For any government entity to operate efficiently, it is becoming increasingly important for it to have the trust of its citizens – the people it’s trying to serve. There has been a general global decline in citizen trust towards governments, and the consensus around the world has been that this needs to change for the better; much better.
According to the 2012 Edelman Trust Barometer, an annual study examining the state of trust in government entities, business, media, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) among 30,000+ people in 25 countries, citizens in a majority of countries say they don’t trust their government entities. The results of the survey vary by country, though. Citizens in the United Arab Emirates, China, Singapore, and The Netherlands have high levels of trust in their governments, in stark contrast to citizens in Spain, Japan and Russia where they expressed extremely low levels of satisfaction.
It is becoming increasingly prevalent to government entities, especially over the past decade, that gaining citizen trust in the services they offer is a major player in deciding future business models. In the past, governments have suffered from waning trust levels from the general public. The frustration levels amongst citizens are increased especially because dealing with government entities, for the most part, is an unavoidable task that has to do completed several times a year, if not more.
The UAE Government has, over the last few years, launched various new models and set new standards in trying to achieve better levels of customer satisfaction in the services they offer. The Smart Government initiative launched a few years ago, and still in its infancy stage, is a great example of such efforts being put into motion.
In order for governments to earn the trust of citizens, it becomes important to solicit feedback from customers and then use that feedback to actively make improvements to their services. Post that, customers need to be communicated with and informed about how their feedback has been acted upon – this also helps the citizens understand that their feedback is valued and has been acted upon, empowering them towards change in the way things are done and developing trust in the entity.
Government entities around the world need to cultivate and maintain trust throughout all levels of government, including creating a culture of trust and empowering government employees to act in customers’ interests. The Dubai Smart Government is one such initiative that provides government online services across the spectrum of corporate and community life in the emirate.
The Dubai Smart Government Department is integrated with all the departments and entities that fall under the Dubai Government umbrella. Launched in 2000, its accomplishments are the result of joint efforts by all government departments.
From Dubai Police, to the RTA, to the Economic Department to any imaginable government service on offer, citizens and visitors in Dubai can access fully functional online and mobile services and get instant help. This empowers citizens to not only have access to all services 24/7 but also to provide feedback and create the realization that a service that is there for them is constantly improving and exists for their ease.
Technology has a huge part to play in such ease-of-use of services for citizens. In cities like Dubai, where the technological infrastructure is up to speed with the growing demands, this allows for smoother running of all government services and for a happier citizen. After all, a happy citizen remains a good citizen, and governments are increasingly pressured today in keeping citizens happy.
