Connected
- People have a connected and consistent experience across channels and government services.
- People have a coordinated and clear pathway to achieve their goals.
We can create a connected experience by giving holistic advice and support, sharing data and integrating different services, increasing efficiency and reducing effort and red tape, so customers only need to tell their story once.
Services that work effortlessly across channels and governments lead to increased satisfaction.
Seamless and linked at every step.
Connected Value Statements
Individual customer
I don't have to retell my story – I am provided with holistic support. My experience with government is consistent and I can complete my tasks in one place.
Third party provider
We partner to deliver better outcomes for our customers – Government systems integrate with the systems I use, sharing relevant information. There is a strong culture of collaboration that allows us to work together efficiently.
Business
My interactions with government are seamless – I do not need to use multiple channels or systems to meet my obligations. Processes are consistent across government, making them familiar and easy to use.
Service delivery staff
The systems I use work together, reducing duplication – I use connected systems and processes to swiftly and effectively do my job. I have the tools needed to provide holistic support to customers.
How we make it Connected
Design criteria and things to consider
- Consistent. We ensure consistency in the way we design and deliver services across government.
- Use standardised approaches and patterns to design content and interfaces.
- Consider re-using whole of government platforms and capabilities.
- Include information about the service on relevant platforms.
- Ensure the experience is consistent across all channels.
- Interoperable. We take a holistic approach and connect government services and channels to make it easier for people to access the support they need.
- Map out the whole ecosystem to connect related services and remove duplication.
- Where possible, use open Application Programming Interfaces to support integration with other systems.
- With consent, use data you already hold to pre-populate workflows and forms.
- Design processes that prompt people about next steps.
- Use agreed standards and consistent data structures to enable data sharing.
- Partnerships. We partner with relevant stakeholders to co-design services.
- Genuinely co-design policy and services with people including staff, non-government organisations and user groups.
- Provide information on and referrals to specialist or third-party organisations where appropriate.
- Train staff to identify services and referrals based on customer needs.
Remember to:
- enable for a seamless transition if people move between channels.
- respond to people's feedback. True partnership is a two-way street.
Designing for Connected
How the City of San Francisco uses connected design to improve public services for its residents.
The city created a team of specialist staff to work out how to digitally connect different government departments. The aim was to link the city's nearly 1,000 services online for a connected, consistent and reliable service.
Working with the community these staff identified opportunities to:
- Share databases, automate systems and process changes, and cross-train staff across multiple functions.
- Incorporate a wide range of lived experiences to shape services during redesign.
These opportunities highlight the need to use:
- Human-centred design, including community workshops and feedback mechanisms to capture and implement improvements.
- Digital services to increase accessibility to deliver faster and more connected services, including one central location for residents to report problems and request government services online like paying bills, renewing permits, and applying for jobs.
The City of San Francisco has created a more connected government through automation, data sharing, collaboration and shared experiences going towards better serving their residents.
Benefits to replicate
- Integrated and user-friendly; services and platforms ease navigation.
- Enhanced data sharing; facilitates a holistic understanding of circumstances, leading to more informed decision-making.
- Efficiency and cost savings; utilising comprehensive customer data to improve outcomes, increase usability and reduce duplication.