Government Call Centers (IL0026)

What is the public problem that the commitment will address?
There is a need for a central government response, in which information about the various government services and the various service channels for receiving them will be provided to the public, while encouraging the public to use the self-service channels. The response will be provided in various languages, through a multi-channel response, and will make the service accessible to the handicapped. What is the commitment?
Setting up a central government call center. How will the commitment solve the public contribute to problem?
The central government telephone response system will provide answers to questions relating to the various government services, such as: providing support for online services, finding information in the various government entities' websites, providing general information about the various government services (contacting options, operating hours, addresses, procedures for receiving services and more), providing information about processes being implemented with the involvement of a number of government entities. Why is this commitment relevant to OGP values?
Transparency: making information publicly accessible about government services, thus improving the access to information.; Milestone Activity with a verifiable deliverable: Selecting the winner supplier
7/2017
12/2017
Set up
1/2018
4/2018
Operation
5/2018

4. Setting up a central call center for government ministries

Language of the commitment as it appears in the action plan: [10]

“There is a need for a central government response, in which information about the various government services and the various service channels for receiving them will be provided to the public, while encouraging the public to use the self-service channels. The response will be provided in various languages, through a multi-channel response, and will make the service accessible to the handicapped.

The central government telephone response system will provide answers to questions relating to the various government services, such as: providing support for online services, finding information in the various government entities’ websites, providing general information about the various government services (contacting options, operating hours, addresses, procedures for receiving services and more), providing information about processes being implemented with the involvement of a number of government entities.”

Milestone

4.1 Selecting the winner supplier

4.2 Set up

4.3 Operation

Start Date: July 2017

End Date: May 2018

Context and Objectives

Government bureaucracy in Israel has been known for years as cumbersome and as having low standards of service. [11] According to a 2011 report of the State Comptroller, heavy bureaucracy pushes many citizens to use “fixers” in their encounters with government agencies. [12] The report also describes how agencies often require citizens to provide them with information they already have or how they are required to scatter between different offices to fulfill their rights to related services. For instance, people with disabilities were required to be examined by different medical committees for different services such as monthly allowance and a handicapped parking permit. [13]

This commitment aims to improve public services to the public by creating one central call center that residents can call to receive information about different services. It continues from Commitment 10 in Israel’s first action plan (2012–2013), which focused on the planning and preparation for the call center, where as the current commitment envisages its launch. [14]  Because the call center could consolidate basic and existing information, such as addresses of government buildings and email addresses of government agencies or service suppliers, the commitment is relevant to the OGP value of access to information. However, it would not necessarily offer any transparency of the way agencies operate or other information to help the public understand government operations.

The creation of the call center is easily verified. Its potential impact regarding the goal of improving government service to the public is minor. It could save citizens the need to search for relevant information in different sources and could be especially important for senior citizens and citizens with disabilities who have difficulty accessing the information, and do not easily enjoy the relevant information online. However, because the call center will only consolidate basic information, the potential impact is minor.

Next steps

Since the call center is already fully operational and (at phone no. 1299), the IRM researchers do not recommend carrying this commitment forward to future action plans.

4. Setting up a central call center for government ministries

Language of the commitment as it appears in the action plan: [21]

“There is a need for a central government response, in which information about the various government services and the various service channels for receiving them will be provided to the public, while encouraging the public to use the self-service channels. The response will be provided in various languages, through a multi-channel response, and will make the service accessible to the handicapped.

The central government telephone response system will provide answers to questions relating to the various government services, such as: providing support for online services, finding information in the various government entities’ websites, providing general information about the various government services (contacting options, operating hours, addresses, procedures for receiving services and more), providing information about processes being implemented with the involvement of a number of government entities.”

Milestone

4.1 Selecting the winner supplier

4.2 Set up

4.3 Operation

Start Date: July 2017

End Date: May 2018

This commitment aimed to improve public service delivery by creating one central call center for residents to receive information about different services. [22] The underlying issue that this commitment was to meet was the low standards of service in Israeli government bureaucracy. [23] It continued a commitment from Israel’s first action plan, which focused on the planning of the call center, and this commitment was to implement it.

The commitment was fully completed. While there was a delay in launching the center compared to the original timeframe in the action plan, that delay was not major, especially given the scope of the project. (It was launched in August 2018 instead of May 2018.) The IRM researchers tested the call center by calling a few times and talking to service representatives, and found it to be responsive and comprehensive in the services it offers. Thus, the commitment was implemented not only by the book, but also in spirit. Overall, however, this commitment’s implementation has not opened any new information or participation channels to citizens.

[21] “Open Government Action Plan for 2018–2019”, Government OCT Authority, pp. 21–22, https://www.opengovpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Israel_Action-Plan_2017-2019_EN.pdf.

[22] For a more detailed description of the commitment, see “Open Government Action Plan for 2018–2019”, Government OCT Authority, pg. 20, https://www.opengovpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Israel_Action-Plan_2017-2019_EN.pdf.

[23] Ibid.