Trend in action
Approaches to segmenting services
The “same” event can impact different people in different ways. The COVID-19 pandemic, for example, disproportionately impacted the elderly. Similarly, the “same service” can feel very different to different groups. A program that requires extensive paper documentation could be insurmountable to people who are homeless, who may neither have space to store documents nor access to technology to view or print them.
The accelerated shift to the digital world appears to have highlighted inequities in the design and delivery of some public sector services. Online permitting can disadvantage rural users who lack reliable cell service. Oftentimes, inadequate access to essential services such as broadband disproportionately impacts low-income individuals and disadvantaged communities.5 So, as more services shift online, it becomes critical to ensure that the groups that need them most can benefit—both in terms of technical access as well as digital literacy which, in some cases, can be a more significant challenge.
A secure digital identity is foundational to providing tailored digital services. In Singapore, SingPass for individuals (and CorpPass for companies) are the digital identities used to access more than 2,000 services from more than 700 government agencies and businesses. SingPass can be used to share official personal information, such as address and next-of-kin information needed during an emergency, upon consent.6
Governments should consider a “no wrong door” philosophy that allows individuals to access services through whatever means they can. This also goes by the name “omnichannel support,” which allows governments to integrate information that comes in through a variety of channels, including text, email, webpage inputs, or a phone conversation. Depending on an individual’s needs or wants, the best service might be a “no-touch” self-service portal, a “low-touch” webpage with an AI chatbot to assist them, or a “high-touch” approach that involves interaction with a live person.
Recognizing this, governments are increasingly focused on designing services for specific citizen groups. For segmentation to be most effective, it should be guided by three important principles: equity, to ensure that all groups’ needs are met; efficiency, so that the service can be delivered within budget; and experience, to keep the focus on delivering a great service experience. When considering how to segment their users, many governments use “personas” to explore in-depth the wants and needs of various groups. For example, it is often helpful to think about how to serve newcomers to a service compared to frequent flyers who may already understand the process. Moreover, segmenting can allow the design of communications to be tailored to different groups. Bringing the philosophy of responsive design to user interfaces can greatly enhance the service experience. Segmenting can deliver better performance (equity, experience) at a lower cost (efficiency).
In June 2020, Singapore wanted to give disadvantaged senior citizens a chance to escape the isolation of the pandemic and participate in digital society.7 They introduced Seniors Go Digital, a program that connected seniors to young people to help upskill their digital competencies. The program mobilized ambassadors to train senior citizens through one-to-one personalized coaching and small groups.8 For those with financial challenges, the program even subsidized smartphones and mobile plans.9
Around 15% of the world’s population lives with some form of disability.10 In Canada, Laval, Quebec launched a smartphone app to help citizens with special needs, such as autism or intellectual disabilities, ride a city bus. The app aims to reduce travelers’ anxiety, increase their independence, and improve their overall public transit experience. Once registered, users receive detailed instructions to help them reach their destinations, including photos of landmarks and a reminder to ring the bell when approaching the correct bus stop. It even tracks the rider and can send a notification to a friend or family member if they deviate from the path provided.11 Ingrid Falaise, stepmother to a child with autism from the pilot program, told the local TV news, “He’s getting more self-confidence. He’s just like anyone else and can take public transit by himself. It’s a big step.”12 In the United States, where roughly 6 million individuals have dementia, transit systems in Olympia, Washington and Rock County, Wisconsin have introduced programs to help people with dementia successfully access public transportation.13
Location/geography-specific services
In most countries, economic prosperity is unevenly distributed geographically. Some regions blossom, while others stagnate in comparison. To address this disparity, many governments tailor services by geography.
The United Kingdom’s “levelling up” initiative is a long-term plan to reduce geographic economic disparities, including policies designed to more equitably distribute infrastructure and other forms of productive capital. The plan aims to invest at least 55% of the total R&D funding outside the Greater South East by 2024–25, funneling £100 million into three new innovation accelerators to create new clusters of research excellence, and setting up educational institutions where educational attainment is the weakest.14
The US federal government’s Justice40 initiative seeks to allocate 40% of the benefits of specific federal programs for disadvantaged communities. Investment aims to address issues such as climate change, clean energy, affordable housing, and workforce development.15
India, a country eager to level rural inequality, launched free legal aid via videoconference for rural villagers.16 The Tele-Law initiative was piloted in 500 village councils in the northern states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and then rolled out across the rest of the country. The service is expected to eventually be available in 22 languages.17 Hundreds of village women will be trained as paralegal volunteers to act as the first point of contact for rural citizens.18
Access to high-speed internet opens up crucial digital-age economic opportunities. Yet, a 2021 Pew Research Center analysis concluded that 28% of rural Americans lack a high-speed internet connection.19 Unfortunately, laying miles of fiber-optic-based internet cable often isn’t economically feasible.
New technologies such as low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellites can offer rural populations broadband access. In March 2021, more than 5,000 satellites were in LEO; that number is expected to rise exponentially.20 Satellites and 5G can make high-speed connectivity in rural and mountainous regions much more feasible.21 The Hoh Tribe of western Washington, for example, lacked reliable internet service until recently. Tribal officials reached out to the state government, which connected them with SpaceX’s Starlink team to discuss accessing its new satellite internet service.22 The timing seemed to line up well for both parties; Starlink was planning beta trials for that region and was able to provide early access to the tribe.23 This tweet from the Hoh Tribe says it all: