copy the linklink copied!Foreword

The way that services are designed and delivered shapes citizens’ experience of government. Although digital transformation has affected all aspects of daily life and replaced many of our human interactions, government must continue to ensure that the services it provides are accessible to all. This means doing more than simply migrating analogue processes to the Internet.

“Digital government” efforts involve recognising the role of design in meeting citizen needs across all channels, unlocking the benefits of digitalisation while protecting those who rely on face-to-face transactions. Such design needs to be complemented by developing and embedding practical resources and technical support to help teams avoid the constraints and expense of transforming services one at a time. This ‘Government as a Platform’ approach can scale transformation from the most high profile and capable through to the least developed and equipped government services at every level of provision, including local.

Digital Government in Chile – A strategy for public service design and delivery presents a conceptual framework to help countries explore how to make best use of the opportunities of the digital age in designing and delivering services. Through recognising the context that shapes the design and delivery of services, establishing the necessary leadership and vision to develop a design-led culture, and ensuring access to practical enablers, governments can increase their ability to improve outcomes, efficiency and measures of citizen satisfaction and well-being. The report analyses the situation in Chile and provides a series of recommendations for considering the future role of ChileAtiende, a branded multichannel network for accessing government services throughout Chile. Ultimately, they contribute towards Chile’s goal of bringing the State closer to citizens through simpler, more efficient and transparent government.

As requested by the Ministry General Secretariat of the Presidency (Ministerio Secretaría General de la Presidencia, MINSEGPRES) and the Ministry of Finance (Ministerio de Hacienda), this is the fourth piece of work prepared for Chile by the OECD’s Digital Government and Data Unit in recent years and reflects a concerted effort to create the conditions for digital government to thrive. In 2016’s Digital Government in Chile – Strengthening the Institutional and Governance Framework the OECD advised Chile how to build solid foundations and 2019’s Digital Government in Chile – A Strategy to Enable Digital Transformation developed this further. Third, and also in 2019, the practicalities of digital identity as an enabler for services, and in particular Chile’s own ClaveÚnica were the subject of Digital Government in Chile – Digital Identity. They provide a path for digital government in Chile to support efforts at delivering better lives for citizens. These foundations are essential to the discussions of this report in facilitating the design and delivery of services that respond to the needs of the public. 

The report is based on the OECD Recommendation of the Council on Digital Government Strategies and contributes to the global policy debate on the challenges and opportunities of digitalisation across different policy areas and all of society. This is part of the Going Digital Project, which is the OECD flagship initiative designed to address this important policy issue.

The report was declassified for publication by the Public Governance Committee on May 7, 2020.