E-GOVERNMENT: The next stop in providing government services

Government Leader home > June 2005 issue

June 2005; Vol. 1 No. 2

E-GOVERNMENT: The next stop in providing government services

By Wyatt Kash

Many governments have reached the limits of the services they can provide online, a new study has found, raising the question: What comes next?

The answer will depend on how far government leaders are willing to pursue four strategies for improving customer service, according to new research by Accenture Ltd.

Governments looking for transformational improvements will:

Put citizens first. Organize information so frontline agents can tailor interactions to each citizen’s needs and circumstances
Master multichannel service. Coordinate information and services across multiple channels (mail, phone or Internet) for convenience and ease of use
Connect agencies seamlessly. Integrate interactions between local, regional and national government agencies, focusing more on the service experience than on which agency provides it
Reach out and educate. Communicate proactively with citizens and businesses so they are well-informed about government services and are encouraged to use them through the appropriate channels.

“Clearly, eGovernment has delivered value,” says Martin Cole, chief executive for Accenture’s government operating group. “What (eGovernment) cannot do is lead to the sweeping transformation of government service that will lead to high performance— generating the outcomes citizens want and that governments need to deliver.”

While the United States ranks second among the 22 nations surveyed by Accenture for its relative maturity in providing citizen-centered and cross-government interactions, it ranked fourth in multichannel interactions and tenth for proactive communication and education.

Countries with higher performance marks for serving their customers: Canada, Singapore and Finland.

Government Service Leaders
Top-ranking countries based on maturity scores for services delivered

Citizen-centered interactions
CANADA 64%
UNITED STATES 48%
SINGAPORE 47%
AUSTRALIA 46%
NETHERLANDA 45%
AVERAGE 39%

Proactive communication/education
CANADA 59%
FRANCE 45%
SINGAPORE 45%
AUSTRALIA 43%
DENMARK 43%
AVERAGE 37%

Multichannel interactions
SINGAPORE 49%
CANADA 48%
FINLAND 47%
UNITED STATES 45%
FRANCE 43%
AVERAGE 35%

Scores reflect relative availability and sophistication of service interactions offered by governments.