The challenges of delivering citizen centric services
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The Challenges of delivering
CiTizen-CenTriC serviCes
A survey of 110 public sector executives
in Hong Kong and Singapore
SponSored by TIbCo
March 2010
3. PrefaCe
The Challenges of Delivering Citizen-Centric Services is a FutureGov
research whitepaper, sponsored by TIbCo Software Inc. The views
may not necessarily reflect those of the sponsor. This report was
researched, written and prepared by the FutureGov team. The
principal contributors were Tim Hill, dennis posadas, Chris White
and ran elfassy. The cover was designed by patrick Schulze our
sincere thanks go out to all those that contributed their time to the
survey and the interviews.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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ABSTRACT 3 >
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u EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 RESEARCH
u INTRODUCTION 6
u RESEARCH DEMOGRAPHICS 7
u STUDY RESULTS 8
u CHALLENGES FROM GROwING DEMAND 15
» demand for workflow automation software 16
u CONCLUSION 20
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TABLE OF FIGURES
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Figure 1 - Job roles of survey respondents. 7
Figure 2 - Is there a need for workflow connectivity across GOAs? 8 RESEARCH
Figure 3 - Frequency of sharing and transferring of information across GOAs in 9
response to requests for government services.
Figure 4 - Degree of interaction with other GOAs. 9
Figure 5 - Will there be an increase in variety of information shared across GOAs in 10
response to requests over the next 5 years?
Figure 6 - Respondents already using online/real-time methods for file sharing/transfer. 11
Figure 7 - Respondents who use traditional/offline methods for file sharing/transfer. 11
Figure 8 - Is there automation at point of interaction between your agency and the public? 12
Figure 9 - Does your agency already manage an increasing diversity of communication 12
channels when processing requests?
Figure 10 - Does your agency use software tools to process requests and manage 13
agency interactions?
Figure 11 - Does your agency use automated approval systems? 13
Figure 12 - Do your agency plan on automating the approval process? 14
Figure 13 - Do other GOAs have more in-house systems for real-time visibility of 15
data/information than in your agency?
Figure 14 - Do your in-house systems have more real-time visibility of data/information 16
than at other GOAs?
Figure 15 - Use of workflow automation software, by country. 16
Figure 16 - Use of diverse channels to manage interactions, by country. 17
Figure 17 - Use of software tools for processing requests, by country. 17
Figure 18 - Degree of workflow automation, by country. 18
Figure 19 - Degree of approvals for requests that are automated, by country. 18
Figure 20 - Expected growth in the diversity of shared/transferred information across 19
GOAs, by country.
Figure 21 - Perception of difficulties to changes in IT systems, by country. 19
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absTraCT
In this study, 54 Hong Kong and 56 Singaporean civil-service IT RESEARCH
managers were surveyed regarding the volume of requests for
information, the extent to which their agencies shared information
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with others, the use of workflow-automation software, the features
that their governmental organisations and agencies relied on, and
the future direction of information sharing and interconnectivity in
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relation to serving the public.
respondents were initially contacted by FutureGov research
through both email and traditional mail channels. participants were
invited to complete an online questionnaire that was hosted on the
FutureGov website in January and February 2010, reminders were
sent to those who had not responded to the initial contact. A total
of 110 responses were received before the survey was closed in
February 2010.
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exeCuTive summary
Global trends around information sharing are leading toward increased RESEARCH
workflow connectivity. Similar to the multinational enterprise that
needs to work across plants or international borders, so too are
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governmental organisations and agencies (GoAs) finding that they
must better share information and resources across departments
and ministries. Although Information sharing between GoAs and
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departments in developed nations is generally well managed, the
expected increase in the variety of information being shared is
already raising concerns. Moreover, the growing automation seen at
the first point of contact, where the public meets the government,
coupled with the expanding channels of communication increasingly
available, means the volume and variety of transactions coming
through the governmental organisation is bound to rise.
In this study, 54 Hong Kong and 56 Singaporean civil-service IT
managers were surveyed. nearly two-thirds of the survey respondents
believe there will be growth in workflow connectivity between GoAs,
and that this will be seen over the coming five years.
nearly three-quarters of respondents indicated that the majority
of workflow connectivity would involve information transfer across
GoAs in response to serving the public.
More than 80% said they currently manage workflows that involve
other GoAs.
nearly 70% of survey respondents believe there will be an increase in
the variety of information that will be shared across GoAs over the
next five years.
nearly 70% of respondents already used online and real-time systems
for file sharing and transfer. Similarly, nearly 80% reported that they
still used some form of paper-based methods, which indicates that
there remain many areas that may see increased IT development.
The growth in the volume of requests that GoAs will process is
primarily driven by the increasing automation at the point of contact
between the public and the government sector. nearly 70% of such
interactions are already automated through online portals and IVr
(interactive voice response) systems.
More than 80% of survey respondents said they are currently managing
multiple channels of communication between their agency and the
public, with more than half saying that these have involved feeding
requests back to the agency.
roughly half of the respondents mentioned that they currently use
software tools for managing information requests.
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exeCuTive summary - continued
Almost 90% of the respondents were securing approvals through RESEARCH
related software.
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nearly 80% of survey respondents said they had plans of automating
the approval process within the next five years. futureGOV RESEARCH
The use of workflow automation software for processing requests in
Singapore was higher than in Hong Kong. Slightly more respondents
in Singapore indicated that they processed requests across multiple
channels as compared to those in Hong Kong.
There were more heavy users of workflow automation software in
Singapore than in Hong Kong. Similarly, there were slightly more
moderate users of workflow automation software in Singapore than
in Hong Kong.
The role that automating approvals as part of the integration and
coordination process between GoAs looks poised for change. A
majority of respondents from Hong Kong said only basic approvals
have been automated, while a large number of respondents from
Singapore were already automating most approvals.
Although the need to exchange between GoAs has remained stable,
the expected increase in the variety of information suggests that
GoAs can anticipate an increasing complexity of the processes
being used. Furthermore, the growing automation of the first point
of contact with the public, coupled with the expanding channels
of communication, will likely yield greater volume and variety of
transactions that GoAs will need to manage.
Finding a strategic solution that will allow GoAs to manage this
growing volume of transactions is now critical to ensuring there is no
breakdown in the provision of governmental services.
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inTroduCTion
In both the commercial and governmental sectors, global trends RESEARCH
around information sharing are leading toward increases in workflow
connectivity. Just as the multinational enterprise must now work
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across plants or international borders, so too are GoAs finding that
they must better share information and resources across various
departments. Although Information sharing between GoAs in
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developed nations is generally well managed, the expected increase
in the variety of information being shared is already raising concerns.
Increased complexity is on the rise, and what remains to be seen
is whether or not staff and the IT infrastructure itself will keep up.
Moreover, the growing automation seen at the first point of contact,
where the public meets the government, coupled with the expanding
communication channels, means the rising tide and variety of
transactions coming through GoAs is bound to raise new challenges.
An indication of the changes that governments around the world can
expect came with the election of barack obama to the US presidency.
In coming into office, the new leader promised greater access and
transparency within government. As White House Chief Information
officer Vivek Kundra posted on the White House governmental
website.*
“In order to democratise data and advance the president’s
agenda of an open, transparent and participatory government,
the data.gov platform was launched… Since the launch, many
state, local and international governments have followed the
path to democratise data through their own platforms… There
is a global movement to share public sector data to unleash the
creativity of citizens, drive transparency and ensure accountability.”
Although governments around the world do not necessarily follow
nor model themselves after the American system of government, it
is reasonable to anticipate that as developed nations like the US and
UK offer increased access to information, expectations abroad may
follow. In any case, finding solutions that let GoAs better manage the
growing volume of transactions is or will be critical to ensuring the
effective provision of governmental services, wherever they may be.
* Changing the Way Washington Works, Vivek Kundra, december 16, 2009: http://www.
whitehouse.gov/blog/2009/12/16/changing-way-washington-work.
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RESEARCH DEMOGRAPHICS
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The survey attracted a total of 110 public sector IT staff from Hong
Kong and Singapore, with respondents coming from executive-level
positions, senior and middle management, junior management and >
professional staff. .
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60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10% Hong Kong
0% Singapore
executive Senior Middle Junior other
Level Management Management Management
u Figure 1: Job roles of survey respondents.
The results from the survey and the discussion follows, revealing the
current landscape and anticipated trends for IT in the governmental
sector.
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STUDY RESULTS
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The increase in the volume and variety of connectivity between
GoAs is expected to be significant. About 60% of survey respondents
in Hong Kong and Singapore believed this growth will happen over >
the next five years, illustrated in Figure 2, below.
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yes - 60%
no - 40%
u Figure 2: Is there a need for workflow connectivity across GOAs?
From those who did not anticipate significant growth in the
need for connectivity, some of the reasons provided were:
u There was no need for their agency to interact with
other GoAs when serving requests
u The volume of requests or transactions would remain
flat over the next five years, with little increase in the
diversity or complexity of transactions
u There currently lacked automation in the processing
of requests through the use of workflow tools, and it
wouldn’t change
u There lacked the capability for providing real-time
visibility of data/information in the first place
u There was a lack of accurate tracking of user requests
in real-time, either in their in-house systems or in the
systems at partner GoAs
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When it came to information transfer, nearly 75% of the respondents
said workflow connectivity involved other GoAs, as shown in Figure 3,
below. From this group, about a quarter indicated that they shared and RESEARCH
transferred information often, implying that there was a heavy volume
of transactions for a significant number of GoAs. However, more than
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a quarter of those surveyed did not share or transfer information
with other organisations. Those who said they currently do not share
or transfer information said it was because their current workflow RESEARCH
did not involve other agencies, and/or they lacked the software
systems needed for processing requests within their workflow.
yes, often - 51%
no, sometimes - 26%
no - 23%
u Figure 3: Frequency of sharing and transferring of information across GOAs
in response to requests for government services.
The survey revealed that over 80% of Hong Kong and Singaporean
IT managers had interactions with other GoAs (Figure 4, below). of
these, over half said they interacted with other GoAs over less than
half of their total transaction volume. of special note, nearly 20%
said they did not engage other GoAs, which suggests that these
IT managers must be in highly independent branches within their
government.
between 76 to 100% of cases
between 51 to 75% of cases
Less than 50% of cases
never
u Figure 4: Degree of interaction with other GOAs.
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Although there appears to be a wide range of connectivity platforms
across GoAs, there are trends showing that the complexity of the
transactions is itself growing, especially around serving the public. RESEARCH
nearly 70% of the respondents believed there will be an increase in
the variety of information that will be shared across GoAs over the
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next five years, which will likely require a corresponding diversification
of communication channels.
RESEARCH
This is believed to lead to an increasing complexity of processes used
to manage the information load (Figure 5, below). The remaining third
did not believe there will be an increase in the variety of information
over the next 5 years. This may only indicate that these professionals
handle more basic processes and are simply not involved in functions
that need cross-department information, nor inter-department
approvals for fulfilling transactions.
yes - 68%
no - 32%
u Figure 5: Will there be an increase in variety of information shared across
GOAs in response to requests over the next 5 years?.
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There already exist indications that the method of sharing and
transferring information across GoAs is calling for more complex
systems than those already in place. results indicate that two- RESEARCH
thirds of respondents already use some online and real-time
systems for file sharing and transfer, while 75% of respondents
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still use traditional offline methods (Figures 6 and 7, below).
These results show that contemporary GoAs blend both online RESEARCH
and offline file transfers, and this may simply mean that we are in
a transition phase of moving toward a fully integrated online/real-
time platform. In any case, a large number of GoAs are already
using complex systems to support their interactions with other
GoAs, which should increasingly become the norm.
yes, often - 24%
yes, sometimes - 41%
no - 35%
u Figure 6: Respondents already using online/real-time methods for file sharing/transfer.
yes, often - 15%
yes, sometimes - 60%
no - 25%
u Figure 7: Respondents who use traditional/offline methods for file sharing/transfer.
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The growth in the volume of requests that GoAs must process
is primarily driven by the increase in automation at the point of
contact with the public. The survey has also shown that nearly 70% RESEARCH
of interactions have already been automated through online portals
and IVr (interactive voice response) systems (Figure 8, below).
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A surprising result was that nearly 20% of respondents said they
did not, nor did they plan to implement Internet- and IVr-routed
requests. This suggests that at least some departments in Hong RESEARCH
Kong’s and Singapore’s civil service have not seen Internet- or IVr-
based platforms as sufficiently useful. This last observation may
have occurred because the IT managers did not expect significant
growth in the volume of requests, as the more traditional channels
of communication have not yet needed to operate above capacity.
yes - 66%
not yet, but plans to implement - 12%
not and no plans to implement - 16%
other - 6%
u Figure 8: Is there automation at point of interaction between your agency and the public?
Interactions with the public and between GoAs are already
occurring across multiple channels; so far, the GoAs have been able
to accommodate the increasing diversity in communication modes.
over 80% reported that they are currently managing multiple
channels of communication (Figure 9, below), with more than half
saying that these multiple channels have already been adopted for
most interactions.
yes, most requests - 54%
yes, some requets - 28%
no - 19%
u Figure 9: Does your agency already manage an increasing diversity of communication
channels when processing requests?
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Additionally, more than half of the respondents indicated that they
used software solutions to process requests and to manage the
corresponding activities with other GoAs, with nearly 20% reporting RESEARCH
that such solutions will soon be implemented (Figure 10, below).
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yes - 53%
no, but plans to implement - 16%
no, and no plans to implement - 31%
u Figure 10: Does your agency use software tools to process requests and
manage agency interactions?
Adding new levels of complexity to the growing need for better
management, the decision-making processes itself is being
automated through software solutions, adding yet more complexity
to the automated workflow systems. Survey results have shown
that nearly 90% of respondents are already securing department
approvals through software platforms (Figure 11, below). As a
result, the processes among GoAs will have become more complex
and diversified as the systems grow, precisely in order to support
the decision-making processes, themselves.
yes, most approvals automated - 28%
yes, some basic approvals automated - 61%
no, all approvals are manual - 11%
u Figure 11: Does your agency use automated approval systems?
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Lastly, the majority of respondents indicated that they have plans
to migrate more approvals and decision-making functions towards
automated systems. nearly 80% of the respondents said they RESEARCH
planned on automating the approval process within the next five
years (Figure 12, below).
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yes - 80%
no - 20%
u Figure 12: Do your agency plan on automating the approval process?
Increased automation is the front line of interactions between
GoAs and the public, and this will inevitably push more transactions
across the networks of GoAs. As the diversity of information to be
shared across these GoAs increases, accommodating the increased
complexity and providing the ability to scale up capacity will also
need to be addressed. At this point, it would seem that, in general,
the demand for automated systems to handle processes within
and across GoAs in response to requests will rise over the next five
years.
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Challenges from groWing demand
RESEARCH
Much as greater connectivity seems inevitable, there is currently an
abundance of disparate systems among the various GoAs. These
systems are not typically integrated or standardised. Furthermore, >
the information captured and processed by these systems is usually
in a form that is not readily transferrable for immediate use by
other GoAs. From the perspective of government IT departments,
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establishing a unified, integrated system using traditional
approaches across all GoAs is proving to be costly, be it around time
or other resources.
Automation of customer interaction and workflow processes has
already been established in most industries, particularly in the
financial services and the retail sectors. Government services are
the next big users of these automated services, given the high
volume of customer interaction. However, the consolidation of
these processes is facing stiff resistance due to concerns regarding
security and confidentiality. In spite of the readily apparent cost
advantages, government services are rarely consolidated, and are
often limited to less complex processes that involve less sensitive
information transfer.
The resistance to consolidation means that most processes stay
in-house and do not develop into seamlessly-integrated systems
that can access or serve other organisations. nevertheless, the
automation of back-end processes is crucial, since processing
requests quickly reduces wasted time and resource consumption.
As a result, workflow automation remains a critical objective in the
public sector organisation.
What typically happens at GoAs is that back-end processes achieve
a level of automation and sophistication that leaves it difficult to
interact with the processes at other GoAs. Survey results revealed
that in Hong Kong and Singapore, in-house internal processes tend
to have more complex capabilities than those at other GoAs (Figures
13, below and 14, on the next page). Among these capabilities
include real-time visibility of data/information, as well as accurate,
real-time tracking of the status of client requests.
yes, all - 11%
yes, some - 13%
no - 58%
u Figure 13: Do other GOAs have more in-house systems for real-time visibility of
data/information than in your agency?
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yes, all - 11%
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yes, some - 13%
no - 58%
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u Figure 14: Do your in-house systems have more real-time visibility of
data/information than at other GOAs?
This level of complexity and system incompatibility makes it challenging
to increase the level of interaction across GoAs, as the volume of
service requests is increasing as well. Solutions are needed that will
allow enhanced connectivity across GoAs, letting information flow
seamlessly across platforms.
Demand for workflow automation software
between Hong Kong and Singapore, survey results have shown that
demand for workflow automation software due to the volume of
customer service requests is currently lower in Hong Kong than in
Singapore. This may indicate unrealised demand in Hong Kong. As
Figure 15 below illustrates, the use of workflow automation software
for processing requests is highest.
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
Hong Kong
10%
Singapore
0%
yes no, but plans no, and no plans to
to implement implement
u Figure 15: Use of workflow automation software, by country..
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Interactions with the public in Hong Kong were also ranked as
less platform diverse than in Singapore. nearly two-thirds of
respondents from Singapore indicated that they process requests RESEARCH
from across multiple channels, (Figure 16, below). This indicates
that there may come a shift towards multiple channels of
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communication in Hong Kong.
RESEARCH
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
Hong Kong
10%
Singapore
0%
yes no, but plans no, and no plans to
to implement implement
u Figure 16: Use of diverse channels to manage interactions, by country.
The degree to which IT managers in Hong Kong relied on automation
software to handle their workflow was also lower in Hong Kong than
in Singapore. Such software utilities for processing requests was just
under half in Hong Kong, and just under two-thirds in Singapore
(Figure 17, below).
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
Hong Kong
10%
Singapore
0%
yes no, but plans no, and no plans to
to implement implement
u Figure 17: Use of software tools for processing requests, by country.
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The study also illustrated that there were more heavy users of workflow
automation software in Singapore than in Hong Kong. nearly 20% of
respondents from Singapore used workflow automation software for RESEARCH
all or nearly all requests, about double the number from Hong Kong
(Figure 18, below). of those that ranked the degree of workflow in the
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moderate range, there was no significant difference.
RESEARCH
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
Hong Kong
10%
Singapore
0%
between between Less than never
76 to 100% 51 to 75% 50% of cases
of cases of cases
u Figure 18: Expected growth in the diversity of shared/transferred information
across GOAs, by country.
An area in Hong Kong that may see a shift towards increased
automation is in the issuing of approvals as part of the integration
and coordination between GoAs. The majority of respondents from
Hong Kong said basic approvals were mostly automated, and only
a tenth said they were already automating most approvals. This
contrasts with the Singaporean cohort, where nearly half said they
were already automating most approvals (Figure 19, below). With the
growing volume and diversity of information shared across GoAs,
one can expect that Hong Kong will follow the trend that Singapore
has been following and which it promises to maintain.
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20% Hong Kong
10%
Singapore
0%
yes, most yes, some no, all
approvals basic approvals approvals are
automated automated manual
u Figure 19: Degree of approvals for requests that are automated, by country.
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The indication that Hong Kong will move toward greater automation
is also supported by the result that more Hong Kong respondents
expect an increase in the variety of cross-GoAs information than from RESEARCH
respondents in Singapore (Figure 20, below). one might anticipate that
a large number of Hong Kong GoAs are or will be planning ahead in
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anticipation of such growth.
80%
RESEARCH
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20% Hong Kong
10% Singapore
0%
yes no
u Figure 20: Expected growth in the diversity of shared/transferred information
across GOAs, by country.
Hence, it is likely that the governmental services sector will be moving
towards increased automation. This would anticipate the coming rise
in the volume and complexity of information requests coming from
the populace. This trend may in fact be inevitable, as the public’s
expectations for freedom and access to information will likely rise,
and not fall, given worldwide trends.
As if in anticipation of these changes, nearly half from Hong Kong,
slightly more respondents from Hong Kong than from Singapore,
believed that adapting IT systems to changes was a straight-forward
but time-consuming process (Figure 21, below). This indicates that
more respondents in Hong Kong will be less resistant and less critical
to the changes involved when transitioning to ‘cloud’ computing and
other anticipated shared-services systems.
50%
40%
30%
20%
10% Hong Kong
Singapore
0%
It is an easy It is a straight- It requires a lot of Unsure
and quick forward but time and resources
process time-consuming
process
u Figure 21: Perception of difficulties to changes in IT systems, by country.
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ConClusion
By comparing the current context and differences between Hong RESEARCH
Kong and Singapore, the survey sought to explore a number
of areas linked information sharking within the governmental >
agency. As the volume of requests and service from the public
is poised to go up, this study attempted to capture what effects futureGOV RESEARCH
this will have on the future direction of information sharing
and interconnectivity. The report showed:
u GoAs from Hong Kong and Singapore can anticipate a sustained
rise in the level and variety of information requests coming from
the public, as increased transparency, accountability and access to
information is becoming more of a norm.
u As the volume and variety of requests increase, expectations to
effectively manage this public service will likely remain high, leaving
GoAs with the task of introducing, managing and maintaining a
service quality that they have come to expect.
u As information and data will need to be accessible across-
department and across-GoAs, fully integrated information systems
will likely become the norm, reaching into functions as diverse as
points-of-contact to workflow automation.
u Although not absolute nor true for all departments, the majority of
GoAs can anticipate increased automation and system integration
over the next five years.
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