We Are All StakeholdersUsability & User Experience in Government Systems

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Elizabeth BuieNorthumbria University

Newcastle upon Tyne

UCD13 – Keynote 3

When you think of government systems –

What comes to mind?

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Government systems –

More than just public websites

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Before we go any farther…

…a brief note

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Government system usability –

Who are the stakeholders?

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Stakeholders: Who is affected?

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Residents & visitorswho use the systems

Stakeholders: Who else?

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Government workers

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Users of services supported by systems

Stakeholders: Anyone else?

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All these stakeholders –

Where are they?

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Eight million people

Greater London?

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sixty-three million people

All of the UK?

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five hundred million people

The European Union?

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What about these people?

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People in other placesaffected by our systems

In short, the whole world

seven-plus billion people!@ebuie #ucd2013

Let’s look at the direct users.

Who are they?What is their use like?

What kinds of usability and UX

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Two kinds of users, two sources of needs

Public Public servantsCustomer

CareerChoice CaptiveClear-cut

Complex

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Goals of public-facing systems (1) Provide information and services,

effectively and efficiently

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Goals of public-facing systems (2) Conduct transactions with the

public

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Optional – e.g., Top up Oystercard Required – e.g., Pay Taxes

Goals of public-facing systems (3) Increase citizen

use of online systems

Entice them away from more expensive channels (phone, face to face, paper)

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Goals of public-facing systems (4) Encourage citizen participation in

governance

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Government 2.0“[Make] government more transparent, by publishing data and insights into government operations, and participatory, by inviting citizens to offer solutions to major challenges.”

– Kate Walser, chapter 3, “Usability and Government 2.0”

The bottom line for the public

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Goals of internal systems (1) Conduct government work

effectively and efficiently

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Goals of internal systems (2) Integrate activities at all levels of

gov’t

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Goals of internal systems (2) Integrate activities at all levels of

gov’t

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Co-operate with other governments

Goals of internal systems (3) Protect citizen

privacy

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Maintain public security and safety

Internal systems

Some examples

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Usability issues

Public and internal systems share many

issues

Public/internal shared issues1.Content strategy

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Public/internal shared issues2.Plain language – Clear

communication

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improve your writing — and your agency’s writing — so your users can

find what they need, understand what they find, and use what they find to meet their

needs.– plainlanguage.gov

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”This includes legalese

Public/internal shared issues2.Plain language – Helps everyone

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From a study of before-and-after task performance of low-literate and high-literate web users, by K. Summers and M. Summers (see slide notes for citation)

Public/internal shared issues3.Different cultures

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Public/internal shared issues4. Accessibility – Access for

Disabilities

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PACmate Braille display

Equality Act (UK) www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents

Public/internal shared issues5. Mobile access

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Public/internal shared issues6. Data security: Tradeoff between

usability and security

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But is it really a tradeoff of user experience?What if you feel better because you trust that your data are secure?

Public/internal shared issues6. Data security: Risk vs.

Convenience

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Two-factor authentication

Government projects

What’s it like to work on them?

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(apart from what it’s like to do UX work on any project)

Govt. projects pose UX challenges

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“You want to WHAT?!?”“You want to WHAT?!?”

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And then there’s national politics…The biggest and most unpredictable challenge in government work

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And then there’s national politics…The biggest and most unpredictable challenge in government work

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Govt. projects offer rewards, too Number

and diversity of stakeholders and users

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Government project rewards Variety of systems and

technologies Project size & scope

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£K - £M

@ebuie #ucd2013We are all stakeholders

In the usability of government systems

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Govt. projects offer rewards, too Potential to help

make government itself more effective and efficient

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Why do government workI’ve found public-sector work to be infinitely more meaningful than private-sector work. …Individually, we tend not to act in a way that’s attuned to our collective needs. … Government provides a solution to the tragedy of the commons.

– Jess McMullin, Citizen Experience Designauthor of Chapter 22, Design for Policymaking

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Thank you!Elizabeth BuieNorthumbria UniversityNewcastle upon Tyne, UK

Thanks to the two conference sponsors: