Strategy process in the municipality of Löffingen

A comprehensive strategy process for digitisation in rural areas includes a thorough analysis of the initial situation and local conditions to develop viable solutions based on practical experience. Within the strategy process, needs-oriented solutions are to be found and people are to be inspired to implement them.The entire strategy process in Löffingen consists of various steps, which in their entirety pursue a sustainable people-oriented development in all smartness categories.

Generating various ideas for implementation projects.
Active realisation and further development of implementation projects e.g. citizens' taxi
Smart digitization strategy as an agenda for existing projects and projects to be further developed.

In the pilot municipality of Löffingen, initial ideas for implementation projects were determined on the basis of several group project meetings consisting of around ten citizens from Löffingen between November 2018 and October 2019. In this way, needs and fields of action were identified and concrete implementation projects were developed e.g. citizens’ taxi or community platform.

At the end of 2019, the ten-member project group decided to pursue a strategic approach as a further step. In order to represent the broadest possible spectrum of opinions, a citizens' survey, expert interviews with municipal administrative staff and a world café, a process for leading a collaborative dialogue and creating possibilities for action, were carried out.

The smart Digital Strategy provides an agenda with a collection of all relevant implementation projects. It is divided into six thematic areas: Smart Citizens, Smart Administration, Smart Living, Smart Environment, Smart Economy and Smart Mobility.
In addition to a project description, the strategy explains the relationships between the implementation projects and the strategy process, the timeframe of the implementation projects and all relevant actors involved. After a public review of the smart Digital Strategy, suggestions and improvement proposals can be made.

Workshops and events had to be organized and professional moderation had to be hired.
Citizens had to actively participate in group meetings and actively support the implementation of projects.

Digital transformation projects are only successful if they are desired and actively supported by the city administration and local community.
Good communication in the municipality and support for politics, citizenship and enterprises is needed.
It is not enough if the workshops are well attended. The population must be actively involved in the implementation process.

1) Meetings of the project group to define initial implementation projects 2) Citizens’ survey, expert interviews with municipal administrative staff and a world café to gather further ideas and present the needs of citizens in their entirety 3) Development and updating of a digital strategy 4) Public review of the digital strategy

Difficulties encountered:
Often there are numerous ideas for possible implementation projects where only a very few possibilities are suitable for the actual implementation.
Due to Covid-19, analog events for citizen participation could only take place to a limited extent from spring 2020.