Customer centricity becomes more paramount in uncertain times, and the ability for the Public Sector to adapt and respond quickly to society’s changing needs is crucial in moments of disruption, as habits and behaviours irreversibly change and public trust is undoubtedly shaken.
This is necessitating a new kind of governmental reform; to reshape services by redesigning, and reorganising how departments cater to the increasingly digitally driven – and now at times physically isolated – citizen.
The focus needs to be on fostering a deeper understanding of public needs, combined with the transforming of service experience for citizens through embracing technological innovations and the integration of more flexible digital platforms. This approach helps to create a modern Public Sector that engages with citizens in safe, efficient and reliable ways, and encourages a society that engages in experiences that are relevant and helpful, all while tackling our new world’s variables in order to surmount difficulties together.
NZ’s Department of Human Services co-design model stakes a simple claim for better service delivering. Outlining a triangular system that flows through the intentions of P, V, D –
P: What’s possible from a technology perspective?
V: What’s viable from a business perspective?
D: What’s desirable from a customer perspective?
Collaboration between agencies, departments, and organisations, as well as collaboration between their workers and everyday citizens in New Zealand was the impetus behind the NZ Public Service Act – which was designed to ‘strengthen cross-departmental working, focus officials on key public policy goals, and allow public servants to move between agencies more easily, calling for the creation of an official public service leadership team providing strategic leadership across the whole of the public service.’
In an Interview with The Centre for Public Impact Peter Hughes, New Zealand’s State Services Commissioner and Head of State Services, said: “It’s not enough for government simply to provide good customer service and deliver products and services efficiently.” Proposing that “governments should complement managerial efficiency with a greater focus on effectiveness and a reinvigoration of the spirit of public service.”
