Redesigning Duty: A Human-Centered Approach to Military Service in Estonia

This article is part of the 2025 Report: GovCX Trailblazers Case Studies, published by the International Foundation for Customer Experience in Government. The report aims to advance the global dialogue on Customer Experience (CX) in the public sector by highlighting innovative practices from around the world and setting benchmarks to help governments strengthen their CX initiatives.

Helelyn Tammsaar, who led Estonia’s Public Sector Innovation Team from 2019 to 2025, spearheaded one of the country’s most transformative initiatives, tackling the question: How can we make military service feel less like a burden and more like a meaningful milestone?
The answer emerged through the project “Tahan tulla ajateenistusse” — “Sign Me Up for Military Service!” — a bold initiative launched in 2021 as part of Estonia’s Public Sector Innovation Programme. The project aimed to improve the psychological and educational experience of conscription and the perception of Estonia’s compulsory military service using behavioral science, service design, and human-centered innovation. With troubling data showing that “every fourth young man not showing up for the mandatory medical evaluation,” the team set out to confront avoidance and anxiety at their roots.
As Helelyn Tammsaar explained:

The project began with immersive ethnographic research : “interviews with young men who avoided service and participant observation in military units”, uncovering hidden emotional and structural barriers. Many young men described military service as “a disruption to their personal goals,” and felt like “anonymous numbers in a faceless system.” and experienced significant anxiety during the abrupt transition from civilian to military life.

In response, the team co-designed a suite of interventions with stakeholders from the Estonian Defence, Forces, Defence Resource Agency Ministries of Defence and Education, behavioral scientists, and educational psychologists which was piloted in 2021 and expanded nationally by mid-2022, the initiative is now a sustained collaboration embedded within Estonia’s defence structures. The resulting interventions included:

• “Week 0” onboarding: A new adjustment week before training to reduce anxiety and build group cohesion.
• Self-Determination Theory: Instructors were trained in Self-Determination Theory to nurture psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and belonging.
• Personalized outreach: Defence Resources Agency consultants began calling conscripts ahead of medical evaluations to discuss their life situations and offer tailored support.
• Group registration for friends: Encouraging friends to serve together helped reduce isolation.
• Military diploma prototype: Helping conscripts translate their skills into civilian career values.

The reforms humanized a historically rigid institution without undermining its mission. As Tammsaar emphasized: “These reforms increased trust, reduced drop-out anxiety, and demonstrated that even a rigid institution like the military can become more human-centered without compromising discipline or readiness.”

A friendlier and more supportive pre-service experience was introduced, treating young citizens with dignity and compassion from their very first interaction with the state. These early changes planted the seeds for a more resilient and cohesive society.
At the same time, scientifically grounded pedagogical frameworks were integrated into military education. This human-centered mindset, rigorously backed by science, helped build internal credibility and overcome initial skepticism. As Tammsaar shared: “By grounding our proposals in science and demonstrating how motivation enhances learning and retention, we gradually built credibility.”

The Week 0 onboarding experience became a symbol of this cultural shift — not a softening of standards, but a strengthening of cohesion. Likewise, instructor training moved away from traditional command-and-control, reframing authority through the lens of motivation, empathy, and mentorship.

What Made It Work: Several enablers fueled this transformation:

• First-hand insight: “Our team embedded itself into the military experience… observing and interviewing conscripts during their most vulnerable moments.” This ethnographic lens revealed pain points invisible through traditional surveys.
• Cross-sector collaboration: Ministries, military units, behavioral scientists, and psychologists worked “side-by-side, driven by shared values and a willingness to experiment.”
• Leadership support: Backing from General Martin Herem ensured the reforms weren’t one-off fixes, but institutionalized and accelerated shifts in approach.

Change didn’t come easily. The military’s deeply hierarchical culture posed resistance to empathy-based methods. Some worried these would “undermine authority or discipline.” Yet, by showing how human motivation strengthens performance, the team shifted perspectives.

Critically, the project also challenged cultural narratives. “We had to overcome stigma and misinformation rooted in Soviet-era experiences,” Tammsaar noted. This was addressed through storytelling, parent engagement,better pre-arrival communication and open-door days at bases.

Estonia’s “Sign Me Up for Military Service!” project offers vital insights for governments looking to reimagine critical citizen experiences — even in the most structured, duty-bound institutions:

• Trust is built through design. When young citizens feel seen and supported, they are more likely to engage meaningfully — even in mandatory systems like conscription.
• Understanding human needs strengthens systems, not weakens them. Estonia’s experience shows that institutions can become more humane and effective when they prioritize empathy, psychological safety, and motivation.
• Motivation grows from dignity. When conscripts feel heard, respected, and supported — not just commanded — they develop stronger internal motivation to serve and defend.
  

When viewed through the lens of the International Model for Customer Experience in Government, Estonia’s “Sign Me Up for Military Service!” initiative demonstrates how purpose, empathy, and evidence can transform even the most structured public systems. It captures the essence of Direction by redefining military service as a shared national experience rooted in trust and dignity, and embodies Design through a collaborative, human-centered approach that engaged youth, behavioral scientists, and defense institutions to create meaningful change. Estonia’s experience shows that even within the most traditional institutions, service can be reimagined through empathy, collaboration, and evidence-based transformation — creating experiences that build trust, foster dignity, and strengthen the bond between citizens and the state.