The current Danish e-Government Strategy, covering the period 2004-2006, was published in February 2004. It is an extension of the previous strategy, which covered the period 2001-2003. The challenges that the public sector faces in the coming years will require the introduction of digital solutions that will help to modernise working practices and services. The Government and the municipal bodies seek to create an efficient and coherent public sector with a high quality of service, which focuses on the needs of citizens and businesses. Digitalisation should be actively applied to realise the following vision: Digitalisation must contribute to the creation of an efficient and coherent public sector with a high quality of service, with citizens and businesses in the centre.

There is an expectation of increased costs for the public sector because of the higher proportion of elderly people in the population, fewer people in the work force, and thus fewer people to recruit for public sector tasks. In addition, there are increasing demands from citizens and businesses that the public sector keep up with the technological development and provide up-to-date and high-quality service. For businesses, in particular, the increasing level of internationalisation will require interaction with the public sector. In order to facilitate work on this vision and monitor the progress of its realisation, five signposts have been drawn up. The first two signposts express the aims of the vision, while the latter three are concerned with the measures that will be necessary in order to realise it. In order to support the fulfilment of its strategic objectives, the Danish government has identified a number of 'Focus Areas', i.e. areas that need to be improved in order to facilitate the successful delivery of e-government projects. Until 2004, the focus has been on the provision of infrastructure items such as standards, solutions and portals. In the period 2004-2006, however, the focus will be on harvesting the gains generated by these investments. The identified focus areas are:
• Secure realisation and measure results
• Strengthen management and skills
• Renew organisation and corporate culture
• Improve communication and knowledge sharing
• Develop incentives and financing
• Enhance the infrastructure