Tailored Government and Public Services - improving access for all

Thanks to advances in digital technologies, insights from behavioral science, and new data-management tools, governments are making strides in providing more personalized services. This is good news. But as more services shift online, it becomes critical to ensure that the groups that need them most can benefit—both in terms of technical access as well as digital literacy.

The accelerated shift to the digital world has also highlighted inequities in the delivery of some public sector services.?For example, online permitting might disadvantage rural users who lack reliable cell service. Or, in some cases, inadequate broadband access can disproportionately impact low-income individuals.

The benefits of digital services are significant, and a secure digital identity is foundational to providing tailored digital services. In Singapore, SingPass for individuals and CorpPass for companies are the digital identities used to access more than 2,000 services from more than 700 government agencies and businesses. SingPass can be used to share official personal information, such as address and next-of-kin information needed during an emergency, upon consent.

Governments should also consider a “no wrong door” philosophy that allows individuals to access services through whatever means they can. This approach enables governments to integrate information that comes in through a variety of channels, including text, email, webpage inputs, or a phone conversation. Depending on an individual’s needs or wants, the best service might be a “no-touch” self-service portal, a “low-touch” webpage with an artificial intelligence chatbot to assist them, or a “high-touch” approach that involves interaction with a live person.

Governments worldwide are moving from a government-centric mindset to a more citizen-focused one—putting people and their needs first. Our Government Trends 2023 article, Tailored public services, explores how governments are personalizing services by segmenting individuals on demographics, providing location-specific services, tailoring services to life events, and even to individual needs— referred to as “government for one.”?