Citizen-Centric Government

The term citizen-centric government rose to popularity during the emergence of e-government in the 1990s and 2000s. It is based on the idea that communication technologies allow public services to be efficiently provided to distinct citizen client groups through discrete channels. It is most often presented as a rejection of what are perceived as old-fashioned, agency-centric approaches, in which services are presented through a single channel and according to the predefined physical or functional role of an agency or department. The overriding aim is to extend citizens' choices in how they interact with public-sector bureaucracies while targeting specific societal groups and reducing waste, inefficiency, and corruption.

Citizen-centric government is based on the assumption, first, that most citizens have little awareness of the functional organization of government; second, that they wish to use a variety of ways of finding government information and applying for and receiving services and benefits; and third, that agencies and departments themselves are better able to serve their key client groups if they develop discrete channels for interacting with them.

When combined with new information and communication technologies, especially Web portals, the overall effect of these assumptions is that government can “segment” its client groups according to their characteristic behaviors and needs. The dominant approach has been based upon a “life cycle” model, in which information and services are divided into key categories based on typical life events: giving birth, starting school, applying to college, registering a car, claiming a pension, and so on. However, more refined approaches have been based upon market research that identifies distinct social groups, such as working mothers, young disabled, likely to commit welfare fraud, and so on.

Citizen-centric government does not always revolve around new technologies. Specific service channels are designed to be accessible for specific groups. For example, because Internet use is lowest among elderly people, a citizen-centric approach would devote greater resources to face-to-face contact, telephone call centers, and letter handling. Services aimed at younger age groups, among whom levels of Internet use are higher, are more likely to move online.

A prime mover in implementing citizen-centric government is Singapore, but the idea has been highly influential across a number of countries. In an interesting twist, the UK government has sought to broaden the idea of delivery channels, through its “intermediaries” policy. This involves using Web technologies to involve firms, charity organizations, and other nonprofits in the delivery of services. Government Web portals bring together nongovernment organizations (Citizens' Advice Bureaus, for example) and present them to individual citizens as best qualified to deal with a particular request for advice or information.