One year into the pandemic, at least
two-thirds of Canadians say they prefer to access services from the
government digitally
TORONTO, May 18, 2021 /CNW/ - The COVID-19 pandemic
has caused millions of Canadians to access the services they need
online. Now, a growing number also want more digital options for
fast, easy access to public services – from connecting with a
government agency to address a specific question, to managing
COVID-19 vaccine appointments. The demand for digitally accessing
government services is higher than ever, and it's here to stay. A
new survey commissioned by ServiceNow reveals if given the choice,
at least two-thirds of Canadians prefer to access services
digitally, across federal (69%), provincial (70%) and municipal
services (65%).
Results from ServiceNow's Citizen Experience in Canada Report, which polled 1,500 Canadian
adults, reveals the shift in expectation as 3 in 4 (74%) say the
pandemic has made them more open to accessing government services
digitally. Delivering great experiences matter, as more than half
of Canadians say positive experiences with public services improve
their overall perceptions of government (61%) and increase the
likelihood they will have future interactions with government
agencies (56%).
However, access to public services is a challenge for nearly
half (46%) of Canadians who rely on someone else to help them
navigate government systems. Among those who rely on someone else
to handle public service processes for them, 3 in 10 (28%) need
help because the process is too complicated, while another 2 in 10
(18%) say they do not know how to do it or where to go.
"One outcome of the pandemic is that it has increased citizens'
appetite for digital services and their expectation for being able
to access services quickly and easily. This extends to public
services offered by the government, like the vaccine rollout," said
Marc LeCuyer, Vice President &
General Manager, Canada,
ServiceNow. "People want simple, easy citizen experiences just like
they have in their consumer lives. Meeting the evolving digital
needs of Canadians builds trust and confidence in our public
institutions, which has never been more important as we navigate
the pandemic and plan for a successful recovery."
Simplicity and accessibility are key to adoption of public
services
For Canadians who have had difficult experiences
with government services, it is often a matter of starting off on
the wrong foot. Six in 10 (62%) Canadians faced challenges with
public services before the process even started, as they had
trouble making contact with the correct government department to
address their needs. This is a result of outdated and complex
systems; not being able to get through phone lines (52%), unable to
locate correct information (25%), and getting bounced around to
different departments (24%).
The opportunity comes down to simplicity. More than 8 in 10
(84%) Canadians believe that their experience navigating and
accessing government services would be simplified if more digital
options were available. Eight in 10 feel the experience would
be improved through greater use of automation (77%) and live chat
functions (77%), while nearly three quarters (74%) say their
experience could be streamlined through mobile-friendly
options.
It's also important to Canadians that digital services offered
by the government are easy to use and fast. For example, Digital
Identity is a secure way of loading personal identification into a
centralized digital wallet. While this is viewed as an emerging
concept for accessing public services, 8 in 10 (82%) Canadians
believe it is convenient and would make accessing public services
faster (81%) and simpler (78%).
Vaccine rollout highlights digital opportunities for public
services
When it comes to accessing critical services such
as COVID-19 vaccines, digital workflows have a big role to play in
supporting the processes and infrastructure needed to vaccinate
people quickly. Close to 3 in 4 (72%) Canadians believe the
increased use of digital tools could improve confidence in the
government's vaccine rollout efforts, including:
- Allowing citizens to book their vaccine appointment online
(65%).
- Providing digital tools that will help medical staff with
booking vaccine appointments for the public (45%).
- Providing digital tools that will help medical staff with the
day-to-day logistics of the vaccination process, such as employee
staffing and other administrative tasks (38%).
"Simplifying public services for Canadians is important. The
government has a great opportunity to become a global leader in
providing best-in-class experiences for our digitally enabled
world. There's never been a better time to create frictionless
experiences that make it easier for Canadians to access services
and navigate their departments through digital workflows that
seamlessly connect systems and processes," LeCuyer concluded.
More details about the survey findings can be found here.
Survey Methodology
Edelman conducted a 17-minute
online survey between March 15 and 20,
2021, in collaboration with Angus
Reid. Through Angus Reid's
panel, Edelman recruited a nationally representative sample of
1,500 Canadian adults aged 18+ and was offered in both English and
French. Quotas and weighting were used to ensure that the sample's
composition reflects that of the Canadian adult population
according to the latest census parameters. To qualify for the
survey, respondents must have utilized at least one of the listed
government services within the past two years.
The precision of Angus Reid Forum online polls is measured using
a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to
within +/- 3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all
Canadians been polled. The credibility interval will be wider among
subsets of the population. All sample surveys and polls may be
subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to
coverage error, and measurement errors.
About ServiceNow
ServiceNow (NYSE: NOW) is making the
world of work, work better for people. Our cloud–based platform and
solutions deliver digital workflows that create great experiences
and unlock productivity for employees and the enterprise. For
more information, visit: www.servicenow.com.
© 2021 ServiceNow, Inc. All rights reserved. ServiceNow, the
ServiceNow logo, Now, Now Platform, and other ServiceNow marks are
trademarks and/or registered trademarks of ServiceNow, Inc. in
the United States and/or other
countries. Other company names, product names, and logos may be
trademarks of the respective companies with which they are
associated.
SOURCE ServiceNow