Course: Government Process Re-engineering

Day 1

Session 2: Understanding Government Processes & Service Quality

Agenda

Overview of e-Governance project lifecycle & role for GPR

GPR & e-Governance versus IT enablement

Defining Service Quality

Classroom exercise on identifying Service Quality components

Slide 3

Introduction to e-Governance

• What is e-Governance ?

− Ministry of Information Technology defines e-Governance as “… the application of Information Technology to processes of government functioning to bring about a Simple, Moral, Accountable, Responsive and Transparent governance”*

− Most e-Governance projects focus towards taking existing Government Services and leveraging technology to delivering the services to the customer At a reduced costs & effort With enhanced transparency & control In a faster time-frame

Slide 4

Traditional Approach to e-Governance

• IT enablement of exiting process… (What minimum one can achieve)− Automation of existing processes through the use of IT− Making services of the department available online

e.g. Providing e-forms for submission of applications, File Management System

− The process remains the same, but is carried out electronically• IT enablement has its advantages…

− Easier to implement, with no or minimal legal changes− Provides easier status updates, real time MIS, anytime / anywhere service

etc• But IT enablement alone may not be enough in many cases…

Slide 5

Traditional Approach may not be sufficient…

• The Government process itself might be inefficient !• Processes are designed in accordance with the legislation governing that

particular domain in that particular period− Some of these Legislations may be old and antiquated− Basis of the legal system is to put in controls, and not better service

delivery− Acts are department-centric, not citizen-centric− Rules are complex and tedious

10,000 rules, 0.1 million forms!

Slide 6

Legislative intent and process problems….

Legislative Intent Process Problems Delivery Channel Problems Delivery Problems

• Legislation was well intentioned and relevant at the time it was drafted

• Focused more on control and ensuring compliance, rather than service delivery

• Rules added along the way, making the legal framework complex and tedious

• Asking for too much information

• Burden of proof thrown on Citizen

• Complexity of rules & regulations (Anything to do with money is more complex!)

• Heavy reliance on manual systems

• No concept of Quality Assurance

• Jurisdiction (too many ‘narrow domestic walls!’)

• Restricted timings• Disparate and sub-

optimal delivery networks

• No choice of delivery channels

• Process & Delivery Channel often combined resulting in delay, malpractice

• Mindset & attitudinal problems

• Delivery Agents unsuitable

• Lack of empowerment of front-end people

• Lack of dedicated delivery teams

• Delivery is handled on a part-time basis

• Lack of service levels, measurement systems

Slide 7

The constraints when the process was designed may not be applicable anymore…• Many processes are designed with manual / non-ICT constraints in mind

• Many of these constraints may not be applicable anymore, with advances in IT..

− e.g. During Registration of property transactions, registration department can check Ownership and extent information (available at the Survey office) online – eliminates the need for registering party visiting survey department to update ownership change

• Processes were defined with compliance and control in mind, and not enhanced service delivery..− Re-engineering the process through GPR allows for process redesign to leverage

the benefits of ICT rather than just replicating existing processes

There is nothing more inefficient than to do efficiently that which shouldn't be done at all !!

Slide 8

GPR and IT are tools to achieving a larger goal…

• The larger goal for GPR and IT enablement is enhancing service delivery, better governance etc

• These goals can be achieved by:− IT enablement (IT) alone

Replicating existing (manual) processes in IT systems e.g. calculating fees using software tools rather than calculator

− Government Process Re-engineering Redesigning processes to improve performance measures e.g. single window approval for issue of approvals

− Both IT enablement and GPR Leveraging new processes and technology e.g. self-service railway ticket booking through IRCTC

− It can be neither IT enablement nor GPR Offering new services e.g. SMS flood alerts in Mumbai during monsoon season

IT GPR

Slide 9

Understanding Business Processes (1 of 3)

• Every government service is supported by a set of business processes, which provides approach and guidance to deliver the service

• But what is a process/business process/government process?

Business system is a collection of processes that take one or more inputs and create output that is of value to all stakeholders

Business processes move information and / or materials across several units and functions, to accomplish a specific end result

Slide 10

Process A group of tasks / activities carried out to reach a (desired) outcome

Business ProcessAny set of activities performed by a business that is initiated by an event, transforms information, materials or business commitments, produces an output

Government Process

Any set of activities performed by a Government that is initiated by an event, (e.g. Service Request, Event Trigger) transforms information, materials or business commitments, produces an output (delivery of Service to Citizen / Business of

Government)

Understanding Business Processes (2 of 3)

Slide 11

• G2C Service: Providing a Passport to a Citizen

• Process: all activities carried out by Citizen, Government & its agencies- From: Receipt of a passport application form

- To: Delivery of Passport / Communication of Rejection

• Sub-Process: The Passport process can be sub-divided into- Passport Application Collection

- Document Verification

- Fees Collection

- Passport Processing

- Passport Delivery

• Activity: various steps in the process, e.g.- Receipt Issuance: Printing a receipt for the Fee collected

Understanding Business Processes (3 of 3)

Slide 12

Understanding ‘Quality’ in Government Services

• Information is correct or not? Name & Photo are correct Personal information like sex, date of birth,

address etc are correct The passport is stamped / signed and is valid Physical passport is as expected Not torn or damaged

− Does not have pages missing / has correct number of pages

• But even if all of the above are correct, does that mean that we have met the “Service Quality” parameters for the passport?

The answer is NO`

Slide 13

So what else is important?… The entire Passport Issuance Process as seen by the citizen

• What if− Citizen waits for hours in queue (despite having an appointment)− Receives the passport six weeks after dispatch− The police verification is delayed− Citizen has to come multiple times to log in application− Citizen needs to use an agent to get hassle-free service− Citizen is asked to pay extra money to get it processed fast− Citizen faces rude behavior by the Security guards / counter staff− Citizen does not get correct information from helpline/inquiry counter− Counter accepts incomplete form and rejects it later − Counter does not accept documents defined in the requirement checklist (e.g.

letter from Army Officer)− The passport is sent to wrong address / person

Time

Cost

Customer Experience

Slide 14

So what else is important?… The entire Passport Issuance Process as seen by the citizen

• What if− Citizen waits for hours in queue (despite having an appointment)− Receives the passport six weeks after dispatch− The police verification is delayed− Citizen has to come multiple times to log in application− Citizen needs to use an agent to get hassle-free service− Citizen is asked to pay extra money to get it processed fast− Citizen faces rude behavior by the Security guards / counter staff− Citizen does not get correct information from helpline/inquiry counter− Counter accepts incomplete form and rejects it later − Counter does not accept documents defined in the requirement checklist (e.g.

letter from Army Officer)− The passport is sent to wrong address / person

Time

Cost

Customer Experience

Service Quality comprises of the physical Product, the Time taken to deliver it, the Cost of getting the service, and

Customer Experience or Service Delivery

Slide 15

Our customers are the only judge of whether we are a Quality organization or not!• This means

• Our customers decide what the specifications / standards of Quality are

What does quality mean?• Service Quality is not

• A luxury … a flavor of the month• Just meeting our own standards• Quick fixes which are short term and without any hard work

• We need to focus upon • Reducing our Total costs by getting things ‘First Time Right’, every time• Avoiding waste by eliminating errors• Doing only the right things

- Things which meet the customers’ needs, and - That add value not cost!

Slide 16

Key attributes of Service Quality in Government

• Time

taken for completion of service by the citizen/business

Taken for delivery of service by the Government

• Cost

incurred in receiving the service by the citizen/business

Incurred by the government in delivery of service

• Complexity (illustrative)

Number of forms to be filled, amount of information to be provided, number of offices to be approached…..by the citizen/business

Number of employees, number of approvals, number of verifications/validations to be performed by government

• Transparency

Knowledge on process for delivery of service, delivery timelines, status of service request to citizen and business….

Slide 17

Role of IT/Impacted attributes of service quality (in a positive way)

Time Cost Transparency Convenience

Electronic/online access to information services (anywhere and anytime) ↓ ↓ ↑ ↑Electronic submission of applications/d documents (anywhere/anytime) ↓ ↓ ↑ ↑Conversion of services into self services (e.g. tax payments, filing of returns..) ↓ ↓ ↑ ↑Online tracking of status of service request ↓ ↓ ↑ ↑Reuse of information submitted to government ↓ ↓ ↑ ↑Minimized scope for errors in information provided to the government (through system controls)

↓ ↓ ↑

Illustrative

Role of IT in GPR/Service Quality Improvement

Slide 18

Service Quality impacts all Stakeholders … which is why we need to focus on it from the point of CEO

Employee Owner

Customer

Respect Return On Investment

Value For Money Challenges in current environment

• Citizens demanding better service delivery

• Increasing penalties for failure

CEO – Model of Quality