Five Ways to Strengthen Trust in Digital Government: Lessons from Serbia
Published on March 19, 2026, this World Bank blog post examines how Serbia built citizen trust in digital government services. Governments across Europe are accelerating the digitalization of public services, adopting technologies such as online platforms, digital IDs, and artificial intelligence to enable faster and more accessible services. However, technology alone is not sufficient. Through the World Bank-supported Enabling Digital Governance Project (EDGE), Serbia developed a multi-layered data security training program to meet the needs of everyone from entry-level staff to senior executives. The authors distill this experience into five practical lessons.
Raising Awareness and Tailoring Training
As public services increasingly move online, civil servants (not only IT staff but also clerks and teachers) find themselves managing extremely sensitive personal data as part of their daily routines. Data security incidents are not necessarily the result of malicious intent but often simple human error due to lack of awareness. To address this, Serbia trained over 4,000 public servants on data protection and cybersecurity, shifting toward a culture where information security is embedded across the public sector.
In addition, a one-size-fits-all approach proved inadequate. The government co-designed data security training programs with public servants, thinking of them as “users” and building the curriculum and format around their specific knowledge gaps and needs. Short online modules served frontline staff, while senior leaders completed crisis simulation exercises. Several programs saw demand far exceeding initial targets.
Reaching Local Authorities and Governing AI Responsibly
As the program progressed, social welfare facilities, schools, and health centers began expressing interest in staff training. Although they manage extremely sensitive data pertaining to children, patients, and vulnerable families, these institutions had not initially been envisioned as part of the training rollout. The government responded by extending training beyond national ministries to local levels across the country.
On artificial intelligence, in alignment with emerging European standards such as the EU AI Act, the government actively invested in establishing an AI governance framework to mitigate risks and bolster public trust. Civil servants are now undergoing training designed to foster an understanding of AI-related risks, ethics, and accountability.
Building Secure National Infrastructure
Training alone is not enough to safeguard digital government. Serbia invested in secure national infrastructure through EDGE. The government bolstered its Network Operations Center and established a Security Operations Center and a Computer Emergency Response Team capable of operating 24/7. In the past year alone, national security teams successfully detected and responded to millions of cyberattacks targeting government systems.
The overarching lesson is clear: building digital services that citizens can trust takes time and a phased, incremental approach. Early investment in skills, governance, and secure systems lays a strong foundation for trusted digital government without sacrificing innovation.
Reference
Kerf, M., Kukrika Vasojević, V., Okahashi, A., & Svircev, S. (2026, March 19). Five ways to strengthen trust in digital government: Lessons from Serbia. World Bank Blogs – Eurasian Perspectives. https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/europeandcentralasia/five-ways-to-strengthen-trust-in-digital-government–lessons-fro