The use of digital technology to simplify interactions and improve information exchange between governments and citizens has increased in most OECD member countries in recent years. Government websites dedicated to informing citizens can provide opportunities for engagement, improve information and service delivery in all areas, and enhance trust between government authorities and citizens. The COVID-19 pandemic has made digital information sharing all the more important.
This report looks at how a well-designed government information website can help improve citizen‑government interaction. It provides a practical toolkit for designing, operating and upgrading government information websites, taking into account elements such as the OECD’s Good Practice Principles for Public Service Design and Delivery in the Digital Age. It is based on the work funded by the European Commission (DG REFORM) and conducted by the OECD under the project in Greece “Simplification of Administrative Processes and Support for Advancing the Implementation of Digital Transformation Projects”, as part of the OECD’s broader work on administrative burden reduction. While drawing extensively on the Greek government’s experience in setting up the National Registry of Administrative Procedures with the OECD’s support, findings and recommendations are based on good practice in OECD countries.
Furthermore, it builds on the OECD’s significant body of work related to governance of regulatory policy, data-driven regulation and agile regulation. This includes OECD analysis such as i) Improving Regulatory Delivery in Food Safety and Data-Driven, Information-Enabled Regulatory Delivery, which focuses on promoting the transformation of the public administration through the use of digital technology ii) the 2021 Recommendation for Agile Regulatory Governance to Harness Innovation that helps governments rethink their approaches to rule making for harnessing innovation iii) the Best Practice Principles for Regulatory Policy: One-Stop Shops for Citizens and Business, which operationalises principles highlighted in the 2012 Recommendation of the Council on Regulatory Policy and Governance to facilitate interactions between governments and citizens and businesses.
Similarly, the OECD Digital Government Policy Framework: Six dimensions of a Digital Government reflects the principles and actions needed for countries to deliver a whole-of-government and user-driven digitalisation of government processes and services. The OECD Recommendation of the Council on Digital Government Strategies identifies specific provisions to engage users throughout the digitalisation of government processes and services. Likewise, the OECD Framework for Public Service Design and Delivery identifies the contextual factors, philosophical approach and core enablers that enable a user-driven digitalisation of government services at scale and pace.
The report was approved by the OECD Regulatory Policy Committee for publication via written procedure on 20 December and was prepared for publication by the Secretariat.
This report was produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union.