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: PORTUGAL’S CITIZEN SPOTS
INTRODUCTION
Despite the rapid pace of digital development, Portugal faces a significant challenge with its population’s limited digital literacy compared to other European countries. This poses difficulties in achieving widespread adoption of digital public services, as approximately 14%⁴² of Portuguese citizens still have never used the internet.
Additionally, even among those with basic digital literacy, there are still individuals with insufficient skills to fully engage with digital services effectively. and some who choose not to do so This situation highlights the need to address digital inclusion and improve accessibility to ensure that all citizens can benefit from public services in the digital age.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INITIATIVE
The Citizen Spots program, run by the Administrative Modernization Agency (AMA), was set up to ensure digital public service accessibility for all citizens regardless of digital literacy or device connectivity. A Citizen Spot is a physical place that combines the available digital services from public administrations at one helpdesk with professional staff. In the Citizen Spot, people are patiently shown all the steps to follow the process through a dual screen.
Having assistance for those with limited digital skills ensures accessible public service delivery while keeping digital channels as the primary means, fostering improved digital literacy. When a Citizen Spot is established, trained staff (mediators) provide information services for public service delivery, guiding citizens to available services or raising tickets for non-digital options. In case of difficulty, a central contact center is available to assist the mediators in finding solutions.
Portugal has over 850 Citizen Spots, conveniently offering around 200 similar public services to users. These Citizen Spots are widely distributed across the country, eliminating the need to travel long distances to meet officials, who otherwise may be available only in larger cities. With over 1 million annual attendances, these Citizen Spots cater to a substantial number of users, a remarkable feat given Portugal’s total population of 10+ million residents 43.
SUCCESS FACTORS
Several key success factors contributed to the effectiveness of the program:
- Central and Local Government Collaboration: The fruitful collaboration between central
and local administrations stands as a key pillar for the success of Citizen Spots, ensuring
citizens receive excellent public services involving various entities at different levels.
Although supported by legislation, effective cooperation across administrative layers
necessitates practical implementation and dedication. - One-Stop-Shop Location: The triumph of Citizen Spots lies in their distinct role as one-stop shop locations, streamlining services and offering citizens comprehensive assistance in a single place, facilitated by skilled and knowledgeable mediators.
- Empowering Design: Citizen Spots are thoughtfully designed to empower citizens, promoting the use of digital services and cultivating their digital skills. The valuable human capital and professionalism of the staff have been well-invested, yielding substantial returns for the overall success of Citizen Spots.
MAIN CHALLENGES:
While the program achieved significant success, it also encountered some challenges:
- Resistance by Central and Local Authorities: Upon launching in 201444 , the initiative faced some resistance as authorities questioned the added value and the required investment in equipment and training. Reaped benefits on the long run of Citizen Spots eased workload and improved service delivery efficiency, which contributed to more adoption and buy-in.
- Limited Accessibility Infrastructure: Local authorities faced the challenge of providing timely information to AMA to verify location suitability and address any identified accessibility issues before the spot’s opening.
- Limited Budget: Significant investment was required to launch and sustain Citizen Spots, but it was viewed as an integral part of the overall investment in service delivery and improvement of CX.
TAKEAWAYS
The program offers valuable takeaways for successful government initiatives:
- Human Interaction Layer/Channel: Establishing a human interaction to increase access to digital services allows for a transition towards digital channels while ensuring continued accessibility for all users.
- Truly One-Stop-Shop: Designing the channel as a genuine one-stop-shop, going beyond a mere co-location of frontline staff from different agencies ensures seamless service provision.
- Investment and Maintenance Funding: Successful implementation of initiatives like Citizen Spots requires careful planning, transparent communication, and the ability to showcase tangible benefits. By addressing the challenges of funding and maintenance proactively and effectively, the government can ensure sustained large-scale accessibility to public services and continually improve CX for its citizens.
- Cost and Responsibility Sharing: Promoting mutually beneficial solutions and cost-sharing approaches foster collaboration among government entities, particularly across different levels. Without such collaboration, the practical implementation of a joined-up service is unattainable.
In conclusion, Portugal’s Citizen Spots have emerged as a successful and invaluable initiative, revolutionizing the way public services are delivered to citizens. These spots have significantly improved accessibility and convenience, ensuring that essential services are easily available to all. Moving forward, Portugal’s focus will remain on collaboration and customer experience, with an emphasis on enhancing user-friendliness and efficiency. The ambition of the government is to expand the number of Citizen Spots to over 1,000 in the next few years 45. Work is also ongoing to transform the equipment in the Citizen Spots to make the service help and interaction more mobile-friendly.
In our next article, discover how Ukraine’s digital resilience has kept public services running seamlessly, even in times of war—proving that digital service delivery is key to government continuity in any crisis.
References:
42 “Digital economy and society statistics – households and individuals. eurostat – Statistics Explained. (2022, December). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Digital_economy_and_society_statistics_-_ households_and_individuals#Use_of_internet
43 “Service at Citizen Spots.” ePortugal.gov.pt, n.d. https://eportugal.gov.pt/en/acesso-aos-servicos-publicos-em-portugal/atendimento-nos-espacos-cidadao.
44 “Citizen Spots.” Observatory of Public Sector Innovation, January 6, 2020. https://oecd-opsi.org/innovations/citizen-spots/.
45 Mendonca, Tiago. Portugal Citizen Spots – Administrative Modernization Agency. Personal, 2023.