Regaining Control of Digital-Induced Change: Structuring Digital Competences in Public Sector Organizations

This article explores how to regain control over digital-induced change by nurturing digital competence through structural arrangements. Digital competence is a critical resource that cannot be limited to hiring people with technological skills in the ICT department, and which implies a broader transformation of the work and professional identities in public sector organizations. Unique in-depth data from a case study of an AI unit established to build internal technological expertise shows how organizational structure can help to empower civil servants and managers to act as catalysts. The AI unit was initially established as a data science lab and then restructured into interprofessional development teams. The two organizational arrangements cultivated different types of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and capabilities. The data science lab fostered competence in experimental work, and the interprofessional development teams fostered collective problem-solving. The findings demonstrate the importance of carefully considering structural arrangements as a resource for building digital competence.