On the basis of the Senate Resolution on the Development of the Digitization Strategy for Berlin (September 2018, Drs. 18/1336), the process of developing a digital strategy commenced, as stipulated in the Berlin government coalition agreement of December 2016. The strategy process is coordinated by the Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises, but all Senate Departments are offered the opportunity to actively participate in its preparation. The aim of the digital strategy is “a Berlin worth living in, which will ensure access and opportunities for all Berliners even in the digital age” (Drs. 18/1336, p. 1). The Senate “wants to help shape the digital transformation in Berlin according to the principles of sustainability, participation and economic development” (ibid.) and to support the “Senate departments in the implementation and coordination of their digital policy projects” (ibid.). At the end of the strategy process “a strategy document should be available describing the digital policy goals and concrete individual measures in the participating ministries” (ibid.).
The process is planned to last 18-24 months and will be accompanied by a civic participatory process. “Essential stakeholders should be identified at an early stage and integrated into the strategy process via dialogue formats” (ibid.). In February 2019, before the start of the strategy process, an award procedure was carried out to commission a service provider to accompany the development of the digitisation strategy, which was selected with the participation of several senate administrations. The contract was given to Ernst & Young in the April 2019. Immediately thereafter, the joint development of the strategy in a two-stage Green Paper and White Paper process began. At the beginning of the Quarter 4 of 2019, the Green Paper is to be published as an inventory of the current situation in Berlin. In June 2020, the White Paper is to be completed as a concrete strategy paper with defined implementation steps.