Online Transformational Government Maturity - Where do we stand and where are we going? by James Walker, Director of Innovation for EzGov Europe.

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"Citizens’ time is not free, yet often the way public services are delivered assumes it to be so. Our aim is to change public services so they more often meet the needs of people and businesses, rather than the needs of government, and by doing so reduce the frustration and stress of accessing them.” - Meeting the Aspirations of the British People
2007 Pre-Budget Report and Comprehensive Spending Review.

Currently, accessing public services is the fourth most popular reason for the public to go online in the UK[1], indicating that the public understand that accessing government websites for information and basic services can be an efficient method of interacting with government. However, there are certain events that occur in people’s lives that both have a big personal impact and require more complex interactions with government. In these situations well designed online services can do more than simply save people time.
With this in mind EzGov Europe commissioned Kable, an independent technology research consultancy, to investigate the UK government’s online capabilities for seven significant events in the lives of citizens. These ‘Life Events’ are significant in the frequency as to which they occur nationwide, the amount of required interaction with government, the level of complexity involved, and, perhaps most importantly, in the personal impact for the citizen.

The Life Events Kable investigated are:

• having a baby;
• starting a business;
• moving home;
• buying and selling a vehicle privately;
• placing a relative into care;
• booking a hospital appointment;
• dealing with a death.

Kable evaluated UK government’s online capabilities for each of these Life Events using three key criteria – information accessibility, online (transactional) functionality for key processes, and linkages within and between departments - in order to capture the public sector’s ability to react to citizens’ needs through existing web interfaces (including the direct.gov site and departmental web pages).

The purpose of the research was to develop a benchmark for the current state of government’s online transformational maturity, and to use this benchmark as the foundation for analysis regarding how to improve the range, quality, and coherence of government services online.

Research Findings: Where do we stand?

The research demonstrates that online transformational government maturity is progressing but still has a long way to go in order to achieve government’s transformational agenda. The criteria ‘information accessibility’ received a higher rating than ‘online functionality’, and most Life Events offer few if any coherent linkages, either within departments or cross-departmentally. The higher performing Life Events tended to be either less complex or involved private sector components.

Information Accessibility

Kable researchers conducted web searches for all of the information required to understand and undertake each ‘Life Event’ using the direct.gov website and departmental web pages, and then rated the information on overall accessibility. Improving the user experience within online services means providing information in a way that is not only comprehensive but also coherent and easy to find. Therefore, information accessibility was measured in both the availability of information online and how easy it is to find and use that information.
With the number of government websites estimated at over 2,500[2], it is not surprising that there is an abundance of information on government services that is available online. In fact in terms of information availability, online services are well developed. However, Kable found that information is often ill-placed, difficult to find, and lacked cross-references between sites, all of which leaves room for improvement in terms of information accessibility. The average citizen often needs to search through a number of different websites, headings and categories to find information for each major life event. Surveys have shown that 52% of internet users cite a lack of time as being the main deterrent from accessing online services[3]. Information accessibility issues, therefore, both restrict the take-up of online government services and create the potential for users to miss important information.

Online Functionality

To measure online functionality Kable researchers first established which processes needed to be completed for each Life Event. The researchers then rated the ability of the user to complete an entire process online. The highest rating was given to processes for which all forms could be completed and submitted electronically. Processes for which forms were available that required offline completion or printing and posting were given a lower rating, and the lowest rating went to processes for which none of the components could be completed online.
There is considerable room for improvement in the online functionality of government websites before transformational maturity is reached. There are also marked differences between Life Events with regard to the level of online functionality available to the citizen. For example, the Event ‘Booking a Hospital Appointment’ can be dealt with completely online, whilst none of the processes involved for ‘Placing a Relative into Care’ can be completed online. Of the 39 transactions that need to be completed for the seven Life Events examined some 33% can currently be completed online. Increasing the ability of citizens to manage Life Events online will save citizens the time and money involved in printing, completing and posting multiple forms and save public sector organizations time and money in administering Life Events processes.

Linked-up Data and Services

Kable researchers examined two tiers of process-linkage. First they looked within departments for each Life Event to see if processes and forms were internally linked together. Then the researchers determined how many related forms and processes were linked up across departments for applicable Life Events. Those processes which were entirely linked up either within departments or cross-departmentally were given the highest rating.
The researchers found that linking up services both within and across departments is the area where the most progress can be made in advancing government’s transformational agenda. While the direct.gov website has taken the initial steps in linking up information across departments, functional linkages for processes and electronic forms are not common. Intra-departmental functional linkages exist for some departments while cross-departmental functionality was rarely seen within the ‘Life Events’ examined. HMRC was rated as one of the leading departments in terms of linked-up services, as they have internally linked together enrolment processes (via the Government Gateway) for business tax purposes (as part of the ‘Starting a Business’ Life Event).

Overall Online Transformational Government Maturity Rating

The best performing Life Event overall was ‘Booking a Hospital Appointment’ which received the highest possible rating in every category. This is an uncomplicated event with a high level of frequency which sets it apart from some of the other events. However, it establishes a benchmark for what can be achieved. While ‘Starting a Business’ is considerably more complex, it was the also next highest performer among all of the Life Events. What stood out for this life event was a range of questionnaires on the Businesslink website which yielded personalized checklists of tasks to be completed. These checklists can be saved and revisited, stopping the user from missing or repeating processes at a later date. The checklists are an excellent example of where a site has been designed with the user in mind, and where a Life Event is correspondingly simpler and more intuitive for the citizen.
Poor performers among the Life Events included ‘Having a Baby’ and ‘Placing a Relative into Care’. These events are relatively complex and require a large number of government interactions. For instance, depending on the individual’s situation, ‘Having a Baby’ requires contact with up to 5 different departments or agencies (including a local authority) and could require up to 10 forms, only 1 of which can be completed entirely online. While the level of complexity may contribute to the lower ratings for these events, improvements could easily be made through the introduction of a coherent source of cross-departmental information and through increasing online transactional functionality where cost-effective to do so.

Recommendations:The way forward

The intent of this research was to create a benchmark for online government transformational maturity. The benchmark could then be used to see where improvements could be made and as the basis for recommendations as to how to go about delivering those improvements.

Focus on the User Experience

There is a clear need to focus on the user when designing online services. Improving the ‘customer’ experience with online government administration will help to drive take-up of online services and improve efficient service delivery. Additionally, in the context of Life Events such as the ones examined by Kable, a well designed user interface will mean that citizens will find it easier and less stressful to deal with often difficult and emotional events Ironically, of all of the Life Events surveyed, the three events that were most likely to have the biggest emotional impact on the citizen – ‘Having a Baby’, ‘Dealing with Death’, and ‘Placing a Relative into Care’ – were the lowest ranking in terms of quality online interaction with government.

• Government website interfaces need to be intuitive and simple to use. Online systems have the capacity to support users to complete tasks more effectively than more traditional channels. For example, ‘To do’ lists which allow the user to track and save progress similar to those found on the Businesslink website for ‘Starting a Business’ would help the user to navigate their way through complex life event processes. Context-sensitive help such as interactive ‘how to’ guides linked up with electronic forms would help users to complete processes online (and could reduce call-centre volume). Information architects and usability specialists are able to identify how best an online system can cater to the needs of its users, and are a valuable addition to any online development team.
• Online services should be adaptable to users’ requirements. In many of the Life Events surveyed the number and type of processes to be completed depended very much on specific personal circumstances. The development of personal portals for government interactions which could be configured by users would help to tailor government services to the individual needs of the citizen.
• Online Services should be developed in conjunction with support from communities and trusted groups. The government is already working with trusted channels to distribute information such as ‘Netmums’ - a network of websites set around local communities - and this practice should be encouraged in all areas of government. Working with established experts that understand how citizens wish to use government services ensures that services deliver against those expectations.

Social inclusion also means including the technologically adept

There is no question that access to government services must continue to be provided to those who are not online – the technologically excluded. However, now almost 70% of UK households are online[4], and more and more of the population is growing accustomed to conducting their business online – within the private and public sector. Therefore, social inclusion also means that the public sector needs to evolve to meet the requirements of those comfortable using technology.

• Design services to deliver to the technologically adept. Designing services to the lowest common denominator in terms of technical ability may not deliver optimal services to those who are more sophisticated in their use of online applications, and who are the most likely to rely on government e-services. Online services should focus more on meeting the demands of this sector of the populace
• Transferring services online will allow more money to be diverted into supporting the technology excluded. There are clear efficiency gains to be made in transferring services online. EzGov Europe estimates that doubling the number of information enquiries made online will make service delivery 30% cheaper[5]. The government could then divert those cost-savings into programmes which support the technologically excluded, resulting in a better service to the public as a whole

Incremental Improvements are Possible

 

• Although major changes will not happen overnight, opportunities exit now to incrementally improve online transformation. Simply reducing the number of government websites will not simplify processes for the citizen nor create the efficiencies that the government is looking for.
• Usability techniques can be applied to any website. Usability specialists and information architects can improve existing websites and applications relatively easily. This option is worth exploring before deciding to rationalise or redesign an online service.
• Move towards cross-departmental linkages but first look internally for short-term wins. Government departments can examine internal procedures to first establish what can be integrated or enhanced within the department. Improving internal online functionality for processes can build the experience and confidence needed to improve cross-departmental linkages.
• Create a take-up strategy for online services. Having a simple and intuitive online service will ensure that once citizens have used it for the first time, they will return to use it again. However, in order to maximize the number of new users for an online service, a take-up strategy for that service needs to be implemented. This strategy may include measures such as marketing campaigns, providing financial incentives for people using the services and mandating use of the service where appropriate. Such a strategy combined with a usable system can drive remarkable take-up improvements. For example, HMRC’s take-up strategy for PAYE has included both selected mandation and financial incentives, and has resulted in huge increases in take-up, including a 1000% increase in the 2004/5 tax year.

Conclusion

It is clear that government services have evolved in recent years to take advantage of advances in digital technology. However, the research demonstrates that when it comes to major events in citizens’ lives online transformational maturity is only partially achieved. While the relevant information is available online, there is room for improvement in online functionality and in integrating data and services both internally and across departments. Taking online government administration to the next level has potential to create value for both government and citizen through more productive user interfaces, increased take-up, efficiency gains, and cost savings.
Change will not happen overnight but incremental steps can both increase the value of online services now and put the government on the path of achieving their transformational maturity goals. The Life Event research draws out specific areas where improvements to online services can have the biggest impact on the lives of UK citizens.

About EzGov Europe

EzGov Europe is a specialist in the design and delivery of usable and intuitive online e-services. EzGov only works for the public sector, and over the last 10 years has delivered some of the most innovative and successful e-service applications in the UK. Together these applications have processed more than 10 million complex government-citizen transactions, with more than 80% of all Government Gateway submissions originating from online services coming from applications built by EzGov Europe.
EzGov has a 100% delivery record for on-time and to-budget delivery, with 140 application releases in the UK since 2000. None of our applications have ever failed to meet their performance or SLA targets and our customer satisfaction rating averages over 95%.

EzGov both builds and supports complex government e-services and provides specialist consultancy within the core competencies that drive our online development success:

• Online Architecture ;
• Requirements gathering;
• Usability and Information Architecture;
• Quality Assurance & Testing;
• Project Management;
• Online Development Methodology;
• Solution Support.

 

 

[1] Office of National Statistics, ‘Internet Access 2007 - Household and Individuals’
[2] 2008 House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts Report, ‘Government on the Internet: Progress in Delivering Information and Services Online’
[3] Office of National Statistics, ‘Internet Access 2007 - Household and Individuals’
[4] Ofcom, 2008, ‘Nations and Regions Communications Report’
[5] Based on Gov3 report for Defra, 2007