The Danish Enterprise and Construction Authority (Erhvervs- og Byggestyrelsen) asked Designit to demonstrate how service design can solve problems in the public sector. We focused on improving service delivery in state-run job centres.
To identify problems, we conducted 50 interviews with job seekers, employees and businesses in three different Danish councils.
We took photos of the centre interiors, staff use of offices, presentation of practical information for job seekers and entire centre experience. We observed meetings between job seekers and centre staff, and their daily routines.
And to make sure we left no stone unturned, we asked the general public to fill out postcards, stating their negative and positive experiences of public service.
Hub of discontentment
We discovered widespread dissatisfaction with the centres. Root causes included an inflexible and unreliable service, poor and inadequate information, distrust towards the centres’ central administrative body, no expectations for service delivery and a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach that failed to cater for individual needs.
In short, the needs of businesses and job seekers were neither prioritised nor met. And nobody – internally or externally – knew what kind of service to expect. As a result, centre staff were prevented from delivering a high-quality service.
We held an idea workshop together with job centre staff, human resource managers in businesses and civil servants.
Three-step plan
Using these ideas, Designit proposed the creation of a common communication tool for all centres and the reorganisation of services into saleable products.
Lastly we proposed the development of a communication concept that would set out clear goals and values for centres. To convey the idea that job centres exist to lead job seekers and businesses on a journey, Designit chose traffic signs as illustrations.
Designit tested the solutions at two councils for two weeks. We asked centre staff to evaluate the extent to which the materials could help them in their daily tasks. We also asked them to gauge businesses’ and job seekers’ reaction to the material.
Instant improvement
Feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Job seekers said the material presented the centres as professional, quality service providers. They described the text as easy to understand and welcoming, showing a will to help people and cater for individual needs. Businesses and centre staff both said that the material clarified the services on offer.
The Danish Enterprise and Construction Authority has warmly welcomed the pilot project’s results. Today the Authority is considering how the solutions can be applied nationally.