Diputación de Alicante aligns with the digitization requirements for the smallest municipalities, those with fewer than 20,000 residents, yet opportunities for enhancement remain. For instance, developing a concrete plan for digital governance and publishing the services available to these towns would help prevent widening the digital gap that affects communities outside larger urban centers. The latest UNSC report highlights these points and calls for continued improvement in this area. It reviews the support provided to municipalities by the three provincial councils within the Valencian Community, focusing on electronic administration and the implementation status in towns with populations between 10,000 and 20,000, covering data from 2019 and 2020.
Alicante Provincial Council
In its assessment, the guiding entity Vincent Cucarella notes that Diputación de Alicante generally meets the duties established by the regulation governing electronic administration services for municipalities with populations around 20,000. However, certain gaps were flagged, notably the absence of a clear adaptation plan. The assessment confirms that the obligations set out in article 36.1g of Law 7/1985 are fulfilled, yet the report points out that county councils have not previously evaluated the status of municipal councils regarding electronic administration at the proposal stage. The response underscores these findings.
Three out of four local organizations do not approve their budget within the statutory deadline
Among the shortcomings identified, it appears that some clearly stated duties are below the national average. Many councils do not have service charters or similar instruments to declare their quality commitments, including indicators that would support the effective evaluation of the electronic administration services offered to municipalities. Regarding municipal buildings, the report notes that while all of them have begun a compliance process for electronic management, governance remains insufficient and adherence to regulations is low. In the areas of the National Security Plan (ENS), personal data protection, and accessibility, several municipalities in the province of Alicante—ten towns with populations ranging from 10,000 to 20,000 at the time of the report—include Albatera, Benissa, Callosa de Segura, Cocentaina, Guardamar del Segura, La Nucia, Monovar, Pego, Rojales, and Teulada. Only half of these towns responded to the survey.
Aevaluation
Following the evaluation, Teulada stands out when compared with the other four municipalities that submitted documents, showing a notably different trajectory. La Nucía and Benissa appear in a similar intermediate tier, while Pego and Albatera seem further behind. Initial assessments indicate that only Teulada has prepared a preliminary study on implementing electronic management to identify organizational, personnel, and technical needs. The data shows that the Marina Alta archive currently offers thirteen services, satisfies all ENS requirements, and adheres to data protection considerations. This leads to the highest possible score of 28 within the report’s framework. Across the Valencian Community, only the L’Alcōra region in Castellón achieves a comparable distinction; the remaining municipalities are ranked with progressively lower scores.