WRITTEN ON June 7th, 2007 BY Paul Smith AND STORED IN Uncategorized
Good to see that DirectGov has commissioned a Directgov survey of what people want from “the Internet”.
The survey apparently reveals the “nation’s wish list for online services”.
Reporting crime and bad drivers, having job interviews, calculating carbon emissions and truancy alerts for parents are just some of the services that Britons long to have access to online, according to research released on June 6.
But, frankly, I am distinctly underwhelmed by the power of the evidence…For example,
“Over one in five most want to be able to renew their car tax online, one in 10 want to put their car through a virtual MOT and the same number want to renew their driving licence online”
Well
– you CAN renew your driving licence online (see car tax)
– I can’t possibly see how you can check the mechanical safety of a car online
– I would argue that the implication of the online driving licence is different: that 90% of people don’t want to do this (that’s not to say that DG shouldn’t be aspirational.
But, overall the conclusions from the survey confirm that DirectGov is fatally flawed. What people want from “the Internet” are services that cut across not just government, not just the public sector but across the private sector too. Continuing the apparent policy of making DirectGov the directory to government (and continuing its stovepipe, “we do it this way”, mentality) appears to be add complete odds with what customers want.
Wibbi DirectGov really focused on achieving such joined up services – and leave the stovepipes to do what they do best: deliver their services.
2 Responses to “Well done DirectGov but less spin please”
Oh dear, is that one survey I missed?
Recently, I’ve been plagued by telephone “surveys,” even on my unlisted office line (which even I can never remember): The callers claim that they’re exempt from TPS “because they’re not selling anything.”
Strangely, when I quote my 200 Pounds standard fee for participating in their “surveys,” at first they’re puzzled & offended but oddly then ring-off.
Asking people what they want from “the internet” seems a bit pointless. The quality of the answers bears this out. A virtual MOT? Why stop there? Why not have online cervical smear tests, online rubbish collection and online voting? Oh bugger, someone took that last one seriously….