The differences in perception between the functionaries are striking. When it comes to federal fragmentation, agency management at 24 percent and IT managers at 46 percent are a full 22 percentage points apart. The gap is even clearer when it comes to data protection uncertainties, which only 15 percent of agency managers but 39 percent of IT managers cite as a brake.
48 percent of those surveyed see the biggest obstacle as the lack of data and interface standards and 40 percent as the federal fragmentation without central control
Research Services: Patrick Birnbreier
Once-Only and sovereignty between demands and reality
There is also a large gap between the political goal and actual practice of the once-only principle (OOP). 47 percent of those surveyed see the obligation to collect data only once, which is anchored in the Online Access Act (OZG), as more of a wish than a reality. Only 18 percent believe implementation in the next five years is realistic. The most skeptical are municipalities (16 percent), which would benefit most from OOP because they have the most contact with citizens. Federal authorities (27 percent), on the other hand, are significantly more confident.
A comparable pattern characterizes digital sovereignty. For more than half of those surveyed (52 percent), it is a high to top priority when it comes to tenders. Only a minority of 17 percent consider the prioritized procurement of solutions that are compatible with the German Administration Cloud (DVC) to be problem-free or largely feasible. The fact that 29 percent rate the feasibility as “don’t know” suggests that the framework is not yet operationally anchored in many authorities.
Data protection slows down the cloud, ignorance slows down DVC
However, the study revealed further insightful results. Cloud services are no longer a marginal topic in administration. Almost 39 percent of authorities use them, and another 22 percent plan to use them. 59 percent cite data protection requirements such as the GDPR as by far the biggest hurdle to cloud use.
The German Administration Cloud (DVC), which was launched in 2025 as a “sovereign cloud foundation for public administration in Germany”, is mostly seen as a supplement (37 percent) to existing infrastructures, and only in 22 percent of cases as a replacement. Around half of those surveyed expect a positive development from the DVC, but 52 percent know it die DVC Hardly according to his own statement. The satisfaction ratings are correspondingly sobering when it comes to the degree of standardization (18 percent) and interoperability (16 percent).
52 percent of those surveyed said they hardly knew the DVC
Research Services: Patrick Birnbreier
AI in authorities: use is growing, know-how is lacking
Artificial intelligence has also found its way into the authorities. 29 percent are already using AI tools, 17 percent are planning to do so in the next two years. The focus is on generative AI and Large Language Models (LLM) with 55 percent. Eight out of ten authorities that use AI are also positive about the use of AI agents, with data protection risks being the biggest obstacle at 48 percent.
