This chapter presents findings on how OECD member countries are implementing the third pillar of the OECD Recommendation on Human-Centred Public Administrative Services, “Seamless and Accessible Services”. It looks which looks at how effectively they are designing services and integrating services to work together during important Life Events.
Serving Citizens 2026
Delivering Better Public Administrative Services
Abstract
Related to the use of human-centred digital infrastructure, the “Seamless and Accessible Services” pillar of the Recommendation moves beyond institutional enablers to look at the practices and principles which governments should adopt when doing the practical work of designing individual services and improving how groups of related PAS work together. The OECD recommends that Adherents “adopt human-centred design and delivery approaches to improve users’ experiences and enable users to achieve their desired outcomes and meet their needs”. A human-centred approach to service design means ensuring (re)design efforts prioritise an evidence-informed understanding of user needs and combine that with a holistic ‘systems’ understanding of the service context (including the people, infrastructure and resources). This information can then be leveraged in user-centred design processes like problem-framing, prototyping, iteration, and co-creation with service users (Welby & Hui Yan Tan, 2022). Services designed and delivered in this way simplify administrative processes and help to ensure positive user experiences, raising overall satisfaction.
Service design processes may vary within governments, from agency-to-agency and from service-to-service. As such, this survey does not undertake a complete mapping of how service design takes place across OECD countries. Serving Citizens instead looked at some of the cross-government enablers of seamless and accessible services: whether governments have service standards in place, and the extent to which governments are seeking to integrate services which are commonly used together during important points in people’s lives.
Governments can help ensure all services are seamless and accessible by setting service standards. Service standards – which are frameworks that set out what good service looks like - help agencies work to a common benchmark, reduce fragmentation and give teams practical guidance for design and delivery decisions. Such principles will usually provide the basis for setting expectations with delivery partners (whether those are public servants or non-governmental suppliers), and in some cases may also be the criteria against which formal assessments of performance are carried out. For digital services, 32 of the 36 OECD countries (89%) have implemented whole-of-government service standards, reflecting broad recognition that coherent service delivery requires shared expectations across government (Figure 6.1.). Applying service standards can enable public sector organisations to adopt a more consistent approach to service design across sectors and institutions, helping to provide users with a seamless experience whether they access services online or offline, and irrespective of their point of entry.
Percentage of OECD countries with availability of government-wide service standards and associated goals, 2025
Note: Data not available for Germany or the United States.
Source: (OECD, 2026[1])
A further important element in ensuring people-centred services, and matching with service standards, is using user (co)design and research methods to involve users in the design of government services. In the context of digital services, more than 81% of OECD countries test usability with users or providers before launching a service, 69% use focus groups to identify user needs and test public services, and 64% employ design thinking sessions (Figure 6.2.). However, there is only moderate use of formal requirements or recommendations to test services with users (12 of 36, 33%) and/or service providers (12 of 36, 33%) before and after launch. Systematic tracking of user needs across the service lifecycle remains moderately frequent (21 of 36, 58%). Routine user testing and continuous tracking of user needs are essential to identify service issues early and ensure that evolving user needs are consistently understood and addressed. Ensuring compliance with international accessibility standards is also essential to ensure digital public services can be universally accessible.
The OECD has collected nearly 800 cases studies from 83 countries of innovative approaches to public service design (OECD/SEGIB, 2024[2]). The cases show how user-centred design processes like problem-framing, prototyping, iteration, and co-creation with service users, are being used to develop innovative service improvements that are based on evidence about user needs and a systemic view of the service context (including the people, infrastructure and resources). The cases reveal how a human-centred approach to service design helps governments to more quickly and effectively address people’s evolving needs, through targeted, evidence-informed innovation that supports delivery of seamless, accessible services. Further examples of innovative human-centred service design can be found in the Case Study Library of the Observatory of Public Sector Innovation and in the OECD report on Public Innovation for Social Inclusion in Ibero-America (OECD/SEGIB, 2024[2]) which analysed 244 cases from 15 countries. Some key trends found in those cases include that governments are strengthening public participation in public service design, improving the human-centred design skills of public servants, and enhancing cross-government collaboration for human-centred services. Box 6.1 provides further examples.
Percentage of OECD countries reporting methods to test digital government services, by type, 2023 and 2025
Note: 2025 data not available for Germany and the United States. 2023 data not available for Germany, Greece, Slovak Republic, Switzerland and the United States. “A/B testing” refers to a user experience testing technique based on the comparison between two versions of a same product or service. “First-click testing” refers to a testing method for websites, apps or platforms which examines the ‘first click’ of the users when interacting the system, aiming to verify the success of completing a task. “Tree testing” is a user‑research method used to check whether people can find information easily in a service, website, or app based on its structure and labels, not its visual design.
Source: (OECD, 2026[1])
The New in Norway initiative draws on human-centred service design, cross-government co-operation and anticipatory governance to transform how public services are delivered for complex life events.
The Manual on Restorative Transitional Justice (Colombia) developed by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), is a guidance tool that explains how restorative justice is applied within the JEP and enables victims, persons appearing before the JEP, and communities affected by the armed conflict to participate in the co-design of restorative processes and related public services, thereby contributing to peacebuilding and the rebuilding of the social fabric across different territories in Colombia.
Accélérateur d'Initiatives Citoyennes (France) is an initiative that supports the public to take an active role in identifying opportunities for service improvements and collaborating with public servants to co-design those improvements.
CoLabs (Brazil) is an innovation skills programme helping public servants to learn and apply human-centred design and innovation methods to improve services, based on evidence about service-user needs.
Public Innovators Programme (Paraguay) is an initiative to build innovation capabilities among public sector officials to redesign services with an explicit focus on human needs and experiences.
For governments seeking an evidence-informed entry point to human-centred service design, the OECD has developed the Public Service Innovation Booster. This is designed to support frontline teams with practical, accessible tools to put human-centred service design into action.
Source: (OECD, 2024[3]) (OECD/SEGIB, 2024[2])
It is common for members of the public to use different public services together, in order to reach some goal. For example, someone who has developed a disability may need to apply for health certificates and other forms of benefits (e.g. income support). Someone who has moved home may need to register their deeds to the property, register for local government taxes, and update the electoral register – among other tasks. The specific circumstances in which people find themselves, and the group of services they need to use as a result, are variable. A human-centred approach means working to integrate services to work together to support users, with a special focus on services provided by different public agencies.
A common starting point for governments seeking to integrate services is to use a “life events” approach. A life event is a change in a person’s circumstances which creates a need to use a public administrative service or services. Examples of common life events include getting married, having a baby, taking a new job or becoming unemployed, and losing a loved one (this also applies to businesses that are created, hire, develop their activities, pay taxes and close/are sold). From the perspective of a member of the public, the life event is a single event which occurs to them, that may be regular or occasional. However, the different administrative services they need to use are often managed by different government agencies or levels of government. If not well co-ordinated, these different processes can become a complex cross-government exercise for the user, involving multiple interactions, data and information requests and interacting procedures, regulations, document requirements, staff and digital systems from different agencies.
The value of a life events approach is that it helps government target the services which are most commonly used together and have high impact on people’s lives, as well as – potentially – high salience for their views of public institutions. As such, life events provide a natural framework for organising co-ordination and integration within government when a PAS involves different service providers. They help governments to adopt the perspective of the user, rather than being driven by their own lists of services and procedures. The Recommendation specifically advises governments to “enabl(e) co-ordination at the operational level… through concrete actions to integrate services which are used together during life events”. The approach by life event helps the adoption of a whole-of-government approach to services, moving away from siloed service delivery.
The life events approach has existed within public administration for some years and is now common across OECD countries. A majority have begun to take a life events approach, in some form, to at least some of their PAS (23 out of 30 countries, 77%) (Figure 6.3). The approach is also becoming more widespread, with another 4 countries (13%) planning to adopt it.
Life events approaches are at different levels of maturity. Along this continuum, two broad stages are commonly observed: Information grouping and integrated services. Information grouping is an “entry-level” approach, where governments collate information and links for a particular life event on a single webpage, directing users to the relevant websites for each service. Each service is then operated separately by the relevant public agency. This approach is easy to implement and helps to remove initial barriers that prevent users from identifying and accessing the services they need. However, it does not ensure that services work together. In other words, it does not make service journeys more seamless or accessible beyond the initial point of application.
Distribution of countries by their use of a life events approach to service design and delivery, 2024
Note: The figure presents the responses to the question “Q20 Does your government take a Life Events approach to public administrative services?” No data for Türkiye. Data is based on countries’ self-reports at time of survey. Some datapoints have been updated from those in Government at a Glance 2025.
Source: (OECD, 2026[4])
More advanced is the Integrated services approach, where agencies providing different PAS relevant to a life event integrate service delivery after the point of application. Widespread availability and use of digital public infrastructure is essential to enable life events, helping government institutions integrate their systems for end-to-end user journeys, moving from informational to fully transactional PAS. A baseline for demonstrating integrated services is that users do not provide information already held by government institutions, making the Once-Only principle an essential enabler of integrated PAS so data is shared between at least two public agencies providing services relevant to a particular life event. Integration may also proceed substantially beyond this, for example by establishing single-application portals and into the grouping of all services linked to one life event in a seamless journey for the user and full co-ordination from the multiple public entities involved in the life event.
At present, most countries do not offer integrated services for many common life events1. Figure 6.4 shows how frequently the life events approach is being implemented for 9 common life events across 30 OECD countries, or a total of 270 cases (NB several countries are implementing life events not shown in Figure 6.4, so it should not be read as a ranking of countries by depth of implementation of life events approaches). The life events covered are: Getting married, Having a baby, Buying a property, Starting a business, Retiring, Death of a loved one, Loss of employment, Getting a driving licence, Moving to another country. Overall, across the OECD, no life events approach is in place in 40% of all cases (indicated with grey cells in Figure 6.4). Information grouping is in place in 40% of cases, with websites offering some guidance on services needed and where to access them. This is helpful to empower people with clear and accessible information about their interactions with public institutions during common life events. However, only in 20% of cases is some form of integrated services in place, even using the relatively low bar of relevant information being shared across two public agencies. Only 17 of the 30 countries (57%) for which data is available demonstrate that they had begun to integrate services for at least 1 of the 9 common life events assessed.
OECD countries most frequently offer some form of integrated services for those having a baby (12 out of 23 countries; 52%) and starting a business (9 out of 23, 39%). OECD countries are least likely to offer integrated services for those getting married or buying a property (both 2 out of 23, 9%). Most countries already have information grouping in place for death of a loved one (18 out of 23, 78%), getting married and retiring (both 17 out of 23, 74%), and loss of employment and starting a business (16 out of 23, 70%). This generally is via a webpage or a portal providing links to commonly used services for these events (OECD, 2025[5]).
Approach to delivery of 9 common life events, 2024
Note: The figure presents the responses to the question “Q21: For the Life Events listed below, what best describes the approach that is in place in your country? a) Integrated Services are provided, b) Information is available on services associated with Life Event”. The question was answered for each of a list of 9 important life events (a) Getting Married, b) Having a baby, c) Buying a property, d) Starting a business, e) Retiring, f) Death of a loved one, g) Loss of employment, h) Getting a driving licence, i) Moving to another country. Countries also had the option to list additional life events, this is not shown in the graphic above. Q21 was answered only by countries which answered “Yes” to Q20. In some cases, countries indicated that both a) integrated services and b) information grouping are in place for the same life event, these cases are counted as "integrated services". No data for Türkiye. Some datapoints have been updated from those in Government at a Glance 2025.
Source: (OECD, 2026[4])
Where a life events approach is in place, several practices are commonly adopted that support integrated approaches and co-ordination for service delivery (Figure 6.5). Among 22 OECD countries implementing a life events approach, nearly two-thirds (14 out of 22, 64%) report co-ordination between relevant agencies to share data on users. Similarly, 14 out of 22 OECD countries (64%) establish co-ordination between relevant agencies to ask for documentation from users only once, and the same number have co-ordination among relevant agencies to design services; for instance, through joint co-creation or improvement workshops and hackathons. 9 out of 22 OECD countries (41%) co-ordinate across government agencies to set joint targets for delivering services, while they are least likely to adopt other co-ordination practices to deliver services (3 out of 22, 14%).
Cross-government co-ordination measures for delivering services as life events, 2024
Note: The figure presents the responses to the question “Q23 For those public administrative services where a Life Events approach is in place, have any of the following practices been taken? Please select all that apply. Co-ordination between relevant ministries/agencies/departments to a) share data on users, b) ask documentation to users only once, c) set joint targets, d) design services, e) other”. Q23 was answered only by countries which responded “Yes” to “Q20 Does your government take a Life Events approach to public administrative services?” No data for Türkiye.
Source: (OECD, 2026[4])
Overall there is significant scope for OECD countries to improve service integration, and better support people who need to use services as a result of important life events. Not every policy area or administrative procedure benefits from a life events approach. Decisions to develop one should be based on clear criteria, such as the share of the population experiencing this event, the complexity of user journeys, the number of agencies involved, the expected impact on users, value for investment, and the feasibility of data sharing or process alignment.
Box 6.2 outlines leading practice from Korea and Estonia, which have advanced substantially on life events. Both already implemented an integrated services approach to several life events and provide an example of the potential benefits this generates for service users. In both cases, capable digital infrastructure is important to success.
Government 24 in Korea
Korea adopts a life events approach in the delivery of public administrative services, emphasizing citizen convenience. To operationalise this life events approach, Korea has established an official online platform called “Government 24”, which serves as a centralised access point and an integrated platform to a wide range of public services. It provides information on public services offered by central government agencies, public institutions, and local governments, and integrated services that can be applied for, tracked, or issued. Information on approximately 12,000 public services are available on the Government 24, and nearly 1,300 public services can be applied for, tracked, or issued.
In Government 24, government employs an integrated services model to deliver public services for some life events. Korean nationals can apply for multiple administrative services in one step, based on major life events such as childbirth. For childbirth, parents can apply for multiple benefits such as child allowances, parental leave, birth grants, and health insurance registration through a single application process after registering the birth. Government 24 also provides information on subsidy services offered by the government agencies. Many subsidy services enable people to check and apply for the benefits available to them and their families in one place.
Life events and pro-active services in Estonia
Estonia has adopted a life-event based approach in which public services are organised and co-ordinated to support members of the public during important change in their lives (marriage, becoming a parent, etc.). Recognising that the bureaucracy can be complex, Estonia utilises technology to simplify access to public services and make them more seamless. The government has introduced proactive services in several life-event areas, which allow the public to get services without needing to apply.
Seamless public services in life events can be illustrated by the example of childbirth. When a baby is born, the hospital submits information to the Population Register, and a personal identification code is created. Parents only need to register the birth through e-Population Register, add details such as the child's and parents' names, and do not need to apply for family benefits. When the birth data is received, relevant information can be reused from government information systems where necessary and legally permitted to support service delivery and reduce the need for separate applications. All other information from various related systems (i.e. the Health Information System, the Health Insurance Fund, the Family Doctor Registry, the Employment Register, the Social Insurance Board and municipal social services) will also be collected to form auto-generated information. Based on this information, relevant benefits and services can be proactively offered to eligible parents, significantly reducing or eliminating the need for separate applications. This “proactive service” makes it easier for the public to receive services without any complicated procedures. It also helps government employees to work effectively by making the system work automatically and reducing the amount of human effort needed.
Delivery is underpinned by X-Road, a software that enables data exchange between various information systems (interoperability), both in the government and private sectors. Based on the “once-only principle,” Estonia uses X-Road to enable secure and standardised data exchange between information systems, where necessary and legally permitted, so that service users do not need to enter data repeatedly. Data remains under the control of the respective authorities. Each agency can still have its own digital system to manage its services, and X-Road serves as a data exchange platform that allows all these systems to work together as a whole. X-Road works by receiving and sending data to and from agencies as needed. Three criteria are used in data exchange: data must be easily accessible to the authorities that need it, it must not be altered during transfer (data integrity), and its confidentiality must be protected. This process of automation and reuse of data is the foundation for the seamless public services in Estonia. To support trust, members of the public can track how government accesses and uses their data, as a form of transparency.
References
[7] Government of Estonia (n.d.), E-governance, E-democracy & Open Data, https://e-estonia.com/solutions/e-governance/e-democracy/.
[8] Government of Estonia (n.d.), Factsheet on Proactive Government, https://e-estonia.com/wp-content/uploads/factsheet_proactive_government.pdf.
[9] Government of Estonia (n.d.), Having a Baby, https://www.eesti.ee/eraisik/en/syndmusteenused/having-a-baby.
[10] Government of Estonia (n.d.), X-road - Interoperability Services, https://e-estonia.com/solutions/interoperability-services/x-road/.
[6] Government of Korea (n.d.), Government 24, https://plus.gov.kr/.
[1] OECD (2026), Digital Government Outlook 2026: From Foundations to Transformational Impact, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/0496b2bc-en.
[4] OECD (2026), “OECD Serving Citizens 2026: Delivering Better Public Administrative Services database”.
[5] OECD (2025), Government at a Glance 2025, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/0efd0bcd-en.
[3] OECD (2024), Global Trends in Government Innovation 2024: Fostering Human-Centred Public Services, OECD Public Governance Reviews, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/c1bc19c3-en.
[11] OECD (2023), Supporting Lives Free from Intimate Partner Violence: Towards Better Integration of Services for Victims/Survivors, https://doi.org/10.1787/d61633e7-en.
[2] OECD/SEGIB (2024), “Public Innovation for Social Inclusion in Ibero-America”, OECD Public Governance Policy Papers, No. 62, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/97d84618-en.
← 1. Apart from life events, the use of integrated service delivery for (relatively) less common events is likely even rarer. Evidence on integrated service delivery to support victims/survivors of crime suggests that human-centred co-ordination across justice, health, housing and other social services is the exception rather than the rule (OECD, 2023[11]).