Low Code / No Code for Public Authorities - Citizen Developers as the Key to Digital Transformation

The Digital Transformation of public administration is more urgent than ever: citizens expect modern services, a large proportion of civil servants will be retiring in the next few years, and at the same time, major digitalization projects will tie up resources for years. Traditional IT development is too slow for the pressure on many authorities to act.

This is where low platforms come in: They enable public authorities to implement their digitalization faster, more cost-efficiently, and closer to practice. Low-code tools and no-code platforms offer the advantage that specialist departments can develop simple applications themselves without having to rely on traditional IT projects. This creates new freedom in the public organization and reduces dependence on external development.

Low-code/no-code platforms for public authorities enable the development of digital applications through visual interfaces, modular building blocks, and drag-and-drop functionalities. Even without programming experience, processes can be modeled, automated, or entire form sections can be mapped digitally. This significantly lowers the barriers to entry, especially for employees with no prior IT knowledge.

This is a huge advantage for public administrations with many repetitive processes and limited resources, this is a huge advantage. With the Microsoft Power Platform for public authorities, digital applications can be created with Microsoft Power Apps, approval workflows can be automated, and data analyses can be set up in a secure, efficient, and user-friendly way.

A citizen developer in public authorities is an employee from a specialist area who develops digital solutions using low-code / no-code tools. They do not require traditional IT training but are enabled to translate their expertise into practical applications through targeted Citizen Developer training.

With Citizen Developer in public administration, solutions are developed directly in line with requirements: employees know the processes, identify potential for improvement, and implement them independently. Using tools like Microsoft Power Apps Administration, they develop practical, data protection-compliant solutions quickly, securely, and sustainably.

A sustainable governance strategy is a key success factor for introducing low-code / no-code in public administration. After all, citizen development can only have a tangible impact if it is regulated who is allowed to develop what, how quality and low-code security are ensured in public authorities, and how operations are organized in the long term. This is precisely where the Power Platform Foundation from Arvato Systems comes in. It supports the structured, secure, and sustainable introduction of the Microsoft Power Platform for public authorities.

In a compact, practical workshop format, Arvato Systems and the administration jointly develop all the necessary foundations: from the definition of clear roles and authorization concepts to technical security and data protection standards and the establishment of a Center of Excellence (CoE), which serves as a control instrument for all platform activities. The focus is not only on technical implementation, but also on building skills within the organizations: The Power Platform Foundation teaches methods, training concepts, and best practices that can be used to specifically empower citizen developers in public authorities and embed them in the organization.

This creates a framework that covers all relevant dimensions - Power Platform governance for public organizations, security, platform operation, user qualification, and scalability - and meets the specific requirements of the public sector. With the Power Platform Foundation, public authorities create the necessary basis for using the Microsoft Power Platform selectively, strategically, and organization-wide - in a controlled, compliant, and future-proof manner. Arvato Systems contributes a deep understanding of technology and many years of experience working with public authorities, making it a reliable partner on the path to a modern low-code / no-code organization.
 

The introduction of low-code/no-code platforms is changing more than just the technical landscape. New roles are emerging, specialist departments are taking on development tasks, and collaboration between IT and administration is being rethought. Anyone who wants to introduce low-code/no-code in public administration must actively shape this cultural change, strategically accompanied by suitable methods and robust platform governance.

With the emergence of citizen developers in public authorities, responsibility is shifting to the specialist departments. People who were previously pure users are becoming digital creators themselves. This only works with trust, clear framework conditions, and targeted citizen developer training. Without structured change management, there is a risk of uncertainty, excessive demand, or a lack of acceptance, and therefore, challenges that many authorities underestimate during their low-code digitalization.

Successful change starts with communication: What goals is the organization pursuing with low-code / no-code? What will change in concrete terms for those involved? At the same time, practical training, internal community formats, and eye-level exchange are needed. Here, the Power Platform Foundation from Arvato Systems provides valuable support with methodological building blocks, training concepts, and governance guidelines that closely interlink technological introduction and cultural change.

In this way, low code / no code does not become a parallel self-build solution, but an integrative element of a modern administrative structure: supported by the people who live it every day and actively develop it further. The combination of platform, structure, and change is crucial and makes Citizen Development a sustainable innovation approach for the digital transformation of public administration.