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2024

Case Study: The Abu Dhabi Effortless Program

By April 21, 2025No Comments

This article is part of a comprehensive report published by the International Foundation for Customer Experience in Government, which aims to enhance the global dialogue on Customer Experience (CX) in the public sector. Drawing on innovative practices from around the world, the report establishes benchmarks for governments to improve their CX initiatives.

CASE STUDY: THE ABU DHABI EFFORTLESS PROGRAM

The Abu Dhabi Effortless Program for Customer Experience was launched in March 2022 as a strategic endeavor to lead the CX drive in Abu Dubai 53. It followed and fortified previous steps towards customer-centric services and ignited systematic work towards transforming all government services within the coming years. The objective is to situate Abu Dhabi as a world leader in CX, with the lowest effort score amongst the nations adopting this leading measure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INITIATIVE

The government’s aim, as the program’s title hints, is Effortless CX . Effortlessness captures elements of ease of use, service accessibility, service speed, staff professionalism, and the perceived effort in availing a service – these are combined into a perception measure known as the effort score.

The program aims to achieve effortless CX in two directions: 

  • Empowering the Customer: Maximizing the potential for self-service and customer independence in completing the service transaction.
  • Offering Appropriate Support: Once challenges arise, customers receive full support from well-trained and professional staff.

There are 5 key strategic ‘thrusts’ that make up the program so far: 

CX Policy and Guidelines: Defining all respective CX roles to ensure proper management of the program and effective implementation, as well as easing collaborative work between all concerned stakeholders. Citizens can register war damage to their property and receive compensation from the state.
Priority Setting: Abu Dhabi government services are catalogued using a common methodology and system. This allows for the setting of a yearly evidence-based agenda of high priority services to target for transformation and results.
Capacity Building: The competencies of all CX agents are assessed based on a tailored competency framework. According to the results, there are individualized development programs to ensure sufficient focus on people as the most vital asset for public service transformation. 
Design Lab:A stimulating environment for creativity and joint government work has been built as a physical premise where government services undergo transformation efforts through an established and thorough design practice. Services are categorized across two dimensions: vertical and horizontal. The former refers to simpler transactional services which are currently being handed over to the entities responsible for internal service improvement, and the latter refers to more complex services that involve the integration of multiple entities that are run in the central Abu Dhabi Effortless Design Lab. 
Measurement: Abu Dhabi is carrying out systematic work to quantify public service improvement and identify future priorities, areas for attention, and areas of strength.

SUCCESS FACTORS

Although the program is relatively new, it is making steady successful steps and has a uniquely structured approach to transformation. Below are some of its current success factors: 

  • Strategic Alignment: The program formalized a clear vision with measurable policy goals, emphasizing effortlessness. Government support at the highest level facilitated collaboration among entities and shaped customer expectations for improved service access.
  • Prioritization: Service cataloguing and priority lists allowed for coordinated program roll-out in separate waves. Evidence-based data and well-defined criteria helped select priority services.
  • Capability Building: A competency framework tailored to the Abu Dhabi context guided large-scale capacity building, with over six thousand customer-facing employees assessed on 9 competencies and priority training provided for 2,000 employees 54 .
  • Holistic Approach: The holistic approach of the program was supported by a framework that emphasized the importance of all stages of the design process – Direction, Design, Development, and Delivery. This ensures services in both vertical and horizontal streams are approached, evaluated, and redesigned through a comprehensive approach ensuring success.

MAIN CHALLENGES:

As the program leaders reflect on their learning so far, here are some of the key points: 

  • Leading Change: Implementing new ways of working and adopting new methodologies requires patience and time for people to understand, learn, and integrate into their routine.
  • Momentum: Sustaining momentum in the Effortless program requires extensive follow up with all stakeholders supported by capability building, result-orientation, and facilitative support.
  • Measurement: One metric on its own cannot be a proxy measure for public service performance. Abu Dhabi government is working now on setting up a CX index to provide a more balanced view of its public services that includes both perception and operational measures.

TAKEAWAYS 

The program offers valuable takeaways for successful government initiatives:

  • Support change agents with capacity-building and clear priorities, emphasizing the importance of necessary skills.
  • Adopt time-bound formats like sprints, bootcamps, and minilabs to achieve tangible results across shortened time periods and maximize learning.
  • Achieve lasting impact through holistic, whole-of-government CX improvement across all dimensions.

In conclusion, The Abu Dhabi Effortless Program for Customer Experience is showing remarkable potential for success characterized by its holistic and well-structured approach. Leadership-involvement and extensive support is ensuring a coordinated program roll-out. Large-scale capacity building is empowering the employees to drive exceptional customer experiences. The program’s empathy-driven approach is positively changing customers’ sentiments. Overall, it is revolutionizing the government’s customer experience landscape in Abu Dhabi.

References:

53 “Khaled Bin Mohamed Bin Zayed Launches Abu Dhabi Program for Effortless Customer Experience.” Abu Dhabi Media Office, March 22, 2022. https://www.mediaoffice.abudhabi/en/government-affairs/khaled-bin-mohamed-binzayed-launches-abu-dhabi-program-for-effortless-customer-experience/.

54 Al Mehairbi, Sara. Abu Dhabi Effortless Program for Customer Experience. Personal, 2023.