From vision to reality

Annual report of the Department of Service and Innovation 2025

Administration and policy making

Decisive movement from development toward purposeful implementation, follow-through, and policy-driven prioritization defined the City's digital transformation in 2025. The Department of Service and Innovation played a central role throughout, driving new solutions and supporting City departments working to simplify services, improve oversight, and use data and technology responsibly.

Digital Council

During the year, the department's work fell under the Digital Council. The Digital Council served as the forum for political discussion on digital services, innovation, data affairs, cybersecurity and information security, artificial intelligence, and digital accessibility. It monitored key projects, reviewed authorization requests, and helped shape the prioritization of initiatives affecting residents, staff, and the City's internal administration.

The Digital Council met 16 times in 2025. At the end of the year, the council included:

  • Alexandra Briem, chair
  • Árelía Eydís Guðmundsdóttir
  • Ásta Þ. Skjalddal
  • Björn Gíslason
  • Einar Sveinbjörn Guðmundsson
  • Friðjón R. Friðjónsson
  • Kristinn Jón Ólafsson

Inquiries and requests

Throughout the year, the department processed inquiries, requests, and proposals from elected representatives regarding procurement, certification, records management, electronic data submissions, hiring, contractors, digital school support services, and participatory democracy.

These matters are a vital part of open and accountable administration. They allow elected representatives to request information while giving the department an opportunity to clarify current status, explain decisions, and improve procedures.

The department placed special emphasis on transparency in project selection and benefit assessment. The council reviewed numerous authorization requests, including projects related to My Pages, Búi and SkólaBúi, digital workforce tools, the internal service portal, learning management systems, electronic requisition books, payment solutions, and the development of the City's websites.

In doing so, the Digital Council served not only as a discussion forum but as an active participant in selecting, prioritizing, and tracking projects designed to simplify services and better use public funds.

Policy making

The Department of Service and Innovation actively shaped and advanced policy making related to digital services, data governance, and innovation within Reykjavík City. Throughout 2025, the Department of Service and Innovation regularly brought matters before the Digital Council and other relevant councils and committees, emphasizing the connection between services, technology, and public trust.

Officials presented the City's digital roadmap, providing a framework for its future digital transformation. At the same time, the department developed implementation plans for key policy initiatives, including those concerning digital services, the Service Policy, and data governance. The administration also strengthened the project governance board, clarified project selection criteria, and targeted its reporting to elected representatives to support transparent and efficient administration.

The year also brought numerous improvement projects, new digital solutions, and advances in service systems. The department provided regular updates on project status, benefit assessments, and internal process improvements to increase efficiency and deliver better services to residents and staff.

Artificial intelligence emerged as one of the year's central policy priorities. Following official statements from subject matter experts, the Digital Council approved recommendations on using artificial intelligence at Reykjavík City and discussed its potential in service delivery, web-based solutions, and municipal cooperation. The council emphasized responsible implementation that combines utility, a human-centered approach, privacy, accessibility, and public trust.

The department also carried out significant work in data management, records management, and digital safety. Topics included standardized data publishing, municipal recordkeeping, finalizing the Reykjavík Municipal Archives, and the steering group's work to strengthen cybersecurity and data security. These projects strengthen the foundation for accountable administration, better decision-making, and more secure digital services.

Participation in domestic and international collaboration defined much of the year. Discussions covered a joint Suggestion Portal for the state and municipalities, expanded collaboration with Digital Iceland and the Icelandic Association of Local Authorities, and mapping opportunities to apply artificial intelligence across the capital area. This collaboration supports more coordinated, accessible, and streamlined public services while enabling elected representatives to track key projects, assess outcomes, and raise suggestions for further improvements.

Illustration of a roadmap symbolizing policies.

Policies

The City's policies and guiding principles for services, innovation, democracy, and administration ground the work of the Department of Service & Innovation. In 2025, the Department's policy role expanded when it assumed responsibility for democracy-related matters and for carrying out Reykjavík City's Democracy Policy.

Democracy Policy

Reykjavík City's Democracy Policy 2021-2030 thus became a central part of the Department's policy landscape. The Policy centers on four core goals: to listen, examine, change, and communicate. It focuses on strengthening residents' democratic participation, ensuring diverse consultation, increasing transparency, and giving residents genuine influence over issues affecting them. During the year, the administration presented the terms of reference for a steering group charged with developing a new action plan for the Democracy Policy covering 2026-2030. These terms of reference emphasize evaluating previous results, prioritizing measures, defining measurable goals, and clarifying accountability within the administration.

Service Policy

Reykjavík City's Service Policy continued to serve as a cornerstone of the Department's work. The Department presented a 2025-2027 action plan for the Service Policy that emphasized user-centered services, measuring the user experience, and targeted follow-up. This policy is reflected in projects such as SkólaBúi, digital building permit applications, the internal service portal, and the development of My Pages.

Digital Policy

The steering group's ongoing digital policy work focused on accessibility, safety, data use, and efficiency. The year brought particular attention to how digital services can advance inclusion, reduce wait times, simplify communication, and make administration more transparent. Housing democratic affairs and digital services within the same department creates a stronger foundation for developing digital and non-digital engagement channels that support participatory democracy.

Documentation Policy

The City's Documentation Policy and data framework gained prominence through discussions on records management, electronic submissions, data publishing, and traceability. These are not purely technical matters but rather parts of responsible administration that ensure staff preserve, access, and handle information securely.

Economic and Innovation Policy

The Economic & Innovation Policy emphasizes experimentation, collaboration, and solutions that generate broader social benefit. Examples include smart waste management solutions, a digital city card, a digital wallet, expanded collaboration on public services, and using data to improve operations and service delivery. Ultimately, 2025 aligned the City's policies closer than ever, uniting services, democracy, data, and digital transformation to build a more open, accessible, and efficient city.