Global Survey Finds It Is Time for Governments to Transform Online Experiences

Adobe and WPP’s The Government and Public Sector Practice has released the results of a global study that found citizens want governments to transform their online services to be more like the private sector. More than 7,000 citizens in seven countries took part in the research, which found that their governments need to look beyond simply having a presence online, and more on delivering experiences that are personal and relevant to the user, in line with the experiences already widely delivered by private sector organizations.

While the need for modernization of government services is recognized across many countries, this study examines citizens’ perspectives on what impacts their interactions with government online. Some of the most popular specific improvements to government services requested were:

· pre-filled tailored information;

· instant online communication for help; and

· being offered additional relevant information.

The study reinforces the critical role of positive and innovative digital experiences in helping governments effectively provide services to citizens. “The wave of digitalization has impacted all macro and micro agencies, communities and organizations across the world. As citizens go increasingly digital, Government bodies are actively driving the digital transformation agenda and looking for new ways of taking citizen experiences online. Efficient e-governance is not only about availability of citizen services on web and mobile, but should also focus on increasing citizen awareness by targeted promotion and marketing efforts to drive increased usage. Fueled by initiatives of Digital India, India is poised to make great strides in delivering holistic digital experiences towards better governance and greater convenience for citizens”, said Premal Shah, Head - Government & PSU, Adobe, South Asia.

To understand what drives a positive experience of online public services, researchers explored five dimensions of experience: citizen journey, mobile, design, relevance and relationship. Researchers found that citizens ranked the more advanced and emotive dimensions, including relevance, relationship and design, as “most important” to their overall satisfaction with online government services. Yet across all seven countries, respondents said that their governments are performing better on the more functional components of experience – citizen journey and mobile functionality.

“We’ve seen many governments going through digital transformations, making major investments in citizen services,” said Sean Howard, global managing director, The Government & Public Sector Practice at WPP. “This citizen-centric study shows that by focusing on dimensions of relevance, design and relationship, governments may begin to fully realize the benefits of those digital transformations: more cost-effective service delivery; increased accuracy of transactions; improvements in citizen satisfaction and the corresponding benefits in citizens’ relationships with their government.”