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The digital government divide: Research shows citizens want more

Your citizens are waiting for more digital engagement opportunities.

Overview

In an Accenture Public Service Pulse Survey of almost 7,000 citizens in seven countries, Accenture has revealed a significant gap between what citizens want from digital government and the services that are available. The research shows there is room for improvement in government meeting demand, and better digital services would improve citizens’ view of government.

Government leaders need to engage citizens as partners in personalizing their digital services and delivering public service of the future. Using new technologies, new insights and new ways of working can help close the gap between what citizens expect and what’s being delivered, creating more meaningful relationships between government and citizens.

Background

Citizens in Australia, France, Germany, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States responded to a survey in December 2014.

Analysis
Citizens surveyed are forthcoming about how they want their digital interaction to occur. While a clear majority (90 percent) of citizens interact with government via computer, a significant number of citizens in the U.A.E. (86 percent) and Singapore (70 percent) want to increase their interaction via mobile devices. The interest in using their mobile devices in the other countries ranged from 19 percent in the U.K. to 37 percent in the U.S.

Recommendations

The Accenture Public Service Pulse Survey reveals a consistent demand from citizens in seven countries for increased and improved digital access to government services. The first step in addressing that demand is creating greater awareness of digital services already in place and improving the user experience to obtain specific information citizens want and need.

This is a big challenge for government, but doing so successfully will improve public value. Citizens are looking for the right service to be available at the right time, and government must be committed to delivering it. Digital government solutions will play a significant role in the realization of delivering public service for the future.

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