Across the Australian Public Service (APS), many surveys are conducted by agencies to measure service delivery success.
In 2017. approximately one third of APS agencies administered surveys about citizen satisfaction and engagement with services 1.
These surveys deliver important insights into how the public engages with individual services.
Insights are used by these agencies to improve service delivery.
There is a gap in the APS survey landscape
The public's overall experience with Australian public services is not well understood. If the APS does not understand how people engage and make decisions, or what drives their daily interactions, we risk not meeting the evolving needs of Australians.
Every experience of Australian public services matters, regardless of who has it. Knowing this, the APS can improve overall consistency in service delivery, and collaboration and knowledge transfer between service delivery agencies.
Addressing this gap will enable the APS to reform service delivery to better reflect public interests
Delivering services that do not meet public expectations impacts trust in Australian public services. Studies show significant benefit from creating a trusting environment. Trust ensures positive, functional, effective relationships. For public services, high trust facilitates cooperation. It can increase compliance and reduce transaction and enforcement costs associated with design and delivery of services2.
The quality and management of public services weighs on public trust. For individuals interacting with services, trust creates a feeling of engagement and inclusion (rather than apathy and alienation), reinforcing broader social cohesion.
This report establishes the Baseline of the first ever Citizen Experience Survey (the Survey)
It marks a milestone in the design and delivery of a regular, national survey measuring public satisfaction, trust and experiences of Australian public services. Dr Martin Parkinson AC PSM, Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, announced his intention to run the Survey at the opening of Innovation Month in July 2018.
The Survey is designed to complement existing work undertaken by APS agencies rather than duplicate; and places the public at its centre. It is designed to concentrate on an individual's experience. Results show why and how people interact with services and who they interact with (including different services concurrently). Results provide insight into services through the eyes of the public.
This design also provides a measure of the consistency, coordination and collaboration of services across the APS and identifies areas for coordinated service delivery.
- Estimate based upon information provided by the Australian Public Service Commission (2018). Approximately 30 of 93 agencies measured public engagement and satisfaction.
- See Fukuyama (1995) 'Trust: The Social Virtues and the Creation of Prosperity', New York, Free Press; OECD Government at a Glance 2013 and 2017' and World Economic Forum 'The economic impact of distrust' (2016).
The Survey provides point-in-time measurement of public trust, satisfaction and experience of Australian public services
The Survey was conducted from 19 to 31 March 2019 with responses from 5,103 diverse participants, representative of the Australian population. Findings are explored through multiple lenses including employment, geographic location and age. The Survey was refined through two exploratory waves conducted between November 2018 and February 2019.
Trust in Australian public services is low but is being maintained
Thirty-one per cent of people trust Australian public services. This figure represents the respondents who categorically (and without uncertainty) trust Australian public services (strongly trust or trust). This finding of low institutional trust is consistent with other surveys around the World. Compared to other government, non-government, and media institutions, the APS appears to be maintaining public trust.3
The APS is not immune to rising distrust observed in other institutions. Results show declining trust in other institutions is a factor people consider when judging their level of trust in Australian public services.
Additionally, survey results show trust is statistically significantly lower in regional areas of Australia when compared to major cities.
- Grattan Institute (2018) 'A crisis of trust: the rise of protest politics in Australia ', p.70
The inclination to trust is positive
More than half of survey respondents somewhat trust or trust Australian public services (59%). Distrust of services is low (10%).
Respondents that 'somewhat trust', 'neither trust nor distrust' or 'somewhat distrust' are considered non-aligned. This group can substantially assist in establishing greater trust in Australian public services. Survey results show apathy is not a major factor for non-alignment. Rather the non-aligned express uncertainty in their trust of services. They engage less often with services and thus have a reduced awareness and an increased reliance on other people's experiences and news media to establish their level of trust.
Uncertainty in the ability to trust Australian public services is heightened by a lack of awareness of roles, responsibilities and accountabilities.
Understanding this nuance highlights a need to consistently deliver responsive and reliable services to Australians in an open, honest and fair way. Consistent delivery of services reduces the number of "bad news" stories influencing the non-aligned.
Additionally, the APS must help the public to know the unknown and become more familiar with the frameworks in place to hold the APS to account through legislation, the Executive and by the Parliament.
Survey results show just 27 per cent of respondents agree Australian public services are responsive i.e. accessible and respectful, as well as receptive and reactive to feedback.
Users of three or more services report less 'know-how' of when and what services to access, and more effort to access and use services.
Satisfaction results reflect a desire for increased service responsiveness and change
Overall, survey respondents report higher average satisfaction than trust when accessing services in the last twelve months. Just over one in two (52%) report satisfaction. Less than one in ten are dissatisfied (9%)*.
Respondents report least satisfaction with understanding how personal information is used and stored (44%); and being kept aware of progress and wait times (43%).
Just under one third (32%) of respondents report using more than one service concurrently for the same reason (such as having a baby). Users of three or more services report less 'know-how' of when and what services to access, and more effort to access and use services.
Greater collaboration and knowledge transfer between agencies, understanding what services are used, when they are used and why, will enable the optimal delivery of programs and services, improving accessibility and responsiveness to meet the needs of Australians.
There is also desire to change the channels respondents use in their service interactions
While most respondents use one channel to engage services (predominantly myGov), 41 per cent use two or more (such as phone and in-person). Over one third of respondents indicate they would like greater choice in how they access services (36%). A focus can be placed on groups expressing a desire for greater choice in how they interact with services, including for young people aged 18-24 years.
*These results represent average satisfaction with services. They are not service-specific. Service-specific satisfaction results may be higher or lower than the average.
Following access to services, just under one in every five respondents provide feedback (19%)
Under one third of respondents (particularly the unemployed and low income earners) who provide a suggestion for change or complaint about a service are satisfied with how feedback is handled (32%).
More than one third of respondents agree Australian public services need to change in future to meet the needs of all Australians (38%)
This result substantially increases for multi-service users and those permanently unable to work (~50% want change).
Overall, just a quarter of respondents trust Australian public services to implement change (25%).
Change needs the entire APS
APS agencies have had significant input into the design and delivery of the Survey.
This has provided agencies with the opportunity to consider results and possible service delivery reforms to improve service responsiveness and public trust.
Using Survey findings, PM&C and APS agencies have together identified opportunities for service delivery reform. In addition, the Survey has identified future research opportunities we will pursue.
These reform and research opportunities demonstrate the value of the Survey as a catalyst for improving Australian public services.
Opportunities for service delivery reform
- The delivery of services to young people (18-24 years) who are experiencing services for the first time.
- The management and handling of feedback across the APS.
- Further exploration of the regional trust gap and tailoring of services to suit regional needs.
- New exploration to understand the right mix of channels for different services.
An opportunity for future research
- Understanding the journeys people take across multiple services. Insights from the Survey will be combined with APS agency research to build this understanding. This research can inform greater coordination and consistency in service delivery.