User Friendliness Requirements Regarding Digital Self-Service Solutions (DK0037)
Overview
At-a-Glance
Action Plan: Denmark Action Plan 2013-2014
Action Plan Cycle: 2014
Status: Inactive
Institutions
Lead Institution: NA
Support Institution(s): NA
Policy Areas
Capacity BuildingIRM Review
IRM Report: Denmark End-of-Term Report 2014-2016, Denmark IRM Progress Report 2014-2015
Starred: No
Early Results: Did Not Change
Design i
Verifiable: No
Relevant to OGP Values: Access to Information , Technology
Implementation i
Description
Up to 2015, there will be more and more areas where citizens are to encounter public authorities by going digital. It means that we ourselves must enter data, apply for e.g. support, and check the digital mailbox. The Government will facilitate the encounter with public authorities to maximum extent. Therefore, work is in progress to make self-service solutions as user friendly as possible – among other things by creating conditions for better data quality and by establishing coherence in the systems. It will mean that data are to be entered only once and subsequently shared across public authorities to an increasing extent.
For this purpose, the Government has drawn up a development guide for self- service solutions with 24 minimum requirements regarding user friendliness and accessibility in public self-service solutions when suppliers are to develop or revise a solution. The guide will be revised on an ongoing basis against the background of user tests, lessons learned and input from the users. All self- service solutions that become mandatory up to and including 2015 must meet all the requirements listed in the development guide regarding user friendliness and accessibility.
IRM End of Term Status Summary
Commitments 4, 5, and 6: Digital communication and inclusion
Commitment text
4: User friendliness requirements regarding digital self-service solutions
Up to 2015, there will be more and more areas where citizens are to encounter public authorities by going digital. […] The Government will facilitate the encounter with public authorities to maximum extent. Therefore, work is in progress to make self-service solutions as user friendly as possible - among other things by creating conditions for better data quality and by establishing coherence in the systems. […]
For this purpose, the Government has drawn up a development guide for self- service solutions with 24 minimum requirements regarding user friendliness and accessibility in public self-service solutions when suppliers are to develop or revise a solution. […] All self- service solutions that become mandatory […] must meet all the requirements listed in the development guide regarding user friendliness and accessibility.
5: Plan for inclusion during the transition to digital communication
Public authorities’ plan for inclusion covers a broad spectrum: from ensuring that help is integrated in the public self-service solutions to preparing and training the employees who encounter citizens on a day-to-day basis. The citizens who need help will find that it is provided at citizen service centres, at libraries, and in readily accessible data rooms nationwide that provide computer assistance to senior citizens.
Focus is at the same time also placed on stimulating citizens to explore the digital tools by showing examples of how digital technologies can open up an altogether new world of opportunities. The effort is planned and implemented in collaboration with e.g. the organisations representing older persons and the libraries that contribute to extending the reach of the work.
6: Common public sector digital communication campaign
A comprehensive common public sector digital communication campaign will be launched in November 2013 with a view to supporting the effort to bring everybody on board the “digital express”. The idea of the campaign is to place focus on the fact that help is available.
The website “Learn more about ICT” (laermereomit.dk) provides contact information about the many organisations, e.g. libraries, organisations representing older persons and adult education associations that offer ICT courses for special target groups. Instruction videos and other help and support are also available to citizens.
Danes will experience the campaign in the press and mass media, and all public authorities will have material at their disposal to be able to communicate the messages directly during encounters with citizens.
Responsible Institution: None specified for any commitment
Supporting Institutions: Commitment 4: None specified
Commitment 5: Senior Citizens Associations;
Commitment 6: Senior Citizens Associations and organizations having ICT courses for special target groups
Start date: Commitment 6 - November 2013 End date: Not specified
Editorial Note: The full text of the commitment can be found in the action plan
Commitment Aim:
Commitments 4, 5 and 6 are part of the national IT strategy.[Note 8: The national IT strategy for 2011-2015, AFD, http://www.digst.dk/Strategier/Digitaliseringsstrategi-2011-15 ]
These commitments aim to improve the quality and user experience of self-service solutions in public IT. This is particularly important as more and more services can only be done online.
Status
Commitment 4:
Mid-term: Substantial
The government published the user friendliness requirements and the guide on the open government website. However, the Agency for Digitisation (AFD) recognized that more work needed to be done for all mandatory self-service solutions to meet the minimum requirements stipulated in the guide and in the commitment language. For further information, please see the IRM mid-term progress report.[Note 9: Denmark IRM mid-term report 2014-15, http://www.opengovpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2001/01/Denmark_IRM%20Progress%20Report%202014-15_Final_eng.pdf]
End of term: Substantial
No additional progress on this commitment has been made since the midterm progress report, but Denmark’s initial IT strategy named eGovernment 2011-2015 has been replaced with a new strategy named Digital Strategy 2016-2020. The new strategy also sets out a goal to develop a “user friendly and simple digital public sector.”[Note 10: Focus Area 1, A user friendly and foreseeable public sector, AFD, http://www.digst.dk/Strategier/Initiativer/Let-hurtigt-og-god-kvalitet/Fokusomraade-1] According to the government, this new strategy is the next logical step of user- friendliness and designing the services to fit the needs of citizens and companies. One of the commitments in the new strategy is to develop more cohesive user journeys, which will provide more user-friendly and coordinated online-services to citizens and companies. Another commitment seeks to promote better and more cohesive welfare services, which will provide citizens with more cohesive service when responsibility is split between authorities.
Commitments 5 and 6 were completed at the time of the mid-term evaluation.
As described in Denmark’s self-assessment regarding Commitment #5, the AFD established a National Network for Digital Inclusion in 2015 that outlines citizens’ challenges with digital communication. The government organized events for target groups - including senior citizens, the disabled, youth, and immigrants – to inform the inclusion plan. As part of the inclusion plan, citizens now have access to online training to get better acquainted with the portal (borger.dk) and self-service solutions.[Note 11: Online training in borger.dk: https://www.ekurser.nu/kursus/185] More details about this commitment’s implementation can be found in the IRM Progress Report 2014-15.[Note 12: Denmark IRM Progress Report 2014-15 http://www.opengovpartnership.org/country/denmark/irm]
Fulfillment of Commitment #6 was a large-scale digital communication campaign between August 2014 and January 2015, as reported in the IRM progress report 2014-15.[Note 13: Denmark IRM mid-term report 2014-15, http://www.opengovpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2001/01/Denmark_IRM%20Progress%20Report%202014-15_Final_eng.pdf] The government worked in close cooperation with local authorities on this comprehensive media-based campaign (online, press and outdoor advertising) as well as conducting Generation Rallies to encourage digital communication with public authorities.
Did it open government?
Commitment 4
Access to information: Did not change
Several stakeholders emphasized that this commitment, along with several other commitments in the Danish action plan, conflates eGovernment with open government. This commitment aims to improve user services, but not to make them more open or transparent. A better or user-friendlier service does not ensure better access to more information. The commitment’s relationship to open government is thus not clear and as a result there is no change with respect to opening government.
Commitment 5
Access to information: Did not change
Echoing the previous commitment, this commitment is part of Denmark’s national IT strategy spanning 2011-2015. The inclusion plan, aimed at bringing stakeholders into the digitization process to improve individuals’ access to technology, was meant to ensure that the elderly are not left behind - that would worsen the intergenerational “digital divide.” The information and services in question were available offline before the introduction of e-government, but are now only available online - there is no additional information and the level of access is the same, thus there is no change in access to information.
As stated in the IRM progress report,[Note 14: Denmark IRM mid-term report 2014-15, http://www.opengovpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2001/01/Denmark_IRM%20Progress%20Report%202014-15_Final_eng.pdf] various groups opposed to e-government (including the DaneAge Association, the senior citizens group Ældresagen, and leading Danish newspapers) had argued that making government services available only online would exclude some citizens from accessing important government information.
Commitment 6
Access to information: Did not change
Civic Participation: Did not change
Public Accountability: Did not change
The digital communication campaign to increase awareness of the importance of ICT and ICT training represents a laudable effort to reach out to stakeholders, but is not relevant to OGP values and did not change government openness.
Carried forward?
User friendliness of public IT infrastructure is part of Denmark’s next national IT strategy, including the following focus areas:[Note 15: Focus Area 9, Digitization for everyone, AFD, http://www.digst.dk/Strategier/Initiativer/Tryghed-og-tillid/Fokusomraade-9]
- Focus area 9.2, “digitization for everyone,” outlines strategies for educating children in the use of ITC as well as increasing knowledge of ITC to citizens and companies. The focus area is part of a ‘security and trust’ track within the IT strategy.
- Track 2 of the national IT strategy [Note 16: Track 2 of the national IT strategy, AFD, http://www.digst.dk/Strategier/Initiativer/Gode-vilkaar-for-vaekst] characterizes public ITC as a motor for growth, and aims to improve the ITC-environment for the business community, increase efficiency within the supply sector, and use public data as a motor for growth.
Commitments
-
Platform for Citizens to Access Data the Government Holds about Them
DK0068, 2019, Data Stewardship and Privacy
-
Oversight Body for Social Services Claims
DK0069, 2019, Access to Justice
-
Anonymous Whistleblower Portals for Justice System Employees
DK0070, 2019, Anti-Corruption
-
Open National Archives Data
DK0064, 2019, Access to Information
-
Open Workplace Health and Safety Data
DK0065, 2019, Access to Information
-
Climate Atlas
DK0066, 2019, Access to Information
-
Publish Terrain, Climate, and Water Data
DK0067, 2019, Access to Information
-
Open Data for Citizens and Media
DK0050, 2017, Access to Information
-
Data Registers on a Shared Public Distribution Platform
DK0051, 2017, E-Government
-
Information Portal for Day-Care Facilities
DK0052, 2017, E-Government
-
Open Data and Smart City Forum
DK0053, 2017, Access to Information
-
Open Data DK
DK0054, 2017, Access to Information
-
Overview of Own Cases and Benefits
DK0055, 2017, E-Government
-
Nationwide Deployment of Telemedicine
DK0056, 2017, E-Government
-
My Log
DK0057, 2017, E-Government
-
Civil Society National Strategy
DK0058, 2017, Marginalized Communities
-
Report a Rule
DK0059, 2017, E-Government
-
OGP Forum
DK0060, 2017, Public Participation
-
Denmark’S Country Program for Uganda
DK0061, 2017, Aid
-
The 18Th International Anti-Corruption Conference
DK0062, 2017, Anti-Corruption
-
IATI (International Aid Transparency Initiative)
DK0063, 2017, Access to Information
-
Service Check of Local Government Consultations
DK0034, 2014, Public Participation
-
Call on All Municipalities to Facilitate Advance Voting
DK0035, 2014, Marginalized Communities
-
Letter of Invitation to First-Time Voters Urging Them to Vote
DK0036, 2014, Marginalized Communities
-
User Friendliness Requirements Regarding Digital Self-Service Solutions
DK0037, 2014, Capacity Building
-
Plan for Inclusion During the Transition to Digital Communication
DK0038, 2014, Capacity Building
-
Common Public Sector Digital Communication Campaign
DK0039, 2014, Capacity Building
-
Principles for Collaboration on the Modernisation of the Public Sector as Well as the Establishment of a Centre for Public Innovation
DK0040, 2014, Capacity Building
-
“Free Municipality” Pilot Projects
DK0041, 2014, Subnational
-
Recommendations from Growth Teams
DK0042, 2014, Private Sector
-
Strategy for Digital Welfare
DK0043, 2014, E-Government
-
Implementation of a New Charter for Interaction Between Volunteer Denmark/Associations Denmark and the Public Sector
DK0044, 2014, Civic Space
-
“Open Data Innovation Strategy” (ODIS)
DK0045, 2014, Access to Information
-
Data Distributor for the Distribution of Basic Data
DK0046, 2014, Access to Information
-
Open Government Camp 2014
DK0047, 2014, Capacity Building
-
Open Government Assistance to Myanmar
DK0048, 2014, Aid
-
Opening Key Public Datasets
DK0049, 2014, Access to Information
-
Online Open Government Partnership Community
DK0001, 2012, E-Government
-
Online OGP Handbook for Public Authorities and Institutions
DK0002, 2012, E-Government
-
Management Labs and New Forms of Co-Operation
DK0003, 2012, Public Participation
-
Consultation and Transparency of Development Aid Programmes: Design Aid Programmes
DK0004, 2012, Aid
-
Innovate with Aarhus
DK0005, 2012, Capacity Building
-
Citizen Self-Services: Increasing the Use of User Ratings in the Citizen’s Port Borger.Dk
DK0006, 2012, E-Government
-
Open Government Camp
DK0007, 2012, Public Participation
-
Renewed Effort for Open Government Data
DK0008, 2012, Access to Information
-
Regional Initiative on Open Data
DK0009, 2012, Access to Information
-
Reuse of Open Source Software in the Public Sector
DK0010, 2012, E-Government
-
Citizen Self-Services: Binding Guidelines for Self-Service Solutions
DK0011, 2012, Capacity Building
-
Citizen Self-Services: Guidance and Information on Accessibility to Digital Solutions
DK0012, 2012, E-Government
-
Citizen Self-Services: Peer-To-Peer Learning Programmes to Help Citizens Use Digital Self-Service
DK0013, 2012, Capacity Building
-
Citizen Self-Services: Location-Based Content and Re-Use of Content in Borger.Dk
DK0014, 2012, E-Government
-
Less Reporting Through Increased Re-Use of Key Data
DK0015, 2012, E-Government
-
Mypage” for Businesses
DK0016, 2012, E-Government
-
Companies to Be “Born Digitally”
DK0017, 2012, E-Government
-
Creating a Mediation and Complaints Institution for Responsible Business Behaviour
DK0018, 2012, Human Rights
-
International Human Rights Conference
DK0019, 2012, Human Rights
-
Promote Social Responsibility in the Fashion Business
DK0020, 2012, Private Sector
-
Reporting on Human Rights and the Climate
DK0021, 2012, Human Rights
-
Country by Country Reporting in the Extractive and Forestry Industries
DK0022, 2012, Anti-Corruption
-
Legislative Principles for the Digital Age
DK0023, 2012, Legislative
-
Consolidated Key Data
DK0024, 2012, E-Government
-
App Store for Digital Learning Resources
DK0025, 2012, E-Government
-
Preparing a Digital Reform of the Public Welfare Areas
DK0026, 2012, E-Government
-
Consultation and Transparency of Development Aid Programmes: Transparency in Aid
DK0027, 2012, Aid
-
Tracking Progress of Universities’ Transition to Digital-Only Administrative Communication
DK0028, 2012, Education
-
Disclosure of Status Reporting From the National IT Project Council
DK0029, 2012, E-Government
-
Overview of Public ICT Architecture
DK0030, 2012, E-Government
-
Publication of Educational Materials on the Government’s ICT Project Model
DK0031, 2012, Capacity Building
-
Smart Aarhus and Smart Region: Smart Aarhus
DK0032, 2012, E-Government
-
Smart Aarhus and Smart Region: Smart Region
DK0033, 2012, E-Government