Executive Summary

For a study on Citizens' Responses to E-government commissioned by the E-government Unit, State Services Commission, a series of focus group interviews was held throughout the New Zealand's North Island. The purpose of the twelve group interviews (and a companion questionnaire completed by 65 people) was to obtain the views of citizens from different socioeconomic groups and from different sectors about what government information they sought, which government services they used, their use of government on the Internet in comparison to other channels they use to gather government information, and about their experiences in dealing with government, especially through the Internet. Those experiences related to how they located the information they needed, what barriers they encountered in their use of government on the Internet, if they thought government on the Internet advanced democratic processes, and their levels of trust and confidence in government information and services on the Internet. As an additional means of data collection, some focus group participants completed observed walk-throughs of information-gathering tasks to demonstrate how they approached and engaged in problem solving related to seeking government information.

The findings showed that participants came from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds and from many different sectors in society. The extent and nature of their contact with government, whether on the Internet, in person, or by phone, wasdependent on how they traditionally gathered government information, the nature of their work, and personal circumstances. Of the 65 participants polled, 72.3 percent had used government on the Internet, though in some cases they were unaware that the sites used were government. The role(s) they played in society (taxpayer, parent, business person, independent contractor to government, Māori, advocate for an ethnic group, advocate or activist on social, environmental or political issues) was the primary determinant of their use of government on the Internet.

Some of the other major findings are:

1. Most frequent contact was on the following topics: City Council issues; immigration/passport /citizenship issues; education, taxation, employment opportunities and conditions; legislation (Statutes, Regulations, and Bills); and Regional Council issues.

2. Participants relied on the telephone as well as face-to-face contact to complement their use of web sites. Which mode they selected first depended on their personal experience, circumstances, and preferences, and their selection patterns are unlikely to change much in the near future. They like direct contact with people and might use the Internet to locate the names and/or phone numbers of departmental or agency contacts.

3. Most participants were unaware of the concept of e-government, and made little use of services available from government on the Internet. They associate government web sites with the provision of basic information.

4. Most participants search for information on government web sites by using Google or guessing the URL of the agency they want. Typically, they have not heard about or use the government portal. Even those who have used the portal did so irregularly. The portal has not made a lasting impression on them.

5. The barriers they encountered while using government web sites fell into the following five categories: physical (i.e., technical and infrastructure), skills-based, attitudinal, content-based and web page design and architecture. In addition, lack of knowledge that the information is there, and where to seek it, inhibits use. A major reason for limited use and non-use relates to a lack of a perceived need for government information.

6. Most participants have a much higher level of trust in government on the Internet than they do in the Internet in general. Distrust was most likely to appear within the focus groups of Māori, Pacific peoples, students, and working professionals.

Based on the study findings and suggestions of the participants, the report focuses on the following set of recommendations:

i. Standardising and improving web site design, and linking information between sites;

ii. Providing more information on sites on content, and annotating headings and links;

iii. Ensuring web sites include contact information and that the information provided has a corresponding date (currentness of information is an important aspect of trust);

iv. Promoting a policy of multi-channel communication between citizens and government;

v. Closer monitoring of compliance with the New Zealand Government Web Guidelines (http://www.e-government.govt.nz/docs/web-guidelines-2-1/index.html);

vi. Ensuring that government web sites meet disability guidelines and that people with impairments do not have to enter a web site through a mirror site or other backdoor channel;

vii. Developing online assistance, and training in the use of government online;

viii. Inviting more contact through e-mail and guaranteeing prompt response from agencies;

ix. Improving online forms so that the public can complete and return them online;

x. Promoting the concept of e-government and publicising its benefits more (relating those promotion efforts to the public's information needs and information-gathering preferences);

xi. Rethinking and vastly improving the government portal;

xii. Providing free access for those with their own computer and those without (e.g. the equivalent of an 0800 phone line but for use of government on the Internet);

xiii. Using incentives to encourage small business owners to engage in e-compliance;

xiv. Rewarding department and agency web sites for their adherence to 'best practices' and assuring that these practices emphasize 'performance metrics' related to their public's satisfaction and the concept of service quality in e-government.