Because the digital landscape is evolving so rapidly, the concept of digitising government services has reached a crossroads. Where we used to think about what’s worked before, we now have a tougher question to consider: how do we design for a future we can’t yet imagine, and for needs that as citizens we don’t yet have?
The temptation is to look backwards to what has worked before, surely the safest approach is to build upon past success. But blindly following past success has also taught us that attempting to duplicate previous systems without factoring in future signals simply doesn’t work. To truly serve citizens (let’s call them people, it’s a far more human term) in the near and mid-future, we need to adopt systems thinking, a paradigm that helps us anticipate and adapt to change.
We’re already seeing ‘signals’ that give us hints of what people will expect, and how and where emerging technology might meet those needs across digital government services:
- The mobile app exodus – we’re witnessing a shift away from the app-centric model towards on-demand web services. People are growing weary of downloading and updating apps, instead preferring seamless, browser-based experiences. Many government services are something we only use occasionally, who wants a phone full of apps that you might only use once a year? Mobile apps are better suited to things we do on a regular basis.
- Natural language and AI are the new interface – artificial intelligence is no longer a back-end tool – using natural language via AI assistants is set to become the primary way people interact with services, offering personalised guidance and support. Its far easier to ask a virtual assistant to help manage a life event than it is to navigate the separate websites and apps of multiple agencies.
- Personalisation through Identity – as digital identity becomes more ubiquitous, and it gives control over data sharing back to the individual, people may be willing to share personal data to get better, more tailored and proactive services. But there is an expectation that if I share information with government so that it can be used, that it will be used. I don’t want to be asked for a birth certificate or a copy of my passport if you already know who I am.
So despite the success of previous approaches to government services portals like ServiceNSW in Australia, we ignore the future signals at our peril – which means we can’t expect success from just repeating the past formula. We need a new model that allows us to learn from those successes and evolve at pace.
Systems thinking – a new paradigm for digital government
To address these and many other emerging challenges, we need to shift our focus from simply “serving the customer” to understanding and servicing the entire system within which people interact with government services. Here’s why:
- Customers are just one part of the puzzle – in the realm of digital government, the customer is just one element in a complex, ever-changing system. We need to accept that the best way to service New Zealanders across government services is to design with the entire system in mind – as opposed to taking a myopic view of the citizen in isolation.
- Government operations are inherently complex – and systems thinking allows us to create more inclusive models that account for the myriad effects of our digital decisions. By trying to oversimplify, we can sacrifice utility – leading to portals/apps that aren’t widely-enough adopted to justify their development and maintenance costs.
- Cohesion is key – by understanding the whole system, we can identify where government departments can operate more cohesively, break down silos and improve overall service delivery. This system-wide approach can also reduce the cost of government more effectively than simply cutting 6% of each component in isolation.
- Context creates understanding – citizens’ needs and expectations don’t exist in a vacuum; they’re shaped by the environment and systems they’re part of. Systems thinking helps us grasp these contextual factors to help us understand our customers in more depth.
- Future-proofing needs strong foundations – while specific demands may change, the underlying systems often evolve more slowly. A systems approach allows us to build more resilient and adaptable platforms.
We shouldn’t view the complexity of government as a problem to solve – instead, it’s a lens through which we can design digital services that can continually evolve in tune with societal and political needs – without requiring a complete overhaul.
As the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated, governments must be prepared to rapidly deploy new digital services in response to unforeseen circumstances. The future of government service portals lies not in perfecting a single solution, but in creating adaptable systems that can respond to these changes or evolve with customer needs. By embracing systems thinking, we can build digital government infrastructure that is resilient, flexible, and truly citizen-centric – not just for today, but for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.
This article was co-written by actual human beings… a big thanks to Greg Whitham and Matthew Grainger.
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