on traditional projects aimed at service digitalization, but also on more advanced approaches such as robotic process automation (RPA) and the implementation of artificial intelligence tools. A key question remains, however, how prepared local governments are for the transition to and adoption of these technologies, and which factors will determine the success of their implementation.

This report presents the results of an anonymous survey conducted at the turn of 2025 and 2026, mapping not only the current state of technology adoption, but above all the organizational and process readiness of Czech local governments. Analyzing these factors is essential for understanding the barriers and opportunities associated with digital transformation in the public sector.

Methodology and Respondent Profile

Municipal, city, and regional authorities from across the Czech Republic participated in the anonymous survey, representing population sizes ranging from approximately 2,500 residents to statutory cities and regional authorities serving populations in the hundreds of thousands. This heterogeneous sample enables comparative analysis across different organizational structures and capacity levels.

Small municipalities (up to 5,000 residents) typically operate with minimal staffing and a high degree of role generalization, which significantly limits their ability to implement complex technological solutions. In contrast, large cities and regional authorities have specialized departments, dedicated IT teams, and a higher degree of formalized processes, creating more favorable conditions for systematic digitalization.

The survey was designed to capture not only the range of technologies in use, but primarily the organizational prerequisites for their successful implementation—such as the existence of coordination structures, the level of process documentation, and the strategic anchoring of digital initiatives. This approach provides a more comprehensive picture of the actual readiness of local governments for digital transformation.

Organizational Readiness and Innovation Governance

Successful digital transformation requires systematic management and clearly defined responsibilities. The existence of a dedicated team or role responsible for managing digital innovation is considered a critical prerequisite for a coordinated approach to technological change.

However, survey results show that most local governments do not have a dedicated structure for managing digital initiatives. Responsibility for digitalization is often fragmented across individual departments, leading to dispersed initiatives and a lack of central coordination.

While this decentralized model allows pilot projects to emerge at the departmental level, it also creates several risks:

• Duplication of solutions across the organization
• Inefficient allocation of resources
• Limited sharing of best practices and know-how
• Absence of a unified technology architecture
• Difficult integration with existing systems

Without clearly defined accountability for the digital agenda, it is difficult to ensure long-term strategic planning, systematic evaluation of return on investment for individual initiatives, and alignment with the organization’s strategic objectives.

Organizational readiness thus emerges as the primary limiting factor of digital transformation—more significant than the availability of the technologies themselves.

Robotic Process Automation (RPA): Barriers to Practical Implementation

RPA technology has significant potential to optimize operational processes by automating routine, rule-based activities. Software robots can perform repetitive tasks across heterogeneous information systems—such as data migration, input validation, form completion, and report generation—leading to reduced error rates, time savings, and the freeing of capacity for higher-value activities.

Despite these proven benefits, only 13% of respondents reported active use or pilot testing of RPA. The remaining 87% have not yet implemented these tools.

The low adoption rate is not primarily due to limited technology availability or high costs, but rather to insufficient process maturity. RPA requires:

• Standardized and stable processes with minimal variability
• Detailed process documentation, including exception handling
• Clearly defined process ownership and service levels
• Structured data in compatible formats

Most local governments, however, face the following challenges:

• Lack of formal process documentation
• High variability and instability of processes
• Insufficient digitalization of input data
• Change management issues—employee uncertainty regarding the impact of automation
• Limited internal capacity for RPA development and maintenance

Process optimization and standardization therefore emerge as essential prerequisites for successful RPA implementation.

Artificial Intelligence Implementation: Current Trends

Unlike RPA, AI tools represent a more accessible entry point into advanced digitalization. They do not require extensive system integration or fundamental process transformation and allow for rapid validation of functionality.

Survey results show that most organizations are already experimenting with AI tools or actively using them in operational environments. AI is therefore becoming the primary catalyst for digital transformation in organizations with limited IT capacity.

However, the current adoption model exhibits characteristics of ad hoc implementation:

• Decentralized use without central coordination
• Absence of a unified AI governance and compliance framework
• Unclear rules for data security and personal data protection
• Lack of mechanisms for validating AI outputs and ensuring quality
• Limited strategic alignment within the organization’s digital strategy

This situation creates risks related to consistency, security, and long-term sustainability. Without a systematic approach, there is a risk that AI’s potential will remain underutilized and organizations will fail to achieve the expected gains in efficiency and service quality.

Technology Platforms: Preferred AI Solutions

Analysis of the platforms in use shows a dominance of generic, cloud-based AI services with low implementation barriers. The most widely used solutions are ChatGPT (OpenAI) and Microsoft Copilot, which offer:

• Intuitive user interfaces requiring no technical expertise
• A wide range of use cases (text generation, translation, summarization)
• Rapid deployment without the need for IT support
• Integration with commonly used tools (Microsoft 365)

Specialized or custom AI solutions—such as private language model instances, fine-tuned models, or sector-specific applications—appear only sporadically, typically among organizations with:

• Higher levels of digital maturity
• Dedicated IT capacity for development and operations
• Specific requirements for data protection or regulatory compliance

The results indicate that most local governments are in the exploratory phase of AI adoption—testing basic functionality and use cases using low-code solutions. Transitioning to enterprise-grade AI platforms with robust security, governance, and integration capabilities represents the next stage of development.

Practical Use Cases and Expected Benefits

Respondents identified the greatest AI potential in areas with high administrative workloads and repetitive cognitive tasks:

• Document processing – automated creation of official documents, summarization and information extraction, translation, semantic search
• Process automation – classification and routing of applications, data extraction from documents, form pre-filling, completeness validation
• Citizen communication – chatbots and virtual assistants for 24/7 availability, personalized communication, satisfaction analysis
• Content generation – creation of PR materials, press releases, presentations, and reports with a consistent style
• Data analysis – predictive models for planning, anomaly detection, trend analysis, data-driven policy development

These use cases demonstrate potential for measurable benefits, including reduced processing times (target savings of 30–50%), increased employee productivity, improved citizen experience, and higher-quality decision-making.

Key Findings

The survey results demonstrate a generally positive attitude among Czech local governments toward adopting modern technologies, particularly AI tools. At the same time, they identify systemic barriers related to organizational and process readiness.

Key insights:

• Fragmentation of digital initiatives due to lack of central coordination and governance
• Low process maturity limiting the potential for systematic automation (RPA)
• High levels of AI experimentation without a strategic framework for scalable deployment
• Unsophisticated technology adoption lacking long-term strategic planning

Main challenges:

• Shortage of dedicated digital roles and competencies
• Absence of formal process documentation and standardization
• Limited mechanisms for knowledge sharing and dissemination of best practices
• Unclear data governance and compliance requirements for AI use

Organizations with higher digital maturity are characterized by:

• A dedicated role or team for digital transformation
• Formalized processes with clear ownership and accountability
• Strategic integration of digitalization into long-term plans
• Systematic evaluation and scaling of successful pilot initiatives

Recommendations for Accelerating Digital Transformation

Based on the identified barriers, we recommend focusing on the following priorities:

Governance and Organizational Structure

• Establish a dedicated digital transformation role or team with authority for cross-department coordination
• Define clear governance structures for approving and evaluating digital initiatives

Process Foundations

• Systematically map and document key processes
• Identify quick wins suitable for optimization or automation
• Standardize processes and eliminate duplication

Strategic Approach to AI

• Develop an AI strategy with clearly defined use cases and success metrics
• Establish a governance framework, including data handling and regulatory compliance rules
• Build a center of excellence to support knowledge sharing

Capacity and Culture Building

• Develop employees’ digital skills through training and mentoring
• Encourage an experimental culture that tolerates failure
• Build organizational change management capabilities

Technology and Measurement

• Ensure a flexible technology infrastructure that supports integration
• Define key performance indicators to measure improvements
• Implement mechanisms for continuous improvement and scaling of successful initiatives

Thank You for Your Participation

We thank all survey participants for their contributions. We hope this report serves as a useful benchmark for assessing your organization’s current level of digital maturity and for identifying priority areas for further development.

For organizations interested in methodological support with digital strategy development, process optimization, or implementation of specific technology solutions (RPA, AI), we are available to consult on options and best practices drawn from comparable public-sector projects.

Contact us