Public administrative services (hereafter, “services”) are the principal way in which people, businesses and organisations interact with governments. Through such interactions, people exercise their rights, and/or gain access to important information, support or decisions that can have significant implications for their lives and livelihoods. The quality of these services can mean the difference between whether a business can open as planned, or whether a family receives social benefits on time. In times of crisis, such as during the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the continuity and quality of services are particularly important to buffer adverse impacts and help contribute to recovery. 

People’s experiences with services can influence how they perceive their governments, and public satisfaction with administrative and social services is an important driver of trust.  

Straightforward, intuitive and simple services ease interactions between people and government. A reduction in red tape and improvements in regulation around public service design and delivery can greatly benefit people and businesses in terms of saving time, effort and resources when acquiring and submitting documentation, or in accelerating response time from government. 

People’s expectations for quality public administrative services are influenced by their experiences with private sector service delivery, especially in cases where this is notably more efficient. Demand to improve the quality of public administrative services may also be created by perceptions of failures in past service delivery reforms, which can be exacerbated by austerity measures or crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Peoples’ needs are also evolving along with demographic and technological shifts. 

In recent decades, digital government reforms have made important strides in improving the design of services for better user experiences. Many public services can now be conducted online quickly and securely. However, digital government reforms in some countries have fallen short of creating better user experiences: spearheaded by technological considerations rather than human needs or experiences, digital services in some countries are inadvertently leading to new forms of exclusion for those lacking internet access or the necessary skills as well as those needing face-to-face support.  

The quality of services matters not just to people but also to governments. Services are how governments ensure the effectiveness of policies, and practical aspects of service design can impact whether policies achieve their intended goals, such as economic resilience, more equality, or improved social wellbeing. Governments invest large amounts of resources in producing, delivering, or outsourcing services, and whether they are ultimately effective in achieving their aims is a matter of government performance, including the efficiency of public spending and policy impact. 

The majority of governments now measure satisfaction with public services to monitor service quality and provide continual feedback and improvement. Different methods are used, including surveys and focus groups or drawing from administrative data. Complaints and other feedback mechanisms (consultations) can also contribute to ongoing evaluation and improvement efforts. 

The draft Recommendation presents a set of principles organised around four pillars: 

• Strategic vision, values and rights
• Core foundations
• Seamless and accessible services
• Measurement, engagement and improvement 
  
  

Read the Draft Recommendation on Human-Centred Public Administrative Services 

The OECD’s Public Governance Committee has developed this draft Recommendation on Human-Centred Public Administrative Services that encourages Adherents to design, develop and govern public administrative services with human experience as a core consideration. Public services should be rooted in the needs of users and service providers, and the respect of democratic values and human rights, including ensuring the inclusion of those in vulnerable and disadvantaged conditions, those living with health conditions or impairments, and those experiencing any form of discrimination or exclusion. 

The implementation, dissemination and continued relevance would be regularly reviewed and reported on to the OECD Council to ensure that the measures therein remain impactful and encourage ongoing sharing of country experiences and best practices. It would also support and expand upon existing OECD standards and work relevant to public service delivery. If adopted by the OECD Council, the Recommendation will form the basis for the OECD to serve as a forum for exchanging information, guidance, and monitoring activities and emerging trends around the design and delivery of human-centred public services. 

The consultation is open to government officials, civil society organisations, international organisations and interested citizens and stakeholders. 

The aim of the consultation is to ensure that the final text reflects the experience, needs and aspirations of the international community concerning the design and delivery of public administrative services. The draft Recommendation is being developed through an inclusive and horizontal approach, involving a number of OECD bodies. It is still a work in progress at the OECD and the content may be subject to modifications, including in order to take account of comments received through the public consultation. The final draft Recommendation will be submitted to the Public Governance Committee for approval after which it would be presented to the OECD Council for adoption. 

Guidance for providing comments

Interested parties are invited to comment on the text by sending written comments in English or French to pgccontact@oecd.org until 5 July 2024.

If you have a comment on a specific provision within the draft Recommendation, please indicate this along with the page number (e.g. II. 2.b, p.6).

Your rights

Inputs received will be considered public and may be published on the website, with your name, title and organisation. If you do not wish for this information (name, title, organisation) to be shared on the website, please indicate this clearly in your email with submissions to pgccontact@oecd.org.