We have already spent a lot on the digital state, but what does this mean for everyday administration?

Discussions about large state IT programs often start with impressive figures regarding costs, but these numbers alone provide little insight. Establishing a national sovereign cloud infrastructure involves significant commitments, with costs varying widely based on location, scale, and sovereignty level. Understanding realistic costs, expected outcomes, return on investment timelines, and risk bearers is crucial, especially in Hungary, where the EU and national budgets have allocated substantial resources for digital governance development. The upcoming DIMOP program focuses on renewing applications and administrative services, while DIMOP Plus emphasizes cloud and AI services. Future investments should build on previous developments rather than merely replicate them. The OECD notes that Hungary performs well in financing and monitoring digital government investments but lacks standardized post-cost-benefit analysis and project management models, making it difficult to assess…