Key considerations in developing efficient public services
Written by Piret Saartee, Head of Digital Service Competence Centre, and Anne Nurmik, Senior Expert
In an increasingly digital world, how governments deliver public services can make or break trust with their citizens. Should every service be digitised, or is it time to focus on harnessing the transformative power of AI?
The answer lies in understanding stakeholder needs, fostering skills and managing costs – paving the way for services that meet expectations and drive economic growth and innovation.
Developing efficient services that stimulate economic growth requires more than just technology; it demands a deep understanding of the needs and expectations of everyone involved. Successful digitalisation begins with rethinking existing service delivery models: Is every step necessary? Does the collected data truly serve its purpose? By streamlining processes and ensuring that every element adds measurable value, governments can maximise the impact of digital services for both citizens and society.
To make digitalisation genuinely impactful, governments must focus on delivering services that are both effective for providers and seamless for users. Achieving this balance requires acknowledging the new skill demands and administrative responsibilities that digital services introduce, ensuring they are met with careful planning and sustainable resource management.
To digitise or not to digitise
Public services can be delivered through both physical and digital channels. While governments often aim for 100% digitalisation of public services, it is important to recognise that not every service benefits from going digital.
How can one decide if a digital channel is needed?
Key considerations include:
- the volume of services delivered
- the time required for citizens to access them
- the complexity of the service delivery process
- the societal impact of digitalisation potential cost savings
- investment costs
- overall efficiency gains
These factors provide a clear framework for determining the necessity and advantages of a digital channel. User preferences and accessibility, scalability to meet future demand, data protection and privacy, integration with existing systems, and the environmental sustainability of the digital solution are also crucial. Together, these indicators ensure that a digital channel is both necessary and beneficial.
Harnessing AI for smarter digital services
The digitalisation of public services is evolving rapidly, driven by key trends such as AI-based solutions, enhanced user engagement and data-powered services. AI is transforming the public sector with predictive analytics, personalised services and the automation of routine tasks, offering opportunities for more efficient governance.
However, implementing AI-based services requires more than just technology – it demands high-quality data, robust technological infrastructure, skilled personnel, an appropriate legal framework, organisational readiness and an effective monitoring system. Achieving this comprehensive setup takes time, but there are also quick wins. For example, governments can deploy AI-powered chatbots or virtual assistants to handle frequently asked questions or use optical character recognition (OCR) to efficiently extract data from forms and documents.
The eGA Digital Services Competence Centre supports governments in creating and implementing policies and frameworks for digital public services. For example, eGA has developed comprehensive digital strategies for countries such as Ukraine and Kosovo.
Additionally, eGA assists in designing or refining existing digital services, government portals and back-office processes. A recent notable achievement is the e-Entrepreneur service on Ukraine’s Diia portal, which enables entrepreneurs to operate efficiently from any internet-connected device.
eGA also specialises in developing methodologies and guidelines for digitising registers and enhancing data quality to ensure sustainable digital transformation. Through collaboration with eGA, governments gain practical expertise, innovative solutions and a proven track record in developing successful digital services that meet the needs of citizens and businesses.