Often the problems of the public sector are to do with the lack of resources for its many obligations. These obligations often concern supporting and assisting citizens, and many types of values are to be realized and uphold, be it democracy and equality or efficiency and integrity. For many years digital technologies have been used to support the processes we humans perform, typing on a computer instead of writing on paper or letting the computer perform calculations. But what happens when more typically human processes are starting to be replaced? Such as interpretation, learning and decision making? These types of processes exist in more of a gray area than simple calculations. Can a digital system, a type of software or a robot really handle these types of tasks? What happens when these types of solutions are starting to get used, and do we sacrifice anything getting there?
Daniel Toll
Assistant Professor
Artificial intelligence and robots alleviating humans are talked about as promising ways for society to progress. I study the technologies in the frontline of digitalization within the public sector, what these are used for and what the outcome is.
Technologies in the frontline of digitalization
The public sector in Sweden is facing many challenges and digitalization is seen in part as a natural part of technological development, but also as a large problem-solver.
Research
Currently I am working on my licentiate thesis, focusing on automation within Swedish municipalities, with a particular focus on robotic process automation (RPA).
I study how municipalities implement this type of software, what they use it for and the outcome and experience of having ‘digital co-workers’ as colleagues. How does this affect the co-worker, organization, citizen and society?
Publications
2024
Between continuity and change: A longitudinal analysis of Swedish local government digitalization strategies
eJournal of eDemocracy & Open Government, Vol. 16, p. 49-73
(Article in journal)
https://dx.doi.org/10.29379/jedem.v16i2.914
RPA and Robot Imaginaries in Swedish Local Government - Terminator or Colleague of the Month?
ELECTRONIC GOVERNMENT, EGOV 2024, p. 270-285
(Conference paper)
https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-70274-7_17
Organizational conditions required to implement RPA in local government Insights from a Swedish case study
PROCEEDINGS OF THE 25TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON DIGITAL GOVERNMENT RESEARCH, DGO 2024, p. 434-442
(Conference paper)
https://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3657054.3657257
Process Automation in Swedish Municipalities: Stakeholders, Challenges, and Public Values
(Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary)
https://dx.doi.org/10.3384/9789180757140
2023
Robot Colleagues in Swedish Municipalities: How RPA Affects the Work Situation of Employees
Electronic Government (EGOV 2023): 22nd IFIP WG 8.5 International Conference, EGOV 2023, Proceedings, p. 160-173
(Conference paper)
https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-41138-0_11
Education
I am active as a teacher in two Information Systems study programs:
I pop up in several different courses, but mainly in courses with a focus on method or a mix of IT and organization. As a teacher I lecture, lead seminars and workshops and supervise projects and theses.
