Crowdsourcing and digitization as a tool for creating sustainable development - a case study of public administration

Goal: Building stable infrastructure and promoting innovation is the ninth goal of sustainable development. It is implemented, among others, by increasing access to information and communication technologies and providing affordable and universal access to the Internet. The aim of the article is to assess the current level of access to broadband Internet and the possibility of its faster dissemination using a crowdsourcing platform, a new solution used by public administration in Poland. The platform involves the public and shows public administration's experience in using it to ensure wide public access to broadband Internet, which translates into the implementation of sustainable development goals thanks to the digitisation of socio-economic processes. Research method: The study used a comparative analysis of indicators in the area of information and communication technologies collected by the Central Statistical Office and a case study of the use of a crowdsourcing (internet) platform called SIDUSIS (Information System on Access to Fixed Broadband Internet Services) to optimise the implementation of investments in the development of broadband Internet in Poland. The analysis of the implementation effects and the indication of the impact of digitalisation on sustainable development goals allowed us to indicate the validity of using the concept of crowdsourcing and crowdsourcing platforms not only in the activities of enterprises but also in the activities of public administration in Poland. Conclusions: The analysis of literature and quantitative data allowed us to indicate that the development of access to broadband Internet is one of the factors accelerating the implementation of sustainable development goals and to indicate the effective use of the idea of crowdsourcing to modernise infrastructure. Originality/value/implications/recommendations: So far, the idea of crowdsourcing, as well as crowdsourcing platforms, has been used mainly in the enterprise sector and in public administration to promote the idea of citizen budgets. The experience gained has shown that it is justified to involve society in increasing the availability of broadband Internet. This does not require large investment outlays and allows decision-makers to quickly identify problems with this accessibility and optimise work in this area.