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PortNL: An Integrated Service Case. Nalini P. Kotamraju, Ph.D. 9 februari 2010. PortNL Web Site Case. PortNL case in the broader B-dossier project B-dossier Integrated, personalized service delivery or “one-stop government” Multi-year research and development project (2006–9)
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PortNL: An Integrated Service Case Nalini P. Kotamraju, Ph.D. 9 februari 2010
PortNL Web Site Case • PortNL case in the broader B-dossier project • B-dossier • Integrated, personalized service delivery or “one-stop government” • Multi-year research and development project (2006–9) • ”B-dossier” = metaphor for a “file” that users share with officials, employers, and other relevant people or institutions
PortNL Case • Attempt to provide integrated services around a life event • Life event = relocating, often temporarily, to the Netherlands to live and work (“expats” or expatriates) • Attempted to integrate government, commercial partners (e.g., real estate agencies), and NGOs (e.g., groups for expats)
PortNL & User-centered Design • User-centered design (UCD) implemented throughout the process • Pre-design interviews • Regular interaction between software engineers, designers, and user researchers • Usability studies
PortNL Case • Research uncovered several challenges in implementing UCD that are particular to e-Government • Two challenges • Users and governments have different mental models of the tasks to be accomplished • Governments, unlike commercial entities, need to design for exceptions
Challenge 1: Differing Views of Task • Mismatch between what governments and users see as the task to be accomplished (i.e., the services/information they want) • Government agencies views tasks/processes related to services and information as their responsibility • Users see a complex, intertwined highly dependent process.
2.Challenge: Designing for Exceptions • A common rule of UCD = “Do not design for exceptions” • Designing for exceptions is inefficient, not cost-effective and problematic • But governments need to design for exceptions!
2.Challenge: Designing for Exceptions • Governments, unlike commercial entities, are required to: • Provide a vast amount of complete information and services • Provide information and services to an entire, diverse (in many ways) audience • Enforce regulations, even when they compromise user-centricity (e.g., apostille)
Challenges: e-Government & UCD • Two challenges • Users and governments have different mental models of the tasks to be accomplished • Governments, unlike commercial entities, need to design for exceptions