The digital leaders have ongoing conversations with their department's executive board and other key personnel, allowing them to identify opportunities, map the needs of staff and residents, prevent waste or duplication, and ensure the right projects are given priority.

"My role is to encourage them, clear away obstacles and ensure the team has a shared overview of what's happening in the City administration," says Eyrún. This involves not just managing the projects but also keeping the team itself together, building unity and creating space for learning.

Eyrún has worked for the City for 18 years in various roles, including as a producer in transformation projects, so she knows well both the infrastructure and the people who keep the system running. "I've experienced numerous changes within the City administration and can often help people see the bigger picture or explain why certain things are the way they are."

Digital transformation leads – bridge between departments

Digital transformation leads take on many roles. They are liaisons, culture hackers, supervisors and change agents all at once. They provide advice on small changes and participate in large projects. "Some of them are working on highly technical system projects, others on human interaction and policy making. But they're all looking for opportunities and connecting people and solutions."

Eyrún acknowledges that this can be a lonely role. The digital transformation leads mostly work alone in their departments and need to be both advocates for change and show understanding for employee emotions and departmental needs. "It can be complex to be both a salesperson and a listener in the same meeting room. Managing solutions and processes, but also relationships and expectations."

That's why the past year has focused on improving cross-functional collaboration within the team and aligning it as one unit. "Instead of each person solving challenges in their own corner, we've started working together, analyzing projects as a group and utilizing each person's strengths."

Technology, people and politics

Eyrún says the role of digital transformation leads has inevitably touched on culture, attitudes and power balance within the City. "We're not just working with technology, we're also calling for changed work methods and greater accountability. Demonstrating that we can do better and sometimes we ask uncomfortable questions like: Why do we do this this way? Is it just because this is how it's always been done or is this really the best way?"

That requires trust, solution-focused thinking and perseverance. "This is a people job. Getting to know people, seeing through insecurity and resistance, and working in sync with what's really behind it all. Often this isn't about technology or systems but a lack of funding, time or trust."

Knowledge that benefits and spreads

One of the team's most important tasks is sharing what works. Eyrún specifically mentions the digital workforce as an example where the team has seen opportunities for automation and simplified time-consuming manual work. "We see results, can demonstrate them and provide clear information about costs, and thus make the conversation about next steps easier."

She adds that the digital transformation leads' role isn't just to solve projects but also to be thermometers in the system. "Sometimes we encounter dissatisfaction or receive unclear messages and then we know there's something that needs to be explained further, fixed or better supported."

Future of digital transformation leads

In the future, Eyrún envisions the team working increasingly as one unit, taking on the City's challenges together, not necessarily tied to individual departments. "We should be able to take on a challenge, analyze it together and respond with a flexible team based on what works best."

This calls for clearer processes, better oversight and increased professionalism from everyone involved in transformation projects. "We want changes to be more professional and visible, for people to get support, understand the purpose and see the results."

Being allowed to be uncomfortably curious

Finally, Eyrún says the role of a digital transformation lead is also to keep asking questions. "We can be uncomfortably curious. We should ask: Why is this this way? Can we change this? Is this the best way? We're not just changing systems. We're changing how we work and how we work together. Collaboration, persistence and solution-focused thinking aren't just methods. They are a force for change within the City that sets new standards for how Reykjavík works."