The user-driven dimension of the Digital Government Index measures how governments award a central role to people’s needs and convenience in the shaping of processes, services and policies (OECD, 2020). Delivery of human-centred and user-driven public services is an important part of this dimension, with a focus on how digital technology can support equitable service access and personalised service delivery to the public. Putting users at the centre of the design and delivery of public services can positively affect satisfaction and trust in governments. On average, SEA countries scored 0.33 out of 1 on this dimension, indicating scope to strengthen practice.
Service standards are high-level principles that guide public service teams in designing, iterating and improving services to address the needs of users of public services. Only three out of eight SEA countries for which information is available have implemented a whole-of-government service standard. By comparison, 28 of 33 OECD Member countries have such standards in place, including all 4 OECD countries in the Asia-Pacific region (Figure 5.7). SEA countries can establish whole-of-government service standards to ensure consistency, accessibility and reliability across public services by setting common expectations for service design and delivery. This approach provides users with a unified experience when accessing public services through different channels.
Including standards on digital services design and delivery within whole-of-government service standards can help to ensure a similar experience for service users when they interact with different governance agencies. Among the three SEA countries with whole-of-government service standards in place (Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Singapore), all three include understanding user needs or expectations, using digital technology and data to transform services, and encouraging a consistent methodology for delivering services in their digital service design standards (Table 5.3). However, more broadly, SEA countries have substantial scope to strengthen their design standards for digital public services. No SEA country currently has standards for facilitating cross-border digital public services, encouraging greening efforts in the public sector, or implementing an omnichannel strategy.
Complementing service standards, countries can employ human-centred service design and user research methods to more effectively involve users while designing digital public services. Two out of eight SEA countries, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam, test the usability of digital public services with users or providers before launching the service (Table 5.4). Additionally, Singapore also applies a range of other testing methods, including design thinking sessions, focus groups, public consultation websites, A/B testing, first-click testing, and tree testing. Six out of eight countries in the region do not yet perform any testing of digital public services. This gap makes it more challenging to ensure that digital public services are aligned with user needs and can adapt to evolving changes.
