The Challenge of Balancing Innovation and Tradition in the Public Sector: The Role of Street-Level Bureaucrats in Digital Transformation

• Published date: 01 January 2025
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/00953997241296100
• Author: Maximilian L. Nagel
• Date: 01 January 2025

https://doi.org/10.1177/00953997241296100

Administration & Society

2025, Vol. 57(1) 154 –181

© The Author(s) 2024

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DOI: 10.1177/00953997241296100

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Perspectives

The Challenge of

Balancing Innovation and

Tradition in the Public

Sector: The Role of

Street-Level Bureaucrats

in Digital Transformation

Maximilian L. Nagel1

Abstract

This conceptual article investigates the critical role of street-level bureaucrats

(SLB) as potential “eliminators” of dysfunctional policies and drivers of digital

change in the public sector. Working on the front lines of government,

they have a distinctive viewpoint that allows them to challenge persistent

ineffective policies. The present work introduces a framework that illustrates

the roles SLBs could assume within the context of the ongoing digitalization

reform of German public administration. It explores the conditions under

which public servants are likely to be reflexive about existing practices—

including reform practices—and can promote real innovation.

Keywords

street-level bureaucrats, digital transformation, public sector innovation,

bureaucratic resistance

1Helmut-Schmidt-University Hamburg, Germany

Corresponding Author:

Maximilian L. Nagel, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, Helmut-Schmidt-University

Hamburg, Holstenhofweg 85, Hamburg, 22043, Germany.

Email: maxinagel@me.com

1296100AAS0010.1177/00953997241296100Administration & SocietyNagel

research-article2024

Nagel 155

Introduction

In the cartoon “The Twelve Tasks of Asterix, the protagonist and his compan-

ion Obelix must solve twelve tasks to become the rulers over Rome. If they

lose, the two and the people of their Gaul village become slaves. Task 8 man-

dates the two Gaul to find Permit A 38. To complete that, they must encounter

several public servants in a public administration building, which is described

as the place that sends you mad. The challenge to get Permit A 38 is as

demanding as winning the Olympics. When they get in touch with public

servants within the building, they are diverted to various authorities and

swamped with forms, which gradually frustrates Asterix and Obelix.

Even though the cartoon is from the 1970s citizens still experience bureau-

cratic processes in which they must negotiate dozens of applications (Sicken

et al., 2024) while moving from one authority to another.

The image of public servants in the cartoon is especially interesting against

the background of the well-established literature on street-level bureaucrats.

Street-level bureaucrats implement policies; they work in the frontline of the

public sector; they “determine eligibility for government programs” (Keiser,

2010, p. 247), and to some extent they are assumed to identify with the needs

of their clientele. They may act as their clients’ advocate (Finlay & Sandall,

2009) and understand the needs of people while helping citizens navigate

through complex policies.1 Street-level bureaucrats are not just “passive vic-

tims” of dysfunctional policies (van Gestel et al., 2019); they may defend

their room to maneuver, develop coping strategies (Jacobsson et al., 2020),

and try to work around dysfunctionalities as much as possible (Cohen &

Aviram, 2021). Street-level bureaucrats could use “creative mediation,” and

reframe organizational and policy expectations to support the results they

want. Street-level bureaucrats know the administrative burdens (see Herd &

Moynihan, 2018) citizens face; therefore their experiences and knowledge

should be considered in reforms.

This leads to an intriguing research question: Under what conditions are

we likely to have public servants who are reflexive about existing practices—

including reform practices—and can promote real innovation? This article

employs Germany’s Online Access Act (Onlinezugangsgesetz—OZG) to

explore conditions under which street-level bureaucrats may utilize digital

transformation reforms to address observed dysfunctionalities.

Germany’s National Regulatory Council (NKR) reported in its latest

annual report of 2023 that the OZG did not achieve its original goal of digitiz-

ing all public services by the end of 2022. According to the report, the policy

failed not only because a handful of public services were digitized by 2022,

but also because of fragmented IT solutions within the states and