Digital Services in Albania

Since the 1960s, organizations in the public sector have used new technology to manage their workloads more effectively. The context in which citizens and public employees engage has altered because of digitized public services, changing the location of public meetings from a public official's office to a technological device. This paper aims to identify important aspects of public service digitization that changed our understanding of the interaction between citizens and government. It is a hermeneutic literature review that aims to expand our understanding of how the digitization of public services is developing in Albania. The authors try to explore the relationships between citizens, government agencies, and digital public services, which are those that are offered or mediated by the Internet. As a methodology, secondary data was used, i.e., a thorough review of the literature, including laws, decisions, official reports and documents, scientific articles and studies, books, etc. to provide a comprehensive analysis of the current state of public service digitalization in Albania. In conclusion, during the last 16 years (2005-2021), the use of information technology for the benefit of public service administration innovation has gained particular importance, supported by a framework of policies, plans, regulations, and new institutions. On the other hand, Albania has made notable progress in this area, offering 61% of public services online, through the e-Albania platform. The paper recommendations to improve the infrastructure for inclusiveness in access to services, giving importance not only to individuals with special needs but also to the development of rural areas.