September 2019
Online services: how the Government is gearing up to provide a better user experience
One of the priorities of the #ExtendedMonaco programme is to offer users the ability to carry out administrative procedures without needing to go anywhere.
In a bid to go paperless, the Prince’s Government is developing a range of online services to make it easier for citizens to complete procedures 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The roll-out of new online services will make everyday life simpler. New additions expected in late 2019 and in 2020 will focus on services that have a direct impact on the day-to-day lives of Monegasque nationals and residents as well as on moving employment-related services for companies online: online payment for school meals, hiring domestic staff, publicising job opportunities, relations with job applicants, and so on,
said Minister of State Serge Telle.
Driven by Frédéric Genta and Julien Dejanovic in 2019, the introduction of these digital services is a priority of the Extended Monaco programme and responds to the need for the Monegasque Government to adapt to today’s world. “Unless we overhaul our working methods and upgrade our tools, we will not be in a position to offer our citizens an exceptional level of service. Digital technology allows us to improve working conditions for our staff and to increase their capacity to process requests,” explains Frédéric Genta.
A user-focused administration
The administration of tomorrow will be very much user-focused, based around four underlying principles:
« Digital is always possible »
Users must have the freedom to complete as many procedures as possible online, with no need to worry about opening hours or dates.
« Tell us once »
With the explicit consent of the user, government departments will be able to share information and documents about the user, making many procedures much more straightforward for the user.
« Transparency »
Users must be able to find out what stage their requests have reached and when they can expect to receive their services. Users must also be able to find out who has consulted their data and why.
« The evidentiary value of digital »
By giving digital documents and exchanges evidentiary value, citizens and the Government will be able to move away from paper in the majority of cases and will no longer need to retain original paper copies due to the use of secure digital storage.
More than 30 online services available
Individuals and professionals (businesses, retailers, financial institutions) already have access to 30 online services that allow users to complete administrative procedures – including declarations and applications – without having to go anywhere. The ultimate aim is to be able to offer users a one-stop shop.
Some of the online services aim to help employers with recruitment processes and eventually, therefore, encourage employment in the Principality. For example, for the last year it has been possible to submit an internship application online whereas previously these applications were all processed by hand, on paper. Over the course of 12 months, this online service has made it possible to process 1,095 applications submitted online, out of a total of 1,289 (85%). That’s an average of 3.5 applications processed each day, with an average processing time of 48 hours.
Another case study is the procedure for applying for a grant to purchase an eco-friendly vehicle (SUBVECO). This was also moved online in August 2019, in a bid to offer users a more transparent service.
Thanks to this new online service, users can now:
- Run a simulation of their application online (in order to estimate the potential grant) using their Public Service user account
- Submit their application online (it is worth noting that the service is available in English to meet the needs of non-French-speaking residents)
- Track the progress of their application online and receive notification by email when it is processed
Users see an immediate advantage in this: it is easier to access information and the time between submitting the application and receiving assistance is reduced. This can be clearly seen in a satisfaction survey carried out in 2019 to improve these online services. Feedback on the benefits of moving administrative procedures online was unanimous: 72% were satisfied with the speed and 80% with the smoothness of the service, while 100% of users said that they would use online services the next time they needed to complete an administrative procedure.
