Digital transformation of the state : a multivariable model applied to the public sector in Lima, Peru

Digital transformation has become a central strategy for modernizing the public sector. This study analyzes the relationships between digital competencies, digital literacy, change management, soft skills, technology adoption, digitization of the public function, digital public services, e-governance, the digital divide, digital transformation, and state modernization in Peru. A quantitative, cross-sectional design was applied, using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling with data collected from 379 public servants in Metropolitan Lima. The results show that digital transformation and e-governance significantly influence state modernization. Digital competencies and digital literacy play an important role in facilitating technology adoption, while soft skills mediate the link between individual capacities and institutional processes. Digitization of the public function supports efficiency in administration and connects with the provision of digital public services, which in turn improves citizen access and trust. E-governance contributes to reducing the digital divide and reinforces the delivery of digital public services. The findings extend existing frameworks by integrating technological, organizational, and human dimensions into a single model. In practical terms, the study provides guidance for policymakers to strengthen digital competencies and literacy, implement structured change management programs, reinforce soft skills in civil service, advance the digitization of administrative functions, expand digital public services, and design inclusive policies to reduce the digital divide, thereby supporting sustainable state modernization.