2025
Hassan Ibrahim is an Advisor at Qatar’s Civil Service and Government Development Bureau and a former Government Development Executive and Deputy Chairman of the Qatar Government Excellence Award (2022–2023). He supports government-wide efforts to modernize service delivery and embed a culture of continuous improvement. In this Trailblazer profile, Hassan shares what sparked his interest in customer experience, the institutional challenges he has encountered, and what it will take to sustain transformation over the long term.
How It All Started
Hassan began his journey into customer experience (CX) with a strong belief that governments should not only serve citizens but genuinely connect with them.
“While leading the transformation of Qatar’s tourism sector, I saw how citizen-facing services influence public trust and national perception. However, I also noticed that public services lacked the coherence, empathy, and design quality seen in the private sector,” he explained. “That gap became even more visible as I transitioned to broader government roles.”
These early experiences drove him to focus on improving the structure and delivery of public services, The fragmented service landscape, with duplicated efforts and inconsistent quality, often placed unnecessary burdens on citizens. That realisation led Hassan to focus on unifying and reimagining service delivery.
One of his most impactful milestones came through the development of the Unified Citizen Experience Platform in Qatar, which aimed to bring coherence, efficiency, and empathy into every touchpoint.
“It became clear that real impact could only be achieved by embedding citizen experience into the core of public operations.”
Hassan later formalised this work through his doctoral research.
“My DBA thesis at Warwick Business School focused on building a structured platform model for citizen experience, supported by AI and an omnichannel design.”
What Gets in the Way?
Reflecting on Qatar’s CX journey, Hassan outlines three key challenges:
“First, structural fragmentation across ministries and agencies creates inconsistent service journeys. Each entity often operates in isolation, with its own systems, priorities, and delivery logic. This undermines a unified experience and leads to citizen frustration.”
The second challenge is technology-related: Legacy technology systems restrict integration and real-time responsiveness. Many public services are not designed for adaptive engagement or cross-platform automation.
The third challenge is cultural: There is still a gap in how customer experience is understood. CX is often seen as a support function or a technology project rather than a leadership and governance priority.
To overcome these barriers, Hassan advocates for a more unified, long-term approach.
“Governments need whole-of-government platforms with shared data infrastructure supported by national service standards. CX responsibility should exist across both strategic and operational layers.”
“Experience ambassadors, decentralised pilots, and co-design methods are effective entry points. But most importantly, CX must be seen as a governance shift, not a digital upgrade.”
A Vision for the Future of CX
Looking ahead, Hassan believes that CX in government is moving into a new phase.
“The next 5 to 10 years will bring a shift from fragmented, transactional services to proactive, interconnected ecosystems,” he said. “These will adapt to citizens’ needs across their life journeys.”
In his view, future CX will prioritise outcome-based journeys. Will be data-driven, personalised, and predictive. Citizen records, decision-making, and service feedback will be integrated into government platforms and used to support continuous engagement.”
Technology, while essential, is not the entire story. AI and machine learning will help us anticipate citizen needs and reduce administrative burdens. But the real shift will be cultural. Service design will be embedded in policymaking, and success will be measured by trust, inclusion, and equity — not just efficiency.
He also predicts the emergence of new professional roles within government. We will see journey architects, experience strategists, and behavioural insight analysts embedded within government.
Hassan envisions a future where public services are not only smarter and more seamless, but also grounded in empathy and inclusion. He believes this transformation will be driven by a powerful combination of approaches.
“The convergence of design thinking, governance innovation, and real-time analytics will create a more adaptive and humane state,” he says.
He points to Qatar’s current efforts as proof of what is possible.
“Our Unified Citizen Experience Platform reflects a broader shift toward seeing CX as a core national capability rather than a technical function.”
Advice for the Next Generation of CX Leaders
For young professionals entering the GovCX field, Hassan offers practical advice.
“Embrace complexity with curiosity,” he says. “Transformation in the public sector is not linear or quick. You need to understand how policies, processes, and people interact to create both good and bad experiences.”
He also stresses the importance of listening deeply and walking in the shoes of citizens. Hassan encourages young professionals to observe frontline staff and map the real service delivery experience, noting that theory and tools are important, but true insights come from proximity to users and operators.
Second, start small and build momentum. Hassan emphasizes that large-scale transformation doesn’t happen overnight as it begins with small wins.
Cross-disciplinary skills are also essential, according to Hassan. He encourages CX professionals to learn to speak the language of policy, technology, design, and strategy, emphasizing that the most effective GovCX leaders can translate between these domains and build coalitions for change.
And above all, Hassan says, never lose sight of what truly matters.
“Keep the citizen at the centre. It is easy to be consumed by systems, metrics, or compliance. But GovCX is ultimately about human dignity and public trust. Anchor your work for that purpose, and let it guide your decisions.”