Introduction

The public sector is under pressure to modernise and deliver digital services that meet the needs of citizens. However, there are many barriers to achieving the desired transformation, including resistance to change, lack of funding, and lack of skills. Despite these challenges, some strategies can be used to advance the delivery of user-centred digital public services.

Why does this topic matter though? The need to familiarise oneself with an interface may add a few minutes to someone’s day and even drive people away in frustration. There is a need for fundamental change in the whole public sector, which accounts for 46% of the EU’s $13.4 trillion GDP and 18% of the European Union’s workforce[1].

Main drivers surrounding the digital transformation in the public sector

There is no single answer to the question of what drives digital transformation in the public sector. Instead, several factors are contributing to this shift. There are numerous drivers[2] that can contribute to digital transformation in the public sector:

• Improved efficiency: Digital technologies can help streamline processes, reduce errors, and eliminate unnecessary steps, leading to more efficient operations.
• Enhanced citizen services: Digital technologies can be used to improve the delivery of government services to citizens, making them more convenient, accessible, and user-friendly.
• Increased transparency: Digital technologies can help increase transparency and accountability in government operations, by making information more easily accessible to the public.
• Cost savings: Digital technologies can help reduce costs by automating processes and eliminating the need for manual labour.
• Improved decision-making: Digital technologies can provide governments with access to a wealth of data that can be used to inform policy decisions and improve the effectiveness of programs and services.
• Enhanced collaboration: Digital technologies can facilitate cooperation between government agencies and stakeholders, such as businesses and civil society organisations.

Overall, the main goal of digital transformation in the public sector is to improve the delivery of government services, increase the efficiency of operations, and enhance government responsiveness to the needs of citizens. Quite simply, it is necessary to improve efficiency and effectiveness when delivering public services. In an era of austerity, governments are under pressure to do more with less, and digital technologies offer a way to help meet this challenge. Moreover, by automating processes and improving access to data and information, public sector organisations can improve their performance and make significant cost savings.

Naturally, investments are needed to address these drivers.

The European Parliament approved the Digital Europe initiative in April 2021, making it the foremost financial tool in the European Union to help governments, businesses and individuals to adopt new technologies. The programme aspires to invest in digital infrastructure to guarantee technical sovereignty while also boosting Europe’s competitiveness and green transition through strategic technologies. The areas of investment are supercomputing (€2.2 billion), artificial intelligence (€2.1 billion), cybersecurity (€1.6 billion), advanced digital skills (€0.6 billion), and promoting widespread use of digital technologies in the business and society (€1.1 billion)[3].

Many researchers agree that the most prominent driver is better engagement with citizens and meeting their expectations in the digital age. People now expect to be able to access public services online and on-demand, in the same way, that they can purchase goods and services from private companies. This expectation raises the bar for public sector organisations, who must now provide a user experience that is comparable to the best in the private sector.

In the United Kingdom, for example, the government reformulated a digital public service that employs a user-centered design for the research community[4]. They started by updating an outdated licensing system for a Home Office team that oversees scientific research in December 2017. The United Kingdom’s economy receives £74 billion yearly from the academic research and biosciences sector. It depends on licenses being issued effectively to conduct central research, such as that into medical treatments. License applications are extensively reviewed to ensure that research programs adhere to the law.

To apply a user-centred approach, the service has undergone numerous rounds of user testing and iteration to ensure that it is easy to use, accessible, and meets the needs of the people who use it. As a result, the government has achieved preliminary results such as:

• A decrease of 50% in the number of draft project license applications’ revisions, from 4.8 to 2.5, reducing the workload and time required of senior scientists to evaluate applications.
• Processing personal license applications now take half as long, saving crucial staff time that might be used for other tasks.
• There is a 30% reduction in the resources needed to respond to legislative and parliamentary inquiries.
• The proportion of users who are pleased with the online service increased from 47% in 2018 to 78% in 2020, including a rise in the number of customers who are extremely satisfied from 5% to 33%.
• A rise from 77% in 2018 to 85% in 2020 in the proportion of users who believe the government can deliver effective services.

What are the main barriers to advancing digital transformation in the public sector?

However, it’s not all good news. Many barriers are hampering progress on digital transformation in the public sector. These barriers[5] can prevent the successful implementation of digital transformation in the public sector:

• Lack of leadership and support: Digital transformation requires strong leadership and support from top executives and political leaders to succeed. Without this support, securing the necessary resources and making the required changes can be challenging.
• Limited resources: Public sector organisations often have limited resources, including budget, staff, and technology, making it difficult to implement digital transformation initiatives.
• Complex and bureaucratic processes: Government organisations can be complex, with multiple layers of bureaucracy and decision-making, making it difficult to introduce new technologies and processes.
• Resistance to change: Change can be difficult for any organisation, and the public sector is no exception. Employees may resist change due to concerns about job security or the learning curve associated with new technologies.
• Security and privacy concerns: Governments handle a lot of sensitive information, and there may be concerns about the security and privacy of this information when it is stored and processed digitally.
• Legacy systems: Many government organisations have legacy systems that are difficult to replace, which can make it difficult to introduce new technologies and processes.

There is also a risk of not paying enough attention to user needs when designing new digital services. Too often, public sector organisations focus on technology solutions rather than user needs when creating new services. This approach can result in solutions that fail to meet users’ expectations or solve their problems, undermining confidence in digital transformation initiatives.

And these problems seem more prominent in the public sector when compared with the private sector. In 2020, just 38% of Europeans accessed online public services, compared to 65% who claimed to have completed an online transaction with a private company. The bulk of people is still going to public buildings in person to use important government services, casting their votes with their feet. The stated evaluation for digital public services from citizens also reflects this. A minority of Europeans (44%) in February 2021, according to Eurobarometer, rated the delivery of public services as “excellent,” a decrease of 8% from the summer of 2020[6].

Which strategies can be used to advance the delivery of user-centred digital public services?

User-centred digital public services can be delivered through a variety of strategies. User-centred design is a design approach that focuses on the needs, wants, and limitations of the end user of a product or service. In the context of digital public services, this approach can help ensure that the services are designed in a way that meets the needs of the citizens who use them. These are strategies that government may use to achieve user-centred design in digital public services:

Involve citizens in the design process

Involving users in the design process can help ensure that the services are designed with their needs and preferences in mind. Some known methods[7] of involving citizens in the design process are:

• User testing: One of the most effective ways to involve citizens in the design process is through user testing. This involves recruiting a representative group of users to test prototypes or beta versions of the service, and gathering their feedback on the design, functionality, and usability of the service.
• Focus groups: Focus groups are another way to gather feedback from citizens on the design of public services. In a focus group, a representative group of citizens is brought together to discuss and provide feedback on the service.
• User interviews: Individual user interviews can be a more in-depth way to gather feedback from citizens on the design of public services. These interviews can be conducted in person or over the phone, and allow for more detailed and personal feedback.
• Online surveys: Online surveys are a convenient way to gather feedback from a large number of citizens on the design of public services. Surveys can be distributed via email or social media, and can be used to gather both quantitative and qualitative data.
• Co-design workshops: Co-design workshops are a way to bring together a group of citizens and design professionals to collaboratively design public services. These workshops can be used to identify the needs and preferences of citizens, and to generate ideas for how the services can be improved.

Understand the user context

It is vital to understand the context in which the users will be accessing the services, including their goals, needs, and technical skills. Understanding the citizens help governments ensure that the services are designed in a way that is convenient and easy to use.

First, governments need to comprehend the goals and needs of the citizens who will be using the service, this recognition can be done by using the techniques mentioned in the last chapter (user testing, focus groups, user interviews and so on). These methods help identify the key reasons why citizens are accessing the service and what they hope to achieve.

Then, it is also vital to understand the citizens’ technical skills and familiarity with the technology that will be provided. According to the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), every third worker and four out of ten adults in Europe lack fundamental digital skills. Also, only one out of six ICT specialists and one in three STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) graduates are women, reflecting the low participation of women in tech-related studies and occupations[8]. Therefore, governments need to ensure that the service is designed in a way that is appropriate for their level of expertise and that any necessary instructions or tutorials are clear and easy to understand.

Another point of concern is the physical and technological environment of the citizens. What are the physical and technological environments in which citizens will access the service? For example, if the service will be accessed primarily on mobile devices, it’s important to ensure that it is optimised for mobile use and that citizens have access to a broadband connection.

It is also helpful to consider the socio-demographic characteristics of the citizens who will be using the service, such as their age, gender, education level, and language preferences. This information can help ensure that the service is tailored to the needs and preferences of the intended user group.

Make digital public services accessible

Digital public services should be accessible to users with disabilities and those who may not have access to advanced technology. Accessibility can be achieved through the use of web accessibility guidelines[9] and responsive design, and making the services accessible is often overlooked by many administrations. For example, researchers have assessed the level of accessibility while rating the status of 21 Dubai e-government website homepages to determine their level of accessibility. They discovered that none of the examined websites met the minimal requirements of WCAG 2.0 accessibility conformance (WCAG 2.0 Level A).

This outcome means that individuals with disabilities could not use basic functions on these websites. The Dubai e-government websites ranking does not consider website accessibility to be a significant element in determining a site’s quality and rating. As a result, no correlation between website quality and accessibility was found. Due to the lower likelihood of developer infractions, a website’s size and simplicity also appeared to have a discernible effect on earning a higher accessibility score[10].

Simplify the user experience (UX)

Naturally, the user interface should be easy to understand and use, with a clear and intuitive navigation. A simplified UX can be achieved using user-friendly design principles and by testing the design with citizens to identify and address any issues. And delivering a good UX goes far beyond a nice, well-designed webpage. Too often, user-centricity is wrongly conceived as an effort to make a webpage more appealing or an interface slicker. In fact, it is about ensuring the end-to-end satisfaction of user needs. If a service is ill-conceived, no amount of sophisticated design will make it right.

One of the most prominent examples of user-centric service delivery, for example, is the social tariff for energy in Portugal, which proactively registers people for monetary benefits based on a wide range of data gathered through a government interoperability platform. Although the website is not very attractive or user-friendly, it makes little difference because the service is hidden from users. All beneficiaries receive benefits as a result of proactive service delivery and automatic registration. That amounted to 763,319 households in September 2021, or roughly 20% of all homes in Portugal.[11]

Collect and use feedback from citizens

Finally, administrations need to regularly collect and analyse feedback from users to understand their needs and preferences, and to identify any issues with the service. Their feedback can then be used to make ongoing improvements to the service.

A successful digital transformation in governments depends on taking public feedback seriously. This viewpoint is required to address issues with digital public services performance. One way for the authorities to interact with and comprehend how service users feel about using public services is through the physical engagement of citizens in public decision-making[12].

Conclusion

This article explains some of the actions and strategies that governments can take to achieve digital transformation and a user-centred design approach in digital public services. At all levels of government, there must be accountability and dedication to achieve the desired digital transformation. It takes more than merely offering innovation or enhancing ease to create user-centric services. Digital government has actually become a basic issue of security, democracy, wellness, and human rights given the prominence of government services and the necessity to properly deliver them to the most vulnerable in these trying times.

[1] Chrysoula Mitta, Charlotte van Ooijen, and David Osimo, “User-Centricity: What It Means, How It Works, Why It’s Needed. How Relentless Focus on End-Users Raises Adoption and Delivers Better Services to Citizens,” 2021, 13.

[2] Luca Tangi et al., “Barriers and Drivers of Digital Transformation in Public Organizations: Results from a Survey in the Netherlands,” in Electronic Government, ed. Gabriela Viale Pereira et al., Lecture Notes in Computer Science (Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2020), 42–56, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57599-1_4.

[3] Marcin Szczepanski, “Digital Europe Programme: Funding Digital Transformation beyond 2020,” February 11, 2019, https://policycommons.net/artifacts/1335268/digital-europe-programme/1941662/.

[4] “Showing the Rewards of User-Centred Service Design at Scale – Services in Government,” accessed January 4, 2023, https://services.blog.gov.uk/2021/03/05/showing-the-rewards-of-user-centred-service-design-at-scale/.

[5] Rui Mu and Huanming Wang, “A Systematic Literature Review of Open Innovation in the Public Sector: Comparing Barriers and Governance Strategies of Digital and Non-Digital Open Innovation,” Public Management Review 24, no. 4 (April 3, 2022): 489–511, https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2020.1838787.

[6] European Commission, “Public Opinion in the European Union: Standard Eurobarometer 94 – Winter 2020-2021” (Luxembourg: Publications Office, 2021), https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2775/841401.

[7] Leo G. Anthopoulos, Panagiotis Siozos, and Ioannis A. Tsoukalas, “Applying Participatory Design and Collaboration in Digital Public Services for Discovering and Re-Designing e-Government Services,” Government Information Quarterly 24, no. 2 (April 1, 2007): 353–76, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2006.07.018.

[8] Luisa Fernanda Rodriguez-Hevía, Julio Navío-Marco, and Luis Manuel Ruiz-Gómez, “Citizens’ Involvement in E-Government in the European Union: The Rising Importance of the Digital Skills,” Sustainability 12, no. 17 (January 2020): 6807, https://doi.org/10.3390/su12176807.

[9] Hanna De Vries, Victor Bekkers, and Lars Tummers, “Innovation in the Public Sector: A Systematic Review and Future Research Agenda,” Public Administration 94, no. 1 (2016): 146–66, https://doi.org/10.1111/padm.12209.

[10] Hend S. Al-Khalifa, Ibtehal Baazeem, and Reem Alamer, “Revisiting the Accessibility of Saudi Arabia Government Websites,” Universal Access in the Information Society 16, no. 4 (November 1, 2017): 1027–39, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10209-016-0495-7.

[11] “Social Energy Tariff Statistics,” accessed January 4, 2023, https://www.dgeg.gov.pt/pt/areas-transversais/politicas-de-protecao-ao-consumidor-de-energia/tarifa-social-de-energia/estatisticas/.

[12] Radoslaw Kowalski, Marc Esteve, and Slava Mikhaylov, “Improving Public Services by Mining Citizen Feedback: An Application of Natural Language Processing,” Public Administration 98 (December 1, 2020), https://doi.org/10.1111/padm.12656.