International relations

should be fast, transparent and open to empirical feedback, no matter what stage the project is in.

These are the principles that enable tech innovators to create the products they do, and government departments will benefit from incorporating the same ideas into their digital strategies.

Even something as simple as a self-service portal can benefit from modern development practices and standards. The best choice will depend on the department’s goals and its current systems, but striving to choose modern and innovative technology will create a better platform as digital services continue to evolve.

Initiating citizen engagement

Although engagement is a two-way activity, people will not engage if they believe it will be a waste of their time. While some input can be gathered through data and analytics, departments must also find a way to receive individual feedback from people to achieve true engagement.

You can take the first step in repairing any unfavourable perceptions and initiating fresh participation by putting effort into developing better services. Here are some ideas: 1. Open data: People want insights into things like government salaries and data. Open data includes presenting the story behind the data, rather than daily dumps of numbers, so that people can understand the impact of what they’re seeing and how it affects them. 2. Accountability: Share details on project statuses, survey results, future plans, and the thought behind current service offerings, including why certain pieces of information are needed, how long processes may take, and who a person can contact if they have questions. 3. Community data: Build community calendars with data on local events and activities open to the public.

Information is itself a service, and you can build trust by being a connector between what citizens are looking for and what other groups in the community are offering.

Digital services offer new ways to win people over while remaining productive and costefficient. By focusing on these as a means to build trust, government can give people personalised interactions and reduce the frustration or anxiety with which they regard government services.

*Greg Gatherer is an Account Manager at Liferay Africa.