Key Outcome 1: Delighted Customers

Whether individuals or business users, we seek to delight them as our customers with convenient, intuitive and easy-to-use e-services.

Today, all key government services suitable for electronic delivery are already implemented, ranging from information publication, to interactive, fully transactional services and integrated e-services. By 2006, we aim to:

•     Implement 12 more cross-agency integrated e-services;

•     Have 90% of the Government's customers use e-services at least once a year; and

•     Have 90% of these users satisfied with the overall quality of e-services.

Increasing Awareness of e-Services and Convenient Access for All

To make it easier for the various segments of our customers – citizens, residents, businesses and non-residents, all Government information and services are brought together under one portal. The Singapore Government Online portal ,www.gov.sg, re-launched in October 2004, is now positioned as the Internet gateway to all government information and e-services.

Anyone who wants to transact online with the Singapore Government will be able to do so from one portal. Those without the means to get can go to public libraries and community centres to get online. For those who need help using government services can approach the eCitizen Helper Service which is available island-wide, identifiable by the friendly green computer mascot. 

  
In addition, by April 2005, all government agencies will provide self-service terminals at their premises so that customers can help themselves with the information and e-services without having to queue and wait. Staff are at hand to guide customers so that they are able to transact on their own in future. 

For the business community, there are initiatives to help enterprises overcome the barriers to e-service adoption. The Business CARE programme, introduced in November 2004, bundles computers with internet access at affordable prices and provides government e-services training to kick-start their e-journey.

For the more sophisticated customers, personalisation via My.eCitizen allows customers to subscribe to desired services and receive SMS or e-mail alerts. These services include reminders to return library books, to renew road tax or to bring their domestic maid for the regular medical check-up. In addition, My.eCitizen allows customization of frequently accessed e-services on the personalised homepage. 

The mobile channel also offers new opportunities to reach out to our customers and vice versa. Feasible mobile services will be deployed under a wider suite of personalised, convenient and time-sensitive applications.

Improving the e-Service Experience

The Singapore Government is committed to provide and transform e-services that meet the needs of our customers. To understand the different and evolving needs of individuals and businesses, we continue to consult our customers through focus group discussions, public surveys and advisory panels.

A set of Web Interface Standard (WIS) defining the standards for designing government websites was established in August 2004. It aims to facilitate ease of navigation and consistent experience by standardising key features, naming conventions and the basic layout of websites by 2007. The WIS balances the need for basic standardisation yet gives agencies the flexibility to retain their unique identity to meet the needs of their specific customers.

Another step to improve the online experience and instill customer confidence is the national trust mark initiative, TrustSg. Government websites with good online practices covering the area of information disclosure, data privacy, service fulfilment and adopting best business practices are accredited and awarded with the TrustSg seal on their websites. By October 2004, 78% of eligible Government agencies have been accredited.

For the disabled, an essential tier of e-services will be enhanced in accordance with the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Accessibility Guidelines. The WCAG is an international standard adopted by governments worldwide, including the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, for the development of websites friendly to people with disabilities. 

Most importantly, improving the e-service experience is about delivering integrated services from a total customer perspective. Therefore, besides delivering more cross-agency integrated e-services, we also look at providing greater value from a seamless integration of government services within the private and people sectors. This enhanced service delivery paradigm of Public-Private-People Integration (3PI) challenges our agency-centric, government-only mentality and provides opportunities for more radical improvements.