Post on 14-Jan-2016
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How to communicate on Administrative Burdens?Jacqueline Rutjens
Example:Gert, disability benefit claimant
An example:
Target groups
Mother on social security (Maria)
Volunteer (Henk)
Handicapped child (Bart)
Old person in need (Thea)
Average family (Verstappen)
Vital old person (Mikel)
Chronically ill (Pauline)
Benefit claimant (Gert)
Unemployed (Johan)
These target groups are used for internal andexternal communication
0% 25%
0% 25%
0% 25%
0% 25%
0%
0%
0% 25%
0% 25%
0% 25%
39%
16%
26%
19%
12%
11%
14%
20%
30%
25%
25%
Presentation:
Origins Dutch AB programmes
Approach to communication
World bank conclusions on communication
Response to World Bank conclusions
Communication on AB citizens in the future
Recommendations on communication
Origins
Government of Balkenende II
“Citizens feel that the government has insufficient comprehension of the problems of citizens”
“People complain about the quality of public services. The distance between government and citizens is too large”
“The Government wants less rules to provide more space to citizens and organizations”
Origins
AB leads tot high costs for companies and citizens:
Companies: € 16 bln /yr = 3.6% of Dutch GDPCitizens: € 1,27 bln/yr out-of-pocket-costs
and 112 mln hours/yr
AB leads to much irritation among companies and citizens: They want comfort and trust in their relationship with government
Programme Administrative Burdens
Two interdepartemental programmes:Businesses: coordinated by Ministry of Economic Affairs and Ministry of FinanceCitizens: coordinated by the Ministry of the Interior Reduction target companies and citizens: 25% in december 2007 compared to 2002Infrastructure: all new regulation has to be measured and checked by ActalMinistries have their ‘ ceilings’
Programme Administrative Burdens
So:- 140 proposals for less regulation on citizens- Best rewarded: votingsystem and less
informationpolicy- 25% seems to be a reasonable goal- Infrastrucure takes care of the ‘ backdoor’
But:
Not all proposals are equally innovativeNot all citizens benefit equallyNew cabinet makes new regulationsSome IT backfired
New Programme AB Citizens
Not only quantative, but also qualitatieve reductions: a noticable reduction of administrative burdensNew programme focusses around ten bottlenecks: i.e. waiting lists, plain Dutch, more trust, quality of government services, mediationFocus on target groups: elderly people, benefit claimants, handicapped and chronically ill, unemployed and volunteersStronger connection with E-governmentStrong focus on local government (25% goal)
Approach to Communication:
Citizen in the central position Goal: to receive the compliments of the Citizen!
Dialogue with target groups. Questionnaire about highest irritations
regarding Administrative Burdens Pamphlet with recommendations Panels of citizens that judge the
measurement aimed at reducing Administrative Burdens
Channels of communication:
Reports on progress and specific publications Complaints office and website for citizens:
www.lastvandeoverheid.nl Website for professionals where news,
documentation and meetings are presented along the nine role models: www.burgercentraal.nl
Conferences and seminars Electronic news letter 6 times a year Media
Some of our products:
Booklets: nine routes along Dutch bureaucracy nr. 1 and update (nr. 2)
Booklet on how to write simpler forms Booklet “a different approach on reaching
noticeable results” Courses for policy officers National conferences and meetings International conference in 2007 Articles in specialist journals New sources of communication: museum,
short films on the internet
Innovative instruments
Kafka brigade For specific “from pillar to post” cases Looking from a citizen’s perspective to a
problem Aimed at a general solution and not only
this specific case
Complaints office that contact complaintives within two day and coordinates the answers from goverment
Museum of abundant policies
People from outside the EU who want to settle in the Netherlands for more than 3 months need to obtain an authorization for temporary settlement before entering the Netherlands. Whenever entering the Netherlands with this authorization you also need to obtain a residence permit within three days. For both documents the same information is needed.
Museum of unnecessary policies
What worked and what didn’t work (that well) in communication?
Some positive results:
25% target works for civil servants and Actal Museum has had 10 expositions in half a year 2 of the 10 cases of the Kafka brigade solved
within 4 months Of the last 400 complaints at the complaints
office 158 have been solved A citizens panel complimented the programme
on 10 of the 13 presented reductions
From September 2007 all governemental forms must comply to a norm of simplicity
Reactions on the profiles are very positive: they are appealing and recognizable
What worked and what didn’t work (that well)? (2)
Didn’t work as planned:
Communication about 25% target is problematic
Website for professionals: the page didn’t get as much pageviews as hoped for an it was difficult to make it a interactive platform
We don’t receive as much complaints from citizens as we would like to receive
We learned that citizens don’t recognize the concept of administrative burdens; so we now use concepts they know: bureaucracy, red tape, etc.
World Bank Review (1) Conclusions concerning communication:
(1) Consult with relevant target groups in order to target the programme towards problems perceived as most important and to test the feasibility of proposed solutions(2) Improve communication in relation to expectation management of stakeholders: involve stakeholders(3) Communicate results better to the public! (compare kafka.be)(4) Be aware of making the operation to technical and neutral: it’s not! (risk analysis)
World Bank Review (2) Response to conclusions:
Conclusions (1) and (2) particularly apply to the business programme. The citizen programme extensively consults target groups via: citizens panels, stakeholder groups and questionnaires
Conclusion (3):The department who achieved the result (AB reduction), should get the credits: not the coordinating body. In Belgium the coordinating body gets all the credits.
Conclusion (4): It is good to have a political discussion about administrative burdens: only then it is possible to deal with the difficult AB
World Bank Review (3) Response to conclusions:
programme AB businesses: strategy
IPAL is working on its strategical vision on communication
Central: The government makes it easier Room for the entrepeneur
Most important starting points: Entrepeneurs in the central position; look
from their point of view Management of expectations: there always
will be some rules Best practices will act as proof of results
World Bank Review (4) Response to conclusions:
programme AB businesses (2)
Communication via central platform: the companies counter
One motto with a design that appeal to target group
Channels: Selective use of radio, internet and paper
media Round tables Use stakeholders in the development of
solutions; hopefully this will also lead to important spokesmen for the programme
Ideas for further strengthening communication citizens
New profiles: real people which tell their story and who can also be present at meetings or conferences: real stakeholders
Internalization plans: “employment agency” for civil servants. Civil servants will solve complaints of citizens themselves
Courses for civil servants on kafka methodology, plain Dutch, etc.
Better communication with the target groups; make use of their communication channels, i.e. magazines, websites.
Recommendations
Personify the AB for citizens and companies: this will make AB tangible, recognizable and personal for people -> profiles
Work outside in: start with the signals of citizens and companies and not with policies. Show that you take them serious
Bring the communication personnel into action as soon as possible and involve them also in the process to come to a solution
And: Make it fun!
Thank you for you attention!
Jacqueline RutjensJacqueline.rutjens@minbzk.nl+31 70 426 6085
Peter RemPeter.rem@minbzk.nl+31 70 426 7487