When local usability is not the issue: An example case of e-Government service provision

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When local usability is not the issue An example
case of e-Government service provision

• NordiCHI workshop on user involvement and
  representation in e-Government projects
• October 15, 2006
• Asbjørn Følstad and Petter Bae Brandtzæg
• SINTEF ICT

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Background

• e-Government services now at level 2 and 3
  (CapGemini)
• 1810 countires. 12590 service providers recorded
• 75 online availability of 20 target services
• Virtually all government service providers in
  Europe with Internet presence (92)
• Uptake of e-Government services lag behind
  (eUSER)
• 104 countries. 1000 interviews each country
• 81 of the population prefers face-to-face
  meetings
• 17 uses Internet/e-mail to interact with
  government bodies
• Differences between countries (CapGemini)
• gt50 using e-Government services in 3 of the 22
  participating countries (Iceland, Norway and
  Sweden)

CapGemini (2006) How Is Europe Progressing? Web
Based Survey on Electronic Public Services eUSER
population survey (2006) Public Online Services
and User Orientation.
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Questions

• Why do the uptake of e-Government services lag
  behind?
• What can we do in terms of user involvement to
  increase the uptake of e-Government services?

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An example case online application for driving
license

• Interactive service launched 2004
• Online service provided for a range of vehicle
  categories
• but only for first time applicants
• 8 of relevant applications received through
  online service in 2004
• Goal 80 by 2007
• Authors involvement (2005-06)
• Leader vision
• Informal expert evaluation
• Interviews, traffic schools
• Group interviews, driving licence applicants age
  18-19
• Online survey

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Lets have a look at the service
APPROVED AS USER FRIENDLY
( if you are within the defined user group)
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Challenges for the case service
Any candidates for user involvement?

• Difficult to know whether or not you are within
  the defined user group
• Lack of service information
• Potential users not aware of the service
• Difficult to locate the online service
• The service does not comply with work processes
  of users
• Booking conducted today through traffic schools
• Service requires change of work process in
  traffic schools

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• Thank you for your attention!