1. Reflect back on the objective of the tool you built: did you exceed it, or fall short? If so, why?

The  tool enables  to submit an initiative and contribute towards the simplifications of administrative procedures in your country.

The main goal is citizen participation, both in regulations and in complex procedures managed by the state. Proposals to simplify procedures are suggested by the citizens and this is done through the online submission of initiatives. We detect bad practices and urge citizens to seek solutions or just point out overly complicated procedures.

We aim to eliminate administrative barriers to business operations of citizens and also between citizens with the state. The online tool also offers valuable feedback to the legislators as to whether the solutions established are appropriate.

We considered involvement of citizens as highly important since the launch of our web-based tool. The reason for this is our understanding it is them whom we are preparing the regulations for. At the same time we see their feedback as constructive input that can lead a way towards more inclusive and more accessible regulation  creation.

We are highly motivated to be in contact with the public and aim to hear the voice of the people. We listen and respond to all initiatives / proposals alike without a value assessment. Anonymous submission and consideration is possible.

Our wish is to listen to the people’s voice and offer a channel for the citizens to step in contact with us 24/7/365.

Preferential consideration of initiatives is through email contact, as in this way we can inform the initiator about the responses and discussions that take place in the background. We tend towards two-way up-to-date communication, but at the same time we do not keep personal data (email and name) after the review of the proposal is closed.

a) The initiative exceeded expectations

We managed to mobilize the public administration to address initiatives in a structured way and analyze what can or cannot be improved. The tool has achieved its purpose from this perspective.

In terms of responsiveness and seriousness of our approach towards treatment of the initiatives we can say we exceeded expectations.

Application of measures (https://enotnazbirkaukrepov.gov.si/)  is a website where the implementation of adopted initiatives is monitored (when the ministries commit to the implementation). Therefore this website is directly linked with the Stop Bureaucracy portal. The initiative is transformed into a measure (each measure has a deadline for implementation, determination of the responsible ministry, is defined with a timeframe and a deadline, and includes reports on implementation). Application of measures is therefore an upgrade of the Stop Bureaucracy initiative and brings added value to it. In this sense, the initiative exceeded expectations.

b) Room for improvement

We would like to see greater participation, greater response from citizens and more initiatives submitted. We can constantly monitor the number of visits to the portal and the number of submitted initiatives through tracking the number of submitted initiatives and web analytics. Our cooperation with citizens can be observed through the number of submitted initiatives. Whenever we are present in the field and communicate directly with the citizens, the number of submitted initiatives on the portal increases. From this we can conclude that technology is important but does not replace human contact. Presentation of our online tool at conferences, fairs, workshops, visits to faculties as part of lessons means direct contact with citizens. We note that this is crucial for motivating stakeholders to provide such solutions. More activities carried out in direct contact with citizens mean greater participation in the portal, and this opens up a space where we see room for improvement.

2. What are the tools’ metrics for success and what does metric say – how well did the tool do?

It is of the utmost importance that the response time of the responsible authority to the submitted initiative is set. The estimated time is 15 days, but in practice the responsible ministries respond to the initiative in an even shorter time. We follow the number of initiatives, but for us the essential aspect is that citizens know the tool and can use it when needed.

Web analytics follows the site visit numbers. Our FB profile is followed by about 12,000 people, which is an important channel for page visibility.

We see analytics as a valuable tool for us to understand the topicality of a certain topic. It also helps in understanding the effectiveness of our posts and provides feedback on the effectiveness of communicating with citizens.

3. Were your assumptions that the tool you built would: increase participation/engagement or tackle an issue/raise awareness correct? Do you think you chose the right approach – and what would you do differently?

We believe that the answer is positive – the online solution has brought greater awareness of the possibility of participation. At the same time, it meets the needs of younger generations and is available to all users 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We believe that the direction we have set is the right one, and at the same time we will place even greater emphasis on promoting opportunities among stakeholders that are available through the tools we have developed.

4. What are you hearing from users? What do they enjoy in tool? What do they find challenging?

Most feedback is obtained in the field. The tool is user friendly and simple to use. It is easy to submit initiatives. It is the submission of an initiative without registration on the portal that proves to be an effective solution.

We checked the user experience with different user profiles and with the help of different work methods, and based on the findings in 2018, we redesigned the website with an online tool.

Bot check is the only check, some users have minor problems with this, but this check is important to us, because it prevents website from Bot spamming. Website wants to identify whether the visitor is really a person and not a programmed bot.

The mobile app has not proven to be effective, so we prefer to tailor the site to mobile phone users. In this way, the initiative can be submitted both by accessing the website via computer and mobile phone / tablet.

5. Did your tool deliver what you were hoping for? Are they useful for your key user audience? Are they being adopted?

Due to the consistency of the use of the portal and submitted initiatives we assess the tool as effective. We believe that the tool is useful for our users.

Over the Covid period, we have gained a number of useful initiatives on how to do business with citizens more effectively. As the country began to abandon previously adopted solutions when the situation improved, we received numerous requests towards keeping the “Covid-era solutions” and adopting them as a standard practice.

Our online portal solution we have developed is primarily used by the citizens, which was also our intention.

The solution, on the other hand, is also used by the economic sector, but indirectly, they are communicating their initiatives /proposals through their business associations, not through the online tool. The latter are also taken into account and treated equally.

6. What worked well through the implementation process? What areas have room for improvement?

In the background we are a team who thinks highly of personal contact. We are working to bring the tool closer to the people. We are aiming to achieve this through online promotion, professional articles, and communication through the media space. We always want to take into account the user experience and this is also a guide for our further work. We always try to listen and respond constructively. There is a lot of invisible work done on our end, in the background , mostly at the level of communication between the competent ministries regarding the treatment of submitted initiatives.

In the future we will be focusing on the  importance of awareness rising and promotion on the ground,and at the same time on the importance of motivation within the relevant ministries and specific people who work in ministries and respond to initiatives by finding constructive solutions in the broader public interest. At the same time, we are aware that there is still room for improvement in our work. Listening to citizens and finding solutions is our motivation and one of the key purposes of the web solution we have developed.