10 minute read 10 Jun 2021
Digital transformation of the government

How can digital government ensure it remains connected to its citizens?

Gaurav Taneja
By Gaurav Taneja

EY India Government and Public Sector Leader and AIM Advisory Government and Public Sector Leader.

At the intersection of public policy, private sector and citizen service. Avid traveler. Football enthusiast.

10 minute read 10 Jun 2021
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  • Managing the impact of COVID-19 on India’s supply chains

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Our survey examines how citizens are experiencing today’s connected world and areas where the government can harness digital technologies to create better outcomes for citizens. 

In brief:

  • 80% citizens feel Indian government and public services have been effective in using digital technology to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic
  • 73% of the respondents believe technology will change public services for the better
  • 71% of the respondents think the COVID-19 pandemic will lead to greater use of technology in their daily lives in the future
  • 63% citizens feel comfortable in sharing their personal data online with the government in order to access a service

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the citizens of India have looked to the government and the healthcare system to protect their lives and livelihood, and it has put a lot of pressure on the public service delivery system. The pandemic has disrupted individuals, communities and the economy. The government needs to balance both economic and social pressures in ways that lead to better outcomes for the citizens of the country. In order to do this, the government must gain perspectives into how the citizens view their lives and what they feel about the existing environment. For example, what do they think of the services they receive from government? What is their attitude towards technology? How do they view the role for technological innovation in public service delivery? Are they ready for government to use more data and government and public services in the delivery of public services? Hence, the quest for answers to these questions began with a global survey of citizens.

EY recently embarked on a new research titled ‘Connected Citizens’. It is an attempt to deepen our understanding of how citizens are experiencing today’s connected world, how effectively they think governments are harnessing technology, and how they would like to see governments using technology in the future. The study explores what people value, what concerns them most and how they feel about the technological advances that are shaping our lives. A key goal is to examine their expectations of the role of government and public services, and the nature of the relationship between those who govern and those who are governed.

The quest for answers to these questions began with a global survey of citizens.

  • About Connected Citizens research

    Ipsos MORI conducted online interviews with 12,100 participants of working age across 12 countries (approximately 1,000 per country) globally between July and September 2020. Data have been weighted by age, gender, region and work status to nationally representative profiles.  Countries surveyed included Australia (aged 18-65), Brazil (18-59), France (16-75), Germany (16-75), India (18-50), Japan (18-75), Malaysia (18-65), Mexico (18-59), South Africa (18-65), UAE (18-55), the USA (18-75) and the UK (16-75). In countries with a relatively low internet penetration, the sample is more urban, more educated, and/or more affluent than the general population and the results should be viewed as reflecting the views of a more “connected” population.

    Participants in India are aged 18-50. As the survey was carried out online, the sample in India will be more connected, urban, and educated than in the overall population. Two fifths (39%) of the India sample reside within large cities. Three quarters (76%) are university graduates. Three in five (61%) are in paid work, while 39% are not in paid work.

Analysis of the survey data has enabled us to define seven distinct citizen personas: Diligent Strivers, Capable Achievers, Privacy Defenders, Aspirational Technophiles, Tech Skeptics, Struggling Providers and Passive Outsiders. Each group interacts differently with technology and digital services, and each holds different lessons for how government can embrace the opportunity to better engage with citizens.

Seven Connected Citizens personas

  • Diligent Strivers

    Young proactive self-improvers keen to get on in life. They expect seamless digital government services to help them achieve their aims and are comfortable sharing their data with governments. They believe strongly in equal opportunities for all.

  • Capable Achievers

    Independent, successful and satisfied with their life. They are pragmatic technophiles who embrace digital innovation. They trust governments to use their data appropriately but worry about it getting into the wrong hands.

  • Privacy Defenders

    Tend to be older, independent and comfortably off. They value technology and the benefits it provides to them, but are extremely cautious when it comes to sharing their personal data with government or private companies.

  • Aspirational Technophiles

    Younger well-educated city-dwellers. Motivated by success and new opportunities, they incorporate technology and data into every facet of their lives. They are excited by the potential for new digital innovations to empower people and improve society.

  • Tech Skeptics

    Older, on lower incomes and relatively dissatisfied with their lives. They are distrustful of government and skeptical about the benefits of technology. They tend to be opposed to data sharing, even if there is a clear purpose.

  • Struggling Providers

    Younger and tend to be in low paid, less secure work. They are above-average users of welfare services. They are ambivalent toward technology, lacking the access and skills for it to make a big difference to their lives.

  • Passive Outsiders

    Have lower levels of income and education. They are detached from the connected world around them and generally reluctant to embrace change. They are relatively ambivalent on data sharing but tend to feel the risks outweigh the benefits.

The distribution of citizen personas differs by country. India consists of a high proportion of Aspirational Technophiles and Diligent Strivers (25% each, reflecting the sample profile) but a smaller number of Passive Outsiders (3%) and Confident Achievers (8%).

The distribution of India citizen personas

Technology and data sharing trends

Respondents in India would be more likely than average to use mobile applications to provide feedback on public services. They are comfortable with technology replacing face-to-face human interaction and would use an artificial intelligence powered chat bot to communicate with government. They want the government to prioritize making certain services available online such as pension planning and resources to help people set up businesses and providing more ways for people to have a say in government decision making online.

Technology and data sharing trends in India

Over the past year, the pandemic has increased the need for governments across the world to offer more services remotely, and in some cases, they have been delivered entirely online. This has resulted in the generation of much larger volumes of citizens’ data which is then collected by governments.  63% Indians feel comfortable in sharing their personal data with the government online in order to access a service, while 34% don’t feel comfortable in sharing the same. Similarly, 57% and 48% feel comfortable in sharing their personal data with a company in order to perform a transaction and through social networking services, respectively; at the same time, 42% and 50% don’t feel comfortable in sharing their personal data with a company and through social networking services. Compared to other countries, there are fewer concerns about data privacy. However, globally, 53% of the respondents think that privacy and security risks around how their data is shared outweigh the benefits.

Shifting online behavior

55% of India respondents stated that they use the internet at least once a day, while 38% of respondents stated that they use the internet all the time for personal use (e.g. website access, email, social networking, etc.). In terms of activities, 78% respondents used social networking sites, 75% used internet for shopping, while 74% used it for streaming TV, music or videos.

Looking ahead to the future, 81% of the respondents think that technology will change the way they bank and shop, 80% of the respondents think that it will change the way they work/study, and 79% of the respondents think that it will change the way they entertain themselves.

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Shifting online behavior in India

The quality of life

Respondents in India are among the most optimistic compared to citizens in other countries. They are optimistic about their family, their local area, their country, and the world in general. However, the COVID-19 pandemic appears to have had an impact on life satisfaction. Eight in ten participants said they were happy with their quality of life prior to the pandemic (81%), while less than half were satisfied at the time of the survey (45%).

The India respondents are more likely than average to view - access to good mental health services, access to a good education, opportunities to learn new skills, and good community spirit - as very important to their quality of life. They view financial security, safety, and healthcare as less important than people in other countries, though these remain top priorities for around four in ten respondents (38%, 40% and 43%, respectively). 

Average priorities for quality of life in India

Globally, while the survey reflects optimism that technology improves quality of life (according to 72% of respondents), there are significant concerns about its broader impact. Many believe that increased use of technology will potentially widen social inequalities, with 32% stating that technology will lead to greater social inequality and 34% stating that technology gives more power to those who are already rich and powerful. There are further concerns around the impact of increased reliance on technology as a means for communication on social cohesion. Globally, 32% of citizens believe technology will make people feel less connected to their communities. However, demand still exists to further develop people’s digital skills. 61% say they would be likely to use government training schemes that improve their digital skills if they were available.

Looking ahead to the future, according to the India respondents, healthcare services, availability of good jobs, clean air and green spaces (49%, 42%, 39% respectively) are amongst the most important to improve in their local area.

Impact of COVID-19

71% of the respondents think the COVID-19 pandemic will lead to greater use of technology in their daily lives in the future, 69% feel technology innovation will be more than ever before, while 63% believe that the reliance on domestically produced goods will be more compared to the pre-COVID era.

Use of public services

40% of the respondents feel that making more use of online and digital technologies in the provision of public services would make the biggest difference to the quality of public services they receive. 39% of the respondents stated that providing online resources for people to learn new skills or look for a new job and making many more government and public services available online, respectively, should be the key priorities for the government of India.

Digitization is here to stay in India

During the COVID-19 crisis, many have experienced the amazing potential of digitization to improve public services and maintain social connections. Even in India, we have seen that there is a broad appetite among citizens for more digitally enabled public services and many want to have more of a say in how they should be delivered. The government of India must harness data and technology to become more efficient and effective while covering the citizens at large.

Suggestions to the government

The government should take a multipronged approach to address people’s needs, with a focus on four areas:

  • Agile and innovative policymaking: The government could introduce more agile and innovative policies that target the concerns of different groups. The government could look at new social safety net schemes for disadvantaged citizens on low incomes; new policies to tackle income insecurity for those in precarious work, such as the self-employed and gig economy workers; more agile education and retraining programs that help workers remain relevant and competitive; among others.
  • Inclusive digitalization: The government can meet the needs of these citizens through measures such as smart portals and mobile apps that provide one-stop access to multiple government services; integrated digital platforms that enable data sharing across different government systems; conversational platforms, such as AI-powered chat bots, to interact with citizens, etc.
  • Responsible use of data: New regulatory, legal and governance frameworks are needed to manage the potential risks for the citizens of India. For instance, policymakers will need to take a hard look at issues, such as data privacy, surveillance technology, the inequities embedded in algorithms and the integrity of the information ecosystem.
  • Public participation and engagement: Today, the Indian government has an opportunity to engage citizens on the issues they care about. New digital e-participation tools, such as social media, mobile apps and online digital platforms, allow them to collect input from citizens on a large scale, providing insights to enrich government policy and decision-making. The government can ensure that people are not just consulted but empowered to shape the decisions that affect them.

Summary

Just as many businesses use vast marketing resources to research their customer base, we believe that the starting point for any government is to better understand its citizens’ changing needs, behaviours, values and expectations. That is the impetus behind Connected Citizens.

About this article

Gaurav Taneja
By Gaurav Taneja

EY India Government and Public Sector Leader and AIM Advisory Government and Public Sector Leader.

At the intersection of public policy, private sector and citizen service. Avid traveler. Football enthusiast.

Upvote