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How to communicate on Administrative Burdens? Jacqueline Rutjens

How to communicate on Administrative Burdens? Jacqueline Rutjens. Example : Gert, disability benefit claimant. An example:. 12%. 11%. 14%. 20%. 19%. 26%. 16%. 39%. 30%. Target groups. Mother on social security (Maria). 0%. 25%. Volunteer (Henk). 0%. 25%.

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How to communicate on Administrative Burdens? Jacqueline Rutjens

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  1. How to communicate on Administrative Burdens? Jacqueline Rutjens

  2. Example: • Gert, disability benefit claimant An example:

  3. 12% 11% 14% 20% 19% 26% 16% 39% 30% Target groups Mother on social security (Maria) 0% 25% Volunteer (Henk) 0% 25% Handicapped child (Bart) 0% 25% Old person in need (Thea) 0% 25% Average family (Verstappen) 0% 25% Vital old person (Mikel) 0% 25% Chronically ill (Pauline) 0% 25% Benefit claimant (Gert) 0% 25% Unemployed (Johan) 0% 25% These target groups are used for internal andexternal communication

  4. Presentation: • Origins Dutch AB programmes • Approach to communication • World bank conclusions on communication • Response to World Bank conclusions • Communication on AB citizens in the future • Recommendations on communication

  5. Origins • Government of Balkenende II • “Citizens feel that the government has insufficient comprehension of the problems of citizens” • “People complain about the quality of public services. The distance between government and citizens is too large” • “The Government wants less rules to provide more space to citizens and organizations”

  6. Origins • AB leads tot high costs for companies and citizens: • Companies: € 16 bln /yr = 3.6% of Dutch GDP • Citizens: € 1,27 bln/yr out-of-pocket-costs • and 112 mln hours/yr • AB leads to much irritation among companies and • citizens: They want comfort and trust in their • relationship with government

  7. Programme Administrative Burdens • Two interdepartemental programmes: • Businesses: coordinated by Ministry of Economic Affairs and Ministry of Finance • Citizens: coordinated by the Ministry of the Interior • Reduction target companies and citizens: 25% in december 2007 compared to 2002 • Infrastructure: all new regulation has to be measured and checked by Actal • Ministries have their ‘ ceilings’

  8. Programme Administrative Burdens • So: • 140 proposals for less regulation on citizens • Best rewarded: votingsystem and less informationpolicy • 25% seems to be a reasonable goal • Infrastrucure takes care of the ‘ backdoor’ • But: • Not all proposals are equally innovative • Not all citizens benefit equally • New cabinet makes new regulations • Some IT backfired

  9. New Programme AB Citizens • Not only quantative, but also qualitatieve reductions: a noticable reduction of administrative burdens • New programme focusses around ten bottlenecks: i.e. waiting lists, plain Dutch, more trust, quality of government services, mediation • Focus on target groups: elderly people, benefit claimants, handicapped and chronically ill, unemployed and volunteers • Stronger connection with E-government • Strong focus on local government (25% goal)

  10. Approach to Communication: • Citizen in the central position • Goal: to receive the compliments of the Citizen! • Dialogue with target groups. • Questionnaire about highest irritations • regarding Administrative Burdens • Pamphlet with recommendations • Panels of citizens that judge the • measurement aimed at reducing • Administrative Burdens

  11. Channels of communication: • Reports on progress and specific publications • Complaints office and website for citizens: • www.lastvandeoverheid.nl • Website for professionals where news, • documentation and meetings are presented • along the nine role models: • www.burgercentraal.nl • Conferences and seminars • Electronic news letter 6 times a year • Media

  12. Some of our products: • Booklets: nine routes along Dutch bureaucracy • nr. 1 and update (nr. 2) • Booklet on how to write simpler forms • Booklet “a different approach on reaching • noticeable results” • Courses for policy officers • National conferences and meetings • International conference in 2007 • Articles in specialist journals • New sources of communication: museum, short films on the internet

  13. Innovative instruments • Kafka brigade • For specific “from pillar to post” cases • Looking from a citizen’s perspective to a • problem • Aimed at a general solution and not only • this specific case • Complaints office that contact complaintives • within two day and coordinates the answers • from goverment • Museum of abundant policies

  14. Museum of unnecessary policies People from outside the EU who want to settle in the Netherlands for more than 3 months need to obtain an authorization for temporary settlement before entering the Netherlands. Whenever entering the Netherlands with this authorization you also need to obtain a residence permit within three days. For both documents the same information is needed.

  15. What worked and what didn’t work • (that well) in communication? • Some positive results: • 25% target works for civil servants and Actal • Museum has had 10 expositions in half a year • 2 of the 10 cases of the Kafka brigade solved • within 4 months • Of the last 400 complaints at the complaints • office 158 have been solved • A citizens panel complimented the programme • on 10 of the 13 presented reductions • From September 2007 all governemental • forms must comply to a norm of simplicity • Reactions on the profiles are very positive: • they are appealing and recognizable

  16. What worked and what didn’t work • (that well)?(2) • Didn’t work as planned: • Communication about 25% target is • problematic • Website for professionals: the page didn’t get • as much pageviews as hoped for an it was • difficult to make it a interactive platform • We don’t receive as much complaints from • citizens as we would like to receive • We learned that citizens don’t recognize the • concept of administrative burdens; so we now • use concepts they know: bureaucracy, red • tape, etc.

  17. World Bank Review (1) • Conclusions concerning communication: • Consult with relevant target groups in order • to target the programme towards problems • perceived as most important and to test the • feasibility of proposed solutions • (2) Improve communication in relation to • expectation management of stakeholders: • involve stakeholders • (3) Communicate results better to the public! • (compare kafka.be) • (4) Be aware of making the operation to • technical and neutral: it’s not! (risk analysis)

  18. World Bank Review (2) • Response to conclusions: • Conclusions (1) and (2) particularly apply to • the business programme. The citizen • programme extensively consults target groups • via: citizens panels, stakeholder groups and • questionnaires • Conclusion (3):The department who achieved • the result (AB reduction), should get the • credits: not the coordinating body. In Belgium • the coordinating body gets all the credits. • Conclusion (4): It is good to have a political • discussion about administrative burdens: only • then it is possible to deal with the difficult AB

  19. World Bank Review (3) • Response to conclusions: • programme AB businesses: strategy • IPAL is working on its strategical vision on • communication • Central: • The government makes it easier • Room for the entrepeneur • Most important starting points: • Entrepeneurs in the central position; look • from their point of view • Management of expectations: there always • will be some rules • Best practices will act as proof of results

  20. World Bank Review (4) • Response to conclusions: • programme AB businesses (2) • Communication via central platform: the • companies counter • One motto with a design that appeal to target • group • Channels: • Selective use of radio, internet and paper • media • Round tables • Use stakeholders in the development of • solutions; hopefully this will also lead to • important spokesmen for the programme

  21. Ideas for further strengthening communication citizens • New profiles: real people which tell their story • and who can also be present at meetings or • conferences: real stakeholders • Internalization plans: “employment agency” • for civil servants. Civil servants will solve • complaints of citizens themselves • Courses for civil servants on kafka • methodology, plain Dutch, etc. • Better communication with the target groups; • make use of their communication channels, • i.e. magazines, websites.

  22. Recommendations • Personify the AB for citizens and companies: • this will make AB tangible, recognizable and • personal for people -> profiles • Work outside in: start with the signals of • citizens and companies and not with policies. • Show that you take them serious • Bring the communication personnel into action • as soon as possible and involve them also in • the process to come to a solution • And: Make it fun!

  23. Thank you for you attention! • Jacqueline Rutjens • Jacqueline.rutjens@minbzk.nl • +31 70 426 6085 • Peter Rem • Peter.rem@minbzk.nl • +31 70 426 7487

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