Delivering Simple and Intuitive Services to Build Public Trust and Confidence in Government

The Australian Government’s vision is to implement world class data and digital capabilities to improve its effectiveness, efficiency, transparency and accountability. Recent events such as the pandemic, geopolitical shifts, economic uncertainty and natural disasters have supercharged the adoption of data and digital technologies across Australia – and now it’s time to build on the traction and progress achieved to date.  

The newly developed Data and Digital Government Strategy will serve as a blueprint for the use and management of data and digital technologies through to 2030. By aligning the Australian Public Service’s data and digital agenda for the first time, the Strategy will support more joined-up delivery across Government. The vision = simple, secure and connected public services, for all people and business, delivered through world class data and digital capabilities. 

And achieving ‘simple, secure and connected’ is the trifecta to fostering public trust.

Because as we know, citizen satisfaction is directly tied to their level of trust and advocacy in government, which is correlated with how well experiences meet expectations. As citizens become more connected, their expectations rise. When government is not equipped to meet these, trust erodes. 

At the core of it all, the citizen wants simplicity, security and accessibility. But simple can be very complicated to achieve, and often overwhelmed amongst a mass of noise, constantly shifting dynamics and seemingly endless competing priorities. However, when done right, bringing it back to basics can form a virtuous cycle - more trust leads to more engagement, more data, improved performance, and the cycle continues.   

Understanding what the citizen truly wants and needs, and leveraging digital to deliver this, is the ‘simple’ way forward. The key considerations:

• Meeting needs = trust. How do we build and retain a solid connection with the citizen via service experience? 
• Trust: Innovation and delivery vs privacy and security. Are they opposed forces? And how do we handle them together, where trust in government is an inherent barrier? 
• Sense-checking serviceability: How can we become better equipped to understand emerging citizen needs and promptly cater to these? 
• How can we build a ‘simple’ experience that meets all expectations? 

Incorporating the next realm of digital experience into interaction with citizens, understanding latest technology advancements shaping the future of public service within Australia, and how we can best harness these to create an unforgettable experience are the critical underpinnings to deliver the right digital service and in turn, next-gen CX.

So what does the emerging 2024-25 user really want from digital experiences, and what are the best methodologies to harness to build these experiences? How can we align citizen demands with digital/service strategy and leverage insights to inform investment? And how do we develop discernment in which citizen demands are long-term, and which will be replaced in another 6-12 months? 

Finally, how can we achieve ‘digital simplicity’ to design smart, simple and connected services? And how do we master user-centricity by harnessing co-creation and user feedback to design next gen digital experiences citizens want and need?

These are the heavy-hitting considerations we will be confronting head on at the Digital & CX Roadshow, March 2024. For more information about the event, or to register your complimentary pass, visit the event website.