Wexford council launches e-payment service: Wexford County Council in southeastern Ireland has implemented an "Online Customer Account Service" aimed at improving customer service and operational efficiency. The solution, developed by financial software supplier iB Solutions, allows residents and businesses in Wexford to securely access their account details and make payments online. "Initially the solution was provided for Wexford County Council's refuse service customers but it has now been extended to incorporate facilities for housing loan customers, non-domestic water services, rates and housing rents," explained Ger Mulvey, head of finance at the council. "We wanted to do this in a way that would bring about efficiencies for the council by reducing telephone or personal caller queries on accounts and by processing online receipts automatically with minimal manual intervention." Over 700 customers used the new service in the first six weeks of its launch to pay a total of almost EUR190,000 to the council.
Shared services can save governments a packet: Public sector bodies could save themselves up to 40 percent on support costs by introducing shared services, a new report has claimed. The report from consulting firm Deloitte identifies several sectors where shared services could be adopted more widely. These include central governments, local government, education and other elements of public administration throughout Europe. The report claims that shared services could save European businesses between 25 percent and 40 percent on certain costs. These services can include back office support activities such as finance and human resources, and customer contact and related functions. A shared services model -- the consolidation and sharing of certain services by a number of departments within an organisation -- has already been adopted in some sections of the Irish public sector. For more on this story, see ENN.
New e-government services aim to build trust: Governments that provide outstanding customer service are delivering an experience that rivals that of the private sector, according to a new global research report by Accenture. The consulting giant said that governments that are leading the way in delivering citizen services are developing sophisticated, interactive and transactional capabilities, such as allowing drivers to pay for parking using their mobile phones, using text messaging to issue alerts on missing children, and providing interactive information kiosks. The report also said that governments around the world were advancing by putting in place new modes of operation that vary dramatically from the past, including "strong new organisational designs, relentless simplification, business reengineering, consolidation, and forays into shared services." According to Accenture, the next wave of "leading" governments will deliver customer service that builds an implicit trust between citizens and their government that goes beyond citizen satisfaction. The report, "Leadership in Customer Service: Building the Trust," surveyed e-government services in 11 countries, including Ireland.
US citizens more satisfied than ever with e-gov: Satisfaction with e-government services has reached an all-time high among US citizens, according to the latest E-Government Satisfaction Index, part of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). The satisfaction rating for the most recent quarter rose 0.7 percent to 74 points on a 100-point scale, up from 73.5 points in the previous quarter. For the second quarter of 2006, 92 government sites were measured, of which 20 scored 80 points or higher, a threshold which the ACSI says demonstrates excellent commitment to citizen or customer satisfaction. "As citizens continue to utilise the online channel in higher numbers, the improvements in online government are encouraging," said Claes Fornell, director of the National Quality Research Center at the University of Michigan and founder of ACSI. The overall e-government rating is on a par with the aggregate score for the private sector of 74.1. Although the e-government score still trails ACSI measures for private sector e-business (75.9) and e-commerce (79.6), the gap is gradually narrowing.
Pakistan unveils online recruitment service: Pakistan's Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) has rolled out an online recruitment system for civil service jobs, reports Pakistan's Daily Times newswire. The two-year, INR38.59 million (around EUR664,000) project means that candidates will now be able to apply for civil service and other government positions online. Users will be able to create profiles and receive e-mail alerts about jobs that match their stated criteria. They can also use the system to keep track of the results of civil service examinations and to be informed of impending interviews. Previously, the FPSC had to print this information and send it to candidates by post. A computer lab has been established at the FPSC in Islamabad to manage the new system, and about 300 staff have been given basic IT training. The Government said that, in the next phase, an online examination system would be rolled out so that candidates would not have to travel in order to sit exams.
Autor(en)/Author(s): Sylvia Leatham
Quelle/Source: ElectricNews, 21.06.2006
