A presentation on Information and Facilitation Counters (IFCs), also known as Reception/Enquiry Office and what E-government can do about them, made in Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), New Delhi on February 28, 2008.

1. Revitalising Information
and Facilitation Counters
Linking IFCs with
E-government
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2. Indian Institute of Public
Administration, New Delhi
Workshop on
Effective Functioning of Information and
Facilitation Counters
Monday, February 18, 2008 (12 p.m.)
IFCs and E-government
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© Dr D.C.Misra 2008

3. Revitalising Information and
Facilitation Counters (IFCs)
A presentation by
by
Dr D.C.Misra
E-government Consultant At Large
New Delhi, India
 Email: dc_misra@hotmail.com
 Web: http://in.geocities.com/drdcmisra
 Think Tank: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/cyber_quiz
 Tel: 91-11- 2245 2431
 Fax: 91-11- 4244 5183
IFCs and E-government
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© Dr D.C.Misra 2008

4. What is proposed to be covered?
1. Double Loop Learning
2. Citizen Expectation
3. Reasons for Low Capacity
4. State-Citizen Eco-system
5. Understanding Citizens
6. Five Roles of Citizen
7. Functions of IFCs
IFCs and E-government
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© Dr D.C.Misra 2008

5. What is proposed to be covered?
1. Problems of IFCs (IIPA)
2. Problems of Call Centres
3. Linking IFCs with E-government
4. IFC & E-government: Example 1
5. IFC & E-government: Example 2
6. IFC Problems and their Solution
7. IFCs in Era of E-government
8. Conclusion: Strategy for Revitalising
IFCs
IFCs and E-government
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© Dr D.C.Misra 2008

6. I. Double Loop Learning
 Single loop learning is linear, in the same
direction and incremental
 Double loop learning questions the
fundamental assumptions
 There has been a sea-change in state-
citizen relationship during last decade
 The old service models are no longer valid
 There is thus urgent need to revitalise
Information and Facilitation Counters
(IFCs)
IFCs and E-government
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© Dr D.C.Misra 2008

7. II Citizen Expectation
 New technologies like mobile phone and
the Internet have fuelled this expectation
 Ciizens’ faith in new technologies has
been re-enforced by successes in
banking, railway reservation, etc.
 This has been further re-enforced by new
legislation like Right to Information Act
(RTI)
 Citizen expectation from government has
risen sky-high while government’s
capacity to meet it has plummeted
IFCs and E-government
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© Dr D.C.Misra 2008

8. Citizen Expectation and
Government Capacity
Expectation-Capacity Graph
Government Capacity
Citizen Expectation
IFCs and E-government
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© Dr D.C.Misra 2008

9. III Reasons for Low Capacity
 Introduction of information and
communication technologies (ICTs)
 Rise in Citizen Expectation
 Financial Constraints (Budget)
 Physical Constraints (Infrastructure)
 Manpower Constraints (Untrained
Staff)
 Back Office Support (Inadequate)
IFCs and E-government
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© Dr D.C.Misra 2008

10. IV State-Citizen Eco-System
 A complex grievance redressal eco-
system has developed
 Despite this, citizens continue to be
aggrieved both from public sector as well
as private sector
 A typical solution is to have yet another
channel to redress grievance rather than
have a close look at grievance redress
eco-system
IFCs and E-government
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© Dr D.C.Misra 2008

11. Grievance Redressal Eco-System
E-Complaints/Email/Discussion Groups/Blogs/E-petition E-GOVERNMENT
Court of
Cabinet Secretariat ISO Standard Law
Central Vigilance Call Centres
Right to
Commission Consumer Information Act
Forum
Public
Interest
Administrative Litigation
Reforms Citizen
Commission Charters States
Newspaper
Public Grievance (Grievance Page)
Commission Special Districts
Adalats
Citizen
Advisory
Anti-Corruption Bureaus
Bureau Municipalitie Panchayats
s
Ministry/Department
IFCs and E-government
Department of Administrative 11
© Dr D.C.Misra 2008
Reforms and Public Grievances CITIZENS

12. E-Government Channels for
Redressal of Citizen Grievances
 Interactive Voice Response System
 Complaints Online (Portal)
 Email
 Discussion Group
 Blog
 Wiki
 E-petition
IFCs and E-government
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© Dr D.C.Misra 2008

13. V. Understanding Citizens
 There is no proper term for the person being
served by government
 Citizen, a term of convenience, hides a wide
variety like non-citizens (e.g. tourists,
immigrants, children, etc.) and other stakeholders
like businesses
 One-size-fits-all approach will not work in serving
the citizens
 To serve him requires understanding him
 A citizen interacts with state in following five
ways as:
IFCs and E-government
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© Dr D.C.Misra 2008

14. VI Citizen-State Interaction
(a) Information Seekers (of government
programmes and projects)
(b) Service Users (of public services like
education, health, etc.)
(c) Beneficiaries (of public programmes
like NREGP, pensions, etc.)
(d) Compliers (with laws, rules and
regulations like payment of taxes) and
(e) Stakeholders (in public policies and
programmes which affect their life and
living)
IFCs and E-government
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© Dr D.C.Misra 2008

15. Citizen-State Interaction
 Citizen needs in We want service
these capacities
have to be
identified and met
by Information and
Facilitation
Centres (FCs)
IFCs and E-government
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© Dr D.C.Misra 2008

16. VII. Functions of IFCs
 Provide information regarding
services, schemes and
procedure through brochures,
booklets, reports etc.
 Provide information regarding
position of waiting lists and
applications through computer
screens updated every day and
through computerized query to
Departmental database.
IFCs and E-government
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© Dr D.C.Misra 2008

17. IFCs
 Provide information regarding
matters such as bill payment,
registrations, land/house allotment,
payments etc. on phone or
personally to the public.
 Provide forms which are to be
utilized for various procedures even
if the processing is to be done
elsewhere. (Source: DARPG)
IFCs and E-government
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© Dr D.C.Misra 2008

18. VIII Problems of IFCs
(i) Excessive burden and harassment
(ii) Difficulty in obtaining information,
which is sought
(iii) Lack of required facilities
(iv) Lack of authority to act proactively
to render desired level of assistance
(v) Role ambiguity
(Source: IIPA)
IFCs and E-government
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© Dr D.C.Misra 2008

19. IX. Problems of Call Centres
 There is ring but no one picks up
phone (receiver off hook?)
 Phone is constantly engaged
(despite 3 and more calls)
 Phone gets snapped (without any
rhyme or reason)
 Interactive Voice Response System
(IVRS) is time-consuming
IFCs and E-government
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© Dr D.C.Misra 2008

20. Call Centres
 IVRS offers solution to limited
problems
 On different occasions, you are
given different solution to same
problem
 Responding executive says that the
problem is beyond him and he will
refer it to higher ups
 Responding executive often lies to
cover up organisational deficiencies
IFCs and E-government
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© Dr D.C.Misra 2008

21. X Linking IFCs with E-government
 E-government offers a practical strategy
for revitalisation of IFCs
 The essence of IFCs is provision of
information, status of case and forms
 E-government (government online) is
ideally suited to meet these requirements
 However, IFCs should be linked with e-
government in proper manner and not the
way these two examples show
IFCs and E-government
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© Dr D.C.Misra 2008

22. XI IFC and E-government:
Example 1: Delhi Call Centre
 Government of NCT of Delhi has launched a Call
Centre Aap ki Sunwai at Tel No. 155345
 Simultaneously it also launched its website at
www.155345.com
 When I accessed the site, it displayed “Site is
under construction.” (What was the hurry in
launching the website without preparation?)
 Also, why the site has been registered under
.com domain and not under .gov domain? Can’t
we have a standardisation here?
IFCs and E-government
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© Dr D.C.Misra 2008

23. XII IFC and E-government: Example 2:
National Do Not Call Registry
 At long last, a National Do Not Call (DNC)
Registry has been set up at
www.ndncregistry.gov.in
 You register your landline as well as your
mobile phone in the registry
 Despite registration and expiry of notice
period, you continue to receive calls from
tele-marketers
 What can you, as an aggrieved party, do in
the matter?
IFCs and E-government
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© Dr D.C.Misra 2008

24. XIII IFC Problems and Their
Solution
SN Problem Solution
1 Excessive Migrate Citizens to
burden and Government On Line
harassment
2 Difficulty in (a) Improve management
obtaining information system (MIS)
information, (b) Link IFCs with
which is sought departmental websites
IFCs and E-government
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© Dr D.C.Misra 2008

25. IFC Problems and Their Solution
3 Lack of required Provide required
facilities facilities
4 Lack of authority Empower the Officer-in-
to act proactively Charge of Information
to render desired and Facilitation Centres
(IFCs)
level of
assistance
5 Role ambiguity Define the role clearly
(Source: IIPA) and in writing
IFCs and E-government
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© Dr D.C.Misra 2008

26. XIV IFCs in the Era of E-government
 E-government has been an
outstanding success in first round,
namely, in provision of information
 Since IFCs have the same objectives,
namely provision of information,
IFCs can and should mesh with e-
government
IFCs and E-government
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© Dr D.C.Misra 2008

27. XV. Conclusion:
Strategy for Revitalisation of IFCs
 First, understand the problem of the
citizen (Time taken in understanding
problem-70%, in delivering answers-30%)
 Mesh IFCs with E-government
 Lay emphasis on online self-service by
citizens
 Create structured knowledge (Heyman
2005) in Ministry/ Department and it to
IFCs
IFCs and E-government
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© Dr D.C.Misra 2008

28. Strategy for Revitalisation of IFCs
 Base structured knowledge on IFC’s
past experience (queries asked)
 Standardise answers by accuracy
and same response to same
question
 Use IFC metrics to monitor
functioning of IFCs
 Reduce average handle time
IFCs and E-government
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© Dr D.C.Misra 2008

29. Strategy for Revitalisation of IFCs
 Attempt to resolve problem in first
call/visit (first call resolution-FCR)
 Reduce escalation rate (so that a citizen
does not have to make repeated visits to
IFC) by providing complete service
 Display prominently the existence of IFC
on departmental website
 Obtain citizen rating of performance of IFC
IFCs and E-government
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© Dr D.C.Misra 2008

30. End of Presentation
Thank You.
-- Dr D.C.Misra
IFCs and E-government
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© Dr D.C.Misra 2008