How can digital government connect citizens without leaving the disconnected behind?

Just as many businesses use vast marketing resources to research their customer base, we believe that the starting point for any government is to better understand its citizens’ changing needs, behaviors, values and expectations. That is the impetus behind Connected Citizens (see “About the research” for the methodology). 

While we didn’t set out to examine the impact of COVID-19 on people’s lives, the timing influenced citizens’ satisfaction with their quality of life across all the countries surveyed.

People are most concerned about their basic needs being met, such as access to high-quality health care and feeling safe in their community. But, unsurprisingly, in the current environment, the state of the economy and job security feature prominently on their list of worries. Almost half of the respondents are concerned about financial security (ranging from 37% in India to 60% in Malaysia), while 37% cite “having a secure and well-paid job” and “living in a country with a strong economy.”

A more pervasive role for technology

One of the most striking consequences of the pandemic has been the increasing reliance on technology in our daily lives. In the space of just a few months, we’ve seen how it has transformed the way people work, play, shop, learn and socialize. And our survey reveals that, in future, most people expect to make even more use of technology than if the pandemic had not happened. Among citizens surveyed, 64% believe that the COVID-19 pandemic will increase the use of technology in our daily lives, with some of the developing countries showing the most widespread expectation of increased technology use.

People see technology as instrumental in improving many aspects of their lives. But while governments have accelerated the shift toward the digitalization of many public services, they continue to lag behind services provided by the private sector, such as online shopping and banking, in terms of expected improvements in service provision (although health care services are viewed more positively).

These lower expectations may reflect recent experience. Globally, only around half of citizens (53%) think governments and public services have effectively used digital technology to respond to the pandemic. However, perceptions differ markedly across countries: 88% of citizens in Malaysia and 80% of citizens in India said their governments had leveraged technology effectively, compared with just 36% in France and 29% in Japan.

Clearly, governments still have some way to go on their digital journey to meet the expectations of the people they serve.

Broader concerns about the impact of technology

Despite its more pervasive role in people’s lives, our survey revealed complex attitudes toward technology. Most people (about 72% of citizens surveyed globally) believe it makes life better, and that it will be needed to help solve increasingly complex future problems. But there are concerns about its broader impact. These include, for example: 

• Widening social inequality: Often, the most disadvantaged citizens are unable to afford access to new technology and lack the digital literacy skills to use it. The use of algorithmic decision-making, with potential for inherent bias, is another risk. Globally, almost one-third of citizens (32%) think the benefits of technology will not be equally spread across different groups in society. And 34% think technology gives more power to those who are already rich and powerful.
• Loss of human interaction: The increasing reliance on technology as a means of communication is causing concerns about the impact on social cohesion. Globally, 32% of citizens think technology will make people feel less connected to their community. In a more virtual world, some of the most vulnerable groups may become more isolated through the loss of physical support networks. 
• The potential encroachment on personal privacy and digital security: As more people and devices are connected, the volume and variety of data created, and the speed at which it is gathered, will increase. This is creating public anxiety around personal privacy and lack of control over how people’s data is used. More than 4 in 10 citizens are against the sharing of data, both within government and with private sector companies. Almost three-quarters (72%) are opposed to government selling their personal data to a private sector company even if it’s to raise money that can fund better public services or tax cuts.

Some of these concerns may stem from a perception that the speed of technological development is simply too fast. While some are excited and empowered by technology, others are overwhelmed and anxious. Is technology being shaped by government and society or is technology shaping government and society? In some cases, it is just too early to understand the benefits and risks of some emerging technologies.

However, governments will need to get ahead of these concerns if they are to harness the potential of data and technology. Low technology adoption rates can weaken countries’ economies, their ability to compete internationally and hence their future prosperity. Data-driven approaches within government are also needed to understand citizens’ needs, target services proactively, evaluate complex public policies and deliver better outcomes for citizens in a more cost-effective way.

Globally, almost one-third of citizens (32%) rank more use of digital technologies in the provision of public services as one of the top three priorities for governments to improve the quality of services. But improving access to and supporting people to become more comfortable and competent with technology will be critical. The survey revealed widespread support among citizens for government skills programs aimed at helping people to use and understand new technologies: 61% of survey respondents said they would be likely to use government training schemes to improve their digital skills, if available. The level of interest varies across countries, from 39% in Japan to 83% in India.

Governments can also do more to clarify the benefits of sharing data and show citizens that it will be used in responsible ways. The survey shows that there is some support for using data when people are clear about the use case and it offers some benefits to themselves or society. This is particularly the case when it relates to public health. For example, using personal data to help track and prevent disease (supported by 52% of citizens globally) or to set priorities for local health services (supported by 48%).

Another challenge for government is the trust deficit with citizens. Although satisfaction with public services is generally good (especially for health, education and local services), trust in national and local governments is significantly lower (33% and 36% respectively). The global figures mask significant differences across countries. Trust in national government ranges from 63% in India and 46% in Australia; 29% in France, 27% in the UK, and 26% in the US; to just 19% in South Africa and 18% in Mexico.

Building trust in government institutions will be vital to the task of increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of government operations, and harnessing the efforts of citizens to help design and deliver better services.

Citizens have a strong appetite for more engagement with government 

Clearly, there is a willingness and appetite for citizens to get more involved in public service delivery in the future. More than a third cite better transparency in performance as one of the top priorities for improving the quality of public services, so they can hold governments to account. And 42% would like to have a bigger say in or be more actively involved in, or are already actively involved in, public service delivery in their local area.