SIMPLEX

Abstract

SIMPLEX is the Portuguese flagship public administration simplification and modernisation programme. It follows a citizen-driven approach and has a strong focus on co-creation, with the ultimate goal of simplifying as much as possible citizens and businesses’ everyday life, as well as their interaction with the public administration. SIMPLEX pursues in one single governmental programme the objectives of better regulation, administrative burden reduction, service interoperability, digitisation, red tape reduction and digital government promotion.

With Simplex 2023 programme a new ambition emerges and a new impetus to rekindle the initial spirit of the program. They are thus less inward-looking measures of Public Administration, and more focused on improving the user experience, eliminating unnecessary interactions and with a strong digital component by design. The aim is to further reduce administrative burden and bureaucracy, improve regulation, interoperability of services and their digitisation and promote digital governance, including through a dual approach focused on citizens and businesses. Encouraging the co-creation and participation of all to increase the internal efficiency of public services is another of the purposes.

Overview

Country	Portugal
Start date	2023
Annual Budget	n/a
Responsible organisation(s)	Government agency
Target group(s)	Civil society|Entrepreneurial networks|Firms|Firms|National government|Subnational government
Policy instrument type	Programme/initiative

Background

Originally launched in 2006, it had several editions since then and resulted in the implementation of hundreds of initiatives that cut red tape, reduced context costs and used ICT to deliver better public services. After a break in 2011, SIMPLEX was resumed in 2016 as a national initiative, with a clear focus on the digital transformation of the public sector and on the co-creation of the simplification/modernization measures. In 2019 the iSIMPLEX edition of the program was launched under the slogan “Innovation that changes your life”, showing the importance innovation has on the program. Since then there was SIMPLEX 20-21 and Simplex 2022. Currently Simplex 2023-2024 is being implemented.

The Simplex 2023 programme was built this year on the basis of Co-creation. There was a co-creation session that was attended and with the contributions of the Secretaries of State participating in the Interministerial Council for Digitization, through a session that took place on January 25, 2023, to design administrative modernization measures. There were followed workshops with the Simplex Focal Points of different government areas that took place during the month of March and April, with the objective of validating and consolidating the proposals suggested by citizens, within the scope of their participation through the Simplex Book and the Public Service Laboratory (LabAP). In addition, an empowerment session was held that brought together several entities, fostering their collaboration, participation and involvement in the measures related to the Simplex 2023 program.

Objective(s)

To promote the sharing and reuse of solutions in the public administration.

To promote the cocreation of simplification and modernization measures with all stakeholders (citizens, businesses, academia, public administration), following a bottom-up approach.

To promote the once only principle in the public administration.

To promote innovation in the public administration.

To use innovative technologies to improve service delivery and efficiency in the public administration.

Public access URL

https://www.simplex.gov.pt/

All tags

• Portugal
• Subnational government
• National government
• Responsibility, Ownership & Stewardship
• 2023
• Civil society
• Firms
• Entrepreneurial networks
• New uses of research data
• Government agency

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