Bureaucracy and Digitalization

Dr. Walter Schmitting und Prof. Dr. Martin T. Bohl

The digitalization of public administration ranks high on the agenda of many political actors. The primary objective is to increase both the effectiveness and efficiency of public administration while reducing the bureaucratic burden on the economy.

However, this undertaking is complicated by a number of interrelated challenges. These include, for example, a fragmented (federal) IT landscape with outdated specialized procedures and isolated solutions that hinder standardization and scalability. The lack of agreement on organizational and technical standards obstructs data exchange. Legal and procedural frameworks are often still oriented toward paper-based processes. In addition, there is a lack of clear regulations regarding the legal validity of electronic procedures.

These points, however, are only the beginning of a much longer list of obstacles. Overall, there is a strong interconnection of perspectives from economics, business administration, and legal aspects of administrative science, encompassing both the challenges and possible solutions and policy proposals.

At the beginning of the course, participants will receive an overview of the subject area. In their seminar papers, they will subsequently explore selected topics in greater depth through critical reflection. The seminar concludes with presentations and discussions of the individual seminar topics by pairs of students.

Topics

1. Artificial Intelligence in Public Administration – Use Cases and Perspectives (Schmitting)
2. Register Modernization and NOOTS: Content, Current Status, Importance for Digitalization, and Perspectives (Schmitting)
3. The Standard Cost Model (SCM) for Measuring Bureaucratic Costs: Design, Application by the Federal Statistical Office, and Criticism (Schmitting)
4. Examples of Comprehensive Reforms of the Public Sector (Bohl)
5. The Role of the Welfare State in the Expansion of Government Activity (Bohl)
6. Artificial Intelligence as a Driver of Economic Growth? (Bohl)

Literature

Please note that a comprehensive literature review is part of the assessment of the seminar paper. Particular attention should be paid to high-quality articles published in relevant academic journals.

Supervision

To clarify content-related questions regarding topics 1, 2, and 3, please send an email to  Dr. Schmitting in order to arrange an appointment. The same applies to topics 4, 5, and 6; please send an email to Professor Bohl.

Organizational Information

• Seminar places are allocated centrally via Learnweb. Please enroll in the course “SemVWL” (Bachelorseminare VWL) in order to apply for a seminar place. There are twelve seminar places available, and each of the six topics may be worked on by a maximum of two students. 
• An introductory session will take place on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in STA1 (Am Stadtgraben 9, ground floor). During this session, the further procedure will be discussed and questions can be clarified.
• The deadline for submitting the seminar paper is Tuesday, January 5, 2027, by 12:00 noon. Please upload your seminar paper as a PDF file via the submission form linked here by the deadline. This version will form the basis of the assessment.
• The seminar will take place as a block course on Tuesday, January 19, 2027, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., including a break, in STA1 (Am Stadtgraben 9, ground floor). On this date, students will present and discuss their papers.
• A presentation time of a maximum of 20 minutes is allocated per topic, whereby the two students working on the same topic will give a joint presentation. This will be followed by a discussion of approximately 10 minutes. 
• Grading will be based on the written seminar paper (50%) and the presentation (50%).
• Please register for the seminar with the Examination Office (FlexNow) for the early examination period and in Learnweb (course SAVBUD-2026_2; the enrollment key can be found here).
• Within the framework of this course, students may earn 6 credits (Bachelor’s program, Examination Regulations 2022).