Promoting the Online Channel

Encouraging online usage

Respondents were asked for their comments and suggestions about ways for government agencies to encourage people to get information, transact, or provide their views online. About 37% of respondents provided comments. These free-text responses have been broadly grouped into categories. These categories are listed below in decreasing order according to number of responses, and are presented with a selection of responses received.

• Increase awareness: There is low awareness of which services are available online. Various ways of increasing awareness was the most frequent suggestion to encourage people to get information, transact, or provide their views online.

"Educating the public on the ease of use and benefits of using the online services."

"It was good that the person I spoke to on the phone said, Do you have access to the Internet. You can..."

"Advertise that these services are available - perhaps even by having posters at Post Shops etc. where people traditionally go to pay bills and get information."

"Always show the online option clearly."

• Improve usability: Respondents suggested ways that make websites easier to use - simpler; less information; uncluttered; and better search and navigation.

"While government agencies may consider it important to include a lot of information, fine print, etc. people like me are just not interested in reading all that guff. Make it simple and user friendly."

"Accessibility and usability of webpages are paramount. Font size must be large enough to read. Often navigation of govt websites is confusing."

"Make websites fast to download for those of us on slow rural internet."

"I find that to get information off a government website, you have to know something about what you are looking up and have the correct terminology..."

• Improve customer support: Respondents expressed their frustrations with automated call handling and the inability to speak directly with a person. They mostly did not distinguish between using the phone as a primary service channel and as a support for the online channel.

"By not having to press 2 then 4 then 6 then 1 etc."

"Provide contact information for people who have more questions to ask if they are not stated online. 0800 number will be better."

"1. Have people with a good English speaking capacity. 2. Have knowledgeable people with some decision-making capacity."

• "One-stop shop": Respondents suggested better ways to access online services from multiple government agencies from one place.

"Make a one-stop-shop. A place any Kiwi can go and complete transactions, applications and any other things a Kiwi might need to access... just have all the most common services available from one website."

"One website for students that combines WINZ, Inland Revenue, StudyLink..."

• Improve confidence in the online service: Respondents cited a lack of confidence in online services compared to accessing the same service using different channels.

"I prefer a letter as then you have written confirmation of dealings. Just in case."

"If one completes a form online, it should always allow you to select an option to have the information entered emailed back to an email address of choice."

"All steps must be clearly set out and confirmable to avoid any misunderstandings."

• Ensure secure access and privacy: Concerns about security and privacy partly relate to the perceived dangers of the Internet, and partly with not knowing what government does with the information it collects and holds about citizens.

"There are so many people online running hoaxes etc. that it is hard to trust stuff online. I still prefer to receive a letter in the mail, that I can then log onto the site securely and deal with."

"I think it is vital to be up front about what information is being shared to what agency. People might also have hesitations around the fact that their info might be shared to all agencies by signing up... I certainly do. Ensure privacy."

"I personally feel the govt places too much emphasis on privacy issue and generally use it as a reason to not give you information when it is freely available anywhere else..."

• Wholly online: Respondents mentioned the ability to complete the end-to-end transaction online.

"Make it possible to do so completely online - so that it doesn't require a phone call, and letter - that everything can be done online."

"I had an expectation I could log on and do application online. This was not the case. Had to download the application and send it by post. This seems a waste of my time as well as theirs."

• Easier to find: Even when people know what services are online, finding them can be challenging.

"Make the search more specific, and more intelligent. At the moment it spews out pages of irrelevant hits and it is hard to find exactly what you are after. It's like stumbling along in the dark."

• Better incentives: Respondents believe that agencies should provide incentives to encourage uptake of online services.

"Make it easy and offer an incentive e.g. by paying car rego online you can use your credit card - you can't if you pay in person at the Post Shop."

"Maybe offer everyone who signs up a chance to go in a draw for a prize?"

• Discussion forum: Respondents were keen for various types of discussion fora to enable them to share experiences of using government services with others and to find answers to their questions.

"Have a questions and answer forum that anyone can access so if I have a question I can see if someone has already asked it before."

"A dedicated feedback portal site."

"Blogs so normal people can read other normal peoples experiences dealing with govt."

Suggestions for more online services

Respondents were asked if there were any particular services from government agencies they want available online. As for the previous section Encouraging online usage, the free-text responses fall broadly in the following categories and are listed in decreasing order of times mentioned by respondents:

• Services that are already online: Many services that respondents mentioned, such as paying for car registrations and tax returns, are already available online. This reinforces the need for government agencies to raise awareness and promote the online services they already offer.
• All of government's services: Respondents called for all of government's services to be available online.

"All of them would be the way to go..."

"All services should be available in some form online, as people work hours that make personal contact difficult."

"And, ultimately, full and free access to all electronic information held about you, whenever you want."

• Change in circumstances: Respondents wanted better or increased online services to update and manage their own information, including giving information to government once.

"Update information (i.e. contact details) online and make it so agencies who I have accounts with can access this information or are sent an email to let them know."

"Unsure if able to do this already but being able to access your personal information regarding family support details and being able to update info they hold on me."

"Submitting personal financial information to adjust pension payments."

• Personalised information: Respondents favoured general information complemented by information specific to them, taking into account their individual circumstances, e.g. online calculators for entitlements and taxes.

"Specific entitlements for benefits etc. would be useful... calculators so people can put in their own specific info and get the answers they need straight away."

"Fuzzy logic used - create a profile and it tells you what you could be entitled to..."

• Participation: services that enable citizen input and online voting.

"Everything that requires citizen input."

"Easily available access to make submissions on various things."

"Voting, referendums."

• Notification of changes: Suggestions included tax thresholds as they change and hut availability and closures due to severe weather.
• Specific transactions: This includes passport applications; birth certificates; account/personal information; tax credits; bond lodgements; car ownership; speeding tickets/fines; benefits; grants; and all types of payments.

"I'd like to be able to re-apply for my community services card online - not the initial application, but the 'yep, nothing important has changed' waste of paper that currently has to be done."

"Ability to provide all information required online and pay it too. I hate having to waste my time on the phone or physically go somewhere to do something."

"Payment by Internet banking - I do not hold a credit card or debit card."

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