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Noticeable Results in
Bureaucratic Simplification for Citizens
Michel Savelkoul
IRRC Nov 17, Berlin
Some facts
Total AB Citizen the Netherlands (16 mln): • 110 mln hours• € 1,275 billion out of pocket costs
– We measured 165 laws and regulations with AB for citizens (=20% of the total number of information obligations)
Baseline measurement: 4-5 months
– Regulations with the highest number of AB were: Income Tax Act: 15 mln hours and € 156 mlnPassport Act: 12.7 mln hours and € 18 mlnRoad Traffic Act 12.5 mln hours and € 174 mlnBut also Voting Act: 3.3 mln hours and € 79.000
How did we measure?
– Standard Cost Model for Citizens measures in:• Time in hours• Out of pocket costs in € (e.g. notary, travel costs,
stamps) in Euros
– Research among citizens on number of contacts and perception
Identified the 20% of most burdensome legislationPareto principle: 20% legislation causes 80% ABRequires a list of all public services!)Insight in problem areas and reduction possibilitiesInsight in specific groups with large amount of AB
! People find time more burdensome than costs (in Euros)
Approach 2007-2011
– Bureaucratic Simplification is part of service delivery
– New focus on solutions that matter -> reduction of burdens relating to top ten annoyances of citizens
– Working together with the local government (new target in Coalition Agreement: -25% of local admin. burden for citizens)
– Reduction of AB of professionals: teachers, policemen, medical staff, etc.
– Quantification (SCM) mainly to monitor:• Departmental admin burden ceilings and new legislation• Consequences for the admin burden of target groups
How to make a difference?
Top 10 solutions (1):
1. Fast and secure service: waiting time will be transparent and shorter
2. Simple application and accountability with social security
3. Single provision of data: all income-related arrangements in one personal internet page
4. Passports are easily obtainable
5. Reduction of permits, towards general rules
How to make a difference? (2)
Top 10 solutions (2):
6. Comprehensible language in forms
7. More trust: more free-of-accountability budgets
8. Mediation
9. Volunteer work: treated like citizens, not enterprises
10. Quality of services: 7/10
Disability benefit claimant
– Lost part of his leg due to diabetes
– Unemployed due to his illness
– Administrative burdensrelate to: • Getting a new driving licence• Claiming benefits
• Burdens of Michiel can be quantified (using SCM) and qualified
Disability benefit claimant
– Lost part of his leg due to diabetes
– Unemployed due to his illness
– Administrative burdensrelate to: • Getting a new driving licence• Claiming benefits
• Burdens of Michiel can be quantified (using SCM) and qualified
How to show the difference?
Roadmaps
What did we learn?
• OECD report February 2007: AB reduction should not be politically neutral!
• Local/regional governments must be included to get noticeable results
• A quantitative reduction target “works” for politicians and civil servants, qualitative reductions “work” for citizens • Quantitative AB burden ceilings keep pressure on
ministries • But: quantitative target can also lead to“perverse
effects”:• Dead wood will be cut first• Hardly any political difficult reductions are made• Decentralisation of tasks reduce burdens only on
national level• Less people entitled to benefit: less AB!
• As a consequence, people hardly notice progress!
Conditions for success: combine quality with quantity
– Focus on real issues that matter for citizens
– Make a top ten of measurable and noticeable (for political debate) reductions (on the level of
central/decentralised government and role models)
– Get political support in government and parliament for this top ten
– Independent watchdog `Actal´
– Departmental admin burden ceilings for a net result
– Awareness: citizen perspective central: ask citizens whether they notice the reductions
– Make it fun! : museum of needless policies
Thank you for your attention!
For more information:
– www.whatarelief.eu
– Michel Savelkoul [email protected]+31 70 426 6543
– Peter Rem
[email protected]+31 70 426 7487
What do citizens want?
• Less administrative burdens (bureaucracy)
• One front office (‘no wrong door’)
• Easy access to the right information
• One-off data delivery
• An ‘easy’ relationship while interacting
• Good treatment by government (‘be taken seriously’)
