PortNL: An Integrated Service Case

Nalini P. Kotamraju, Ph.D. 9 februari 2010

PortNL Web Site Case• PortNL case in the broader B-dossier project

• B-dossier

• Integrated, personalized service delivery or “one-stop government”

• Multi-year research and development project (2006–9)

• ”B-dossier” = metaphor for a “file” that users share with officials, employers, and other relevant people or institutions

PortNL Case

• Attempt to provide integrated services around a life event

• Life event = relocating, often temporarily, to the Netherlands to live and work (“expats” or expatriates)

• Attempted to integrate government, commercial partners (e.g., real estate agencies), and NGOs (e.g., groups for expats)

PortNL & User-centered Design

• User-centered design (UCD) implemented throughout the process

- Pre-design interviews

- Regular interaction between software engineers, designers, and user researchers

- Usability studies

PortNL Case• Research uncovered several challenges in

implementing UCD that are particular to e-Government

• Two challenges

1. Users and governments have different mental models of the tasks to be accomplished

2. Governments, unlike commercial entities, need to design for exceptions

Challenge 1: Differing Views of Task1. Mismatch between what governments and

users see as the task to be accomplished (i.e., the services/information they want)

2. Government agencies views tasks/processes related to services and information as their responsibility

3. Users see a complex, intertwined highly dependent process.

2.Challenge: Designing for Exceptions• A common rule of UCD = “Do not design for

exceptions”

- Designing for exceptions is inefficient, not cost-effective and problematic

• But governments need to design for exceptions!

2.Challenge: Designing for Exceptions

Users want to know: Government want to know (among other things) your reason for wanting a visa:

Do I need a visa? Adoption or foster childSingle parent with a childAsylumAu pairVisiting relativesMarriage or relationshipsHighly skilled migrantsChild with parent(s)Medical groundsStudyExchangeHolidayReadmissionWorking on a self-employed basisWorking as an employeeScientific researcherOrientation year highly educated persons

2.Challenge: Designing for Exceptions• Governments, unlike commercial entities,

are required to:

1. Provide a vast amount of complete information and services

2. Provide information and services to an entire, diverse (in many ways) audience

3. Enforce regulations, even when they compromise user-centricity (e.g., apostille)

Challenges: e-Government & UCD

• Two challenges

1.Users and governments have different mental models of the tasks to be accomplished

2.Governments, unlike commercial entities, need to design for exceptions