Providing the Population with State and Municipal Services in Electronic Format in a Modern Megalopolis (Case Study: Moscow)

Abstract

Expanding the range of state and municipal services in electronic format and improving their quality are the focus of state policy of the Russian Federation in the area of public administration. In this article, applying statistical methods, the authors investigate the demand for the Internet of Moscow residents to receive state and municipal services and provide possible directions for expanding the number of electronic service recipients. The research is based on the microdata of the Federal Statistical Sample Survey on the use of information technologies and information and telecommunication networks over the period of 2017–2022 in Moscow. The survey was conducted among Moscow residents aged 15 years and older (from 6.3 to 10.9 thousand respondents, depending on the year of the survey). The share of Moscow residents receiving state and municipal services in electronic form almost doubled over the period under review (the level of Moscow residents’ satisfaction with the quality of electronic services has also increased). The authors’ typology of state and municipal services’ recipients allows the conclusion that from 2017 to 2022, the share of Moscow residents who prefer to receive services strictly in-person has dropped significantly. In 2022, less than 5% of Moscow residents received state and municipal services without using the Internet (according to the survey, these are predominantly older people, often with a lower level of education). The statistical analysis revealed the reasons for the non-use of the Internet by Moscow residents that allows for providing more substantive and targeted informational and educational support for the population, who are aware of the benefits of receiving state and municipal services in electronic format.