DigitalService and NExT jointly launch the “GovImpact” project

Berlin, September 4, 2025
DigitalService, in collaboration with NExT, today launched the “GovImpact” project, which will be funded by the Mercator Foundation for two years. The aim of the project is to systematically consolidate and visualize implementation expertise from public administration for policymakers and the general public.

GovImpact seeks to capture the extensive practical experience in public administration at the federal, state, and local levels and make it accessible to political decision-makers. Both within DigitalService and in the NExT network, which has over 5,700 members, there is deep knowledge of how administrative processes work, what conditions foster success, and which factors can lead to failure.

Over the next two years, GovImpact will pool these experiences and structure them around key topics in administrative transformation. The focus is on assessing the significance of relevant issues, presenting existing best practices and success indicators, identifying conditions that enable or hinder success, and developing concrete policy recommendations.

A particular emphasis is placed on cooperation in practice. Publishing knowledge is only the first step; it is equally important to bring together experts from the administration and political decision-makers through appropriate formats – to share insights, enable exchange, and strengthen mutual understanding. Especially in complex areas, knowledge transfer is most effective through dialogue.

“We are delighted to be working with NExT and the Mercator Foundation as strong partners to focus on an indispensable component of administrative transformation: the central importance of practical knowledge and implementation experience. Only through visibility, exchange, and concrete recommendations can the learning process of the administration advance in a structured way,” says Christina Lang, CEO of DigitalService.

The best practices developed will be published to show how many successful initiatives have already been launched in the public sector. The aim is not only to document successes, but also to openly identify obstacles. Both are crucial for fostering a genuine culture of learning from mistakes and laying the foundation for a learning public sector.

With “GovImpact,” DigitalService and NExT are making a substantial contribution to the modernization of public administration in Germany. The Mercator Foundation is supporting the project throughout its two-year duration, both financially and in terms of content.