Digitalization of Public Administration and Its Impact on Sustainability in Institutional Consumption: An Exploratory Analysis of Open Government Data

Authors: Oana Camelia Iacob (Pârgaru), Emil Grătianu, Sorin Burlacu, Petrică Sorin Angheluță

Abstract

The aim of this article is to explore the impact of public administration digitalization on the efficiency of institutional consumption, in the context of accelerating digital transformation and the use of European funds. The study analyzes the relationship between the degree of digitalization and the dynamics of public procurement, with a focus on the differentiation between procurements financed from European funds and those from other sources. The research design is exploratory, based on a quantitative approach using open government data collected from the official platform data.gov.ro, for the period 2020–2024. The selected datasets include information on direct procurements made by public institutions in Romania. The statistical analysis was performed in the Anaconda environment, using Python tools such as Pandas, Matplotlib and Seaborn, and the methodology included preliminary data processing, construction of composite indicators and application of Pearson correlation coefficients. The results indicate a moderate correlation (r = 0.46) between the share of procurement financed from European funds and the general dynamics of institutional procurement. This relationship suggests that the digitalization of public procurement processes, associated with European funding (including through programs such as PNRR), can have a positive impact on operational efficiency and reducing dependence on traditional resource-consuming procedures. The originality of the research lies in the integration of open data analysis with the assessment of institutional sustainability, addressing an area still insufficiently covered in the specialized literature. The article proposes a replicable quantitative analysis model, based on the use of open-source resources, for assessing the impact of digitalization on sustainability in the public sector. The practical implications of the study aim to support decision-makers in formulating public policies that accelerate sustainable digitalization and optimize institutional consumption in the public sector.