Australians' Use of and Satisfaction with e-Government Services
1. Executive Summary
1.1 Introduction
When people contact government they can use a variety of channels. That is, they go in person to an office, use a telephone service, access information via the Internet, send a letter, or use a third party. When people contact government they may be contacting the Australian, state/territory or local government services.
This report outlines how people are using these different channels to contact the three levels of government in Australia. It also examines the level of satisfaction they have with those services and their preferences and expectations. By better understanding what’s happening across the three levels of government, agencies will be better placed to design services to meet future demands and expectations.
1.2 Major conclusions
1.2.1 E-government usage
People accessing government via the Internet are no longer a small minority
The Internet is now a mainstream channel for contacting government. Nearly four in 10 Australian adults – and more than half of all adults who use the Internet – contacted an Australian government via the Internet in the past 12 months.
Service complexity and ambiguity appear to be greater determinants of channel use than service sophistication
The sophistication level of a service – that is, whether it involved one way or two way information transfer - appeared to be less of an influence of channel use than its complexity or perceived ambiguity. This was particularly true of standard transactions, such as registration payments. As a general rule, the more ambiguous a task, the less likely it is to be performed online.
The fact that people choose specific channels for particular tasks has implications for resource allocation and planning
Complex and ambiguous issues are increasingly being directed to staff operating in face-to-face and telephone environments. This has implications for recruitment and staff training decisions, including the need to ensure that staff are equipped to deal with complex and ambiguous issues. While the Internet is likely to undertake high volume procedures, significant effort will be required to support the high demands on other functions.
1.2.2 E-government users
There is no single e-government user
The study has revealed that while there are significant differences in the profile of e-government users, they cannot be easily typified. This fact creates challenges for governments wanting to encourage use of Internet and telephone services. As Internet usage increases, the profile of people using the Internet for government contacts is likely to become even more diverse.
Citizens’ preferences change over time
Citizens’ attitudes and behaviours change significantly over time. The monitoring of behavioural changes and attitudes of e-government users will be necessary to ensure citizen-centric service delivery.
1.2.3 Reasons why people choose e-government
Citizens’ first question is: `what’s in it for me?’
The Internet has obvious advantages over other channels. It can be accessed at any time, from any place with a connection. However, the Internet’s inherent advantages are unlikely to be sufficient to lure a new generation of e-government users. Governments will need to develop increasingly sophisticated and compelling arguments to encourage Internet use.
Overcoming geographic barriers is a significant motivator for people to contact government via Internet
The greater incidence of rural/remote citizens than those in regional centres contacting government via the Internet supports anecdotal evidence that a key feature of the Internet is its ability to overcome geographic isolation. This suggests that people living in rural and remote locations will continue to be important users of e-government services.
1.2.4 Barriers to greater e-government uptake
Citizens would use a service if only they knew about it
Lack of awareness about services available over the Internet is a significant barrier to greater e-government uptake. This barrier is inherent for the Internet due to the sheer volume of information available. The challenge for governments is to raise awareness, while bearing in mind that expensive advertising strategies will rarely be justified in terms of financial payback.
The fact that the Internet is not seen as an anonymous or accountable channel has implications for the types of services selected to go online
The Internet is most often used by people for simple interactions that are highly predictable. The perceived lack of accountability offered by the Internet (particularly its ability to handle non-standard questions, complaints or comments) provides clear guidance for what services should, and should not be, migrated to the Internet. It also indicates a need to address the perception that the Internet lacks accountability, which may not necessarily be true.
Privacy concerns are real, but should not be overstated
Privacy issues have been an area of intense focus in e-government planning. Governments have approached this area sensitively to ensure that citizens retain trust in the Internet as a communication channel and for delivery of government services. However, the survey revealed that concerns about personal privacy were a minor barrier to e-government use.
1.2.5 Satisfaction with e-government services
A potential barrier to greater Internet contacts is high satisfaction with telephone services
There are high levels of satisfaction with telephone services. This may make the task of migrating people from telephone to Internet based services more challenging.
While Internet satisfaction is high, expectations of what can be achieved online are low
While the high levels of satisfaction with the Internet are encouraging, citizens’ expectations of the Internet appear to be lower than for other channels.
Significant challenges remain to improve Internet and telephone service usability
Despite high levels of satisfaction overall, Internet and telephone service usability remain a challenging area. As new and less experienced users migrate to Internet services in particular, continuous improvement will be needed to search functions and the management and presentation of content. For the telephone channel it should be remembered that a significant proportion of telephone users select that channel to speak to a ‘real person’.
1.2.6 Encouraging greater use of e-government services
The Internet has inherent advantages
The Internet offers citizens time, cost savings and convenience in their interaction with government. However, perceived complexity and/or ambiguity of tasks can result in citizens choosing another channel. The criteria applied to channel selection vary widely from person to person (and it appears from transaction to transaction).
It appears that existing Internet users can do significantly more online
A potential source of new e-government demand can be tapped by getting existing users to do more sophisticated transactions over the Internet. Only 3% of citizens surveyed said all their dealings with government had been via the Internet, and a further 11% said most of their dealings had been with government.
Repeat and related transactions offer an opportunity for governments to increase usage
The barriers facing non-Internet users are significant, including issues of infrastructure and skill. Therefore a significant opportunity exists to encourage e-government users to use the Internet more often, and for more sophisticated contacts. Targeting repeat and related transactions may prove more convenient to users by pointing them to faster, easier channels for subsequent contacts. This enables governments to cost-effectively reach people that will fuel future demand for e-government services.
Encouraging future use will require a focus on getting the right person, to the right channel, at the right time
Attempts to migrate all users to the Internet for all government services are too simplistic, and have the potential to reduce uptake over the longer term. This is based on evidence that suggests the Internet is not always the best channel to access government services. People will do so only when:
- they are aware the service is available online;
- the process is clear to them and unambiguous; and
- there is clear advantage for them.
1.3 Major findings
1.3.1 E-government usage
Thirty-nine percent of adults contacted government via the Internet over the past 12 months. This represents a substantial increase on the most recent figures published (Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), collected in 2002), which found that 21% of Australians had accessed government services via the Internet.
In terms of individual behaviour the most common channel is in person (52%) followed by the telephone (26%) and Internet (15%). The mail is the least popular channel used to contact government.
More people use the Internet to contact the Australian Government than state/territory or local governments. Services that were most often accessed via the Internet include income or personal tax (16% of all services reported), land rates or tax (10%), and car, boat, vehicle registration and licences (8%).
The most sophisticated contacts [1] - those involving an ‘exchange’ of information and/or payment - are more likely to be conducted with state/territory and local governments than with the Australian Government. The most sophisticated contacts are also likely to be made in person. Over half of all contacts involving an ‘exchange’ of information were made in person (52%), followed by telephone (26%), and the Internet (15%). The remaining contacts were either by mail or other channels (such as fax and third parties).
1.3.2 Profile of e-government users
People using the Internet to access government services are much more likely to be male (57%), live in metropolitan areas, be under 50 years old, university educated and work as professionals. Those using the telephone to access government services are more likely to be female living in households with dependent children at home (49% compared with 43% average).
Internet users living in metropolitan areas are more likely to use the Internet to contact government (57%) than those living outside capital cities. Internet users living in rural/remote areas are more likely (50%) than people living in regional centres to use the Internet to access government (48%).
1.3.3 Motivations for using the Internet to contact government
People who use the Internet and telephone to contact government or access services are motivated by the same things in selecting their channel. The key motivations cited were that they could make contact at a time that suited them (not limited to business hours), required a shorter time and the process was easy and uncomplicated.
By comparison, Internet contacts with state/territory governments were more likely to be motivated by not having to wait in a queue. People accessing primary industry, natural resources and energy services are more likely to state ‘cheaper’ as a reason for using the Internet.
A strong motivator for people using the telephone was the perception that the process was easy (17% of respondents), along with the desire to speak to a ‘real person’ (12% of respondents). Speaking to a ‘real person’ provides them with the ability to seek clarification if they need it.
1.3.4 Barriers to e-government use
Lack of awareness is a barrier to e-government use. Almost a quarter (23%) of all non-Internet contacts made by Internet users were made by those who perceived that a contact could not be made online. This is supported by the finding that the motivating factor for people to contact government in person is that the contact could only be made in person (35%).
Approximately 10% of people contacting in person said they were motivated to do so by the opportunity to clarify or explain an issue to get the result they wanted[2]. This finding was reinforced by focus group participants, who indicated they were more likely to contact government in person in cases where they desired high levels of accountability, required written confirmation or formal lodgement of a request or sought clarification of ambiguous issues.
Focus group participants also cited lack of awareness, perceptions that the Internet lacked accountability, difficulties navigating Internet-based services and concerns about the risk of financial loss when providing credit card or banking details as significant barriers.
Approximately 12% of non-Internet users that did not use the telephone for a contact said the main reason was that a relevant government office was close by, making it easier to do transactions over the counter.
Approximately 7% of people in this group thought it was too time consuming to wait in a telephone queue, and that other methods (that is, in person, mail and other non e-government channels) were faster. Another 7% said they selected a channel other than the telephone out of habit.
1.3.5 Satisfaction with government services accessed via all channels
Overall, satisfaction levels were high for both Internet and telephone contacts. Satisfaction levels are higher for government services accessed via the Internet than for the telephone on all key indicators. Focus group participants suggested that one of the reasons satisfaction was higher was that their expectations of what could be done via the Internet were generally lower.
People using online government services were more likely to be satisfied when they were providing or exchanging information with government, rather than simply seeking it.
Among contacts made via the Internet, satisfaction was highest for services in the environment, climate and conservation category. Services where respondents were significantly more satisfied were weather or climate services, land rates or tax services, libraries and government jobs services.
The main reasons for Internet dissatisfaction were usability issues (including website navigation) and content issues (such as incomplete information).
The service category being accessed had little bearing on satisfaction levels for people accessing government services via the telephone. Despite this, some differences existed for specific services. People accessing vehicle registrations or licence services via the telephone were more likely to be satisfied with the extent to which they achieved what they intended (95% compared with an 82% average satisfaction level overall).
Issues related to a lack of convenience, including time spent waiting in a telephone queue, were cited most often as the reason for dissatisfaction with services accessed via the telephone. A third of all unsatisfactory contacts by telephone were attributed to ‘content’ issues, including the provision of incomplete information. Customer service issues, such as ‘the person did not understand the issue’ or ‘incorrect advice given’ were mentioned for 17% of contacts as the reason for dissatisfaction.
1.3.6 Future use of the Internet to access government services
Improvement to usability of government websites was cited as a factor that would encourage use of the Internet to contact government. Improvements in content, increased levels of awareness and access to Internet infrastructure were also mentioned as factors that would encourage use.
Existing e-government users cite ‘easier to find government services’ as the most effective mechanism to encourage greater interaction with government. Almost half of all people who do not use the Internet felt there was nothing that could be done to motivate them to use it, which represents almost 15% of the total Australian adult population.
[1] For the purposes of this study, sophistication of a government service is relative to the level of interaction it involves. A low level of sophistication occurs when government provides published or static information. A high level of sophistication involves an exchange of information such as when a person pays a bill and receives a receipt.
[2] Only key findings are represented, therefore percentages will not always total 100%.
Contact for information on this page: <a href="mailto:e-government@finance.gov.au">e-government@finance.gov.au</a>