Multiple channels bring many challenges
Mobile devices are everywhere these days, from the humble cell phone that just makes calls to the pocket PC, smartphone or laptop. People everywhere have greater expectations. They want access to information, they want answers, they want to shop online, and they want it all now.
This immediacy and choice of services and products is one of the effects of globalization. Coupled with the heightened expectation of service delivery from the private sector, citizens expect something similar from their governments.
There are three elements to mobile government, one that provides access to its services and interacts with its citizens by mobile devices or wireless access:
- Citizens can use mobile devices such as cell phones and smart phones.
- Citizens can use laptops, PCs and kiosks to access government services through a fixed network, broadband or Wi-Fi.
- Portability of government: Local presence through mobile devices irrespective of government workers being present.
Mobile mechanisms
To interact on mobile devices, two important considerations for government are what transaction type and which segment of the population should most appropriately be targeted by this channel.
Mobile devices with small screens mean communication needs to be clear and concise with no room for misinterpretation. This would lend itself to transactions such as updates on a claim status or requests for standard information.
Most citizens prefer to have a feeling of greater clarity or control of the transaction when giving out personal details. Working with a small screen doesn't give that clarity, so these transactions are better suited to Web sites where it is possible to see and review information.
This doesn't answer the question of whether citizens will have sufficient trust in government services to transact with them in this way. Given that government needs to interact with all the population at some time or another, different segments of the population will want to use different channels for different interactions.
Those without home access to a PC or broadband, for example, can be catered for by providing PC or kiosk access in agency or municipal offices, community centres, schools, post offices or medical centres. In fact, access could be granted anywhere the customer may be when they most likely would need ready access to government services.
More and more, people who enjoy high connectivity at home also have wireless-ready laptops. Here, the convenience of accessing government services on-line, from wherever they are, will be of great use. The key question, for government, is how much will they need to access these services and how does the cost balance against the need to provide service to all citizens.
However, it is unlikely that the ability to use wireless and mobile devices is the key driver of the contact. The greatest driver to use wireless networks will be the local presence of government through mobile devices. While emergency services typically have laptops in their patrol cars or fire trucks, and mobile devices routinely capture data remotely, the possibilities to use mobile devices to take government out to those that need it the most is an intriguing idea.
If all government workers, from park wardens to refuse collectors, carried handheld devices that could be used to report potholes or dead street lights, this would significantly help to provide better services to large population groups. These handhelds could also update a citizen on the progress, for example, of getting a pothole fixed.
Continued: Identity checkpoints
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