Bridging the Gap: Service Design for Seamless Policy Delivery
Show notes
Often, the people who develop policies aren’t the same ones implementing them — leading to a confusing and frustrating experience for the people who matter most — citizens. But there’s a solution: service design.
The silo problem
Imagine wanting to renew your driver’s license. You navigate a maze of departments, encounter conflicting information, and leave feeling bewildered. This classic citizen experience stems from a siloed approach. Policymakers create the rules, often without considering the delivery experience on the ground.
Service Design
Service design offers a way to bridge that gap. It’s a human-centered approach that considers both policy design and service delivery as concurrent, not sequential, processes.
Connecting the dots
So, how does service design connect the dots? Here are three key steps:
- Shared Vision: Policymakers and service delivery teams work together from the start. They develop a shared vision for the policy’s ultimate goal: what problem are we trying to solve, and how will citizens benefit?
- User-Centered Journey Mapping: Together, they map the citizen’s journey through the proposed policy. This involves understanding their needs, expectations, and potential pain points at each touchpoint.
- Co-Creation of Solutions: Policymakers and service delivery teams work together to craft solutions that address both policy goals and user needs. This can involve simplifying forms, offering multiple service channels (online, in-person), and providing clear communication throughout the process.
Benefits of concurrent design
By connecting the dots early on, we reap several benefits:
- More effective policies: Policies are more likely to achieve their goals if they consider the realities of service delivery.
- Smoother user experience: Citizens encounter a consistent and user-friendly experience through every step of their interaction with the policy.
- Increased efficiency: Streamlined processes save time and resources for both citizens and the government.
Service design in action
Imagine crafting a policy to encourage home energy efficiency rebates. Through user research, we might learn citizens struggle with complicated applications and unclear eligibility requirements. Using service design, we could develop:
- Simplified online application forms with clear instructions.
- Eligibility calculators to help citizens understand if they qualify for the rebate.
- A dedicated call center with trained staff to answer questions and guide users through the process.
Building bridges, not silos
Service design isn’t about replacing policy creation. It’s about building bridges between those who make the rules and those who implement them. By working together from the start, we can create policies that are both effective and provide a seamless, user-friendly experience for the citizens they serve.
