help .gv.at the aid for official channels

1. www.help.gv.atthe aid for official channels Mag. Sylvia Archmann

2. TV: 1974: 11% 2000: 97% PC‘s: 1989: 6% 2002: 40% A vision comes true The breakthrough of new technologies in Austrian households: • mobile phones: 1993: 4% 2003: 75%

3. HELP a service platform for citizens offering: • Information • Communication • Transaction on all interactions with Austrian authorities.

4. Information • about official proceedings • fees and deadlines • forms • useful tips • 200 lifesituations and 1000 official procedures for citizens and entrepreneurs

5. Communication • „Questions and Answers“ forum for individual requests (~ 500 requests/month, steadily increasing): Questions answered by the editorial team of HELP, but HELP-visitors are invited to share their experiences. • interactive dictionary of governmental terms • questionnaire on user satisfaction

6. Transaction • different procedures with partner authorities all over Austria • integration of e-signature and e-payment • interface to the backoffice

7. Target Groups • HELP for Entrepreneurs (HELP-Business) • HELP for foreign citizens • HELP for disabled people • HELP for EU-neighbours

8. How People Contact Government • More than half of all Americans contact the government in a given year. Why people contact government: 30% transactions (e.g. renewing a car registration) 25% answers to specific questions 19% register their opinion with government agencies 11% help for a specific problem • Using a government Web site is the second most frequent approach for contacting government. Source: „How Americans Contact Government“, Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2004

9. HELP – a story of success • number of sessions rose from 19,778 monthly in 1999 to a remarkable 262,000 in 2004 • in 1998 there were 8 so called „life situations“ available, today there are 200 • number of user accesses per month has increased by more than ten times since the online service has been launched in 1997

10. E-Europe Award 2003 E-Media Award 2003 Justitia Award 2003 Stockholm Challenge Award 2000 2nd Place Justitia Award 2000 Winner of the 4th Speyer Quality Award 1998 W:URL for the best Austrian web presentation

11. Factors of Success • strictly focussed on citizens needs • service across all levels of government • broad cooperation with provinces and municipalities • more than 80 experts in public administration guarantee high quality of the content • fast action • recognise new developments and trends

12. Partners in the Link Concept • 12 Federal Ministries • 9 Provinces • 80 District Administrations • 2359 Municipalities • Public organizations (trade unions, social security insurance, job centres)

13. HELP for disabled people The Austrian E-Government Act: § 1 (3) […] by 1 January 2008 at the latest, official Internet sites which provide information or electronic support for procedures are structured in such a way as to comply with international standards for access to the worldwide web, including unhindered access for disabled persons.

14. HELP „barrierefrei“ „design for all“ approach: • (standard users) • blind people • visually impaired people • deaf people • hearing impaired people • people with mobility and movement problems • people with cognitive problems and • elderly people

15. HELP „barrierefrei“ Activities: • user and expert involvement • review of prototypes • proposal for better accessibility • WAI/WCAG guidelines (AAA) • proposals for better usability • Perceptibility • Understandability • Operability • Memorability • Efficiency • Technical robustness

16. HELP „barrierefrei“

17. The future of HELP • WAI – „AAA“ and usability: HELP „barrierefrei“ • Increased cooperation between HELP and municipalities • Optimized accessibility to online transactions of other portals • Connection to the upcoming EU-Portal „Your Europe“: http://europa.eu.int/youreurope • Increase of the number of partner municipalities • Implementation of one additional foreign language