A survey of the preferences for citizens to engage with Government has revealed that almost half prefer online channels to phone or in-person interactions and a majority would like to see a single app for all Government services.
The survey, conducted by computer company Unisys, also uncovered the widely held view that Government Agencies already shared data between each other.
Vice President, Public Sector at Unisys Asia Pacific, Lysandra Schmutter said the study engaged 1,329 respondents and found that 49 per cent preferred to access services via their PC, tablet or phone — a significant increase from 29 per cent in 2016.
Ms Schmutter said the survey revealed the preferred way to engage with Government varied depending on the type of transaction.
“Australians prefer to go online to complete their tax returns and find information about public services, but they want in-person interactions to obtain or renew a driver’s licence, passport or building permit,” Ms Schmutter said.
“Online and in-person channels are preferred to apply for benefit payments, whereas phone calls and online are preferred to report incidents and issues to the Local Council for action.”
She said this showed that citizens wanted to engage with Government in different ways, and these needs needed to be taken into account when designing digital strategies for Government Agencies.
Ms Schmutter said the survey also found that 63 per cent of respondents wanted a single mobile app that gave access to multiple Government Agencies although there was little support for using social media to engage with Government, with just 17 per cent favouring that method.
“The research found that the vast majority of Australians [80 per cent] believe Government Agencies already share citizen demographic data,” she said.
“Support is strongest when data sharing enables law enforcement Agencies to identify crime and terrorism [48 per cent].”
Ms Schmutter said the top reasons given by those who do not want Agencies to share information with each other are lack of clarity about how the Government will use the data and privacy concerns.
The survey results can be accessed on the company’s website.
