The digitization of the Public Administration takes another step forward. The new Mise organization regulation was published in the Official Gazette, with the aim of planning the industrial policy and development of the country. The reform is completed by a technical mission structure intended to put into practice the interventions under the responsibility of the Ministry financed by the EU in the context of the PNRR. It is therefore necessary to redefine the competences and functions of the structure, before being able to guide the process of technological and green transformation that will affect all sectors of the national production system. Today, many are asking for a Public Administration that is not only efficient, but also capable of interacting with citizens in a simple and consistent way with their expectations.
The consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic have forced the PA to rethink its organization. Citizens today need fast, seamless digital services, while public sector employees and processes are challenged by an unprecedented peak in demand. The adoption of digital technologies, such as an integrated Cloud platform, AI, Robotic Process Automation, Internet of Things, Big Data analytics, etc., are crucial to be able to meet everyone’s expectations, guaranteeing the provision and use of services also remotely and in complete safety.
While, on the one hand, it is important to innovate in the name of operational excellence to adapt to new scenarios, on the other hand it is essential to place people at the center of this process. We must avoid simply tracing the new digital processes on the pre-existing paper procedures. In order for the digitization of a system to be successful, it is crucial that it be rethought with a view to Human-Centered Design, that is, people-centered design. The PA must know its interlocutor, anticipate his needs, guarantee an accessible and transparent offer. In two words, focus on Citizen Experience, the citizen’s experience. In fact, the user expects to be not only identified, but recognized and known, followed, helped without having to ask for support.
According to Avanade, a joint venture between Accenture Ltt and Microsoft Corporation, making digital innovation means building a systemic vision of service to citizens, starting from the analysis of their behavior, needs and motivations to get to review all the processes of the service itself. An important element to implement this revolution is certainly the renewal of information technology equipment which will allow, for example, to dematerialize documents and computerize still manual processes. However, in order to achieve the ambitious goal of simplifying the citizen’s relationship with the Public Administration, a deep understanding of the people who will use the service and their needs cannot be ignored.
The knowledge of people through the analysis of information already available (scientific publications, big data analysis, analysis of digital traces) and user research (integrating quantitative and qualitative methodologies) will be the basis for understanding how the citizen user uses the PA system and what to expect from it, then redesign the new Citizen Experience. These are practices typical of Service Design, the design approach that deals with defining the dynamics in the relationship between a user and an organization, generating a quality experience for both parties involved. In this sense, the AGID has defined guidelines for the digitization of the PA that it is important to take into account if you want to improve the accessibility and use of services thanks to sustainable technological investments.
The Registry is, for example, a supporting service for each country, the starting point and the identity collector of all citizens. In recent days the news is that a service is active to obtain personal certificates online, autonomously and free of charge. An excellent starting point for improving the efficiency of user services that could see a deeper transformation by strengthening the relationship between citizen and PA thanks to the adoption of Service Design. It would also be desirable to rethink the registry office through digitization with totem or QR code, biometric recognition and more to speed up the service and clear the queues. The adoption of voice interaction would also be a valid tool for expanding accessibility to services, making them inclusive for all categories of users, different age groups and forms of disability.
On the basis of the new services designed around the citizen, it is necessary to ensure adequate modernization of the infrastructures by facilitating the migration to the Cloud, a sustainable enabler of digital innovation. This is in fact important in consideration of the sustainability aspects linked to the reduction of the CO2 footprint of the Public Administration, the introduction of other technologies, the reduction of the digital divide and the possibility of interaction with platforms and networks. In our country, Avanade, has the ‘end-to-end’ capabilities to accompany the Public Administration in its transformation path. Global player leader in the supply of innovative digital services, it is present in 25 countries around the world with over 40,000 professionals, 1,300 in Italy.
Thanks to multidisciplinary skills combined with a deep knowledge of the ecosystem of Microsoft solutions, it boasts a complete range of services capable of supporting all aspects of Digital Transformation, offering ad hoc consultancy with respect to specific needs.
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