Public Service

Achieving “compliance by design”

August 2, 2021

In brief

To better understand the fundamental changes needed to improve compliance, in April 2021 Accenture conducted a study of more than 4,000 people.
Respondents said that they want straightforward, intuitive digital processes. This creates real scope for agencies to improve "compliance by design."
The survey indicated only 28% of citizens globally trust revenue and/or social services agencies with their personal data to a large extent.
Rebuilding trust is key to enabling more complete and more accurate digital services.

In a post-pandemic world, compliance matters even more

Worldwide, COVID-19 transformed entitlement to benefits. As governments moved fast to shield their citizens from the pandemic’s economic impact, unprecedented sums of money flowed through welfare programs. For millions of people, entitlement to financial support changed almost overnight. Now increasing fiscal pressure is putting more scrutiny on agency budgets, taxation receipts and non-compliance.

To better understand the fundamental changes that are needed to improve compliance, in March-April 2021 Accenture conducted a study of more than 4,000 people (from Australia, France, Italy, United Kingdom and the United States).

The trust gap

To improve the experiences they provide, agencies need citizens to be willing to share their data and interact in different ways with authorities. And right now, our research shows that this is something they’re reluctant to do.

Rebuilding trust is key to enabling more complete and more accurate digital services. Without trust, citizens will be unwilling to be as open with government as they would otherwise be.

70%

of respondents are uncomfortable with their data being shared with third-parties (even if it improves the service experience).

44%

of citizens globally (and 59% in the US) are very concerned or concerned about the security of their personal information held by government agencies.

Taking action: a focus on citizens, agencies, and government

So what can agencies do to build trust and user confidence in service delivery and, by doing so, improve compliance?

We have identified three priorities.

Provide ‘natural’ end-to-end experiences

Interactions and experiences must be so user-friendly that mistakes become a rarity.

Introduce flexible IT solutions and real-time interactions.
Identify citizen data that will support the creation of more personalised services.
Build prototypes of new digital solutions.
Integrate human-centric design principles into core service design approaches.

Help citizens with easier processes

Data-sharing enables processes to be pre-populated with relevant information. Where citizens have to input data, clear guidance will help them understand what is required.

Use human-centric design.
Communicate, early and often.
Understand citizen's conversation and concerns through social listening.
Focus on security through holistic approach.

Improve digital infrastructure, government wide

Robust digital infrastructure is key for compliance to thrive.

Focus on data-sharing and open government platforms.
Modernise system architectures to support digital ID.
Deliver responsive citizen experiences.
Adopt a data-driven approach to track the evolution of new technologies and standards for sharing data and financial transactions.

View All

Improving citizens’ experiences can play a critical role in boosting compliance. Digital channels present an unprecedented opportunity for agencies to lead with impact in this crucial area.

A more trusted compliance experience

Digital processes and data-driven operations can accelerate progress towards a less error-prone, more frictionless, and more personalised compliance experience for citizens. For this to happen, enhanced citizen trust is crucial. And trust can only be established and increased by reimagining the compliance process with a more human approach. It’s time to start your journey to a more trusted compliance experience today.