e-GOVERNMENT IN FINLAND - ePractice.eu

57. Government-wide statistics are also a good source of information about user needs and
preferences. Surveys by Statistic Finland provide information on how often citizens use public services,
which allows the government to see where the greatest demand lies as well as how the provision of
services is evolving. Since 1999, Statistics Finland has also conducted a longitudinal survey on opinions
and attitudes regarding the information society, including issues such as attitudes towards data sharing,
which provides valuable information on how the government can better meet citizens’ needs. 15
Key Points - 9
x Aggregating data on users of electronic services from ministries, agencies and local and
regional government could provide feedback into the government-wide planning process,
improving the government’s understanding of user preferences.
x This does not replace, however, an overall understanding of the needs and preferences of
businesses and citizens. Like most countries, Finland does not currently have a process for
gathering this information. The situation could be improved by using statistical
information on the use of electronic services and adapting existing surveys, for example
those produced by Statistics Finland.
58. A possible method for collecting user information for use at a central level would be to make it
an integral part of the online service strategies. In its Programme of Action to Promote Online
Government, the ISAB recommends that electronic services strategies be based on an appraisal of user
needs. This would also serve to standardise reporting, with the possible goal of ultimately collecting
comparable information on a few key questions. Such a requirement could serve to create an overview that
could be useful when further developing the national vision and strategy. Even if the information is not
very comparable, it would establish a mechanism whereby ministries and agencies, in co-operation with
local and regional administrations, explicitly build customer preferences into their service delivery model.
In this way, they could subsequently be held more accountable for planning e-government according to the
needs and demands of citizens and businesses.
Key Points - 10
x Even if the quality of information is not very dependable at first, requiring agencies to
collect information on user needs would make them consider more explicitly the
preferences of citizens and business in their e-government strategy and make services more
citizen-focused.
59. The OECD’s The E-government Imperative (2003) does not provide benchmarks for international
comparison, but reports from e-government officials in other OECD countries show that the lack of clear
knowledge about citizen preferences and of strong, proactive support on the part of citizens for electronic
services is not unusual. Indeed, citizens may never feel strong support for e-government, and the goal for
governments should perhaps be to build confidence in, rather than enthusiasm for, e-government. On the
other hand, as experience with electronic services in the public and private sectors spreads, citizen
preferences may become clearer and better defined, providing governments with the guidance they need.
60. For example, the OECD survey shows that the lack of joined-up or seamless services is not yet
perceived by ministries and agencies as a major constraint on citizen demand. As there are as yet few
concrete examples of joined-up services, however, it is not clear whether or not citizens would be able to
articulate how this might facilitate online services or how the principle should be put into practice. Instead,
the failure to anticipate citizen needs is more likely to result in vague dissatisfaction with e-government, at
worst, or general disinterest, at best.
15 Statistics Finland (2001), Three Years of the Information Society.
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