Public Service Numbers in the European Union

Transcription

"Public Service Numbers
in the European Union"
Report commissioned by the
Federal Ministry of the Interior
Potsdam, October 2010
Brief profile of the Institute
The Potsdam eGovernment Competence Center (IfG.CC) is an academic think tank for
modern government working at the interface between information technology and administrative reform. In addition to e-government, the IfG.CC conducts research into further
“e-themes” of other policy fields including health, education, demographic change and security. The basic aim is to capitalize on the use of information technology, to which end IfG.CC
provides non-technical research and design services. The work of the Institute concentrates
on new forms of organization and governance made possible by IT, including their practical
implementation requirements (change management). This knowledge is applied to support
governments and public administration in the use of new e-government tools and other IT solutions.
Acknowledgements:
A survey on this scale is not possible without the kind assistance of various actors. The authors wish to thank all those whom they interviewed for their input, which substantially contributed to the success of the study. Thanks are due especially to the contact persons in the
embassies, diplomatic representations and government ministries responsible for the single
public service telephone number in the respective EU Member States. The case studies in
particular would not have been possible without the excellent support of the representatives
from France, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. Last but not least, we would also like to thank
the representatives of the Federal Ministry of the Interior whose constructive pointers brought
the voice of experience to our theoretical conclusions and provided supporting evidence for
our assertions.
t
Published by:
IfG.CC - The Potsdam eGovernment Competence Center
Contact: [email protected]
Co-authored by:
Schuppan, Tino; Thessel, Friederike; Walter, Katrin; Müller, Heidrun;
Griffin, James; Drüke, Helmut
IfG.CC - Public Service Numbers in the European Union
Contents
I. Frame of reference .............................................................................................. 6 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 6 2. Approach ............................................................................................................... 8 3. Frame of reference .............................................................................................. 10 II. Examination of the EU Member States ............................................................ 12 1. Existence, introduction and aims of a PSN system ............................................. 12 1.1 Requirements ...................................................................................................... 12 1.2 Empirical findings ................................................................................................. 13 1.3 Analysis ............................................................................................................... 20 1.4 Assessment ......................................................................................................... 21 2. Distribution perspective ....................................................................................... 22 2.1 Requirements in terms of distribution .................................................................. 22 2.2 Empirical findings ................................................................................................. 24 2.3 Analysis ............................................................................................................... 32 2.4 Assessment ......................................................................................................... 34 3. Production perspective ........................................................................................ 36 3.1 Requirements from the production perspective ................................................... 36 3.2 Empirical findings ................................................................................................. 38 3.3 Analysis ............................................................................................................... 43 3.4 Assessment ......................................................................................................... 45 4 Organizational implementation ............................................................................ 46 4.1 Organizational design .......................................................................................... 46 4.2 Empirical findings ................................................................................................. 47 4.3 Analysis ............................................................................................................... 56 4.4 Assessment ......................................................................................................... 57 5 Final assessment with further analysis ................................................................ 60 III. In-depth analysis of selected cases................................................................. 64 0. France - Allô Service Public 39 39 ....................................................................... 65 1.1 Background and general framework setting ........................................................ 65 1.2 Structure .............................................................................................................. 66 1.3 Implementation and outcomes ............................................................................. 68 1.4 Assessment ......................................................................................................... 69 1. Italy - Linea Amica ............................................................................................... 70 2.1 Background and general framework setting ........................................................ 70 2.2 Structure .............................................................................................................. 71 2.3 Implementation and outcomes ............................................................................. 73 2.4 Assessment ......................................................................................................... 73 1
2. Netherlands ......................................................................................................... 75 3.1 Background and general framework setting ........................................................ 75 3.2 Structure .............................................................................................................. 76 3.3 Implementation and outcomes ............................................................................. 78 3.4 Assessment ......................................................................................................... 80 3. Spain "060" .......................................................................................................... 82 4.1 Background and general framework setting ........................................................ 82 4.2 Structure .............................................................................................................. 83 4.3 Implementation and outcomes ............................................................................. 85 4.4 Assessment ......................................................................................................... 85 4. IV. Concluding reflections on the case studies ......................................................... 86 Resulting policy recommendations ................................................................. 89 1. Policy recommendations in terms of innovation .................................................. 89 1.1 Distribution perspective ....................................................................................... 89 1.2 Production perspective ........................................................................................ 92 1.3 Organizational integration .................................................................................... 94 2. Policy recommendations for Europeanization ..................................................... 97 2.1 Option 1: Sharing of experience and good practice ............................................. 97 2.2 Option 2: Allocation of a European telephone number with a "116" prefix to
harmonized services of social value .................................................................... 99 2.3 Option 3: Linking PSN systems between several EU Member States ............... 101 2.4 Option 4: Links between national PSN systems and EU telephone numbers ... 104 3. Summary ........................................................................................................... 104 Bibliography ....................................................................................................................... 107 Appendices ......................................................................................................................... 109 Appendix 1: Questionnaires for countries with PSN ......................................................... 109 Appendix 2: Range of services ......................................................................................... 120 Glossary............................................................................................................................ 121 2
Management summary
The report entitled "Public Service Numbers in the European Union" presents the results of
the research and analysis relating to the introduction of the public service number (PSN) in
EU Member States. The objectives of the research were as follows:

to identify areas of potential for innovation (good practice) in connection with the introduction of a public service number (PSN) in EU Member States. (To identify "potential for innovation" from EU Member States for Germany and for EU Member States from Germany);

to identify and develop potential for Europeanization of the PSN.
The aspects under investigation were distribution, production and organizational integration.
The findings were taken as a basis for ranking and categorizing the EU Member States. National implementation strategies are also covered, with individual case studies focusing on
France, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. The EU Member States and their PSN initiatives
are set out in detail in a casebook supplement to this report.
Based on the findings, the following summary can be made:
Out of a total of 27 EU Member States, 13 provide a PSN service.

These include Belgium (Flanders) and Greece, each at an advanced stage of developing
their public service numbers, although there are two separate systems in Belgium: one in
Flanders and one in Wallonia.

Another group is made up of Germany, Italy, the Netherlands (two separate systems),
Malta, Slovenia, Belgium (Wallonia), Denmark, France, Ireland, Spain and Hungary. The
European Union also provides a public telephone enquiry service via "europe direct".
This shows a general trend towards modernization in Europe in the direction of a single
telephone number for public services.

The EU Member States of Finland, the U.K., Sweden and Cyprus provide national telephone numbers only for specific services (e.g. health); for this reason they cannot be regarded as PSN.
During the survey period, Finland, Latvia, Portugal, Sweden, the Slovak Republic and Cyprus
were planning or considering introducing a PSN.
The detailed analysis of selected EU Member States shows that the PSN systems pursue a
range of different development and innovation strategies:

The Netherlands put in place an innovative central solution with the introduction of "Postbus 51". The "Antwoord" service is offered alongside this system at local authority level
and is not linked to the central system.

Italy’s "Linea Amica" system pursues a pragmatic and incremental strategy.
3

France's steps to introduce the call centre network "Allo Service Public 3939" embrace a
strategy of continuous innovation at central level. The national government has concentrated its management strength in the network of six call centres.

Germany's "D115" service is a national single telephone number for public enquiries
which is unique in its integration of the three levels in the country's federalist structure
(local authorities, Länder, Federation) and in the introduction and management of one
D115 network.

Spain is likewise following the trend towards modernization with its "060" number; Spain's
challenge is to link specialized authorities and local authorities within one network in view
of their governance structures.
General strategies with a view to the further development of "D115" are apparent from the
comparison of the EU Member States in terms of the depth of services, hours of availability,
the languages offered and the multi-channel approach. However, the range of services
(range of content offered) is particularly well developed in the "D115" system from the distribution perspective.
The PSN systems in Belgium (Flanders), Greece, Ireland, Italy and Hungary provide a frame
of reference for "good practice". A good example is Italy with the connection of its PSN system in emergencies. The Dutch "Antwoord" service is another source of potential ideas, especially in terms of a franchise-type approach to the management of call centre networks.
"D115" has innovative aspects which could be introduced by other EU Member States with
PSN systems, especially the multi-tier cooperation which has worked well despite the country's federalist structures.
Four scenarios can be taken as a basis for recommendations for different forms of collaboration between the EU-27:

Sharing of good practices among all EU Member States which could form the basis of
broad support across Europe for a pan-European "116" number for "harmonized services
of social value".

Allocation of a telephone number with a "116" prefix for harmonized services of social
value for all EU Member States, which are commonly defined by a standard terminology
which takes due account of the different services offered in each case. It might be possible, for example, to access the various national administrative services via a panEuropean "116" number.

Linking of national PSN systems of EU Member States. It is conceivable, for example, to
have links in border areas, e.g. Euroregions. EU Member States which have a functioning
service network in their country between different levels are particularly suitable in terms
of a general linking of PSN systems. This is a complex and costly process, however, and
is more likely a long-term scenario.

A promising and more economic option would be to link the public information service of
the European Commission, "europe direct", with one or more national PSN systems (EU
4
5
I. Frame of reference
1. Introduction
Public administrations in Germany, as in many other EU Member States, have undertaken
major efforts in recent years to become more accessible to the people they serve. In particular, electronic public information services have been introduced in the context of
e-government. However, statistics show that demand for these electronic public services is
often limited.
Other channels of access, however, especially the telephone, continue to be widely used and
are becoming even more significant for certain target groups. Indeed, members of the public
often want an immediate answer to their questions, which can be easily obtained over the
telephone. One single, easy-to-remember public service telephone number would be a simple way to deal with public enquiries from one central point, resulting in "one-stop government". In this instance, a call centre or service centre 1 would be needed because - as will be
seen later - this is the only way to resolve such enquiries fully from one central point. From
the caller’s point of view, this would make it possible to reduce the number of contact persons resulting from the division of responsibilities. It is time-consuming to hunt down the right
information and the relevant benefit, the right department or the required application form
and the necessary documents. Often members of the public have to contact an agency several times due to insufficient details or information on the relevant services. This would be
avoidable with a single public service number (PSN). 2
In addition, all members of the public benefit equally from telephone-based "one-stop government", whether they have internet access or not. Above all, the fact that a PSN makes it
possible to maintain a full range of services even in rural areas and remote regions should
not be underestimated. Greece, for example, introduced a PSN with the aim of providing
telephone access to public services on remote islands. And in many cases, members of the
public need information immediately, which is why the telephone will remain a major channel
of access in the foreseeable future alongside the internet (Goldau/Meyer/Weber 2009, p. 92;
Accenture 2005, p. 28).
In Germany, the idea of "115" as a single government service telephone number was first
presented to the Federal Chancellor at the IT summit in 2006. The two-year pilot scheme
was launched in March 2009 after a test phase.
1
2
The term 'service centre' is used in Germany when referring to the D115 system and is understood as an extended call
centre in the relevant literature. An exact definition of the term is given in Section I.3.
This report uses the term “public service number” (PSN) rather than “non-emergency number”, as this service is also
known.
6
Furthermore, there is the possibility of setting up a single European public service number as
a harmonized service of social value. 3 EU Member States can take the prefix "116" and form
a six-figure telephone number reserved for harmonized services of social value. In the same
way it would be possible to bring in a single Europe-wide telephone number which the public
could ring to obtain information on administrative services, for example, in the respective EU
Member State. This would be possible only with the commitment of at least five EU Member
States. One example of a telephone number of this kind which already exists is "116 116" for
blocking credit cards or EC debit cards anywhere in Europe.
This could be a major contribution to European integration in that a standardized administrative system could be created while still retaining national singularities. A further-reaching Europeanization scenario is fundamentally conceivable whereby telephone enquiries are forwarded from one European country to another. To do so, the corresponding national infrastructure would need to be in place, and the relevant requirements in this regard are investigated in this survey.
Aims and objectives
The aim of the survey is to identify areas of potential for innovation and for Europeanization
on the basis of empirical findings. This potential for innovation (good practices) in Europe in
turn serves to identify ways in which the "D115" service might be developed further. Likewise
the EU comparison will serve to highlight any innovations in connection with "D115" which
could be of interest to other EU Member States. Another objective of the survey is to determine whether there is potential for Europeanization with regard to the PSN as a harmonized
service of social value. The spotlight in this regard is not only on EU Member States which
already have a national PSN system but also on EU Member States with concrete plans to
introduce one.
An exploratory approach is to be adopted in pursuit of these aims because the first requirement is to find and explore correlations and developments (cf. also Yin 2003, p. 120). There
are no systematically established data on the PSN in EU Member States. Only by comparing
PSN systems in EU Member States is it possible to gain perspective and thus arrive at a
deeper appreciation of the positioning and specific characteristics of the "D115" solution. The
following questions are based on the aims and objectives of the study:

What is the status of PSN implementation in the 27 EU Member States?

What innovations, strengths and weaknesses are evident in the attempts of various EU
Member States to introduce a national PSN?
3
cf. Commission Decision of 15.2.2007 on reserving the national numbering range beginning with "116" for harmonized
numbers for harmonized services of social value.
7
The empirical focus of the study is necessary because there is very little coverage of
PSN/call centres in the literature apart from research commissioned for consultative purposes, non-commercial publications referred to as "grey literature", and internal project reports. There is, by contrast, extensive literature on the use of call centres in private organizations (e.g. Schumann/Tisson 2006; Zapf 2003; Fojut 2008; Menken/Blokdijk 2009) but the
content cannot be directly applied to the public sector due to the different framework requirements and objectives set out by the private organizations.
An analysis of relevant international journals and conferences held in the last five years,
which was carried out as part of this survey, has also shown that articles about call centres
or service centres in the public sector are very few and far between. 4 This subject or certain
aspects of it are discussed in a variety of ways in the context of e-government (e.g. Feil
2002; Schellong 2008), but in most cases the approach is abstract and technical and does
not have the focus required for this study. Nor are there any empirical studies of the public
sector apart from general public surveys. Most reports about PSN are not very abstract and
are mostly success stories with little information about context, e.g. those on New York’s
“311” model. In this respect the survey also goes some way towards redressing the evident
research deficit.
2. Approach
A global review of all EU Member States (overall view) and individual case studies are used
to investigate the status of PSN implementation. Case studies are particularly conducive to
meeting the aims of this survey as they help to identify the way in which the PSN has been
introduced and what form it takes ("How") and to explain the rationale behind the introduction
of a PSN with its pros and cons ("Why"). Moreover, the baseline situation prior to the introduction of a PSN is complex - e.g. in organizational, cultural and technical terms - and is easier to grasp in the context set by case studies. The result is greater understanding of the different routes taken by various countries in setting up a PSN system. The analysis highlights and explains where possible - what the national solutions have in common and what sets
them apart.
Method of data acquisition
The data were collected in three phases from January to the end of April 2010. The aim of
the first phase was identify those countries with a PSN system already in place or with concrete plans to introduce one (Identification). This was done initially using Web research.
4
The submissions of the following annual international conferences were reviewed: IRSPM, HICCS, MeTTeg and EGPA.
The following journals were studied: Public Management Review, Government Information Quarterly, and other international publications available through ScienceDirect.
8
News, conference presentations, evaluation reports, minutes of parliamentary debates, government fact sheets published by the European Commission, public administration websites,
project documentation, press releases and e-government strategies were searched for references to the existence of a PSN system in each EU Member State. Two groups of search
terms were used in different languages. The search terms in the first group (government, citizen, public, administration, national, city) were combined with search terms from the second
group (call centre, contact centre, service centre, information line, hotline, telephone, service
line, single telephone number, single service number).
The search results were also verified by sending emails to the German embassies in all 27
EU Member States, the diplomatic missions of the EU Member States in Germany, research
partners of the IfG.CC, and the Permanent Representations of the EU Member States to the
EU. A total of 91 enquiries were made as to the existence of a PSN system to which 61 replies were received.
The second phase involved further analysis of the countries in which there was evidence of
PSN initiatives (Verification). The range of services and geographic coverage of the telephone number were investigated to determine whether the systems were indeed PSN systems. Documents referred to by the bodies contacted in the first phase were given special attention. In case of doubt, telephone interviews were used to clarify whether a telephone
number was in fact a PSN.
In the third phase the EU Member States with a PSN were studied in more depth with regard
to the design and features of their PSN systems and their various implementation strategies
(Consolidation). Written enquiries were sent out with standardized questionnaires, albeit with
different sets of questions for the countries which had already introduced a PSN (cf. Appendix 1) and for those with concrete plans to do so. Enquiries were addressed to project managers, directors-general in the relevant ministries, regulatory authorities and representatives
of the agencies responsible for implementating the PSN. In addition to the written email survey, structured telephone calls were made based on guidelines, and one visit was made in
person (Slovenia) in order to establish the facts and clear up any outstanding questions. The
information was thus further substantiated and validated. For the more in-depth data collection phase, 65 questionnaires were sent out in total and 31 replies were received. Norway
and Switzerland were also included in the data evaluation in addition to the EU-27. The results of the third phase have been summarized in fact files in a supplement to this report. The
empirical data in the report reflect the situation as at March/April 2010 and take no account of
any changes thereafter.
9
3. Frame of reference
The following definition is taken as a basis for this study:
A PSN is a short and easily memorized telephone number which provides access to as many
frequently requested public services as possible. The PSN is assigned by the national (regulatory) authorities upon request and the service is offered by these authorities. A national
PSN allows individuals and companies to contact the authorities irrespective of administrative responsibilities.
The calls are taken by a call centre or a service contact centre, organizational units with a
large-scale technical and organizational infrastructure. A service contact centre (or service
centre for short) is a more advanced form of call centre in that it takes and answers telephone calls but also acts as an extensive communications centre (cf. e.g. Sharp 2003, p. 3;
Fluss 2005, p. 198). In contrast to the call centre, it interacts with the public via several channels of communication (email, post, fax, chat and SMS), which is already partly the case in
certain countries, e.g. Italy.
It is important for the purpose of this study to know not only whether an EU Member State
has a PSN system but also what its distinctive features and unique characteristics are. This
requires a framework based on the differentiation common in e-government literature between distribution and production (Lenk/Schuppan/Schaffroth 2010, p. 30f.; Lenk 2004, p.
84.) and is here applied to PSN systems.

The distribution perspective can be equated with a supply perspective. It is used to identify which services (range of services) are offered via the PSN system and to what depth
(depth of services) and in what form (e.g. hours of availability and languages spoken).

The production perspective can be equated with the provision of goods and services. It
identifies how the services are provided from the service centre perspective, e.g. in cooperation with other information tiers (service levels) which refer enquiries to ever higher
levels of specialization. Information management, cooperation models and IT applications
are evaluated.

For a PSN system to function, it also needs to be integrated in an appropriate organizational infrastructure. This includes such aspects as the operator model, quality management, personnel management, etc. These are combined under the general term of organizational infrastructure.
The diagram below shows these three areas in relation to each other; the various perspectives are fleshed out in the course of the report.
10
Customer
Distribution
Requests
different and multiple
Anfrage zuforverschiedenen
und mehreren
services
(service
A, B,A,C,B, C, …)
Leistungen
(Leistung
Multi-channel
Multikanal
PSN
call centre
Call Center
der EBN
11.st Auskunftsebene
service level of call
descentre
Call Centers
Production
Organizational integration
(operating scheme, financing, personnel management,
quality management, public relations)
“Which agency is responsible?”
“Which service do I need?”
AgencyA
Behörde A
Further administrative
specialization
22.ndAuskunftsebene
service level of call
descentre
Call Centers
33.rdAuskunftsebene
service level
Agency
BehördeBB
Agency
BehördeCC
Figure 1: Coordination of distribution, production and organizational infrastructure
All three areas (distribution, production, organizational infrastructure) form the basis for the
rest of the report, which is structured as follows:

Data relating to all the EU Member States are presented within the analytical framework
in Section II which is the central part of the report. This enables an overall classification
of all the EU Member States which, in turn, allows statements to be made regarding the
potential for innovation and Europeanization.

Section III contains a detailed analysis of four countries, showing how countries can follow certain trajectories and how PSN systems can therefore develop in different ways.
This part of the report is necessary because good practice can be appreciated only in the
context of a specific country. It is the only way to facilitate an attitude of reflection and
understanding and to avoid a one-size-fits-all approach to the transfer of good practice.

Finally, as specified in the aims and objectives, Section IV makes and discusses policy
recommendations based on the findings set out in the report.
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II. Examination of the EU Member States
This section examines the EU-27, firstly in order to determine whether they have a PSN system and secondly in terms of distribution, production and practical organization. The demands on the various areas are discussed, then their different stages of development are
surveyed and analysed with a view to evaluating the potential for innovation and Europeanization.
1. Existence, introduction and aims of a PSN system
1.1 Requirements
Aspects which are of relevance in determining which of the 27 EU Member States actually
have a PSN system are the range of services offered and the geographical reach of the telephone hotline service (cf. Figure 2):

Only a telephone number which provides access to a relatively broad range of public services and information on public services can be described as a PSN. According to this
definition, members of the public and companies should have just one point of contact for
reaching the authorities and having a number of questions answered or matters clarified.
Special telephone numbers, such as the emergency number (112), do not meet the criteria to be considered PSN systems.

The only government service numbers which will count are those which extend beyond a
certain town or region and are explicitly set up as national telephone numbers. Regional
government service numbers do not count as PSN systems.
12
If an EU Member State is found to have a PSN system in place then the enquiry will move to
other relevant aspects, such as the events which prompted its introduction, the time of its introduction, and the aims or strategy pursued. This will fill in the background information and
provide insight into the aims and objectives surrounding its introduction. This information significantly improves understanding of the status of development and the process of implementing the PSN.
1.2 Empirical findings
In terms of the existence of PSN systems, the following basic picture has emerged:

13 out of 27 EU Member States have a PSN system.

Six countries have firm plans to introduce a PSN system.

In eight EU Member States, no evidence was found of any attempts to set up a PSN.
The findings and the names of the national PSN systems in the various countries are summarized in Figure 3.
13
Countries with a PSN
Countries planning to introduce
a PSN
Countries without a
PSN
Belgium:
Contactpunt Vlaamse Infolijn
(Flanders)
Le Téléphone Vert de la Région
wallonne (Wallonia)
Finland
Bulgaria
Denmark:
Borger.dk’s Contact Centre
Latvia
Estonia
Germany:
D115
Portugal
Lithuania
France:
Allô Service Public 39 39
Sweden
Austria
Greece:
Public telephone enquiry service
(1500)
Slovak Republic
Poland
Ireland:
Citizens Information Phone Service
(CIPS)
Cyprus
Romania
Italy:
Linea Amica
Czech Republic
Luxembourg
Numéro vert: 8002 8002
United Kingdom
Malta:
Government Information Service
Freephone 153
Netherlands:
Postbus 51 Informatiedienst
Antwoord
Countries with a PSN
Countries planning to introduce
a PSN
Countries without a
PSN
Slovenia:
Halo Uprava! (new number planned:
115)
Spain:
060
Hungary:
189 ÜGYFÉLVONAL
Figure 2: Summary of findings at the end of the second phase
In some countries without a PSN - like Estonia - the web portal is the preferred method of
access and is positively encouraged, therefore telephone access is disregarded. 5 Countries
like the Czech Republic and Romania did not meet the inclusion criteria either. There are
5
Non-EU Member States Switzerland and Norway were also included in the analysis: Switzerland and Norway currently
have no systems in place and have no plans to introduce a PSN although the subject is at least under discussion in Switzerland as part of the e-government agenda.
14
PSN systems in Prague and Timişoara, Romania, but they are too localized to be considered
national PSN systems. Moreover, the public service number in Prague, which was unveiled
in January 2010 under the name of "Pražské kontaktní centrum", currently only provides information on a very few government services.
Finland, the U.K., Sweden and Cyprus do have telephone numbers which apply throughout
the respective country but they only offer specific services and, for this reason, cannot be
considered PSN systems.

In Finland, for example, callers can ring the number "Osoitepalvelu 0600 0 1000" to ask
for the address of a person registered as a resident of Finland at the relevant office
("Väestörekisterikeskus").

The U.K. has special hotlines for health, security and public order. The British Department of Health is planning to launch a free "111" call service for non-emergency health
care enquiries. The aim is to provide the public with fast and simple access to information
about health policy issues and health care services in their region. Any callers who evidently need urgent medical help will be put through to "999" or "112". Pilot schemes were
set up in the local National Health Service (NHS) organizations in the north-east and east
of England and in the East Midlands in the spring of 2010.
People can ring "101" to report anti-social behaviour and public order offences (e.g. vandalism, noise nuisance, drug-related crime). The "101" hotline also takes the pressure off
the emergency system at very busy times, such as public holidays, certain events or disasters.

The same is true of Cyprus and Sweden, which have set up special numbers for public
order and security calls in addition to the emergency numbers.
Luxembourg is a special case. Its public service number, "Numéro vert: 8002 8002", does offer the range of services to meet the criteria to qualify as a PSN but has a low profile due to
the lack of demand for the service. There are plans to replace the telephone service with the
website www.guichet.public.luis, so this report does not examine Luxembourg any further.
Firm plans for the introduction of a PSN were found in Portugal, Finland, Latvia, Sweden, the
Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Cyprus. The plan in Slovenia is to introduce a PSN system
which will supersede the existing government service numbers (e.g. Halo uprava!). As in
Germany, the "115" number has been chosen for the service. PSN planning is still in the
early stages in Latvia, Sweden and the Slovak Republic. In 2010 the Swedish government
awarded the contract for the implementation of a PSN system in Sweden.
At EU level, the "europe direct" freephone number (00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11) meets the criteria
to be considered a PSN. It applies all over Europe and was set up by the European Commis-
15
sion. It provides information on EU institutions, e.g. the European Council, the European
Court of Auditors, the Committee of the Regions, and the Economic and Social Committee.
The decision as to whether a country can be seen as having a PSN system was not entirely
unequivocal in every case. In Belgium, for example, Flanders and Wallonia each have their
own regional PSN systems which, strictly speaking, cannot be regarded as one national PSN
system. The reason behind the division is that the federal level is weakly developed whereas
the regions and the language areas are politically strong. Another factor is the marked cultural differences and in some cases strong political differences between Wallonia and Flanders in particular.
The system is also divided in the Netherlands: The national "Postbus 51" system, which is
run by the Ministry of General Affairs, operates alongside "Antwoord", a solution for local authorities initiated by the Ministry of the Interior and the Association of Netherlands Municipalities. Both telephone numbers offer a broad range of services nation-wide and are perceived
in the Netherlands as a PSN system.
Along with Germany, the countries shortlisted for further investigation were Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain and Hungary.
Also included for further consideration were Finland, Portugal and Cyprus because these
countries have firm plans with sufficiently developed aims and objectives.
Reasons for introduction, aims and strategic objectives
The catalysts for introducing a PSN were very different in the countries surveyed. In most of
these countries, it was a response to a more or less specific problem. In some countries the
government was under general pressure to take action due to increasing public dissatisfaction with the quality of the services provided and/or the confusing array of administrative
structures. In some cases existing government service numbers were unable to cope with
the number of calls, and the telephone system needed to be extended or developed anyway.
Another reason was the influence of "good practice" and New York’s experience with its
"311" number for government information, a system which also inspired the D115 project in
Germany. Similarly, the Canadian system "1 800 O-Canada" became a role model for
France. The increasing meeting of minds within Europe is also propagating the spread of
ideas, as exemplified by the planned expansion of the PSN system in Slovenia which is
largely inspired by Postbus 51 (in the Netherlands). The catalysts in the various countries are
summarized in Figure 4.
16
Catalyst
Countries
Initiatives/projects
aimed at extensive
public sector modernization
Specific initiatives: europe direct, Germany, Netherlands (Postbus 51),
Spain
Public sector modernization: Belgium (Wallonia), Denmark, Greece,
Malta, Slovenia, Hungary
Finland, Portugal, Cyprus
Further development of projects
Ireland
Specific problem
situations
Belgium (Flanders - capacity overload of government service numbers), Italy (dissatisfaction with quality of public sector services)
Finland and Cyprus (capacity overload of emergency numbers)
Inspiration from
other countries
France (inspired by Canada), Netherlands (Antwoord - New York 311),
Hungary, Slovenia (Postbus 51)
Cyprus
Figure 3: Catalysts for the introduction of PSN systems
The aims pursued in launching their PSN systems were similar in the different countries. The
main priorities are providing better access to administrative services and improving service
quality. The interviews conducted in France and Ireland referred to the importance of offering
a better quality of service for the elderly, for people with disabilities and for people living in rural areas. In Denmark, Slovenia and Hungary the specific aim of the PSN is to provide people without internet access with a service comparable to that provided on the Web (cf. Figure
5).
Objective
Countries
To improve the information service
europe direct, Belgium (Flanders), Greece, Netherlands (Postbus
51 Informatiedienst, Antwoord - especially at local authority level),
Hungary
Finland, Cyprus
To improve the quality of
service/access to administrative services
Belgium (Wallonia), Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, Spain (linking
of administrative levels and access channels)
Finland, Portugal, Cyprus
France and Ireland (especially for the elderly, for people with disabilities and for people living in rural areas)
To provide another
channel of access to
online services
Denmark, Slovenia, Hungary
To merge existing call
centres
Portugal, Slovenia (new PSN planned)
Figure 4: Objectives pursued in introducing PSN systems
17
Moreover, in almost all the EU Member States, the PSN is part of a wider e-government
and/or overarching modernization strategy (cf. Figure 6). In Denmark, France, Greece, Slovenia and Hungary, telephone access to public services has been explicitly included in the
national e-government strategy. The PSN in Flanders (Belgium) is part of a wider public sector modernization strategy; a separate strategy was developed for introducing the telephone
number. "Antwoord" in the Netherlands is integrated in both a modernization strategy and an
e-government strategy.
"D115" was first conceived as a modernization path in its own right but in 2008 was included
under "e-government" in the strategic action plan for public sector modernization entitled
"Zukunftsorientierte Verwaltung durch Innovation" ("Focused on the Future: Innovations for
Administration"). Italy is a special case: Shortly after taking office in 2008, the new Minister
for Public Administration and Innovation called for the "Linea Amica" to be set up as a central
point of telephone contact for the public. "Linea Amica" is a pragmatic solution of an incremental nature and is not part of an explicit (fully formulated) strategy.
Plans to introduce a PSN in Portugal and in Finland are part of national e-government strategies. Plans to expand the PSN in Slovenia and to introduce a system for the first time in Cyprus are not set in a wider context. In Latvia, Sweden and the Slovak Republic, the introduction of a PSN system has been set out in various guidelines and strategy papers, and in
Sweden legislation for launching the PSN is being prepared.
The strategic integration is summarized in Figure 6. The number of countries setting the PSN
in the context of wider strategies is an indicator for the value of the PSN system in the respective country.
No strategic integration
of PSN
Separate strategy for
PSN
Italy
Belgium (Flanders),
Ireland, Netherlands
(Postbus 51)
PSN integrated in overarching modernization strategy
Belgium (Flanders), Belgium (Wallonia),
Germany, Denmark, europe direct,
France, Greece, Malta, Netherlands
(Antwoord), Slovenia (Halo uprava!),
Spain, Hungary
Figure 5: Countries categorized in terms of their main strategic thrust
Time of introduction
The EU Member States with a PSN can be subdivided into three groups in terms of the timing of their introduction of the PSN system:
18

The first group is those countries which introduced a PSN comparatively early, i.e. before
the year 2000: Belgium (Wallonia and Flanders), Malta and the Netherlands with its
Postbus 51 system ("pioneers").

The second and largest group is those countries which introduced a PSN between 2001
and 2007: Denmark, Ireland, France, Greece, the Netherlands with its Antwoord system,
Spain and Slovenia. These countries insisted on the telephone despite the general focus
on internet access. The "europe direct" system was also activated in this period ("followers").

Italy, Hungary and Germany form a third group, having introduced their PSN systems after 2008 ("latecomers").
Figure 7 below clearly shows the various countries and the years in which they introduced
their PSN systems. The introductions of the PSN systems in Canada and New York, which
are regarded as well developed, are also marked on the timeline as a guide and a point of
comparison.
Figure 6: Timeline of PSN introduction
Project responsibility and strategic aims
In almost all the countries, responsibility for the PSN policy lies with government ministries
or, in many cases, the state premier or prime minister, indicating the importance of the PSN
in the various countries. In Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, Slovenia and Cyprus a government department, generally the interior ministry, is responsible. In Slovenia and Malta the
government ministries or authorities responsible for policy decisions have also taken on re-
19
sponsibility for the implementation process. In Belgium the local governments in Wallonia
and Flanders each have responsibility for their respective PSN systems.
1.3 Analysis
The results of the survey on the existence of PSN systems show that there is a clear trend
towards modernization in Europe with PSN systems firmly on the reform agenda, as approximately two-thirds of the countries have a PSN or sufficiently concrete plans to introduce
one.
It is striking that countries like Estonia and Austria, which have well-developed e-government
according to relevant studies (e.g. Capgemini 2009; UN-DESA 2008), have no PSN nor any
plans to introduce one. 6 Instead they have concentrated their efforts on internet access. The
telephone is presumably perceived as a more traditional means of access there. Countries
like Finland, Portugal, Sweden and Cyprus, which are likewise regarded as advanced in
e-government, have taken a different approach: These countries are in the process of reclaiming the telephone as a channel of access or expanding it alongside the internet, and
there are firm plans on the table to this end.
Also noticeable is the virtual absence of PSN initiatives in the new EU Member States in particular. Of the Eastern European countries, only Slovenia has launched a PSN and has plans
to develop the system further. The only countries claiming to have any firm plans are Latvia
and the Slovak Republic. A clear divide separates the new EU Member States which, with
the exception of Estonia, can be explained by their general state of development in
e-government and in their administrative systems.
For most of these countries, the catalysts were similar: major public dissatisfaction with government services, particularly in Italy. The 2009 earthquake in the Abruzzo region was one
specific factor amongst others which generated an urgent (additional) compulsion to act and,
in turn, increased the acceptance of the PSN. General pressure on the capacity of previous
government service numbers is another catalyst leading to similar aims. Finally, it should be
noted that in most of the EU Member States, the development of PSN systems only began in
earnest after the year 2000. So it can be assumed that in these countries the PSN is explicitly regarded as a part of e-government.
The comparison makes clear that the PSN is a high priority in all those EU Member States
which have a PSN system, where it almost always lies within the remit of a ministry or the actual head of government. In many cases an exclusively centralist approach is avoided, especially if the organization of the call centres is devolved to local level.
6
A more detailed analysis of the link between e-government and the development of the PSN is included in Section II.5 after
identifying the different status of implementation in the various countries.
20
1.4 Assessment
Potential for innovation
The research into the existence of PSN systems in the 27 EU Member States already provides examples of good practice: Some countries, such as the U.K. or Finland, have public
sector hotline services aimed at specific target groups (e.g. employers) or related to certain
services, such as health, public order and security, an innovation which could potentially be
used in Germany. With regard to objectives, there is potential for innovation in Germany insofar as "D115" could be more strongly linked to the aim of being geared to specific life circumstances of the elderly or people living in rural areas. Due to the decentralized administrative structure, however, the requirements for implementation are disproportionately greater
there than in urban areas, which also explains the lower level of coverage there to date.
Moreover, in rural areas there ought to be far less competition with existing government service numbers than in a town constituting a district in its own right, for example, because municipalities and districts do not operate joint public service numbers.
Potential for Europeanization
As a general principle, all those countries which have introduced a PSN are suitable for
European cooperation. It can be assumed that countries which pursue similar aims have
more potential for cooperation. Having similar aims and objectives makes it easier to agree
on a joint harmonized service of social value (European "116" number). From this standpoint
the countries most suitable for cooperation are Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia), Greece, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands (both systems), Spain and Hungary.
The time of introduction is a less important factor for Europeanization because it depends, if
anything, on the current status of implementation, which is not necessarily related to the
length of time the service has been running. Countries which have not yet introduced a PSN
also have potential for Europeanization, especially those with firm plans to set up a PSN,
such as Finland, Sweden or Portugal. For example, Sweden plans to set up a "116 115"
number as a national PSN from the outset, thus providing a simple scenario for Europeanization (national allocation of the telephone number).
21
2. Distribution perspective
2.1 Requirements in terms of distribution
The general guiding principle when setting up an access channel is to provide a contact facility with a low level of bureaucracy, few barriers and services offered in several languages, if
possible; this also applies to the PSN. The aim is for every member of the public and every
target group (e.g. families, senior citizens, etc.) to have straightforward and direct access to
information on administrative services according to what they need in their specific circumstances and given their prior knowledge (Lenk 2004, p. 79). The extent to which this aim is
met will depend on how the system is developed in terms of the range of services, depth of
services, availability, target group approach and multi-channel strategy.

The range of services means the breadth of information and services offered via a PSN
system. The term "one-stop government" can be used only when a system offers access
to as many services as possible. As a general rule, a broad range of services can be offered by one source only if there is cooperation between organizations. The range of services thus provides an initial indication of the breadth of cooperation in a country, i.e.
whether there is cooperation across many agencies.

In addition to the range of services, it is relevant for members of the public to know what
depth of services can be provided beyond the provision of information. Applications can
be made or status requests handled through a PSN system. It is also conceivable that
notice of approvals could be served. The depth of services goes further and provides indications as to the degree of cooperation. Indeed, information can be provided with a limited degree of cooperation (e.g. use of shared databases), but adding depth to services
generally demands greater cooperation mechanisms with the specialist authorities (cf.
section on production perspective). If, for example, callers were to be given case-related
information then, in certain circumstances, the call centre employee would need at least
read access to the applications used by the authorities.

Not least, the availability of the service is relevant at the distribution planning stage. This
includes aspects such as hours of service, the number of languages spoken, and accessibility for people with disabilities.

Ultimately the service cannot just be aimed at the public in general but rather some services might be tailored to specific target groups, such as single parents, senior citizens,
etc.

However, the full potential of a PSN can be exploited only if a multi-channel approach
is adopted. Indeed, at the public administration’s "distribution interface" there are further
access options which do not function in isolation from each other. For example, members
22
of the public can use a PSN to contact the relevant authority with enquiries and can visit
an office in person with the physical application or use electronic channels to make the
application. An appointment can be made via a PSN and application forms can be
downloaded from the website, filled out and sent back to the administrative department
by email.
A four-stage model originally developed for electronic commerce can be used to illustrate
how the areas identified can be specifically organized in a PSN system (cf. Gisler 1999, p.
28ff.; Lenk 2004, p. 76). According to the model, the procedural interactions between citizen
and agency along an administrative chain are subdivided into the following stages (cf. Figure
8):
At the preparatory stage service centres can assist members of the public by giving them information or sending them brochures and application forms. This can improve communications further down the line when the individual contacts the public authority in person. A proactive approach to providing information is conceivable where, for example, a service centre
employee might call a member of the public or send an automated SMS reminder that a
passport is due for renewal or to advise of other deadlines that may be approaching.
If an appropriate authentication system is in place, applications can be taken via a PSN in
the subsequent stage and forwarded to the relevant department as needed, if the service
centre is not responsible for their processing.
23
At the request processing stage, callers might use a PSN to ask for information on the processing status (status requests) which will then involve giving out case-related information. As
a general rule, this will require a telephone authentication process.
A PSN system can also be used for the final post-processing stage (follow-up), e.g. if the
public administration collects feedback from callers, for example asking callers if they were
satisfied with the service. This feedback would be used to make improvements to the PSN.
Range of services
The survey looked into the breadth of administrative issues on which information is given or
services provided. Information and services were typically provided on the following: education, finance, culture and sport, pensions and provision for retirement, environment, rights of
employees, motor vehicle registration and driving licences, passports and registration, transport, consumer protection, elections, company matters, taxes, social welfare, law and judicial
system, health (e.g. in Denmark, Ireland, Slovenia).
In Figure 9 the countries are grouped according to the range of services they offer. "Antwoord" in the Netherlands is not included in the table because it is up to the local authorities
there what range of services they offer. Instead, the "Antwoord" service is required to answer
80 per cent of the incoming enquiries directly. However, it may be assumed that "Antwoord"
does not offer a wide range of services, because it only offers local authority services.
Number of administrative areas served by the
PSN
Up to 17 administrative areas
More than 17 administrative areas (high)
Countries
Belgium (Wallonia), Denmark, europe direct, 7
France, Greece, Ireland, possibly Netherlands
(Antwoord), Netherlands (Postbus 51), Slovenia,
Hungary
Belgium (Flanders), Germany, Italy, Malta, Spain
Figure 7: Range of services offered in different countries
In respect of its range of services Germany ranks alongside Italy, Malta and Spain as one of
the front-runners, i.e. coverage of almost 20 policy areas. Ireland and the Netherlands (Postbus 51) are next in line with 17 areas. France and Hungary provide a lesser range of services, covering 12 and 10 areas respectively. This is surprising in that the breadth of coverage is generally an initial indicator of cooperation. Indeed, every organization has its limits,
7
Some policy areas (e.g. passports and registration, law, insurance) are not handled via "europe direct" because the information and regulations differ too much from one country to another.
24
and providing a broad range of services is generally conditional upon having some cooperation arrangements. The range of services does not necessarily imply good cooperation, however. For example, call centre employees working at the first PSN service level in Slovenia
can give out information about opening times and contact persons but not about procedures,
required documents or the legal basis of procedures. In Flanders (Belgium), by contrast,
callers using the PSN service can ask for information about services at all administrative levels (federal government, regions, municipalities, local authorities), as in Germany with the
D115 system. The special feature of the PSN in Flanders (Belgium) is that calls can be taken
via the PSN for 11 other public institutions, e.g. for the state gas utility or the state nursing
care insurance. All the countries which intend to introduce a PSN are also planning to provide a broad range of services. Please see Appendix 2.2 for a list of the countries and the
administrative areas they cover or plan to cover.
Depth of services
In most of the EU Member States surveyed (Denmark, Germany, France, Ireland, Malta,
Netherlands (Postbus 51), Slovenia and Spain) and at "europe direct", callers can only get information via the PSN (cf. Figure 10). In many cases the information serves as preparation
for contact with the administrative department. Callers using the PSN system in Wallonia
(Belgium), Ireland and Hungary and both PSN systems in the Netherlands can ask for information to be sent to them at this stage to assist them with their preparation. In Flanders, Italy, Ireland and Hungary it is possible to make appointments with the relevant specialist authorities via the PSN system.
Only in a few countries does the depth of services go beyond giving out information in the
preparatory stage. In Hungary members of the public can email their requests and applications to the PSN, which are then forwarded from the first service level to the relevant specialist authorities. As such, the Hungarian PSN already performs functions of a service contact
centre. Greece is a special case in respect of its depth of services: Callers to the "1500" PSN
can request various forms and certificates in connection with almost all national and local authority procedures, e.g. extracts from registers of births, deaths and marriages, or documents
relating to tax affairs. PSN call centre employees offer help with completing (online) forms
over the telephone in Belgium (both systems), Denmark, Greece, Ireland and Hungary. In
Greece and Italy callers can get information on the processing status or other case-related
information (processing stage), while in Flanders (Belgium) and Malta callers can get information relating to personal data via the PSN.
Review stage (follow-up) services are provided only in Italy with its "Linea Amica" system in
that callers are asked to evaluate the quality of the service on the "Linea Amica" website at
25
the end of the telephone call. Relatively extensive evaluations of customer satisfaction with
the PSN are carried out in Flanders and Wallonia (Belgium), France, Denmark, Ireland and
for the "Postbus 51" system in the Netherlands. In an Allensbach poll on Germany’s "D115"
system, callers were asked to rate the quality of the PSN service (cf. Institut für Demoskopie
Allensbach 2010 [Allensbach Institute for Public Opinion Research]).
EU Member States planning to introduce a PSN will limit themselves predominantly to giving
out information in the preparatory stage. One exception is Portugal, which is already planning
to enable applications to be made via the PSN. Cyprus is also planning to enable members
of the public to register a business or make an application via the PSN.
The table below summarizes the depth of services offered by those EU Member States
which have already introduced a PSN:
Stage of administrative contact
with depth of services
Countries
Preparation
Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia), Denmark, Germany,
europe direct, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Malta,
Netherlands (Postbus 51), Slovenia, Spain, Hungary
Applications
Greece, Hungary
Processing
Belgium (Flanders), Greece, Italy, Malta
Follow-up
Italy
Figure 8: Depth of services in the different countries
The table shows clearly that "Linea Amica" in Italy supports all but the application stage. In
contrast, the service in France, for example, is limited to providing information at the preparation stage. In Hungary, however, services can be requested.
Greater depth of services generally requires a caller authentication system, especially if dealing with applications or providing personal data. Callers wishing to make changes to personal
data, file applications or obtain case-related information are required to provide proof of their
identity when using the PSN in Italy and Flanders (Belgium) and "Antwoord" in the Netherlands. They are asked for specific information, such as their date of birth, address or reference number. Portugal plans to allow callers to use their national identity card ("Cartão do
Cidadão") and one-time passwords in an authentication system. In 2010, Spain also planned
to extend its "060" telephone service to be able to process personal enquiries: Callers to
"060" will be asked to quote two numbers for authentication purposes - a reference number
they have been sent by post and the number of their identity card or driving licence. In the
case of "Antwoord", there are plans to use the national digital identification number (DigiD)
for authentication. Callers using the PSN in Flanders (Belgium) are required to give their
26
name and address, in some cases also their identity card number or the reference number if,
for example, they want to have changes made to personal data. In Greece callers are not
currently required to give authentication when making a request on the telephone. However,
an appropriate solution is in the pipeline.
Target group and user identity focus
Few EU Member States go beyond the public in general to target specific groups or people in
certain circumstances. This was the case in Ireland where the telephone line which was set
up was explicitly aimed at senior citizens and people with disabilities. Moreover, the range of
services in Ireland is aimed at specific life circumstances, such as childbirth, education,
work/employment, residence, emigration and death/bereavement. In Slovenia and Greece
the PSN was set up with a specific brief to reach senior citizens, socially disadvantaged
groups, children, youth and business owners. The telephone service in Greece is also
geared to specific life situations, such as a house purchase, a business start-up, childbirth,
insurance, military service and going to college. The "D115" service is not currently aimed at
certain target groups or circumstances but at matters of general public concern.
Some EU Member States with a PSN system have set up other telephone numbers aimed at
specific target groups. In late March 2010, France introduced the nationwide telephone number "39 95" aimed exclusively at business owners/employers, who can ring the number to obtain information on conditions of recruitment and employment and can arrange for their job
vacancies to be advertised on the website www.pole-emploi.fr. These services are not offered via "39 39" and there are no plans to include them. In addition to its "189" PSN, Hungary introduced the number "185" in April 2010 for employers to register temporary workers.
There are no plans to add this service to the existing "189" number.
Availability of PSN systems
In the majority of countries the introduction of the PSN was accompanied by extending the
hours of availability of the telephone service compared to office opening times for in-person
visits. The hours of availability in EU comparison may be divided into three groups as follows
(cf. Figure 11):

The PSN systems in Belgium (Wallonia), Denmark, Germany, Italy, Malta and the Netherlands (Antwoord) are available at the standard office opening times (mostly from 09:00
to 18:00 hrs.).
27

Belgium (Flanders), France, Ireland, the Netherlands (Postbus 51), Slovenia and Spain
have longer service times with extended hours on weekdays and availability on Saturdays and/or Sundays/public holidays.

In Hungary and Greece, the PSN is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
In several countries (e.g. Italy and France) callers can leave a message on an answering
machine outside regular hours of service or they hear a recorded message informing them of
the hours of service. In almost all countries and on the "europe direct" service, the call centre
employee will ring back if the matter could not be resolved over the telephone during the initial contact.
Country
Flanders
Wallonia
Denmark
Germany
europe direct
B
Core office
hours
Spain
09:00-19:00 hrs.
Mon-Fri 08:00-18:00 hrs.
X
Saturdays (08:30-18:30 hrs.),
public holidays (08:30-20:30 hrs.)
X
09:00-21:00 hrs.
X
X
08:00-20:00 hrs.
X
08:00-20:00 hrs.
09:00-21:00 hrs.,
Saturdays (09:00-14:00 hrs.)
Hungary
Portugal
Slovenia (new)
Cyprus
24h availability
X
X
France
Greece
Ireland
Italy
Malta
Postbus 51
NL Antwoord
(planned)
Slovenia
Extended hours of service
X
08:30-19:30 hrs. (including public
holidays), Saturdays (09:30-15:00
hrs.)
Weekdays from 08:00-20:00 hrs.
08:00-22:00 hrs.
(decision pending regarding Saturday/Sunday)
Figure 9: Availability of PSN systems 8
This comparison shows that the "D115" service has among the fewest hours of PSN availability. France, Ireland and Spain offer extensive PSN hours of service, while Hungary boasts
8
The following tables include some of the information on the planned PSN systems in Finland, Portugal and Cyprus as well
as the new telephone number in Slovenia.
28
round-the-clock service. The PSN systems planned for Portugal and Cyprus and the new
PSN in Slovenia provide for extended hours of availability from the outset.
Available languages
The services in France, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain are offered only in the languages of the respective countries, whereas Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands
(both systems) and Slovenia offer the PSN service in other languages besides the national
language, with English being the main foreign language. Hungary and Greece offer the widest range of languages: English, French and German in Hungary; Albanian, Arabic, Bulgarian, English, French and Russian in Greece. In Italy information is also provided in French
and English while the "europe direct" service is offered in all the official EU languages. Cyprus plans to offer the PSN service initially in Greek and English only, with other languages
being added as needed. The languages offered in each case are summarized in Figure 12
below:
Languages offered
Countries
Language(s) of the country only
France, Germany (according to detailed concept but varies in D115 call centre network), Malta, Portugal and
Spain
Language of the country and English as a foreign language
Belgium (Flanders), Denmark, Greece, Netherlands (both
systems), Ireland, Italy (planned), Slovenia, Hungary
europe direct
Other or additional languages (besides English)
Belgium (Flanders; French), Belgium (Wallonia; German
only), Denmark (German), Greece (Albanian, Arabic, Bulgarian, French and Russian), Italy (French and Arabic
planned), Hungary (French and German)
europe direct (all official EU languages)
Figure 10: Languages spoken on PSN systems
English is the most widely used language. The PSN services in Belgium (Flanders), Denmark, Greece, Netherlands (both systems), Italy, Slovenia and Hungary offer other languages besides English already or plan to do so. Italy plans to provide this broad range of information specially for migrants in the relevant languages. As regards the "D115" service, local authority service centres have the option of offering more languages, and this is already
happening in some cases. The "D115" service is not currently pursuing a central solution, for
example, bringing an interpreter for the relevant language on the line during a call.
Multi-channel approach
The comparison shows that all countries except Germany and Italy coordinate telephone access in different ways with other channels of access, at least Internet access. Germany is the
29
only country among those surveyed in which the PSN is not supplemented by a website at
national level, due to the sovereignty of the regional governments in Germany. All the countries except for Malta and Italy first set up a website with the relevant information and then
added the PSN. Malta’s case is unique: Call centre staff have been trained to process the
contents of the database which they use to answer enquiries and add it to the Malta government website. In Italy the PSN and website were developed side by side, which is why Italy's
service is the best example of a multi-channel approach.
Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia), Ireland and Spain have local citizens information centres
which run parallel to the PSN and are closely linked with the PSN system. Germany also has
local authority citizens affairs offices, but in most cases the service they offer is independent
of the PSN system. Flanders in Belgium offers a special service: The public can obtain information on administrative services via teletext and digital television (Teletekst en interactieve tv [IDTV]). Wallonia in Belgium has a peripatetic information service called "Mobilinfo"
(cf. Figure 13) which travels to smaller towns in order to provide leaflets and information.
In Ireland members of the public can also contact the Citizens Information Phone Service
(CIPS) by SMS, LiveText, SMS or videophone, and there is even a sign language service. In
addition to the CIPS, members of the public have the options of visiting a Citizens Information
Centre or the website at www.citizensinformation.ie to obtain information on public services.
In Belgium (Wallonia) a mobile service called "Mobilinfo" is used, mainly to inform members
of the public about administrative services at regional level. A total of three minibuses travel
around every day to small towns and communities, stopping at markets or village squares as
well as regional events (e.g. fairs). Times and locations can be obtained by calling a
freephone number which is not part of the PSN.
Figure 11: Examples of multi-channel approaches to providing access to public services
Whether they are linked with physical access points or not, the PSN systems in many of the
countries surveyed already appear to be moving beyond a pure telephone service and evolving into full service centres. The contact options offered over and above telephone access
include letter, email, SMS and chat. Figure 14 shows the routes of access and channels of
communication available with the PSN service in the different countries.
30
Channels of access to public administration services
Service centre
Country
B
Flanders
Web
Physical
contact
X
X
X
X
X
X
Letter
Chat
email
X
X
Wallonia
Denmark
X
Germany
X
X
X
Greece
X
France
X
X
X
Italy
Malta
NL
X
X
X
europe direct
Ireland
SMS
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Postbus
51
X
X
X
Antwoord
(planned)
X
X
Slovenia
X
Finland
X
X
X
X
Cyprus
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
(expansion
stage)
X
X
Portugal
Slovenia (new)
X
X
Spain
Hungary
X
X
X
X
(expansion
stage)
X
X
Figure 12: Available channels of access
SMS and chat are lines of access for the public to the service centres in Belgium (Flanders),
Denmark, Greece, Ireland and Hungary. The interviews indicated that these alternative
means of access are offered with the specific aim of reaching younger segments of the population or people with disabilities (e.g. deaf people). In Belgium (Flanders) the "Teletolk" chat
service is offered for the deaf and hearing-impaired, who can use "Teletolk" to communicate
with others, ask questions about public services, or make an appointment with a doctor. Videophone access for deaf people has also been available in Germany since 2010. Users only
need a computer with internet access or a video telephone as well as a SIP videoclient (Session Initiation Protocol) which can be downloaded free of charge over the internet. Access is
then enabled via the SIP address "[email protected]".
31
The comparison highlights the fact that Germany is the only country which does not have a
website as an additional channel of access besides the service centre. This can be explained
by the federal division of tasks: The majority of local authorities in the D115 network have
adopted their own multi-channel approaches to a greater or lesser extent, i.e. besides the
PSN, members of the public can use local authority websites or visit local offices to make
contact with the official channels. However, there has so far been little multi-channel management, with little coordination and no access to a shared database. In addition to telephone access, some of the call centres in the D115 network in Germany also offer access by
fax and email, and there are plans for SMS and chat access in isolated cases.
2.3 Analysis
The countries may be subdivided into three groups when seen from the distribution perspective:

Belgium (Flanders), Greece, the Netherlands (Antwoord system) and Hungary (Group 1)
are well advanced.

Ireland, Italy, Malta, Slovenia and Spain form a middle-ranking group. These countries
are particularly well advanced in terms of their multi-channel approach, hours of availability and/or the number of languages offered (Group 2).

The other countries with their respective PSN systems, namely Belgium (Wallonia),
Denmark, Germany, "europe direct", France and the Netherlands with "Postbus 51", are
not so well advanced overall and are therefore classed as Group 3. Group 3 countries do,
however, have an adequate distribution infrastructure in place, although Germany stands
out for its range of services in particular, implying good cooperation and production structures.
The assessment of the distribution perspective is summarized in Figure 15:
32
Flanders
B
Range of
services
Depth of
services
Extended
hours of
availability
Multiple
languages
Multiple
channels
X
X
X
X
X
5
1
X
X
2
3
X
X
2
3
X*
2
3
X
2
3
X
2
3
Wallonia
Denmark
Germany
Group
Availability
Total
Distribution perspective
X
europe direct
X
France
X
Greece
X
Ireland
X
X
X
4
1
X
X
X
3
2
Italy
X
X
X
3
2
Malta
X
X
X
3
2
X
X
2
3
X
X
X
4
1
X
X
X
3
2
X
3
2
X
4
1
Postbus 51
NL
Antwoord
X
Slovenia
Spain
X
Hungary
X
X
X
X
Figure 13: Overview of implementation status from the distribution perspective 9
* Different approaches are taken in Germany at local level. Some service centres can be contacted by
email or SMS and send messages to the public by these means.
The data can be analysed in other ways if the range and depth of services are considered
together. Italy is the only country which has both a broad range and depth of services. This
means that the range and depth of services need not necessarily be mutually exclusive.
Greece comes next but does not have the same depth of services as Italy.
9
The areas in which the PSN systems of the various countries show strength are added together. The totals are used as a
basis to allocate the countries to one of the groups. This method also applies to the following tables.
33
high
Range of services
Germany
Spain
BE-Flanders
Malta
Italy
Greece
low
BE-Wallonia
Denmark
Europe direct
France
Ireland
NL (Postbus 51)
Slovenia
Hungary
low
Depth of services
high
Figure 14: Correlation of range and depth of services
Further analysis of the range and depth of services is also relevant because it provides an
initial indication of cooperation which is discussed in Section II.3. The wide range of services
in Germany implies a broad base of cooperation which appears to function better in Germany
despite its federalist structure, at least with the "D115", than in the centralized structures of
France. The degree of cooperation ought to be particularly intense in Greece due to the
depth of services. "Antwoord" in the Netherlands is not included in the table because it is up
to the local authorities there what range of services they offer.
2.4 Assessment
In comparison with other EU Member States Germany stands out most notably for its wide
range of topics and the breadth of information which is relevant for other EU Member States.
The comparison does, however, reveal areas of potential for innovation in Germany. From a
distribution perspective the following points and countries offer innovation potential for Germany:

Availability - Callers can also contact the authorities outside their core working hours with
the PSN. Hungary, Spain, Greece and France are particularly advanced in this regard
and responsive to the needs of citizens. The extended hours of service are a potential
source of innovation for Germany because extending the availability of the PSN "115"
34
may increase public acceptance, especially if enquiries can be made outside normal local
authority hours of service.

Depth of services - In some countries (e.g. Belgium, Greece, Italy) callers can obtain information about personal data or ongoing administrative procedures via the PSN or set
administrative processes in motion. It is possible in this way to increase telephone interaction between citizen and agency. There is potential for innovation in the remote support
provided by call centre staff in Belgium, the dispatch of information and application forms,
and the arrangement of appointments on behalf of specialist authorities. In Germany it
may be possible to make applications via the PSN using the new electronic ID card
(nPA). Italy offers the most innovation potential in respect of the depth of services in that
it covers all the stages except for the application stage and does so without compromising on the range of services. Hungary and Greece offer innovation potential with regard
to the application stage.

Multi-channel approach - In most of the countries the telephone is part of a multi-channel
strategy and is supplemented at least by a website. In many cases websites and PSN
call centre staff have access to the same knowledge databases. Belgium (Flanders, Wallonia) and Ireland are well advanced in this respect. Overall, the comparison of European
countries highlights the fact that there is potential in Germany to expand "D115" and
move towards a multi-channel approach and service contact centres.
From the distribution perspective, the aspects of particular relevance for Europeanization are
the range of services, availability and the hours of service, as these factors play a major part
in determining how uniform or homogeneous services are:

As regards the range of services, there are differences between the EU Member States
though none so great that it would prevent a country from being integrated for having an
insufficient range of services. The only exceptions are Belgium and the Netherlands because both countries have two telephone numbers: in Belgium for Flanders and Wallonia,
and in the Netherlands for "Postbus 51" and "Antwoord". Establishing a "116 115" system
requires prior cooperation within a country as otherwise there is no nationally standardized access to the services.

The hours of service are also relevant for a single European government service number
"116" (116 115) in that all the countries would have to keep their PSN services available
at certain core times. All the countries with a PSN offer their service from 09:00 to 18:00
hours, meaning that a minimum level of standardization is possible in terms of the hours
35
of availability. To become established, a European service would also have to be offered
in a single common language. English is the language most frequently offered so these
countries would take precedence in any considered attempts at Europeanization. In addition to "europe direct", seven countries currently offer services in English: Belgium (Flanders), Denmark, Greece, Netherlands (both systems), Ireland, Italy, Slovenia and Hungary. Germany, where some of the services are available in English, can also be added
to the list along with Italy, where there are plans to provide an English service.
3. Production perspective
3.1 Requirements from the production perspective
Providing an adequate range of services with appropriate depth depends on a number of different factors. The key elements critical to a fully functioning service are information management, information technology and cooperation.

Information management
The linchpin of any service centre is a standardized database of information - preferably
shared between different service centres and authorities. Otherwise it is not possible to provide a "one-stop shop" which can issue information on the various services. At the minimum,
standardized descriptions of services are required, which the D115 project has met by compiling a list of services (Federal Ministry of the Interior 2008, p. 68). These descriptions must
include the factual information about the individual services, e.g. name of service, description
of service, processing times, areas of responsibility, etc., thereby ensuring that all the service
centres can provide the information in the necessary breadth and depth. These descriptions
should have the same structure as far as possible in order to facilitate the job of the call centre employees and to guarantee a minimum standard of quality for their responses.

Cooperation
The inner workings of a call centre or service centre can be fully understood only if seen as a
series of service levels forming a diverse information network. Layers of information are referred to as the first, second and third service levels for the agencies involved in the process
of providing information. These terms are applied to the course of a telephone call, referring
to ever higher levels of specialization. Incoming calls are taken by staff at the first service
level who attempt to resolve as many enquiries at this level as possible. If the enquiry cannot
be resolved, perhaps due to its specific nature, then the call is passed on to staff at the second service level who have a higher grade of specialization. The first and second levels of
service can be provided by a front office or by various authorities or organizational units. En-
36
quiries are mainly forwarded from the second to third level if the information is case-related
or if the question is very specific and can be answered only by the relevant specialist authority (back office).
A number of requirements must be met to to ensure smooth cooperation between the various
service levels and organizations. The greatest need is to standardize the databases and if
possible also the steps (workflows) and to modularize them where applicable in order to be
able to access a joint pool of information (shared service). It is essential to comply with national data privacy laws when cooperating. If an enquiry exceeds the remit of the first service
level then the following basic policy applies:

Call centre employees can deal with an enquiry themselves because they have access
rights (read access, restricted write access where applicable) to the IT applications of the
back office or of the other front office.

The enquiry is forwarded by means of an electronic "ticket" which takes down the enquiry
in standardized form and then forwards it via email.

The front office employee, in turn, calls the relevant specialist authority to seek clarification on the matter raised by the caller.
The cooperation of those involved is the critical point in terms of organizing and operating the
PSN as otherwise it is not possible to provide a one-stop service.
Particular advantages arise if the PSN is used for specific situations, such as emergencies
and crises. The advantages of the telephone in such situations include its speed, accessibility, user-friendliness and low infrastructure and hardware requirements in comparison with
other forms of communication. Callers can get information not only about impending crises or
disasters which have already happened but also about supplies and support facilities. This
also includes links between the PSN and other special telephone numbers, such as the capability to transfer a caller to the civil protection force or use its information systems.

Information technology
A call centre is capable of functioning and cooperating only if it makes use of a whole range
of IT applications, some of them quite specific. Incoming calls are diverted via a telephone
switchboard with Automated Call Distribution (ACD) and Computer Telephony Integration
(CTI) functions. These systems distribute the calls to the next available call centre employee
and integrate the telephone with the IT system to process enquiries. Knowledge management and electronic workflow management systems are used to provide information and
process cases. Special reporting systems assist with the assessment of incoming calls and
are used for quality control purposes (cf. Section II.4.1). Customer relations management
37
(CRM) systems assist with the evaluation of incoming calls and are conducive to a multichannel approach. Indeed, all previous interaction between a member of the public and the
authorities can be documented, regardless of which channel of access was used. However,
national regulations concerning the length of time recorded calls may be retained and the
method used to store calls must be followed. And call centre staff may need access to the
back-office IT applications of the relevant specialist authorities, e.g. to deal with processing
status requests. Additional functions such as chat or SMS apply in the case of service contact centres.
The technical equipment varies between the different service levels. As a general rule, the
first and second service levels have access to all the applications in the call centre but not to
the IT applications of the specialist authorities which constitute the third service level. By the
same token, the staff at the third service level do not generally have access to the applications used in the call centre. Figure 17 summarizes the technical components of the IT applications required to operate a call centre or service centre.
Process
Citizen dials PSN.
Public telephone
network
Call is routed
to call centre.
Call is put through to
first service level and
WMS by the
switchboard.
call centre
ACD/CTI
system
Second service level
Specific questions are
referred to second-level
specialists by first-level
agents.
Data network
Telephone line
WMS
First service level
First-level agents receive
all incoming calls and
deal with
general enquiries.
Third-level officials process
case-related enquiries.
+ further channels
where applicable
CRM
database
Knowledge
database
Agency A
Agency B
Agency C
Third service
level
Third service
level
Third service
level
FV
FV = Specialized
application
FV
FV
WMS = Workflow management system
Figure 15: Technical components required to operate a call centre
In France, Italy and in the case of "Postbus 51" in the Netherlands, the same databases and
information systems are used for the website and the PSN and are updated centrally. The
website visitor numbers are analysed to identify which services are most frequently used.
These services are then classified as relevant for the PSN. News and current affairs (e.g.
swine flu, ash cloud) are updated centrally so that the call centre agents can provide information and updates only need to be made once.
38
In the case of "39 39" in France, the information management staff of DILA, 10 the telephone
number operator, updates the knowledge base for the PSN and the website. The "Postbus
51" system is based on a database of frequently asked questions which is published on the
"Postbus 51" website. However, there are no set standards for the content or structure of database entries. The call centre staff at the second service level have the additional support of
a search engine with access to the information provided by the authorities. In the case of
"Linea Amica" (Italy) the relevant authorities supply the information for the knowledge management system which is used to process both the enquiries received over the telephone
and through the "Linea Amica" website. The information is not yet processed in a standardized format. Similarly, call centre staff of the "060" system in Spain have access to an internal
knowledge management system supplied with information via the website www.060.es. The
knowledge base input is provided by the company awarded the contract for the first service
level by the DGIAE. 11 The DGIAE does not provide or monitor content.
In the case of "Antwoord" in the Netherlands the local authorities use their own information
resources and databases. When processing enquiries, the "Antwoord" call centre staff also
have access to a database of frequently asked questions. However, the management of this
information is shared by the relevant authorities at national and regional level and by "Postbus 51". The Antwoord concept itself has no input requirements in this regard.
The "D115" system takes a slightly different approach to knowledge management. The central element in the D115 network is a knowledge and information management system with
initial attempts at local level to set out procedural specifications relating to the information/services offered. As a minimum, local authorities are required to supply information
about their services which receive the highest number of enquiries (referred to as the
TOP100). State and federal authorities provide the information required for the first and second service levels. The service reports are added to the central database index at least once
a day. The information in the D115 knowledge pool has to be provided in a standardized
form in XML format. Both the format and content are standardized, with input requirements
being specified in each case. All the directories are stored in the central pool of information
with their logical search criteria so that all the service centre staff have access to it via the
World Wide Web. In this way, the knowledge management system is based on central and
local elements. Because all the service centres make their information available to the other
centres in the network, staff in every participating service centre can answer questions relating to the area of responsibility of another. Every member of the D115 network is responsible
for making sure that the information in the list is correct, complete and up to date.
10
11
La Direction de l’information légale et administrative (Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information).
DGIAE - La Dirección General para el Impulso de la Administración Electrónica (Directorate-General for the Promotion of
Electronic Government).
39
Belgium (Flanders) uses a list of services spanning different tiers, but only the regional and
local authority levels are included in the PSN system there. Similarly, the list of PSN services
in Slovenia includes only administrative services at national level, where the majority of administrative services are provided. Italy’s “Linea Amica” is preparing to standardize databases, while Portugal is currently drawing up a joint list of services for the PSN.
Cooperation
The country survey reveals wide variations among the number of service levels and the cooperation between them, and it is the number of service levels and their organizational integration which are relevant. 12
For example, the PSN in Slovenia and France have only two service levels, while most of the
other countries have three. The reason Slovenia has two service levels is that the country
has a two-tier administrative structure (government ministries and local authorities), and the
services for the public are largely provided by the government departments or the authorities
directly subordinate to them. The PSN in France illustrates that PSN service levels need not
always be equated with tiers of administration. The calls are received at national level at a
call centre (first service level). The second service level is made up of a network of different
national call centres dealing with specific areas, and local authorities have very little input.
The D115 network has a three-layer service architecture (three service levels). A local authority is always the first point of contact and constitutes the first service level. If calls are
forwarded from other municipalities, however, a local authority can also become the second
point of contact and therefore the second service level. This is always the case with state or
federal network members. The third service level is always the area following on from the
second service level. A D115 service centre cannot switch to the back office of another D115
network member.
"Linea Amica" in Italy and "Postbus 51" in the Netherlands have a slightly different structure.
If enquiries cannot be answered at the first level in the service centre, they are referred to
experts in the subject matter who constitute the second service level and are likewise assigned to the service centre. In the case of "Antwoord" in the Netherlands, incoming calls are
taken by first-level call centre staff. Enquiries which cannot be resolved at that level are forwarded to the second service level, which is staffed by the employees who work at the citizens information centres. If they, in turn, cannot answer the question then they get in contact
with the relevant authority themselves and seek the information required. This information is
12
Information on the service architecture and the associated service levels was not available for all the countries. Data were
available for Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, France and Slovenia.
40
then relayed to the caller. Only in the case of "Antwoord" have local citizens information centres (as the second service level) been integrated in the call centre structure.
The following forms of cooperation between the service levels have been identified in isolation or in combination: (manual) forwarding of telephone calls, email, electronic "ticket" process, direct (read-only) access to the specialized applications of the relevant authorities.
Information is forwarded by email in the majority of countries, while only the PSN system in
Belgium (Flanders), the "D115" in Germany, "Linea Amica" in Italy and "Postbus 51" in the
Netherlands use a ticket system (XML data transfer).
The ticket system in Germany works in the following way: If the caller agrees to the data being recorded (telephone number, etc.), a ticket containing all the details about the enquiry
and the person is forwarded to the relevant member of the D115 network, generally a local
service centre. This party then answers the questions in the requested manner, i.e. by telephone, email, fax or letter. However, the matter is not passed on by ticket to the relevant
specialist authorities who form the third service level. If the caller does not consent to having
his/her data recorded then no ticket is made in the first place. In this case, the call is forwarded to the relevant service centre along with the information required to deal with the enquiry.
Similarly, in the "Linea Amica" and "Postbus 51" systems, the tickets are sent from the first to
the second service level, and in both countries the second tier is staffed by call centre agents
who are also experts in certain fields. Enquiries are referred to the third service level on a
case-by-case basis but generally by telephone or email. This is the case with the "D115" system in Germany and the "Linea Amica" system in Italy. With the Greek "1500" PSN system,
enquiries are forwarded electronically to the relevant specialist authorities via the workflow
management system (WMS). The call centre staff answering "189" calls in Hungary relay enquiries by email to the relevant authorities.
In Greece the call centre staff have read and write access to certain applications used by the
specialist authorities, thus enabling them to take receipt of applications, issue case-related
information and even change personal data. Portugal also plans to move in this direction. In
Belgium (Flanders) and Malta the call centre staff likewise have read access to the specialist
applications, thus allowing them to issue case-related information or information relating to
personal data. In the case of "Antwoord" in the Netherlands only the second-level call centre
staff have read access to the specialist procedures used by the back office authorities. The
vehicles of cooperation which exist in the different countries are summarized in Figure 18:
41
Cooperation
Telephone call
transfer
Email transfer
Ticket transfer
First to
second
service
level
Belgium (Flanders
and Wallonia),
Denmark, Germany, France,
Malta, Slovenia,
Spain, Hungary
Belgium (Flanders
and Wallonia),
Denmark, Malta,
Slovenia
Belgium (Flanders), Germany,
Greece, Italy (experts in call centre), Netherlands
(Postbus 51 - experts in call centre), Netherlands
(Antwoord recommended)
Second to
third
service
level
Germany, Netherlands (Antwoord recommended),
Slovenia, Spain
Netherlands
(Antwoord - recommended), Slovenia
Germany
Netherlands
(Postbus 51 specialist authority), Netherlands
(Antwoord recommended)
First to
third
service
level
Spain
Spain
Access to
specialized
applications
Greece - read and
write access,
Malta - read-only
access
Belgium (Flanders) - read-only
access, planned:
Netherlands
(Antwoord) - read
and write access
Figure 16: Instruments of cooperation in use
In most of the countries surveyed with a PSN, any enquiries which cannot be resolved are
passed on by the call centre staff by email or telephone to the next service level or to the
relevant service or call centre. In the case of "Antwoord" in the Netherlands, the second-level
employees call the relevant specialist authority themselves and pass the information on to
the caller. France is currently running a pilot project to test transfers to the second service
level. Spain is a special case in that callers can press a button to indicate the subject matter
about which they require information and may in certain circumstances be put through directly to the relevant authority at the third service level.
Cooperation in emergencies
Italy and the Netherlands (Postbus 51) use the PSN to keep the public informed with the latest news, e.g. in emergencies or disasters. After the earthquake in Italy’s Abruzzo region in
the summer of 2009 "Linea Amica" was often the only way for those affected to contact the
authorities. On behalf of the Dutch Ministry of the Interior, "Postbus 51" provides capacity for
all levels of government in crises and disasters and relays the relevant information (Smal
2008, p. 47). (The case studies in Section 4 cover the use of the PSN in crises in Italy and in
the Netherlands in greater depth). Hungary plans to use the PSN "189" in crises.
42
IT applications
Digital telephone systems with Automated Call Distribution are used as standard in all countries. In Ireland and in Spain PSN calls are initially connected to an interactive voice response system (IVR). Callers can press a key to select an administrative area and, depending on the enquiry, they are either put through directly to the relevant authority or to a firstlevel call centre employee.
In almost all the countries surveyed, the PSN has a central knowledge management system
which is supplemented by directory services or search tools so that enquiries can be forwarded or information relayed to the relevant contact person in the responsible authority. Databases with frequently asked questions (FAQ) are also used, e.g. in "Postbus 51" and "Antwoord" in the Netherlands, "060" in Spain, "Linea Amica" in Italy and "Halo uprava!" in Slovenia. In Denmark and Hungary the PSN systems do not use internal knowledge management
systems. Call centre agents only use the websites of the authorities.
Workflow management systems (WMS) are used to help call centre staff process PSN calls
at the first service level in Belgium (Flanders), Germany, France, Greece, Italy, Malta and
"Postbus 51" in the Netherlands. They are also used - as will become clear below - for the
electronic transfer of enquiries to other service levels. In France and Malta WMS have so far
mainly been used for quality management. France’s "39 39" is currently testing the transfer
function in a pilot project.
Customer relations management (CRM) systems are used in only a few countries. In Belgium (Flanders) and Greece the details of callers and their enquiries are documented in a
CRM system. If or when they call back, the call centre employee can access the details on
record at local level and need not ask for the basic information all over again. This improves
customer service and can enhance the organization of the problem resolution and complaints
management systems.
3.3 Analysis
The countries can be divided into three groups from the production perspective:

The PSN systems in Belgium (Flanders), Germany, Greece, Italy and the Netherlands
(Postbus 51) may be considered the leaders (Group 1). These countries are strong in all
three aspects surveyed from the production perspective (information management, cooperation and information technology).

Malta, Netherlands (Antwoord) and Slovenia are middle-ranking countries (Group 2).
They are strong in at least two areas. Malta and "Antwoord" stand out from the other
43
countries in that the call centre staff can access the specialized back office applications.
Slovenia’s PSN already uses a standardized list of services.

The PSN systems in Belgium (Wallonia) Denmark, "europe direct", France, Ireland, Spain
and Hungary are less developed from a production perspective (Group 3).
The following Figure 19 summarizes the assessment from the production perspective:
Production perspective
Wallonia
X
X
Denmark
X
X
Germany
X
europe direct
X
X
X
France
Greece
X
X
X
Ireland
Italy
X
Malta
X
NL
Postbus 51
X
Antwoord
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
8
1
3
3
2
3
6
1
3
3
X*
3
3
X
7
1
2
3
X
6
1
WMS
X
Group
X
Total
X
Knowledge database
X
IT applications
Standardized data terminology
Joint use or multiple use
of databases
Extended use in
crises and emergencies
Flanders
B
X
Access to
specialized applications
Ticket system
Communication by
telephone/email
Between service
levels
CRM
Cooperation
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X*
5
2
X
X
X
6
1
X
3
3
X
4
2
X
3
3
3
3
X
Slovenia
X
X
Spain
X
X
Hungary
X
X
X
X
X
Figure 17: Implementation status from production perspective (*introduction planned)
The table shows that Germany is a front-runner from the production perspective. Cooperation and standardization are successful despite federal structures, which are generally regarded as an obstacle to cross-tier collaboration.
44
3.4 Assessment
In comparison with other European countries, it is notable that the "D115" system in Germany makes extensive use of standardized sources of information with central elements.
Furthermore, the ticket system used with "D115" calls in Germany is the most advanced of
the systems in the EU-27, thus highlighting potential for innovation for other EU Member
States in this regard. Nevertheless, the European comparison reveals two areas in which improvements could be made: cooperation with specialist authorities and cooperation in crises.

Greece and Belgium (Flanders) in particular offer a possible model for cooperation with
specialist authorities, as they allow direct access to IT applications used by specialist authorities. It would be possible to add depth to the service in Germany by introducing this
capacity, although - depending on the service - authentication mechanisms would be
needed.

The “D115” system offers further potential for cooperation in that the PSN could be used
as a source of public information in the event of disasters, a service which has proved
successful in the Netherlands (Postbus 51) and in Italy. The latest information about crises and disasters can be made available rapidly as developments unfold by adding and
updating entries in the PSN knowledge database.
The production perspective is of secondary importance with regard to any straightforward activation of a European "116" telephone number (116 115) because it depends on the service
offered, as already discussed in connection with the distribution perspective. However, scenarios of further cooperation are conceivable with cross-border linking of the national PSN
systems, for example, forwarding enquiries between call centres in different countries because they relate to administrative affairs of another EU Member State. Countries where a
cooperation system of this kind might be feasible are those with well-developed production
structures, i.e. mainly the countries belonging to Group 1 (Belgium (Flanders), Germany,
Greece, Italy, Netherlands (Postbus 51)). A ticket system would be conducive to crossborder cooperation because data are transferred in standardized form which facilitates cooperation. Countries with a ticket system are therefore particularly equipped for this type of cooperation, which means Belgium (Flanders), Italy, Netherlands ("Postbus 51") and Germany.
Moreover, links with crisis management functions and telephone numbers are relevant, including in a European context, especially if measures need to be taken across national
boundaries, e.g. in the event of a flood or an epidemic.
45
4
Organizational implementation
This section addresses organizational issues beyond the actual distribution and production
infrastructure, as various other structural requirements influence the way a PSN works.
These include the call centre structure, operator models, financing, charging structure, personnel management, quality control and public relations.
4.1 Organizational design

Call centre structure
Depending on the size and structure of a country, the PSN service can be provided by one
single call centre or by several interconnected call centres. The number of call centres is
relevant because it dictates the amount of cooperation and coordination needed to implement and run the system.

Operator model
Operator model refers to which body is responsible for operating a call centre and the respective service levels. For example, outsourcing may be considered, especially for the first
service level (cf. exhaustive list of full range of possible providers: Naschold et al. 2000, p.
117). Providing the public with general information is seen as a duty with a low level of sovereign authority (cf. detailed rationale: Schuppan 2009; Schuppan/Reichard 2010). By contrast, third-level services are regarded as unsuitable for outsourcing because they are functions of the specialist authorities having a high degree of authority. Each institutional alternative has advantages and disadvantages. Any potential improvements in operating efficiency
and cost savings achieved by outsourcing to private organizations must be seen alongside
the potential loss of control and authority.

Financing and charges
The issue of financing is closely linked to the institutional design. There are three basic ways
of financing call centres in the public sector. One way is for the call centre to be financed by
the provider; a second way is for it to be a service centre which provides call centre services
for several public sector customers who pay for these services. A third form of financing is a
public-private partnership. The system can also be financed from the income accruing from
telephone and service charges for the calls to the PSN service. Charges can be made to
cover the costs for the telephone connection to the call centre. The service charges can be
used - as in Slovenia, for example - to pay for the running of the call centre.

Personnel management
Employees are key to the successful operation of a call centre (Feil 2002, p. 13). Call centre
staff need comprehensive communication skills, social skills and soft skills (Zapf 2003, p. 15;
46
Scupin 2006, p. 33f.). They also need to be computer literate in order to be able to use the
call centre IT applications correctly. Ideally, call centre employees should also be willing to
work outside normal office hours.

Quality management
Quality management is essential for the continuous improvement and further development of
the service provision. Quality control initiatives play a major part in the successful running of
a call centre, continuously highlighting areas where there are failings and identifying room for
improvement in the working processes, structures and knowledge management systems of
the call centre. Instruments specifically geared to controlling the quality of PSN systems are
available, such as training sessions, on-the-job training, coaching, network-wide calls, customer surveys, analysis of key ratios for management control and resource planning, evaluation, benchmarking, complaints management and problem resolution management (Scupin
2006, p. 101).

Public relations
Public relations work is a key factor in the acceptance and use of a PSN. Countries like
Germany with its "D115" system with a short and easily remembered number have an easier
marketing task than countries with a number with a long string of digits. Awareness of the
telephone number can be increased very quickly by carefully targeted public relations work.
The use of the PSN greatly depends on the level of public awareness.
One of the most important organizational features of a PSN system is the call centre structure by which we mean not only the number of service levels but also the number of call centres in a country and their geographical distribution. The following table presents the organizational structure of the call centres:
47
Decentralized solution:
Network of call centres
EU Member States
At national
level
(excluding some
tiers of administration)
At national
level
(including all tiers of
administration)
At local authority
level
(including all tiers of
administration)
France, Greece,
Portugal
Italy
Germany
Centralized solution:
National call centre for the
PSN
Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia), Denmark, europe direct, Ireland,
Malta, Netherlands (Postbus 51), Slovenia, Spain, Hungary
Separate solution (no
network of call centres)
Netherlands (Antwoord)
Figure 18: Call centre structures
Apart from the separate "Antwoord" system in the Netherlands, two groups emerge from the
EU comparison, namely countries with a network of call centres and countries with national
call centres for the PSN.
Germany, France, Greece and Italy have a network of call centres / service centres, and Portugal plans to set up a network of the same kind.

The PSN system in France has a network of six call centres at national level, including
the national call centres for tax and consumer protection and the call centre for information from the public administration.

The call centre structure of "Linea Amica" in Italy is a network consisting of a national
contact centre and a further 695 out of a total of 1,753 telephone contact centres of public
authorities and corporations at all administrative levels. Germany likewise has a network
structure in which the service centres at local authority level are run by the local authorities in isolation or in cooperation with other local authorities. In addition to the local authorities, the D115 network encompasses the regional and federal levels.
There are, however, significant differences in some cases in the network structures within
one group. In France, for example, several call centres are linked up with each other but only
at national level. The regional or local authority level has little involvement. The French local
authorities provide information only for the "39 39" number in one database. Similarly, "Linea
Amica" (Italy) has a call centre at national level which includes all the other administrative
levels; the same is true in Germany. One difference between "D115" and "Linea Amica" is
that the local authority level in the D115 network is the first service level, whereas in the
"Linea Amica" system it is the third service level receiving only a small number of the enquiries. Another difference is that the actors in the "Linea Amica" system are not linked with each
other in a network. There was no need to develop new infrastructures - it was only necessary
48
to organize a way to forward enquiries from the second to the third service level. In the case
of "D115" in Germany, by contrast, local authorities may have to set up new service centre
structures, but doing so is in the interests of a uniform commitment to a high standard of service.
The other countries have set up national, i.e. central, call centres. Plans for the new PSN
systems in Slovenia and Cyprus also include setting up a central call centre in each case.
This choice makes sense given the size and administrative structure of these countries,
where the majority of administrative services are provided at national level.
Operator models
Empirical evidence in the countries surveyed (e.g. France, Greece, Slovenia) shows that the
first service level is most likely to be outsourced to private service providers because, of all
the service levels, this is the one with the fewest duties involving sovereign authority. Another
reason for outsourcing is that private-sector employees may provide these services at lower
cost than public-sector employees. There is evidence of a combination of public sector and
private sector employees. Some D115 service centres in Berlin, for example, hire temporary
staff to ease the load at peak times with a high number of incoming calls.
The comparison of countries (Figure 21) shows that, at the first service level, both the administrative processes and the technical infrastructure have been outsourced and in some cases
are provided by different companies, e.g. France, where the technical infrastructure for the
second service level was outsourced at the same time, with contracts always being awarded
for a term of three years.
In the case of "Postbus 51", for example, the first service level was outsourced in its entirety
to Arvato Services Netherlands, a subsidiary of the Bertelsmann group. In Spain a private
service provider was awarded the contract to operate both the first service level and the call
centre for the transport system. In this case there were problems with the service quality, especially at the beginning. The call centre staff employed by the private service provider did
not have the same specialized knowledge as public-sector staff. In the case of "europe direct" the operation of the telephone service was outsourced to the private European Service
Network (ESN), which specializes in providing services of this kind.
In Germany, most public call centres are run as part of an authority or with public funding,
with some exceptions at regional and especially federal level.
49
Country
1st service level
Technology
Technology
Processes
Sitel
-
-
European Service Network (ESN)
-
-
SFR
-
eValue S.A.
-
-
GO plc
-
-
Arvato Services Nederland BV
-
-
Mobiltel
-
-
Qualytel (until May 2010)
-
-
Belgium (Flanders)
europe direct
France
Processes
SFR
Greece 1500
Malta
NL (Postbus 51)
2nd service level
Slovenia
Spain
Hungary
B2S
Kopint Datorg Zrt.
Cyprus
Outsourcing planned
Figure 19: Outsourcing of call centre technology and processes
Another model for the operation of call centres is for several local authorities to cooperate
within a public-public partnership. In the countries surveyed with a PSN system there are examples of such cooperation between public authorities in the D115 network, e.g. in the Cologne region, and in the "Antwoord" system in the region of Drechtsteden in the Netherlands.
Since 2003 the city of Cologne has been operating a call centre for enquiries made to the
city's single number (0221) 221-0; this call centre is also part of the D115 network. Since
2005 the city of Cologne has been cooperating with other cities, including Bonn, Leverkusen
and Siegburg as well as with the Rhein-Erft-Kreis district, providing and charging for call centre services on a contractual basis. Cologne is bound by contract to provide the infrastructure, hardware, software and staff for the first service level and the premises. The secondlevel services are provided by employees of the other city in each case. In the Netherlands
the six cities in the region of Drechtsteden also worked closely together on the introduction of
an Antwoord PSN. For example, the local authorities set up a joint organization to develop
the database. The costs for the IT infrastructure are shared accordingly.
The Netherlands has another unique feature which is closely connected with the operation of
the system. The "Antwoord" PSN in the Netherlands is set up as a kind of franchising system. As “system leader”, the ICT Uitvoeringsorganisatie (ICTU Foundation) worked with the
Vereniging van Nederlandse Gemeenten (VNG - Association of Netherlands Municipalities)
to develop the Antwoord system and establish joint, though flexible, standards. In this case
the local authorities are the system users and implement the Antwoord solution (see detailed
case study in Section II.3).
50
In Ireland an autonomous organization, the Citizens Information Phone Service (CIPS) Ltd.,
was set up to operate the PSN ("1890 777 121"). This legal status - comparable with a
GmbH in Germany - was chosen in order to gain a certain amount of independence and
freedom of action. No other country as yet has set up an independent organization to operate
the PSN.
Financing, charges, tariffs
The comparison of countries shows that, in almost all the EU Member States surveyed, the
operation of the PSN is financed out of the budget of the relevant government departments
or authorities. In Denmark the financing of the PSN ("1881") is governed by an agreement
between the Danish government, the municipalities and the regions.
With the exception of Ireland and Hungary, PSN calls are free in all the EU Member States
which have national service centres to process the calls. In EU Member States which have
outsourced the first service level (France, Greece, Spain and Hungary), telephone charges
are made for PSN calls, and in Slovenia callers are also charged for the service, which suggests that the charges help to finance the running of the private call centre. Charges are being made for "D115" calls during the current two-year pilot phase although the D115 service
itself is free of charge. The telecommunications service providers do charge, however, for
connecting the 115 number. A percentage of the charges is used to finance the D115 network technology and any further costs go to the respective telecommunications service providers. As soon as normal operation begins, the plan is to reduce the charges to the local
rates.
It was not possible within the remit of the survey to specify the exact investment required to
introduce the PSN and run the system, especially since the costs vary enormously from one
country to another and therefore largely defy comparison. The countries are also starting
from very different baseline situations: For example, the call centre for "Linea Amica" in Italy
had to be created, while in France, the existing call centres for the "39 39" service only had to
be linked to form a network. All the agencies involved in the Linea Amica network have been
able to retain their existing systems, even simple telephone exchanges.
The "Postbus 51" system is financed using a special accounting model. The Information
Council (interministerial committee) allocates a certain amount each year. In return "Postbus
51" is obligated to provide a specified minimum number of services. A contractually agreed
percentage of the amount must be paid back if requirements set out in service level agreements are not met.
51
Personnel management
There are only minor differences between the countries in the area of personnel management. All the countries (e.g. Italy) regularly offer ongoing training courses for call centre employees. Prospective staff for the "39 39" service in France are required to complete a sixweek training course. They learn the basics and practise using the databases. In the case of
"Antwoord" courses are offered by the IT service provider, ICTU. Call centre staff for the PSN
systems in Belgium (Wallonia), Denmark, "Postbus 51" in the Netherlands, and Hungary
must demonstrate a sound knowledge of government structures, administrative procedures
and administrative law. Flanders (Belgium) and Malta indicated that their call centre staff do
not need any specific qualifications. In the case of "europe direct", it was striking that all the
call centre workers are graduates (with master's degrees in subjects like European politics or
European law) who are required to speak two foreign languages in addition to their native
tongue. Similarly, the "1500" service in Greece requires its call centre staff to have an extensive knowledge of foreign languages. Although the first service level of the "060" system in
Spain is outsourced, the call centre staff are required to have the same qualifications as public service employees. All the countries surveyed also demand advanced IT skills, and special staff training courses to this end are offered in Ireland and Hungary, for example.
In the case of "D115" the existing local call centres are being integrated in the network. Due
to the federal structure, personnel management issues are the responsibility of the relevant
authorities. Training courses and "on-the-job training" schemes in the service centres generally last four to six weeks. Training on issues relating specifically to the D115 system is provided in the D115 service centres through the D115 network.
Quality management
Quality management plays a key part in the PSN systems in all the EU Member States in improving the service and the processes. Almost all the countries use monitoring 13 and reporting 14 as quality management tools. Only a few countries use benchmarking, problem resolution, complaints management, evaluations and activity reports (log of daily work/working
times).
The widest range of tools is used in Flanders (Belgium), France, Greece, Italy and Ireland
and for "europe direct" (cf. Figure 22). Then come Wallonia (Belgium), Germany, Denmark,
the Netherlands (Postbus 51), Slovenia and Hungary. In European comparison, Spain and
the "Antwoord" system in the Netherlands pay the least amount of attention to quality man-
13
14
Call centre quality control based on automated key indicator system.
Regular statistics.
52
agement. The "mystery caller" 15 technique is used in Belgium (Flanders), France and in the
Netherlands ("Postbus 51").
If call centre functions (generally the first service level) are outsourced, as in Belgium (Flanders), France, Greece, Ireland, Spain and "europe direct", then quality control standards and
key indicators are set out in service level agreements (SLAs) and are measured with the
above instruments. Sanctions are also agreed in the SLAs, such as reductions in payments,
if the service falls short of the agreed standards.
In the case of the PSN in Ireland, any complaints raised by callers are verified and discussed
with the relevant call centre employee and corrective measures are put in place. The person
who made the complaint is then informed about the action taken. In Malta the Government
Information Service, where the PSN "153" is also based, publishes a "Quality Service Charter" which includes the following stipulations: calls to be answered immediately and politely;
information from the database to be correct and up to date. The introduction of this service
charter raised public awareness of the PSN.
One fundamental aspect of "D115" is a commitment to service which is guaranteed by a
standard definition of key indicators in all the service centres. The commitment to the public
encompasses aspects such as uniform hours of service, a pledge to resolve at least 65 per
cent of enquiries (target was originally 55 per cent) and a pledge to provide a sufficiently detailed information service. In the case of the "D115" service, standards and procedures are
being developed, and training courses and customer surveys are being carried out as part of
a continuous improvement process. The quality management system for the "D115" service
is being continuously developed, with a dedicated working party evaluating the service from
a customer's point of view and coordinating improvements within the network.
An equally rigorous quality control system is required when the first and/or second service
levels are outsourced to third parties. France and Spain, for example, adopt different working
practices in this respect. All the established quality management tools are used in France in
order to be able to monitor the private service providers closely. It is particularly important
because technology and personnel are outsourced to different providers. The only instruments used for the "060" system in Spain are problem resolution, complaints management
and activity reports, an approach which has proved inadequate in monitoring outsourced services. There were initial problems with the service quality, for example, in the handling of
"060" calls after the first service level had been outsourced to private service providers. On
further investigation it turned out that the staff were not sufficiently qualified. As a result, call
centre employees appointed from May 2010 onwards by the new contractor are required to
take the aptitude test for public service employees.
15
Test calls made to evaluate the quality of the information based on set criteria.
53
Sanction mechanisms
"Mystery callers"
X
X
X
X
Wallonia
X
X
X
X
Denmark
X
Germany
X
europe direct
X
France
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Greece
X
X
X
X
Ireland
X
X
X
Italy
X
X
Malta
X
X
N
L
Postbus 51
X
Antwoord
X
X
+
X
X
X
+
X
X
X
+
X
X
X
+
X
X
X
X
+
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
+
X
X
X
X
X
Spain
X
X
X
+
X
X
Slovenia
Hungary
Above-average quality
management
Reporting
X
Activity reports
Benchmarking
X
Evaluations
Monitoring
Flanders
Country
B
Problem resolution and
complaints management
X
X
X
X
X
Figure 20: Quality management instruments used in different countries
Public relations
Extensive national advertising campaigns are being run in Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia),
France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands (Antwoord), Slovenia and Spain in order to publicize
the PSN. The most commonly used means of publicizing the PSN are the internet (e.g. banner advertisements and videos on YouTube) and advertisements in newspapers and magazines, followed by brochures/flyers, radio and television advertising, poster campaigns and
stickers (cf. Figure 23). The systems are also presented at conferences and trade fairs (e.g.
Linea Amica).
Few channels are used to publicize the "Postbus 51" service in the Netherlands, the Citizens
Information Phone Service in Ireland and the "189" service Hungary, with most advertising
54
through the internet and magazines. Little cards and magnetic pins with the PSN number are
also given out in post offices in Ireland. Advertisements for the Borger.dk's service contact
centre in Denmark are limited to the internet, and publicity for "Freephone 153" in Malta is
limited to advertisements in magazines and daily newspapers.
The challenge for public relations work in the German "D115" project is to design an overall
concept for the many network partners who work together on a voluntary basis. A united front
(logo, corporate design, visuals) and common language (text modules, coordinated press relations, informative literature) are being used to develop the "D115" brand. The breadth of
ideas is correspondingly diverse, ranging from standardized sound branding (voice and music) for all network partners right through to various promotional and public relations campaigns (infomercials, YouTube advertisements, radio commercials, online advertisements,
newsletters, flyers, leaflets, posters, promotional giveaways like pens, stickers, etc.). The
Federal Government works with the network partners to develop measures and campaigns
to be run locally; overarching advertising campaigns are funded by the Federal Ministry of
the Interior.
55
X
X
Wallonia
X
X
X
Internet
advertisements
Posters
X
Print
advertistements
Radio and
television
advertising
Flanders
Stickers
Leaflets/
flyers
X
X
X
X
X
Country
B
Denmark
X
Germany
X
europe direct
X
France
X
X
X
X
X
Greece
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Ireland
X
X
x
X
X
X
Italy
X
X
X
X
Malta
N
L
X
X
Postbus 51
X
Antwoord
X
X
X
Slovenia (Halo uprava!
and planned service)
X
X
X
Spain
X
X
X
Hungary
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Figure 21: Means of advertising used by the countries
4.3 Analysis
The comparative study of organizational implementation allows call centre structures to be
analysed only with reference to specific countries; there are no optimum call centre structures or operator models per se as their efficiency can only be assessed in the context of
countries in which they are implemented. For example, most of the countries which have set
up only one national call centre for their PSN systems are relatively small EU Member States
(regions in Belgium and Malta) where most administrative services are already provided at
national level.
Similarly, operator models can only be assessed on a case-by-case basis. For example, the
question as to whether outsourcing has improved the quality of the service in any given EU
Member State can only be answered by referring to the individual country in question. Therefore the overall analysis of the organizational implementation is based on public relations,
56
quality management and charges. The systems fall into the following groups on the basis of
the extent to which these areas are developed:

Belgium (Flanders) is to be regarded as advanced (Group 1).

Belgium (Wallonia), "europe direct", Netherlands (Postbus 51) and Slovenia boast a free
telephone number, extensive public relations work or strengths in quality management
(Group 2).

Denmark, Germany, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Netherlands (Antwoord), Spain
and Hungary have some catching up to do in terms of organizational implementation
(Group 3). These countries are rated as strong in only one of the areas or in none at all.
Free PSN
Quality
management
Public
relations
Total
Group
The following table provides an overview of strengths in organizational implementation.
Flanders
X
X
X
3
1
Wallonia
X
X
2
2
1
3
2
2
2
2
EU Member State
B
Denmark
X
Germany
X
europe direct
X
X
X
France
X
X
2
2
Greece
X
X
2
2
Ireland
X
1
3
Italy
X
2
2
1
3
X
2
2
X
1
3
X
2
2
X
1
1
0
3
Malta
NL
X
X
Postbus 51
X
Antwoord
Slovenia
X*
Spain
Hungary
Figure 22: Status of organizational implementation
4.4 Assessment
Because of their country-specific nature, call centre structures and operator models cannot
be translated directly into potential sources of innovation for other countries, although they do
offer some ideas. Germany is a potential source of innovation in terms of cooperation be57
tween local authorities within a decentralized service centre structure. The network structure
in Germany is also unique among the European countries and provides an example of good
practice and a model for a local service centre structure.
As regards the operator model, Germany may be inspired by other EU countries to look into
outsourcing the first service level. It can be particularly expensive for relatively small local authorities to set up service centres, therefore a private contractor could definitely be an option
for them. That is, not only the IT infrastructure but also the service centre processes could be
contracted out to private providers. Outsourcing the first service level could help to expedite
the nationwide rollout of the "D115" system. The countries which have outsourced the first
service level are Belgium, France, Greece, Malta, Netherlands (Postbus 51), Slovenia, Spain
and Hungary.
Greater innovation potential for Germany is offered by the Netherlands (Antwoord), which is
attempting to set up a type of franchise system for managing the local authority call centres.
The "Antwoord" concept in the Netherlands developed by the ICTU is playing a major part in
expanding the Antwoord system. Local authorities are receiving extensive help with setting
up call centres, which is reducing negative attitudes towards taking part in the Antwoord project. The "D115" initiative is currently in a similar phase to the "Antwoord" system. Things
have moved on from merely integrating existing local authority call centres; now, local authorities are expected to set up new call centres and integrate them in the D115 network. The
Federal Government and the local authorities could take the roles of franchisor and franchisee respectively; marketing could then be stepped up under the single "umbrella brand" of
"D115".
The breadth and diversity of public relations are also sources of innovation potential for Germany. Germany has a wide variety of instruments but they are not yet as widely used as in
other EU Member States. The comparison of EU Member States revealed several eyecatching examples of extensive publicity campaigns for the introduction of single telephone
numbers, such as the PR campaigns for "Linea Amica" in Italy, the coordinated public relations work to inform the Dutch public about the "Antwoord" single telephone number, and the
advertising campaigns which accompanied the pilot phase of "39 39" in France. Ireland and
Malta also offer good examples of public relations work. The countries which use a variety of
instruments are a particular source of innovation potential for Germany.
With regard to the Europeanization of the PSN systems, it is clear that one central national
call centre is more advantageous, especially if combined with cross-border cooperation, as it
reduces the number of collaborators. If there are fewer call centres it is also easier to agree
58
on standards, for example if cross-border forwarding is involved. Cross-border cooperation is
conceivable in connection with "D115" - e.g. cooperation between local authorities in Germany and in the Netherlands as both countries have local call centre structures.
Regarding the charging structure, the introduction of a pan-European "116" number (116
115) is subject to the technical requirement that it is a freephone number - a condition which
would then be of relevance to Germany.
With regard to the Europeanization of the PSN systems, quality management is relevant, as
it would enable improvements by European standards to be made to the pan-European "116"
service (116 115). Indeed, quality management tools are used in all the countries. EU-wide
benchmarking could also be applied to the national PSN services with a view to reciprocal
learning as the basis for improvements in quality.
Finally, public relations work also has a role to play in establishing a pan-European "116"
number (116 115) and can take the form of Europe-wide initiatives as with "europe direct".
The existing forms of public relations work can also be adopted in the respective nation
states with a view to establishing a European "116" number.
59
5
Final assessment with further analysis
An overall classification of the individual EU Member States is necessary in order to be able
to reflect the general state of development of the PSN systems in the EU Member States.
This classification is based on grouping them according to the findings from the distribution
and production perspectives and the findings on organizational implementation. The overall
picture of the EU-27 is as follows:

Group 1 comprises the countries which are well developed in all three input areas (distribution, production and practical organization) and which only need to make improvements in individual aspects of the relevant areas. These countries are Belgium (Flanders)
and Greece.

Group 2 comprises the countries which are well developed in two out of three input areas. These are Germany, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands ("Postbus 51 Informatiedienst"
and "Antwoord"), Slovenia and Spain.

Group 3 comprises the countries which are well advanced in at least one of the areas
(distribution, production and practical organization). These are Belgium (Wallonia), Denmark, France, Ireland and Hungary as well as the "europe direct" single telephone number.

Group 4 comprises countries in advanced stages of planning. This is a group of EU
Member States which have passed the stage of announcing their intention to introduce a
PSN service and are already in the preparatory or planning stages. These countries are
Finland, Latvia, Portugal, Sweden, the Slovak Republic and Cyprus.

Group 5 is made up of countries which are not currently taking any action in connection
with a PSN service and are not expected to do so in the near future. These countries are
Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania, Austria, Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic and the
United Kingdom.
In comparison with the EU Member States, Germany can be ranked as well ahead of the
field across the board. This is primarily due to its strength in production (ticket system and
standardized databases). Germany has a certain amount of learning and catching up to do in
distribution although it is a leader in terms of its range of services.
The grouping is not to be regarded as a strict rank order. The baseline situations of the EU
Member States are too different, which explains the variation in quality and quantity of call
centres. Greece, for example, is advanced in terms of the introduction of the PSN but has
only two call centres because of its size and administrative structure. Defined structural requirements are therefore much easier to act on in Greece than in a country like Germany,
60
with a decentralized network structure. Nevertheless, this grouping is a good basis for assessing the general state of development, as it constitutes a far more in-depth analysis than
the usual comparative e-government studies (cf. Bannister 2007 for critical view of this).
These are generally limited to the distribution perspective and to just a few areas (e.g. information, communication, transaction). The production perspective included in this study is
generally neglected because of the time and complexity involved in gathering the data - a
costly process those who commission the research often shy away from.
Comparing the stages of development in the EU Member States with the time of the introduction of the system provides further insights. For example, Belgium (Wallonia) was the first to
introduce a PSN service but it has been left far behind by the other countries from the distribution and production perspectives; little further development here has taken place since the
PSN was introduced. Greece and Hungary, by contrast, embarked much later on the process
of introducing a PSN system but are further along the path in terms of its development. Once
a PSN has been established the strategy embarked upon evidently appears so fixed that it
leaves little room for further developments.
A comparison with developments in e-government offers an additional way of classifying
countries in terms of the development of PSN services. It is now possible to assess whether
those countries which are well advanced in terms of introducing a PSN service are also
among the front-runners in e-government. There is evidence that countries which are regarded as advanced in terms of e-government are not necessarily leaders in implementing
PSN systems. Slovenia and Malta are exceptions to this rule, which may be attributed in both
cases to the small size of the country.
61
For example, Austria, Estonia, Portugal, Sweden and Finland have not yet introduced a PSN
but are generally regarded as advanced in comparisons of European e-government status.
Countries like Greece, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany are found towards the bottom
or middle in e-government rankings but have progressive approaches to the PSN. There is
little correlation between countries which have already introduced a PSN and their respective
e-government status.
Overall, the European comparison reveals the most potential for innovation in Germany in
the area of organizational implementation. Germany has weaknesses in distribution but not
in the range of services - an indication of strong cooperation and one which is also confirmed. Indeed, in comparison with the other countries Germany shows strengths in the area
of production. Cooperation across levels has been particularly effective despite federal structures - at least in the pilot phase. In terms of cooperation, the ticket system and the standardized database should be emphasized. Compared to the other European countries, Germany
has the most ambitious network structure because the service centres are devolved to local
authorities, resulting in the need for cooperation. The following table summarizes the areas
which emerged as offering potential for innovation from the comparison of the EU-27:
Innovation potential for Germany
Distribution perspective
Production perspective
Implementation
perspective
Source countries
Greater depth of services
Belgium (Flanders), Greece, Italy
Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia), Ireland
Hours of availability
France, Greece, Spain, Hungary
Extended use in crises and emergencies
Netherlands (Postbus 51), Italy
Outsourcing
Belgium (Flanders), France, Greece,
Malta, Netherlands (Postbus 51 ), Slovenia, Spain, Hungary
Franchising
Netherlands (Antwoord)
Public relations
France, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Netherlands
(Antwoord)
Figure 23: Summary of innovation potential for Germany (good practices)
Germany is a potential source of innovation for the EU Member States surveyed in the following areas in particular:
62
Innovation potential from
Germany
Production
perspective
Implementation
perspective
Potential beneficiaries
Cooperation with back office: Ticket
system
Mainly France, Netherlands (Antwoord),
Slovenia
Standardized data terminology
All EU countries which have introduced or
plan to introduce PSN
Multi-tier network
Mainly Italy, Netherlands, Spain
Cooperation across local authorities
Mainly Netherlands, Italy, Spain
Figure 24: Summary of innovation potential from Germany
The potential sources of innovation identified are to be seen as suggestions for improvements. Section IV (policy recommendations) provides a more detailed analysis of which
sources of innovation potential can be used for the further development of the "D115" service. The solutions should be understood in their original context, however, so that the innovations can be transferred. No one would dispute the fact that lessons are best learned when
context and environmental factors are borne in mind. Only then does a clear picture emerge
of the general setting, the baseline situations and the key players involved in bringing an innovation through to fruition. The PSN systems of the countries which are a particularly promising source of innovation for Germany will therefore now be covered in greater detail in case
studies.
63
III. In-depth analysis of selected cases
This section provides an in-depth analysis of selected countries with PSN services, with the
aim of reaching greater understanding of the implementation of a PSN service. In this way,
the country-specific context of the background and development of the PSN can be taken
into account, enabling reflective learning. Following the investigation of individual cases, the
PSN systems in the EU Member States studied will be grouped according to types of innovation. This will help to identify good practices and smooth the way for successful transfer.
France, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain have been selected for the case studies. The selection criteria were the number of individual innovations, the similarity of administrative structures, and the size of the country. An additional criterion was geographical proximity to Germany, which is particularly relevant for cross-border cooperation.
Data were gathered by in-depth evaluation of questionnaires, project reports and telephone
interviews, with a focus on the background situation, implementation process and administrative structures. This approach will necessitate repeating certain information from Section II in
the interest of presenting the cases clearly. A total of eight in-depth guided interviews were
conducted in order to gather more detailed data in the selected cases. Interviews were conducted with project managers and those responsible for projects in the relevant government
departments and authorities. The reports were sent to the interviewees in the various countries for verification that the information was correct.
Each of the case studies is structured as follows:

Description of the situation at the outset and the general framework setting relevant to the
PSN.

Outline of the main characteristic features of the country in terms of the distribution, production and/or implementation design.

Analysis of the project implementation process in order to provide further information
about the source of the innovation.

Final analysis of the country pointing out the outstanding features and comparing it with
Germany.
64
0. France - Allô Service Public 39 39
1.1 Background and general framework setting
The "39 39" single telephone number was introduced in France in 2005. Before this nationwide telephone number was introduced, some key government departments in France already had call centres, but each one had a separate telephone number and the system was
very confusing for the public. In some cases the public also had to put up with long waiting
times and cover long distances to get information about documents, e.g. for certain applications. The aim in setting up the "39 39" service was therefore to create a service geared
more to the public and to help convey a modern and favourable image of the public administration. In particular, the service was intended to make access to public services simpler for
people in remote areas. Another aim was to take the pressure off public sector workers in local offices by filtering out straightforward enquiries about administrative services which could
be answered via the "39 39" system. The idea of introducing a PSN in France came from
Canada where the single telephone number "1800 O - Canada" was introduced in 1998.
The introduction of the PSN "39 39" was a priority on the e-government action plan, 16 the vehicle used to implement the French e-government strategy "ADELE" ("ADministration ELEctronique") between 2004 and 2007. The use of the telephone as a means of accessing information and public services is also part of a multi-channel strategy. 17 The website
(www.service-public.fr) provides another channel of further information to supplement the
telephone.
Planning for the rollout of the PSN began shortly after the e-government website
"www.service-public.fr" was launched in the year 2000, therefore both channels - website
and telephone - were seen as equal means of access to information about the public administration and its services from the outset.
16
17
E-government action plan: public services - contact points providing access to civil service agencies: ADELE 37: the single
telephone number "39 39, Allô Service Public" cf.: The Prime Minister (o.J.): ADministration ELEctronique 2004-2007, The
ADeLE Project - making life simpler for you!, p. 39 and Premierministre (o.J.): Dossier de presse, ADministration ELEctronique 2004-2007, p. 52.
http://interactif.service-public.fr/cgi-bin/posez_question/akio.cgi?page=posez_question/question-droitdemarche.html
(access: 10.02.2010).
65
1.2 Structure
The "39 39" system is a network currently comprising six national call centres which are subdivided into two service levels. The calls go in to the call centre responsible for the region
from which the call is being made. The calls are taken by call centre staff at the first service
level who find out why the person is calling. Enquiries relating to tax are forwarded to
the call centre of the tax service centre (second service level) 18 while consumer-related enquiries are forwarded under the telephone ticket system to the consumer protection call centre (also second service level). All other enquiries are dealt with by the first-level call centre
staff who have access to a shared database and seek to resolve as many enquiries as possible. If the enquiry is too specific it is forwarded by telephone to the call centre of the interministerial information centre in Metz (CIRA) (second service level). 19 In addition to answering specific enquiries about administrative services, this call centre mainly specializes in
dealing with enquiries about labour law, the judicial system, residential developments and
town planning. If enquiries fall outside the remit of the "39 39" service, callers are referred to
the relevant authorities, external service centres or to the website. The call centres are not
able to put calls through to the relevant authorities at national, regional or local level. A pilot
project is currently underway, however, to test a system for forwarding enquiries from "39 39"
to the relevant specialist authority by telephone and via the workflow management system.
The single telephone number "39 39" and the website "www.service-public.fr" are operated
and financed by the Direction de l’information légale et administrative (DILA). 20 DILA is subordinate to the General Secretariat (comparable to the Federal Chancellery in Germany). 21
The control and oversight of e-government projects - and therefore also of "Allô Service Public 39 39" - are the responsibility of the General Directorate for State Modernization
(DGME 22 ) which was formed at the end of 2005 and falls within the portfolio of the Ministry
18
19
20
21
22
http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/F2530.xhtml (access: 03.02.2010).
At the end of 2009 there were nine interministerial information centres; http://www.senat.fr/rap/a08-104-6/a08-104-64.html
(access: 04.02.2010).
http://www.dila.premier-ministre.gouv.fr/missions/information-administrative.html (access: 03.02.2010).
http://www.dila.premier-ministre.gouv.fr/qui-sommes-nous/dila.html (access: 05.02.2010).
DGME - La direction générale de la modernisation de l’État.
66
for the Budget, Public Finance, Civil Service and State Reform (Ministère du budget, des
comptes publics, de la fonction publique et de la réforme de l'État).
The PSN "39 39" differs from the PSN systems in the other EU countries surveyed inasmuch
as the first service level has been outsourced to a private service provider ever since the pilot
phase. The company "Phone Marketing" (now called "Marketingroup") was commissioned by
the Agency for the Development of E-Government (ADAE) 23 to provide the necessary telemarketing specialist staff
24
and the technical platform. The French telecommunications
company Prosodie, which specializes in customer relationship management services, was
responsible for designing and implementing the technical infrastructure (taking and forwarding calls). 25 DILA issues a new invitation to tender for the technical services for the telephone
number "39 39" every three years. Once the pilot scheme was finished, therefore, the companies B2S and Jet Multimédia France were awarded the three-year contract to operate the
call centre. Jet Multimédia France provides the technical infrastructure, such as software,
ACD/CTI, etc., and maintains the equipment. B2S is responsible for processing the calls and
provides the call centre staff. 26
SFR (originally the "Société Française de Radiotéléphonie"), the second-largest mobile
communications service provider in France, has performed the technical tasks, e.g. picking
up and distributing the calls, since 2009. SFR also looks after the technical aspects of the
network of special call centres at the second service level and the database used to answer
the enquiries. As was already the case at the end of the pilot phase, the company B2S also
currently provides the first-level call centre staff. Second-level call centre staff are not
sourced externally; this level is staffed by public service employees from the relevant specialist authorities and DILA employees.
Besides the outsourcing arrangements, a unique characteristic of "Allô Service Public 39 39"
was the extensive public relations work in the pilot phase. An extensive campaign was
launched to publicize "Allô Service Public 39 39", with radio and TV commercials on the main
national stations, information on the main government websites, e.g. www.service-public.fr
and the websites of the administrative districts, as well as print advertisements (flyers and
daily newspapers) and posters. Advertisements for the single telephone number "39 39"
were also published in several leaflets about the ADELE strategy and the initiatives involved
in the strategy. The slogan specially developed for the ongoing advertising campaign was
"La première réponse à vos questions administratives - 39 39" (the first response to your
administrative questions - 39 39).
23
24
25
26
ADAE - Agence pour le développement de l'administration électronique. It was set up in 2003 with a view to implementing
the ADELE strategy and merged in 2005 with some other agencies and directorates under the DGME umbrella;
http://www.modernisation.gouv.fr/dgme/decouvrir-la-dgme/index.html (access: 03.02.2010).
http://www.epractice.eu/node/283238 (access: 03.02.2010).
http://www.asrnews.com/backissue/asrn1203.htm#Telephone%20-%20IVR%20Applications (access: 03.02.2010).
http://www.senat.fr/rap/a08-104-6/a08-104-64.html (access: 08.02.2010).
67
In the Rhône-Alpes test region, the main channel of publicity for the "39 39" service was the
radio and television news, with a focus on the advantages of "39 39": a single telephone
number providing rapid and efficient access to a quality service for dealing with enquiries relating to all administrative services. 27 Advertisements were also broadcast by the regional radio stations France Bleu, NRJ, Nostalgie and Chérie FM over a two-week period (six advertisements per day). A half-page advertisement was published in TV guides at regular intervals and over 20,000 posters and 300,000 credit card-sized handouts were displayed in public places (post offices, town halls, etc.) throughout the Rhône-Alpes region. These places
were chosen to publicize the new means of access to administrative services in the "traditional" places (of administration). The advertising campaign ran from 24 November 2003 to
11 April 2004.
1.3 Implementation and outcomes
The introduction of "39 39" was under the central control of the ADAE. Among other things, it
was responsible for managing the project, coordinating the work with other project partners
(e.g. the operators of the second-level call centres) and for overseeing the nationwide rollout.
The single telephone number "39 39" was rolled out in several phases. At the end of the
drawing-board stage in 2003 the system was piloted for six months in the Rhône-Alpes region, one of the largest regions in France and typical of the variety of administrative tasks
and plurality of administrative areas. After the experience with the system had been evaluated in Rhône-Alpes the pilot was extended to the Aquitaine region in July 2004. At the end
of the pilot stage the "39 39" service was then rolled out nationwide from October/November
2004 onwards. A network made up of the new and existing call centres of the revenue authorities and of the General Directorate for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control
(La direction générale de la concurrence, de la consommation et de la répression des
fraudes, DGCCRF), within the remit of the French Ministry for the Economy, Industry and
Employment, was integrated into one linked system (centre d'appel virtuel, CAV). The single
telephone number has been in routine operation since 2005.
In 2009 the single number service received approximately 1.55 million calls, or the equivalent
of 6,500 to 7,500 incoming calls per day. 28
27
28
Ministère de la Fonction publique et de la Réforme de l‘État (o.J.): Dossier d‘information. La prèmiere réponse à vos questions administratives 39 39, pp. 17-18.
La Documentation française (2008): Trafic en hausse pour les deux plate-formes d’informations administratives de la Documentation française: Allô Service Public 3939 et Service-public.fr, http://www.ladocumentationfrancaise.fr/informations/
presse/2008/campagne-3939-servicepublic.pdf (access: 03.02.2010).
68
1.4 Assessment
Outsourcing the first service level and the technical infrastructure for the second service level
can be cited as an example of good practice in connection with the "39 39" system, as can
the extensive advertising campaigns.
France is pursuing a multi-channel strategy. This is reflected in the e-government strategy
ADELE, whose action plan explicitly refers to the introduction of the "39 39" initiative. The
planning phase for the introduction of the single telephone number coincided with the launch
of the e-government website "www.service-public.fr" in the year 2000. Both channels – website and telephone - were consequently regarded as equal means of access to information
about the public authorities and their services.
There are no plans at the moment to expand the telephone system. For example, there are
no plans to link the "39 39" service to other public service telephone numbers (e.g. crisis
management) or to cooperate with other countries. Nor are there any plans to extend the
depth of services (e.g. provision of case-related information) or to enable the call centre to be
contacted via SMS. As such, after five years of operating the PSN, there has been little in the
way of further development.
One of the strengths of the French system is its use of a wide range of quality management
instruments. As in the “D115” system, the call centres participating in the network are monitored to verify their adherence to quality standards. In addition, the number of calls processed, the duration of the calls and caller satisfaction are recorded and evaluated and the
results published in weekly and monthly sets of statistics. The second service level - the call
centres specializing in consumer information, tax-related questions and other administrative
enquiries - is also included in these evaluations. These statistics are analysed and added to
the knowledge database. If the number of enquiries about certain subjects increases, these
subjects are included in the database along with the relevant answers (mainly in the list of
FAQs). If a call centre fails to meet the required quality standards then, in contrast to the
"D115" system, sanction mechanisms 29 are put in place. If the quality requirements are not
met by "D115" call centres then the relevant managers are informed and asked to improve
standards ("soft" approach to sanctions).
The "39 39" range of services is less developed than the "D115" range of services. Only information about services at national level is available. With regard to the local level, callers
are only given the names and telephone numbers of contact persons; no information is available at all for the regional level. These represent major omissions in the "39 39" range of services. The lack of integration of the local authorities may be connected with their increased
29
If the call answering rate is below 95 per cent, for example, then the amount paid at the end of the month is cut by 5 per
cent.
69
autonomy acquired over recent years in the course of devolution initiatives. French local authorities are responsible for social welfare benefits, education, culture, sport, health, business
development, town planning and land use planning. 30 Including other information about services at local level and information relating to the regional level is difficult, among other
things because France has many different types of local and regional administrative units,
which exponentially increases the number of parties needing to be involved. As the regional
level has not been included at all to date, the amount of vertical cooperation in the "39 39"
service can be described as very low.
The call centre staff have access to a shared knowledge database with an integrated list of
FAQs and a search tool to find the relevant contact person in the responsible authority but,
unlike the "D115" service, they have no standardized list of services.
The above-mentioned aim to simplify access to public services for people in remote regions
was not met; the statistics for 2009 show that most callers were residents of the Île-deFrance region (around Paris), the most densely populated region of France with over 11 million inhabitants.
1. Italy - Linea Amica
The catalyst for setting up Linea Amica was the strong criticism of the quality of services provided by the public authorities, as revealed by several surveys conducted in 2007 and 2008.
Interviewees complained, for example, about long waiting times, unclear or unknown jurisdictions, overlapping competencies, opaque decision-making processes and a lack of communication between the different authorities. The short-term and structural improvement of service quality thus found its way onto the political agenda and was also one of the issues in the
election campaign. The Berlusconi “Popolo della Libertà” coalition and the centre-left coalition both promised to improve the quality of public administration if they won the election. After the Berlusconi alliance won, the new minister launched the Linea Amica project.
The overarching aim of Linea Amica was to restore people’s confidence in a public administration in which public services can be easily accessed, even from the home. Other aims
were better qualified staff and improved customer satisfaction.
30
The regions were formed back in 1955 but for a long time they were merely decentralized units of the national administration. In 1972 they were granted the status of corporations under public law with limited fiscal autonomy but without direct
democratic representation. The devolution laws of 1982 and January 1983 brought a genuine regional structure for the first
time and allowed the regions to function as local authorities, albeit under external supervision (regional prefect, financial
regulators).
70
2.2 Structure
Members of the public can seek information over the telephone, via the website
"www.lineaamica.it", or by visiting local authority offices. "Linea Amica" is not built on a "head
office" concept and is not intended to replace but rather to supplement the existing contact
options. Not only can callers to the "Linea Amica" service access information about public
sector services, they can also enquire after the status of applications and personal data.
"Linea Amica" has its own contact centre staffed by a total workforce of 180 and linked with
695 authorities at all levels. When a call comes in to "Linea Amica" the first-level employee
attempts to answer the enquiry and indeed succeeds in doing so in almost two-thirds of all
cases. As a general rule, the enquiries are about areas of responsibility, statutory regulations
and administrative procedures. The call centre agents enter the basic details of the enquiry
into a customer relations management system (CRM) so that the matter can be forwarded if
it cannot be dealt with immediately. If the first-level agents cannot answer the question, they
issue a ticket and forward the call to the second service level (approx. 20% of calls). Very
specific and personalized enquiries (less than 3%) are generally referred to the relevant government departments and authorities.
The political responsibility for the single government service telephone number and for the
entire "Linea Amica" project lies with the Ministry of Public Administration and Innovation
(Ministero per la Pubblica Amministrazione e l'Innovazione). The Ministry commissioned
Formez PA - "Centro servizi, assistenza, studi e formazione per l'ammodernamento delle
P.A." (further training and in-service training centre) to develop and run the network of authorities subscribing to the "Linea Amica" system and to provide support, public relations and
evaluation services. Formez PA is an association under private law embracing the Ministry of
Public Administration and Innovation as well as public authorities at the regional, provincial
and municipal levels. The central task of Formez PA is to provide support for its members,
mainly helping public authorities to introduce organizational and technical changes, reduce
bureaucracy, apply new technologies and structure their processes.
The "Linea Amica" network currently has 15 main subscribers (including pension insurance
71
authorities, inland revenue service, municipalities of Rome and Milan) and many other members at all administration levels. Any authority participating in the "Linea Amica" service
agrees to perform the following duties:

provide a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) relating to the services within the
sphere of responsibility of the relevant authority. These lists of FAQs are not very standardized at present and there are plans to change this at a later date;

provide the names of contact persons in the relevant authority who will work with the
second-level staff to answer specific or case-related enquiries. These members of staff
should also be prepared to get in touch with members of the public directly in certain
cases;

provide statistics at regular intervals on the number of callers to the relevant authority, the
matters they enquired about, the channels of access they used, and their levels of satisfaction with the service.
"Linea Amica" is one of the PSN systems which took on special significance at a time of crisis. After the earthquake in the Abruzzi mountains in April 2009 the "Linea Amica" service
was a key point of contact for the public in dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake. This
is reflected in the enormous increase in the number of calls made to "Linea Amica". In the
summer of 2009 about one-quarter of all enquiries in this regard were made to "Linea Amica"
Abruzzo. For example, people asked when the energy utilities would be checked, for example, so that they could use their gas and electricity again, and whether there would be any financial aid and, if so, how much. In addition to the telephone access to the "Linea Amica"
service, a local drop-in centre was set up in the L'Aquilone shopping mall and 15 internet access points were provided to guarantee public access to the Linea Amica website. Regular
news bulletins were published on the website "www.lineaamica.gov.it" and broadcast on
"Radio P.A. Amica".
As in France, an extensive advertising campaign was mounted to publicize "Linea Amica".
The Ministry of Public Administration and Innovation ran two advertising campaigns - the first
in April and the second in September 2009. There were TV commercials, radio features, appearances and statements by the minister on all channels, a poster campaign and newspaper advertisements. "Linea Amica" also has its own radio news bulletin, "Radio P.A. Amica Le news per il cittadino", broadcasting the latest news from the authorities and about the
public services once a week. The campaign effected a definite increase in the number of
calls to "Linea Amica". A number of promotional videos about "Linea Amica" were put on
"YouTube" in the 11 months between February 2009 and January 2010. The website
"www.lineaamica.it" or "www.lineaamica.gov.it" promotes all the channels of access. Moreover, "Linea Amica" was presented at public forums and conferences in all parts of the coun72
try and individual questions about the system were discussed. A unique feature in this case
is that this public relations work is supplemented by a campaign aimed at public-sector employees and run by Formez PA. Formez PA is also responsible for organizing and running
further training events all over the country.
The "Linea Amica" system was not rolled out in clearly distinguishable phases. The initial priority was merely to try and improve the public sector service as quickly as possible. It was
therefore necessary to involve the seven main public authorities, the national government
departments and some big city councils and find a way forward together. The resulting solution has only a low level of standardization and constitutes the lowest common denominator,
namely a network which supplements the existing means of access to the public authorities
and does not compete with them.
Following the pilot phase in February 2009, the project swiftly proceeded to normal operation. The "Linea Amica" system expanded gradually as further authorities joined the scheme.
The organization and structure of the "Linea Amica" system were constantly adapted and extended to accommodate the increasing number of users. In-service training courses were run
from April 2009 onwards, first for the employees of the central contact centre and then for the
approximately 1,000 employees of the agencies forming part of the network. The number of
employees gradually rose from 120 (60 at the first service level and 60 experts at the second
service level to deal with cases in the central contact centre) to 170 in January 2010.
Approximately 103,000 calls in total were made to the PSN between February 2009 and
January 2010. Due to the Abruzzo earthquake, the number of calls to "Linea Amica" rose
from 7,100 in February 2009 - the month of its launch - to 17,000 in April 2009.
2.4 Assessment
The use of the PSN as a common channel of access in crises and disasters is striking, as
are the quality and quantity of public relations work.
As is the case with the "D115" system, the public can get information about services at all
levels via "Linea Amica". They can also ask questions by email or SMS or use the "Linea
Amica" website. By contrast, the telephone is the only channel of access planned for the
"D115" system. Access to the "Linea Amica" service is already available nationwide. Unlike
the "D115" system, "Linea Amica" also processes case-related enquiries and status requests.
73
One major difference between "D115" and "Linea Amica" is the structure: "Linea Amica" is
not a service network but one national call centre covering two service levels which is loosely
connected with the contact centres of various authorities at national, regional and local level.
Callers are not put through from the second to the third service level. Instead, the secondlevel employee finds out the information required to answer the enquiry in any given case
and rings the caller back. On the one hand, this structure reflects the aspiration of "Linea
Amica" to mediate between the public and the government, arising from the fact that "Linea
Amica" was set up to improve the quality of public services and to facilitate access to administrative services. On the other hand, it reflects the fact that the existing system is the lowest
common denominator in terms of integration.
"Linea Amica" operates at national level and is funded out of the Ministry of Public Administration budget. "Linea Amica" is run by Formez PA, a network within the remit of the Ministry
of Public Administration which is responsible for a number of areas in addition to the execution of the project, including public relations work and in-service training for employees.
A multiple-phase strategy was developed for implementing the system. The strategy was carried out in a more pragmatic and incremental way as the aim was to visibly improve the quality of the public sector service quickly. However, due to problems with funding and the large
number of people involved in mobilizing the service, no further integration with the relevant
authorities has so far occurred and the system remains loosely linked. This is also reflected
in the lack of standardization of the services to date, meaning that many calls need to be
made to the relevant specialist authorities in order to obtain the required information. In contrast to the "D115" system, the relevant authorities were barely integrated in the project structures.
The total number of calls to "Linea Amica" is quite low at 122,000 per year even though Italy
is regarded as a "telephone society" given the widespread use of mobile telephones. 31 By
comparison, the "D115" service has 150,000 calls per month (Federal Ministry of the Interior
2010, p. 30). At around 66 per cent, the first-level response rate is also low in comparison
with "D115" at 80 per cent. This can be explained by the lack of standardization in the provision of information, so that many calls must be referred to the next service level, and by the
fact that applications can also be processed by the second service level in collaboration with
the relevant public authorities. After the Abruzzo earthquake "Linea Amica" played a key role
in crisis management, ensuring access to public services. This role was not foreseen in the
original plan but is in line with the pragmatic approach adopted when the "Linea Amica" service was set up.
31
Prevalence of mobile communications stands at 192.5 per cent as compared with the EU average of 129 per cent.
74
"Linea Amica" offers innovation potential for Germany as regards the extensive public relations efforts and its use in crisis management. One way to develop the "Linea Amica" service
further would be to build up an extensive standardized database of the kind deployed by the
"D115" service in order to reduce the workload of the relevant authorities. This is already being planned for 2010. There is further potential for innovation by developing a system for
processing cases across different organizations and levels with the ability to forward tickets
to the relevant authorities with details of the public enquiries. This could replace the current
"manual" and time-consuming process whereby the second service level contacts the third
service level.
2. Netherlands
"Postbus 51" (PO Box 51) has been in existence since the 1950s as a service provided by
the Netherlands Government Information Service (Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst, RVD) which disseminated information during the Second World War from London to the Netherlands about
the activities of the Dutch government in exile. "Postbus 51" was set up as a service of the
RVD, a department of the Ministry of General Affairs (Ministerie van Algemene Zaken), with
a mandate to provide the public with information about the government and its services originally by post.
The development of the Antwoord system was initiated by the Association of Netherlands
Municipalities (Vereiniging van Nederlandse Gemeenten, VNG). Since 2004 the further development of "Postbus 51" at national level has run parallel to deliberations as to how a better service can be provided for the public at local authority level and how a strategy can be
developed to this end. The plan is to open customer contact centres (KCCs) with the objective of offering services via several channels of access, including the telephone. The Antwoord solution was specifically modelled on the New York 311 system. The first Antwoord
call centre then went into operation in November 2008 in the municipality of Terneuzen. 32
32
ICTU (2008): Terneuzen heeft Antwoord!, den Haag. http://www.antwoord.nl/actueel/nieuws,2008/november/Terneuzenheeft-Antwoord-.html (access: 15.3.2010).
75
3.2 Structure
Members of the public can obtain information over the telephone and by email or they can
use the "Postbus 51" website at "www.rijksoverheid.nl". The "Postbus 51" call centre is organized in three service levels. The first- and second-level employees use a shared workflow
management system to process and answer all enquiries - including email enquiries - and
have access to a shared database containing some 650 frequently asked questions (FAQs)
about administrative services and news topics (e.g. H1N1 virus). "Postbus 51" works with the
relevant government departments to compile the list of FAQs. The second-level call centre
agents can also access the information systems of the Dutch government departments to
search for relevant information. Enquiries are forwarded to other levels by means of tickets
generated by the workflow management system.
"Postbus 51" belongs to the Dienst Publiek en Communicatie (DPC), an agency controlled by
the RVD. The DPC is a centre of excellence in communications and public relations and its
brief is to guarantee clear and efficient interaction between the government and the public.
"Postbus 51" and the services are funded by the government departments. The services are
governed by service level agreements (SLAs) entered into with the DPC by the Information
Council, to which all the government ministries belong. The SLAs specify how much the DPC
will be paid for which "Postbus 51" services. Other clauses include the minimum number of
calls which must be taken, for example, and how the enquiries must be processed; the
agreements also specify sanctions for failure to perform services or for poor standards of
service. In the latter case the payment is reduced.
In the spring of 2008 the first service level was outsourced to Arvato Services Netherlands, a
subsidiary of the German Bertelsmann group, a move partly prompted by a bid to save on
operating costs. DPC managed to save approx. EUR 190,000 per annum by outsourcing the
first service level which equates to approx.12 per cent of the operating costs for that level.
Another advantage is that since the number of calls to "Postbus 51" has been falling since
2002, the DPC would have had to maintain capacity which is no longer needed, but this risk
is now borne by the private operator. However, the number of people using the website is in76
creasing. A similar development was observed with the PSN service in Luxembourg. This
would indicate that the number of people seeking information has not fallen but that people
prefer to use the online service. 33 Shared access to the Postbus 51 database ensures consistent quality in terms of the information provided.
As far as crisis management is concerned, "Postbus 51" acts on behalf of the Ministry of the
Interior as a central point of contact for information in crises (Smal 2008). In this regard it
works closely with the national situation centre (Nationaal CrisisCentrum, NCC-cRC). These
services are provided for all levels of administration. If a regional or national authority has
important information for the general public in the event of a crisis, for example, then the
relevant parties approach the NCC-cRC. The "Postbus 51" call centre has no more than two
hours to put out the required information which is edited and constantly updated by the national, regional or local authorities for the "Postbus 51" database in liaison with the NCC-cRC
and "Postbus 51". 34 As a result, the public have various channels by which they can gain
rapid access to this information. Examples of events of this kind include the Rhine floods of
February 1995, the dioxin scandal of 1999 and the swine flu epidemic of 2009. 35
The Postbus 51 telephone service has no public relations work of its own per se but, where
applicable, the possibility to obtain information over the telephone is publicized during information campaigns on various issues run by "Postbus 51" on behalf of the government ministries.
The Antwoord concept envisages the nationwide development of independent, nonnetworked customer contact centres, one for every municipality. The idea is that these centres can be contacted by dialling the landline number "14" and adding the local prefix code.
For example, the number for Amsterdam is "14 020" and the number for Rotterdam is "14
010". In addition to providing physical and telephone access, the contact centres are also
meant to offer their services via the internet and email. The services provided mainly relate to
the relevant local authority. It is up to each local authority to decide on other levels of service
to be offered. The first configuration level of "Antwoord" is only for the provision of information while case-related information can be issued at the next levels. 36 The system to be used
for caller authentication is called DigiD and is a sub-project of the Dutch e-government strategy. The DigiD system is already used by authorities at all levels, e.g. by some local authorities and provinces, the water board, the social security agencies, the revenue authorities and
33
34
35
36
Dienst Publiek en Communicatie (2007): Jaarverslag 2006, den Haag. p. 14.
Richsvoorlichtingsdienst (2010): Postbus 51 Informatiedienst - Voorlichting bij crises, den
Haag.
http://www.communicatieplein.nl/Onderwerpen/Wie_doet_wat/Postbus_51_Informatiedienst/Voorlichting_bij_crises
(access: 12.03.2010).
See e.g. http://www.postbus51.nl/nl/home/themas/zorg-en-gezondheid/ziekte-en-preventie/besmettelijke-ziekten/nieuweinfluenza-a-h1n1-voorheen-mexicaanse-griep/wat-is-nieuwe-influenza-a-h1n1-.html (access: 10.02.2010).
Gerco Overeem, Ewoud de Voogd and Martijn Mindhoud (2007): Answer - The KCC of local councils as the front office for
the entire government, den Haag. p. 33-34. http://www.antwoord.nl/binaries/antwoord/pdf/gemeente-heeft-antwoordenglish.pdf (access: 10.02.2010).
77
the land registry. The system employs a user name and a password. The user name and the
password may also be linked to a mobile telephone number. Members of the public who are
registered residents of the Netherlands can apply for a DigiD via the DigiD website. They are
required to give details such as public information service number, postal address and date
of birth to register for a DigiD. When these details have been verified by the authorities, a letter of confirmation is sent out by post containing a code to activate the DigiD. For some administrative procedures a TAN is also required and is sent by SMS to the registered mobile
telephone number. There are currently two security levels in the DigiD system: At the most
basic level only the user name and password are required. At the second security level the
TAN is also required. When the electronic ID card has been introduced in the Netherlands it
will also be integrated in the DigiD system, there forming the third security level.
As regards the structure and organization of the individual Antwoord contact centres, there
has been virtually no input in terms of standards, so the systems already put in place and the
services provided can vary considerably from one local authority to another. The only stipulation is that the contact centres must be able to answer 80 per cent of the incoming calls.
Some towns (e.g. Enschede) have set up call centres which operate the PSN system over
three service levels. An equally varied picture exists in terms of the connection between the
call centres and the specialist authorities (e.g. the third service level) in the local authorities.
The Antwoord Contentcollectie, a database of frequently asked questions about services at
national and regional levels, is provided for the knowledge management systems in the individual local authorities. The data are managed and updated by the relevant authorities at national and provincial level and by "Postbus 51". It is currently unclear whether the provincial
and national authorities will be integrated in the Antwoord system as a third service level and
how this would be implemented in practice.
The "Postbus 51" call centre went into operation in 1995. This coincided with the launch of
the website "www.postbus51.nl", with the additional facility for making enquiries by email
coming on stream in 1998. Work began on setting up the call centre in 1994 after the Information Council (Voorlichtingsraad), a steering committee of the RVD with representatives of
all the government ministries, had decided to provide telephone access. According to those
interviewed, the launch proceeded without any major problems, one of the reasons being
that only the national level was involved. Another advantage was that information about services already existed and only had to be edited and prepared for use by the call centre.
The national ministries and "Postbus 51" have been working closely together since the latter
was founded because at the time the RVD was already responsible for coordinating the pub78
lic relations work of the government ministries. As such, there was no need to develop new
cooperation or coordination structures for the PSN system. This was a major factor in facilitating the rollout of "Postbus 51 Informatiedienst".
The number of people using the service rose sharply in the first few years after setting up the
Postbus 51 call centre: The number of calls increased from approx. 60,000 in 1995 to
approx. 267,000 in 1996 (Meijer/Veenman 2001). The number of calls has been dropping
since about 2002, however, as the number of website visitor steadily grows. This would indicate that the number of people seeking information has not fallen but that people prefer to
use the online service. 37
When the "Antwoord" system was introduced, the IT service provider ICT Uitvoeringsorganisatie (ICTU) played a major role. ICTU is a shared-service organization in which the national government and VNG are involved. The ICTU developed a franchising model for "Antwoord" in which the local authorities act as the franchisees and run the contact centres. As
system leader, the ICTU offers the local authorities a number of support measures and advisory services, such as those listed below:

provision of contact centre models which the local councils can adapt to their own structures and organizations;

guidelines for the introduction of quality management systems and recommendations for
the key performance indicators;

access to the Antwoord Contentcollectie database which the local councils can use to
supplement their own databases;

development of materials and resources for the in-service training of contact centre staff
and supervisors;

common guidelines and suggestions for public relations work and for building on the
presentation of a united front. Logos and illustrations are provided on certain subjects.
The ICTU and the individual local councils use a variety of media to promote "Antwoord",
e.g. brochures and flyers, posters, stickers, magazine advertisements and the internet.
The work of the ICTU and the development and management of the Contentcollectie database are partly promoted by the national level. The national level also pays to reserve the
telephone number "14" + "dialling code". The local authorities are required to pay all the
other costs, e.g. for the technical infrastructure, hardware, software, and for the organizational changes.
By the end of 2009 46 local authorities had introduced the “Antwoord” system. This gives
4.8 million people (approx. 29 per cent of the total population of the Netherlands) access to
public sector services via one of these telephone numbers. The original objective, which was
37
Dienst Publiek en Communicatie (2007): Jaarverslag 2006, den Haag. p. 14.
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to have rolled out the “Antwoord” system nationwide by 2007, was not met. By the beginning
of 2010, 85 local councils had at least signalled an interest in introducing the Antwoord telephone numbers. 38 Results of evaluations on the existing Antwoord systems are not yet available. One reason for the slow progress is that the local councils are required to fund the setup and running of the systems out of their own budgets.
3.4 Assessment
Aspects worthy of note in connection with "Postbus 51" are the various channels of access
for the public to obtain information and the fact that enquiries entering via the different channels can all be answered from one shared database. Also notable are the shared-service approach and the connection with crisis management systems. The distinguishing features of
"Antwoord" include the contact centres being developed or expanded (and frequently catering for the second service level) alongside the telephone and internet services, the franchise
system and the planned caller authentication system.
Both systems have hitherto existed side by side, which is explained by the different background circumstances which led to their development. Whereas "Postbus 51" evolved over
several years under the auspices of the Ministry of General Affairs, "Antwoord" was an initiative of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities which enjoyed the support of the Ministry
of the Interior and was intended to demonstrate the power and capability of the local authorities. In this respect, the separate areas of accountability and the tensions between the administrative levels and institutions in the Netherlands also account for the simultaneous existence of two projects and the current implementation status of "Antwoord". Ultimately the future of the two systems appears closely interlinked. Indeed, if the range of services offered
by "Antwoord" is developed to the extent planned (i.e. the provision of national level information and services via the “Antwoord” system), it raises the question whether "Postbus 51" is
even needed. However, this will also depend on the further expansion of "Antwoord". As the
systems have existed in parallel to date, however, they will be compared with "D115" below
as a single entity.
The "Postbus 51" and "Antwoord" call centres both offer the public several channels of access to information. "Antwoord" in particular is ambitious, either using existing physical access points or developing new ones. In terms of the hours of service, there are no major differences between the two Dutch systems and the German system. When fully developed,
the “Antwoord” system will offer the greatest depth of services, i.e. it will be possible to make
processing status requests and applications over the telephone. An authentication system
38
ICTU (2010): Terugblik Antwoord© 2009, Den Haag. http://www.antwoord.nl/actueel/nieuws,2010/februari/TerugblikAntwoord--2009.html (access: 08.03.2010).
80
which has already been developed will be used for this. There is innovation potential here for
Germany. Whereas “D115” offers services at all levels and all the authorities at these levels
are integrated, neither of the Dutch systems offers services at provincial level as yet. However, this is planned for the “Antwoord” system.
There are big differences between the structure and organization of the systems. "D115" is
set up as a service centre network spanning several administrative levels, with the local authority service centres forming the first service level. Operations in the service network function smoothly thanks to the shared knowledge management system and the ticket system for
forwarding enquiries. The total number of authorities and agencies subscribing to the D115
network is high. "Antwoord" does have a number of call centres run by the local authorities
which cover the first service level but they are not networked, so there is no need for standardization, for example, in terms of the services and information provided. "Postbus 51" has
just one call centre covering the first and second service levels, the two being integrated. The
"D115" system has the greatest standardization of service provision while "Antwoord" is
characterized by a lack of standardization.
As regards the operator model, the "Antwoord" and "D115" systems are similar in that the local authorities run the call centres or service centres in each case. By contrast, the "Postbus
51" system pursues a shared-service approach which is unique and could serve as a potential model for the "D115" service. Moreover, the first service level of "Postbus 51" is outsourced to a private service provider. A franchising system was developed for "Antwoord".
Again, herein lies innovation potential for Germany.
In the "Postbus 51" and "Antwoord" systems, stakeholders are somewhat more tightly integrated in the governance structures than in the "D115" system. In the case of "Postbus 51",
the government ministries for which the services are provided are integrated via the Information Council. Since "Antwoord" is a local authority initiative, representatives of the local authorities are closely involved in both the political and operational aspects of the project implementation.
In terms of its area coverage, the "Postbus 51" service stands at 100 per cent. The "Postbus
51" system is well established even though the number of telephone calls has been in steady
decline since the website was launched. By contrast, the "Antwoord" and "D115" services
have not yet reached full coverage. "Antwoord" is up and running in only 46 local authorities
and "D115" is still in the pilot phase although nationwide rollout is planned.
Both of the systems in the Netherlands offer potential for innovation for the "D115" service.
One example is the multi-channel approach adopted by "Postbus 51" and "Antwoord". Indeed, the fact that a standardized "Postbus 51" service can be accessed via several channels - post, email, internet and telephone - not only indicates responsiveness to citizens'
81
needs but also significantly increases the utility of the service. In the case of "Antwoord" as
well, the telephone is specifically regarded as one of several access channels. The connection with the physical access points is worth mentioning in this context. In the case of "Antwoord", however, this plan has not yet been fully implemented.
Another source of innovation potential for Germany is the operation of "Postbus 51" as a
shared service funded by all the government ministries and linked to the service provision.
This funding model could facilitate the development of such a system as it involves the input
of several agencies. A franchising system of the kind deployed in the "Antwoord" service
could also serve as a model for the nationwide development of "D115" as a way to help individual local authorities set up the service centres.
The use of the "Postbus 51" brand in all the government information campaigns also helps
the service maintain a high profile. “D115” also uses this strategy in that the name is used
not only for the telephone service but also on Federal Government publications. Long-term
potential for innovation lies in using the "D115" service for crisis management purposes like
"Postbus 51".
The "D115" system is a source of innovation potential in its standardization of services. This
could improve the service, especially in the case of "Antwoord", and facilitate the development of shared call centres which is particularly necessary if several municipalities have the
same dialling code. The "Postbus 51" and "Antwoord" systems could achieve further innovation by adopting the strategy of integrating several levels. In the case of "Antwoord", for example, the main services required at all levels could be identified and then standardized in
terms of the way in which they are provided. The service levels should also be networked so
that a ticket system can be put in place for forwarding enquiries. This does the raise the
question, however, as to whether the political will exists to put the standards in place for the
range and depth of services.
3. Spain "060"
The "060" project was launched by the Spanish government in May 2006. The single government telephone number was set up to standardize the telephone numbers at national
level. Information is mainly offered about national level services. There are also special telephone numbers for the other two administrative levels, namely "010" for the local authority
level and "012" for the regions.
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The "060" system was an initiative of the then Ministry of Public Administration with the aim
of providing one standardized means of access to national services, mainly over the telephone and internet but also partly via local administrative offices. The system was put in
place pursuant to the Act on Citizens' Electronic Access to Public Services which was
amended in 2007 to render it fit for purpose.
From the outset "060" was embedded in the Spanish e-government strategy. The Secretary
of State for the Public Service (Secretaría de Estado para la Función Pública) based in the
Ministry of the Presidency (Ministerio de la Presidencia, MPR) has been responsible for implementing the e-government strategy and the standardized access system since 2009,
hence the political responsibility for modernizing the civil service lies with one institution.
4.2 Structure
The public can obtain information about the services and procedures of the national authorities via the single government service telephone number "060". Information is available on all
situations faced in life and in business enterprise.
The calls go in to the central call centre in Madrid and are answered by an interactive voice
response system (IVR). Callers are guided through a menu and are asked to press a key to
select the area about which they require information. Having made this selection, callers are
immediately put through to the relevant authority at the third service level. Calls about identity
papers and the civil status and registration system are forwarded directly to the Ministry of
the Interior, for example, and calls relating to traffic and transport are relayed to the call centre of the Spanish transport authority which is outsourced to a private company. If a caller
wishes to enquire about something not covered in the menu, however, or would like to speak
to a call centre agent then the caller is put through to the first service level. If the enquiry
cannot be resolved at this level then the call is forwarded to the second service level. If the
second service level is also unable to resolve the enquiry then the caller is given details of
the relevant authorities and the relevant persons to contact. Telephone calls about public
sector vacancies are put straight through to the relevant department in the civil service direc83
torate-general or the National Institute of Public Administration (Instituto Nacional de Administración Pública, INAP).
The call centres of the specialist sections of the revenue authorities and social security
agencies are not integrated in, or connected to, the "060" system nor are there any plans for
their integration. Callers wishing to enquire about these matters are put straight through to
the relevant authorities. This is partly due to the fact that these call centres were set up long
before the "060" system and the telephone numbers are well known, despite their length, and
are frequently used by the public and companies. Moreover, the "060" system has neither the
technology nor the organizational infrastructure to cope with the very high number of calls received each year by the call centres of the revenue authorities and social security agencies.
In 2010 the plan is to expand the "060" telephone service to include the processing of personal case-related enquiries, e.g. applications, claims and fines. A solution is currently being
developed for caller identification: Callers will be asked to give a reference number they have
received by post and the number of their identity card or driving licence over the telephone.
The relevant DGIAE 39 is developing the technology and organizational infrastructure to expand the service and this is being presented to the representatives of the Autonomous
Communities (Comunidades Autónomas, CC.AA.) in order to secure their support for the
project. Indeed, the Autonomous Communities have more executive power de facto than is
set out in the constitution. With their approval it will be possible to begin work on the project.
The first service level was outsourced to a private service provider. However, there were major problems with the service initially and the company struggled to meet the agreed quality
standards, because the call centre staff were not sufficiently familiar with the system and with
public sector services and lacked the support of an appropriate knowledge management system. The second service level call centre is run by the DGIAE itself. The individual authorities
are responsible for operating the third service level call centres.
One thing worth noting in connection with the introduction of the "060" system, besides the
outsourcing of the first service level, is the approach to public relations work. Once the concept for the standardized access system had been developed by the Ministry of Public Administration and the cabinet had sanctioned its introduction, a large-scale advertising and information campaign was launched. The campaigns of 2007 and 2008 centred on radio and
TV commercials, newspaper and magazine advertisements and also advertising stickers.
Flyers and posters were added in 2009 as well as banner advertisements on the internet.
39
DGIAE - La Dirección General para el Impulso de la Administración Electrónica (Directorate-General for the Promotion of
Electronic Government)
84
The project has been in routine operation since 2006 after a short trial run. Three departments in the Ministry of the Presidency are in charge of policy and operations with regard to
implementing the "060" system. The relevant departments in the Ministry of the Interior work
in partnership, primarily providing the specialist support required to deal with enquiries relating to the passport, registration and civil status system. Similarly, the directorate-general for
transport works in partnership, providing expert input on matters relating to motor vehicles.
There are plans to engage the partnership of the Ministry of Health and Social Policy as well
and to extend the range to include services for people with disabilities.
Every month some 160,000 calls are made to the "060" service, twice the number made at
the start.
4.4 Assessment
The main point to note in connection with the Spanish PSN system is the plan to expand the
telephone offerings and the telephone authentication system. As in France, the first service
level for the PSN in Spain was outsourced and an extensive public relations campaign was
mounted.
In contrast to the "D115" system, ”060” offers physical points of access and a website. As
with the "D115" system, callers are required to pay for "060" calls. Unlike the "D115" system,
in general the only information given to "060" callers relates to national services - contrary to
the original plan to include all levels. In future, the “060” system is supposed to be able to
provide case-related information and allow applications to be filed over the telephone; an authentication system is currently being developed. The “060” system uses an interactive voice
response system, allowing callers to select a topic or to stay on the line to speak to a call
centre agent in person. Calls to "D115", however, are taken directly by a service centre employee.
The structure of the "060" system is very different from the "D115" system: The "D115" system is a service centre network whereas in Spain there is one central first-level call centre in
Madrid which used to be a call centre for the capital region. A call centre was set up within
the Directorate-General to cover the second service level while call centres in some of the
relevant authorities provide a third level. The overall integration of the 060 system is low in
comparison to the "D115" system. Calls are forwarded by telephone, for example, and there
is no facility for forwarding between the second and third service levels as a general rule.
Moreover, the systems operated by the revenue authorities and the social security agencies
cannot be contacted by calling "060", which is due in part to policy but also to technical and
organizational factors.
85
In contrast to Germany, in Spain the first service level was outsourced to a private service
provider. The call centre services are far less standardized than in the "D115" system in that
each call centre - including the one outsourced to a private operator - compiles and manages
its own knowledge database.
As in Germany, there was no specific external event or catalyst which prompted the development of the single public service telephone number but rather the "060" service is part of a
wider government modernization initiative.
Should individual local authorities consider outsourcing the first level of the "D115" service
then the experience with the "060" service could be taken into consideration, especially regarding staff training. Some thought should also be given to whether the planned authentication system could be used for Germany.
Potential innovations for the "060" service include the provision of standardized information
about services at all levels and the use of a knowledge management system spanning all
levels and organizations, as deployed in the "D115" service. In expanding the system, the
mere pro forma involvement of other levels, such as the Autonomous Communities, could be
replaced by a more proactive process inviting the input of project groups and working parties
as in the "D115" system.
4. Concluding reflections on the case studies
The in-depth analysis has highlighted the fact that completely different approaches were pursued in some cases in the introduction of the PSN systems. The countries can be summarized as follows with regard to the time of introduction, the catalyst of reform, the control
modes deployed during implementation, and the degree of cooperation:

The Netherlands took the path of continuity. The "Postbus 51" system has been in place
since the mid-1990s. The development of telephone access at central level was fairly unspectacular and required no political negotiations or media presentations. At local authority level the PSN in the Netherlands is organized as a call centre network with minimal
central control, which also accounts for the lack of breadth in the services and the absence of networking at local authority level. Practical recommendations issued with a
view to introducing standardization in the structure and working practices are spawning
numerous isolated applications at local authority level. As regards the introduction of
"Postbus 51", the Netherlands can be assigned to the group of innovative pioneers, having started early and yet not having followed through with a multi-tier approach.

Italy is the opposite to the Netherlands. Italy's path to reform in terms of the PSN was
characterized by swift action. Action had to be taken quickly in order to dispel mistrust
86
towards the government. Not until public acceptance had risen was it possible to add a
fundamental air of competence and professionalism to the "Linea Amica" system, e.g. by
training staff and putting a quality management system in place. In Italy the need for a
rapid and visible response to public dissatisfaction with the government authorities was
so pressing that there was no time to think about standardization and harmonization of
the call centres in advance of the launch. The training institution which was put in charge
of operations, Formez, persevered with a variety of network management initiatives in an
endeavour to enable the call centres to achieve the targets with intensive guidance and
support. Italy can be classified overall as a latecomer.

France took the step towards a call centre network for the PSN at central level as a move
for continuous improvement. The national government concentrated on overseeing the
network of six call centres therefore the local authority level was largely ignored. The
horizontal approach to control thus adopted in France is limited to the national level, so
that the French model provides only limited lessons. Indeed, the real challenge of managing a PSN system arises only when different levels are involved. With little cooperation
across different levels and little breadth in its range of services, France can be described
as a country catching up with modernization and the reform agenda.

Spain is also one of the countries seeking to catch up with the modernization agenda because it was late to embark upon the introduction of the system. The approach is characterized by a low level of control as far as the practical organization and the technical aspects of the PSN service are concerned. This is evident, for example, in the decision not
to exert influence on the working practices of the call centre in Madrid. When the system
was outsourced to the private service provider, operational controls were neglected, resulting in an unsatisfactory rating of the call centre services. The corrective action taken
by the Presidency was to monitor the private service provider using performance indicators set out in a service level agreement. A new provider has been operating the service
since May 2010. Spain has gaps in its network with the specialist authorities and with the
local authorities due to their governance structures at the time of implementation.

Germany can also be classified as a latecomer and has achieved a considerable degree
of integration among levels with a broad range of services. The German route to modernization is best described as strategic and open to negotiation. Coordination is central,
albeit involving a lengthy process of persuading every federal state to participate, which
also explains the low area coverage at present. The local authorities piloting the system
are supported by carefully developed instruments, e.g. the blueprints for the call centre
structure, the list of services, the ticket system, etc., which are also used for low-key
monitoring of the local authorities. Germany is the most advanced of all the countries in
terms of the development and management of the call centre network.
87
The final analysis clearly shows that different implementation solutions are available to each
country due to differences in their paths to integration (inclusion of levels), institutional backgrounds and procedural frameworks. In other words, the true potential for innovation and Europeanization is limited. The following conclusions can be drawn regarding potential for innovation and Europeanization:

As regards innovation, the scope for solutions is clearly limited, not least by the very different coordination and cooperation mechanisms in each country. The countries analysed
in detail in the case studies are scarcely comparable, which is why they exhibit significant
differences in the degree of integration and in other characteristics (especially distribution). In terms of monitoring methods, Germany is most likely to be inspired by the models applied in Italy and the Netherlands ("Antwoord" system) although these should be
viewed in their respective contexts. Precisely because Italy was responding to an increasing onslaught of bad press when it set up its PSN service, it put the system in place
quickly at the beginning. Admittedly, however, there are strengths here in comparison to
Germany and therefore possibly also potential for emulation. Germany has strengths in
multi-tier cooperation and also in the practical implementation of the "D115" system with
the diverse requirements for participation in the D115 network. In this respect the umbrella organization is to be seen as a logical further development especially since it is
backed up by a minimum amount of common control in the network. This network control
is an advantage for all countries which not only have a single or less-central call centre
but which also rely extensively on local authorities, such as Italy, Spain and the Netherlands.

Of special relevance for Europeanization of PSN systems is the fact that the most likely
option is a simple activation of a European "116" number (116 115) - this applies particularly to France, Spain and Italy. It would be difficult to activate in the Netherlands because
there have always been two isolated systems, although "Antwoord" could be considered
for a cross-border connection at local authority level. The case study also shows that thus
far only Germany has managed to integrate the local authorities in a structured fashion,
working from the central level outwards. The multi-tier cooperation mechanisms are not
very well developed in the other countries, which might also be an indication of their capacity for transnational cooperation. The analysis shows that Spain and Italy are the most
suitable candidates for advanced Europeanization scenarios with the PSN systems. They
are among the latecomers and have clear plans for greater integration.
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IV. Resulting policy recommendations
1. Policy recommendations in terms of innovation
1.1 Distribution perspective
From a distribution perspective, the "D115" system could be developed in terms of its depth
of services, availability (hours of service, number of languages) and multi-channel approach.
The range of services offered in the "D115" system is particularly well developed from the
distribution perspective. In this respect Germany offers potential for innovation in other EU
Member States such as France, Greece and Ireland.
Policy recommendation: Increase depth of service and provide authentication facility
No provision has been made thus far for processing individual cases via the "D115" PSN.
Belgium (Flanders), Hungary and Italy already provide this depth of service while other EU
Member States, such as the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal, are planning to provide facilities for end-to-end case processing. In order to add depth to the service (e.g. case-related information or applications) it is necessary to have authentication mechanisms in place so that
callers can be identified over the telephone. The degree of cooperation between service centres and specialist authorities ought also to be increased, thus necessitating the introduction
of new cooperation mechanisms (cf. production perspective).
The "D115" solution could specifically follow the PSN model proposed in Portugal and Spain
where there are plans to use the electronic ID card for telephone communications between
citizens and the public authorities. Portugal plans for the "Cartão do Cidadão" or citizen card
to be used together with a one-time password generated by this card as an authentication
facility. The card is a special case because Portugal’s constitution prohibits keeping a central
database of persons, so there are several identifiers on the card (personal ID number, social
insurance number, tax reference number and health insurance number).
Spain uses the RSA key system, in which a key pair is generated comprising a private key
for decryption and a public key. The system involves sending letters out to citizens containing
a reference number which they then quote together with the number of their identity card or
driving licence. The technical and organizational infrastructure for extending the system is
currently being developed in the relevant department of the Ministry of the Vice-Presidency
(DGIAE). Moreover, Spain and Portugal signed an agreement at the beginning of February
2010 which will open the door to the reciprocal use of the online services with the respective
electronic ID cards.
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The authentication system is less strict in other EU Member States, such as Belgium (Flanders). The only details required to obtain case-related information are identifiers like name
and address, and in some cases also the national register number or the case reference
number. In many other processes, formal authentication systems are dispensed with, such
as ordering dustbins or certain instances of notification. Members of the public could also use
the "D115" service to report potential hazards (potholes in the road, fallen trees, etc.) or to
send photographs by mobile telephone to the service centre.
One specific recommendation for further developing the "D115" system in Germany is to include the facility for authentication via the new identity card. This could improve the depth of
service and thus the benefits of the "D115" system as a whole. It may be worth checking
whether certain case-related information could also be issued without formal authentication
mechanisms, as in Belgium. In any case the "D115" system offers an interesting area of application for the new identity card which is scheduled for introduction in 2010 and promises to
be useful for the "D115" service. It is necessary to identify applications and services requiring
authentication where the telephone is a particularly worthwhile processing channel. Many
other services add depth and bring corresponding benefit. It is advisable to allow certain information and documents to be submitted without necessarily asking for authentication.
Policy recommendation: Adopt multi-channel approach
Belgium (Flanders) offers innovation potential in terms of a multi-channel approach as it operates a website and local drop-in centres coordinated with the service centre. The public
can also use teletext and digital television (Teletekst en interactieve tv [IDTV]) to access information which used to be available on the internet only. The PSN in Belgium also has distinct elements of a service centre in that it offers other channels of communication besides
the telephone. The service centre can be contacted by letter, email or chat, and the "Teletolk"
chat service is provided for the deaf and hearing-impaired, who can use "Teletolk" to communicate with others, ask questions about public services, or make an appointment with a
doctor.
Ireland has adopted a multi-channel strategy, with the CIPS itself as well as the website
"www.citizensinformation.ie" and local citizens information centres. Hungary has developed a
multi-channel strategy for access to public services. Since September 2003 the website
"www.magyarorszag.hu" has provided another channel of access alongside the telephone
and service centre. The service centre offers various channels of communication in addition
to the telephone: Members of the public have the option of sending an email
([email protected]) or an SMS (189).
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Significant improvements can be made to the "D115" system if the D115 service centres become established as full-service contact centres which use all the (new) media like SMS,
chat, MMS, email, etc. Due to the network structure and decentralized approach in Germany,
this is the responsibility of the local authorities themselves. Having central oversight of the
project, however, the Federal Government could adopt a supportive role, perhaps by developing a suitable reference model for this multi-channel-capable contact centre solution.
There is more room for optimization if the local authorities coordinate their telephone service
more closely with the other channels of access they offer locally. "Genuine" multi-channel
capability can become a reality only if the channels of access share the same databases and
CRM systems. This allows changes to the mode of access without members of the public
having to keep repeating the details of their enquiries. In this regard, data protection considerations must be taken into account, and it may be necessary to obtain the consent of the
citizen in the given case.
Policy recommendation: Improve availability
There is additional potential for innovation in enhancing the availability of the "D115" service
and extending the hours of service. Hours of service can be extended if several service centres cooperate with each other. Extended availability on weekdays is conceivable. The service is staffed on Saturdays and/or Sundays/public holidays in Belgium (Flanders), France,
Ireland, the Netherlands (Postbus 51), Slovenia and Spain. "Round-the-clock availability" of
the PSN from Monday to Sunday is guaranteed in Greece, for example, although there are
only a few call centres, making it easier to guarantee extended availability than with network
solutions.
In respect of the languages spoken, the comparison of EU Member States indicates that
"D115" would be well advised to run a multilingual service. English is the obvious choice as it
is the language most widely spoken and understood in the countries surveyed.
Innovation potential from Germany
The EU comparison suggests that Germany has little to offer in terms of innovation in distribution as it does not differ significantly from others. Germany is among the front-runners in
terms of its range of services which can essentially be accounted for by innovations in the
area of production.
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1.2 Production perspective
The key issue from the production perspective is cooperation with other authorities because
this is the only way that the PSN service can be improved. The "D115" set-up is generally
good in terms of cooperation. Nevertheless there is room for improvement when viewed in international comparison: The positive assessment of cooperation levels as a whole relates to
the range of subjects covered by the "D115" service. Germany has some catching up to do in
terms of the depth of the service, however, which suggests a lesser degree of cooperation.
More action is needed in terms of the collaboration with the local authorities. Another recommendation from the production perspective is to use the "D115" service in crises, as already practised in the Netherlands and Italy.
To summarize, Germany should proceed with deepening collaboration with the third service
level (increasing the degree of cooperation) and should proceed with the links with crisis
management. In the other areas, e.g. information management and IT applications, the
"D115" service is one of the most advanced solutions and a stimulus for development for
other EU Member States.
Policy recommendation: Link with crisis management
One recommendation would be to develop a system which the state-level authorities responsible for managing crises could use to provide information for the "D115" service quickly in
the event of a crisis. The service centres would then be able to provide the public with the
latest information. Extending the service to include crises ought to effect a major increase in
public acceptance of the "D115" service and, not least, of the authorities primarily responsible for crisis management. It is important to ensure that the provision of information is nationwide. A model for this kind of cooperation is Italy where "Linea Amica" played an important role after the Abruzzo earthquake in April 2009, providing a point of contact for the public
and advising citizens on how best to cope with the aftermath of the earthquake. This is reflected in the enormous increase in calls to "Linea Amica" in April. Approximately one-quarter
of all enquiries went to "Linea Amica" Abruzzo. Callers had very practical questions, such as
when the systems would be tested so that they could use gas and electricity again, when
they could move back into their houses, and what financial aid would be available.
Germany has seen a spate of crises in recent times, such as floods, mass panic at largescale events, terrorist threats, epidemics, etc., and the "D115" service could provide added
value in such situations.
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Policy recommendation: Increase cooperation with specialist authorities
Any attempts to add depth to the service and therefore to improve the service as a whole require a greater degree of cooperation with the specialist authorities. Specifically this means
improving collaboration between the second service level and specialist authorities. The second-level staff could be given read-only access to the applications used by the specialist authorities, as in Belgium (Flanders) or Malta, for example. In the case of "Antwoord" in the
Netherlands the first service level can also refer complex or case-related questions directly to
the third service level, i.e. the relevant specialist municipal authority, if there is reason to believe that the second level will not be able to answer said questions. However, only the second service level has read-only access to the applications of the specialist authorities. It is
also important to ensure that applications, documents, etc. can be forwarded to the specialist
authorities if the authentication process is carried out via the PSN.
The second service level and specialist authority can cooperate as in the single point of contact enacted under the European Services Directive. Solutions to this end have already been
put in place in each state and could be transferred to the "D115" service. This would also
mean the multiple use of solutions which are already in place and have frequently been
costly to develop.
The multi-tier approach and the resulting provision of services at several administrative levels
are of particular interest to countries like France, the Netherlands or Italy where the breadth
of collaboration across levels is still not very well advanced. The system rests on the standardized descriptions of services and the associated databases available to all the call centres in the network. In the majority of countries other administrative bodies or authorities do
provide information for the database but there is no uniform structure for the descriptions.
Nor are there quality standards for the provision of information. Preparations for such standardization are being made for "Antwoord" in the Netherlands and "Linea Amica" in Italy. The
other countries, especially those planning to introduce a PSN, would potentially be interested
in the German approach.
The ticket system which is particularly characteristic of Germany in this form also offers potential for innovation. A system of this kind is relevant for all countries where the PSN is organized, or is to be organized, over several levels, or for a country like Italy where cooperation does not work very well or only operates at a manual level.
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1.3 Organizational integration
In terms of practical organization, other EU Member States offer several areas of potential for
innovation and sources of inspiration for Germany. These include potential innovations with
regard to the operator model, public relations and charges. By the same token, Germany is a
source of ideas for other EU countries, e.g. in its cooperation across local authorities or its
exemplary decentralized network.
Policy recommendation: Reduce charges
Germany is the only EU country among the EU Member States surveyed where high rates
are charged. In some EU Member States, such as Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia), Denmark and Malta, calls to the PSN service are completely free of charge. A telephone number
where calls are billed at the local rate would significantly increase public acceptance of the
"D115" service. It would also reduce competition with calls to existing local authority numbers, which are already charged at the local rate.
Policy recommendation: Set up and develop franchise system
One central issue for Germany is network management. Specifically, lengthy negotiations
are needed to persuade Länder and local authorities to join the "D115" network. A hierarchical approach is not feasible due to the autonomy of those involved. A franchise system can
act as a "soft management toolkit" to support the implementation process (cf. practical application to the provision of public services: Lenk/Klee-Kruse 2000, p. 94ff.). The Federal Government would be the franchisor and the Länder or local authorities would be the franchisees. An approach of this kind seems particularly promising in view of the diversity of local
authority structures and the segmentation of structures in the territorial Länder. The advantage of franchising is that it enables the effective dissemination of business concepts based
on knowledge transfer services. The prime characteristic of franchising is its cooperative division of labour. Franchisee and franchisor enter into a contract stating which partner is responsible for providing which services. Franchisees are generally required to pay a consideration for the business model developed by the franchisor. The franchisor also provides
training and in-service training for municipalities and service centre employees and is responsible for further developing the model and ensuring that all franchisees comply with the
same standards. The municipalities put the model in practice at the local level.
This kind of franchising approach was identified in the Netherlands in the "Antwoord" service:
In order to make it easier to implement the system, the ICTU developed a type of franchising
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model with a series of coordinated steps and measures required for implementation. The
model includes the following elements:

a detailed blueprint which local authorities are required to adapt to their own structures
and organizations (including instructions on setting up a call centre and organizing processes);

access to the Antwoord Contentcollectie database of frequently asked questions compiled by national authorities;

guidelines to assist with the introduction of a quality management system and recommendations for the key performance indicators;

training for staff and managers of public call centres which are run as paid-for services
under a public-private partnership; and

guidelines and recommendations for public relations work, roadshows and workshops to
promote the launch of "Antwoord".
The practicalities of introducing the system are left to the local authorities themselves, with
additional support services available from the ICTU besides the implementation blueprint. A
franchise system is highly compatible with the "D155" umbrella organization structure now
emerging which has no capacity for direct impact on the local authority service centres but
could develop a kind of leadership for the local authority systems. The umbrella organization
could develop a standard model for the service centres, their development and their operation. This would give the local councils as franchisees a "package system", i.e. a uniform
business model, from one source. Potential franchisors include (public or private) companies
set up specifically for this purpose, such as the emerging umbrella organization or large innovative cities/Länder which pass on the solution they have developed. As franchisees the
local councils are given support in four main areas, namely marketing, information technology, staff training and management. The franchisor sets the marketing strategy for all the
members of the network. The franchisor adopts appropriate management practices and
processes to ensure that this strategy is pursued at local level in a professional and efficient
manner thus resulting in a uniform scope of services.
By adopting a uniform marketing strategy, it is possible not only to cut costs but also to develop a uniform and independent brand around the telephone distribution channel. Precisely
in these times of increasing loss of confidence in private service providers, the notion of a
"government brand" is gaining significance and lends itself to targeted publicity, an aspect
which has so far been mostly overlooked. A franchise approach is also relevant for the ongoing development of the "D115" service. In many EU Member States with PSN services, it is
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apparent that the systems have hardly been developed further since they were originally set
up. However, this could be achieved by a franchisor (e.g. the umbrella organization).
Policy recommendation: Develop public relations work
Although the usual public relations instruments are in place in Germany, it can nevertheless
source ideas from the EU Member States. In particular, other EU Member States’ coordinated use of all these instruments is exemplary. In other EU Member States such as Slovenia and France, public relations campaigns run for several weeks in a drive to raise visibility.
The project could be actively promoted in the pilot phase in particular in the hope that the
public might exert pressure on their local authority to introduce the "D115" service.
Italy, France, "Antwoord" in the Netherlands and Slovenia are a particular source of innovation potential for "D115" in terms of public relations. Examples of special promotional tactics
include advertising sited directly in the buildings of the public authorities (e.g. as in France),
in addition to the usual advertising vehicles used in the private sector. The intensive promotion of the PSN during the pilot phase in France was striking, as was the fact that the advertising campaigns heavily stressed the benefits of the PSN for the public. The breadth of the
approach adopted in Italy is impressive, as is the intensity of use of all the classic advertising
media (press, radio) and modern advertising media (internet).
An extensive campaign was launched to publicize "Allô Service Public 39 39", with TV commercials and advertisements on the main national radio stations, on the main government
websites, on "www.service-public.fr" and on the websites of the administrative districts, as
well as printed advertisements and posters. Advertisements for the single telephone number
"39 39" were also published in several leaflets about the ADELE strategy and the related initiatives. As in Germany, a slogan was specially developed for the ongoing advertising campaign which ran "La première réponse à vos questions administratives - 39 39" (the first response to your administrative questions - 39 39). The ongoing publicity campaign continues
by means of flyers, radio and television commercials, posters, advertisements in newspapers
and magazines and on the internet. In the Rhône-Alpes region, where the system was piloted, the main channel of publicity for the "39 39" service was the radio and television news.
More than 20,000 posters were displayed and 300,000 credit card-sized handouts were
available in public places (post offices, town halls, etc.) throughout the Rhône-Alpes region.
These places were chosen to publicize the new means of access to administrative services
in the "traditional" places (of administration).
The policy recommendation for Germany is to make greater use of the existing public relations instruments and to add further instruments to the communications toolkit. In particular,
"D115" needs an integrated approach to communications as an overall strategy. This is nec96
essary not only to raise the profile of the "D115" service in the regions already linked up but
also to recruit new regions to join the project.
Germany has a strong service centre network structure. The general advantage of this is that
it is easier to take account of local/regional circumstances than with central solutions, while
still setting minimum standards for the "D115" service. The German network solution offers
some advantages although it does hamper rapid propagation. A wide range of services can
be provided, however, because of the strong involvement of the local authorities. The idea of
working together in a network might particularly inspire the Netherlands, France or Spain.
Germany offers further potential for innovation in the EU Member States in terms of its cooperation across local authorities, a model which is particularly feasible for decentralized call
centre solutions. Local authorities can cooperate with each other, as modelled in the region
of Cologne, to avoid having to set up and operate their own separate call centres. This is a
viable option for all countries with a PSN service which plan to or have already set up call
centres at local authority level, e.g. Italy. The experience of Germany could also benefit
France and Greece if these countries aim for greater integration of regional and local authority level.
2. Policy recommendations for Europeanization
Four basic options with varying configurations may be considered for collaberation among
PSNs at the European level and can be classified according to their degrees of cooperation.
The first and most basic form of cooperation to be considered is the sharing of good practices followed by the basic connection of the "116 115" number. A more advanced option is
to link PSN systems across borders (horizontal connection) and to connect national PSN
systems with EU telephone numbers (vertical connection).
2.1 Option 1: Sharing of experience and good practice
One way of discussing ideas as to how national PSN systems could be developed and of
sharing insights into how things have worked out in practice is to organize and, where applicable, institutionalize experience-sharing among EU Member States. For example, a European working group on the PSN could be set up. The following topics are relevant for discussion at European level:

in-depth discussion of the potential for innovation identified in this report and discussion
of the transferability of solutions to other EU Member States, concentrating on core is97
sues, such as adding depth to services, authentication, multi-channel approach, cooperation, etc.;

in-depth discussion of prospects/limits of Europeanization of the PSN systems and of the
options identified in this report with a focus on pan-European standards to guarantee interoperability;

development of Europe-wide PSN service standards and a system for regular Europewide benchmarking, with particular emphasis on agreeing indicators for Europe-wide
evaluation of PSN development.
A European PSN benchmarking system could become the core focus of the working group.
Monitoring, i.e. ongoing observation of jointly defined standard parameters, would make it
possible to track and compare changes to the national PSN systems from the distribution
perspective (e.g. changes to the range of services or availability) or the production perspective (e.g. greater cooperation with other authorities). By operating a joint benchmarking system, it is possible to routinely identify good practices and to flag up those areas of the national PSN systems in which there is room for improvement. At the same time the respective
approaches to the PSN systems can be better geared to European interests.
Basically all EU Member States which have already introduced a PSN (e.g. France, Italy,
Spain) could take part in this discussion. The sharing of good practices is also particularly
relevant to the EU Member States currently planning to introduce a PSN system (e.g. Sweden, Finland, Slovakia). This would give them the opportunity to orient their activities on
European requirements from the outset and to learn from the experiences of other EU Member States with PSN services. Not least, sharing good practices would also be of interest to
countries which do not yet have a PSN system (e.g. Estonia, Czech Republic, Bulgaria and
Switzerland). The discussion would enable them to ascertain whether and to what extent a
PSN service would benefit their country before going ahead with their plans. A good practice
workshop would be particularly useful for countries which do not have a PSN system, acting
as a source of concrete ideas and tried and tested solutions.
Such experience-sharing can be independent of the other Europeanization scenarios and
should not be seen as a one-off instrument. On the contrary, a sustained exchange of experience is a fundamental requirement for the Europeanization of the PSN service and its
continuous further development. The sharing of good practice should by no means be confined to workshops. It is advisable to create an online database of good practice in parallel
and to develop expert forums to ensure the efficient transfer of knowledge.
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2.2 Option 2: Allocation of a European telephone number with a "116" prefix to harmonized services of social value
The next step towards integration is allocating a European telephone number with a "116"
prefix for harmonized services of social value and activating it in each EU Member State
which has a PSN system. This scenario constitutes the simplest form of Europeanization of
the service and can be implemented if at least five countries commit to this project. It is conditional upon the national regulatory authorities in the respective EU Member States allocating the telephone number to the service provider (the relevant government ministry as a
general rule).
The formal procedure for reserving a European telephone number with a "116" prefix for harmonized services of social value essentially comprises three steps:

The first step is for an EU Member State to apply to the European Commission to reserve a "116" telephone number. The application must state what service is to be provided via this telephone number. If the European Commission reserves the "116" telephone number then this number is included in the "List of numbers reserved for harmonized services of social value" along with a brief description of the service.

The second step involves allocating the telephone number to an organization (service
provider) in the relevant EU Member State. The regulatory authorities of the EU Member States are responsible for the telephone number allocation process (Art. 5 of
Commission Decision 2007/116/EC).

The third step is for the relevant service provider and the latter's network operator to
develop the organizational and technical infrastructure so that the number can be used
for the service specified.
The requirements for this basic scenario can be deduced from the distribution perspective.
The study has shown that all the EU Member States with a PSN - the Netherlands and Belgium subject to certain conditions - would come into consideration in this regard. Belgium
and the Netherlands do (still) have isolated systems but nevertheless come into consideration for the activation as each country can connect both its systems with a European "116"
number (Postbus 51 and Antwoord in the Netherlands and the PSN systems in Flanders and
Wallonia in Belgium). It would be particularly difficult in Belgium at present, due to the regional division, to agree on a European "116" service although it would also be a chance for
Belgium to harmonize the two existing PSN systems.
Finland and Sweden could also be considered for the connection, even though these countries are only at the planning stage, having agreed from the outset on a European "116"
number as a national PSN, namely "116 115". By doing so, these countries will meet the re99
quirements de facto for a European PSN when they introduce the national system in their
countries.
However, this simple scenario will require the service to be provided in English as a minimum, and preferably in one other EU language besides the national language. This is not
mandatory under the EU regulations for the technical connection but language provision
should be in place in order to meet the transnational requirements. A system is conceivable
in organizational terms where each country would put calls to a European "116" number
through to a "lead" call/service centre. This call/service centre would take the enquiry and
forward it, as necessary, to the relevant call/service centre or service level. If the caller cannot speak the language of the country in question then the service centre can obtain the information from the next service level.
There are other options in addition to the basic model for activating a European "116" number, e.g. "116 115" in the relevant countries:

Replace national PSN sequence of digits with "116 115"
This alternative is not likely to find much acceptance insofar as the EU countries, having already marketed their national PSN systems and publicized numbers which are also shorter
and easy to remember, will probably see limited added value in introducing a new number.
These countries are therefore likely to be reluctant to change the series of digits chosen for
their national PSN. Those EU countries which have yet to establish a national PSN, however,
have the option of choosing a European "116" number (116 115) during the PSN planning
phase. The preferable option for countries which already have a national PSN system is to
have a "116 115" number in addition. The same service would therefore be guaranteed on
both the national and the European PSN.

Introduce an additional service on a European "116" number (116 115)
Another conceivable option would be to activate an additional service on the European PSN
in the relevant countries which would provide the services in English or in other EU languages. It might also be possible to produce a special EU-related service package which is
only available on a "116" number (116 115). This might include special services with panEuropean relevance (e.g. information on living and working in another EU Member State). A
package of services of Europe-wide relevance could then be developed in each country.
Countries which use a European "116" number (116 115) for their national service could offer
Europe-related services on one telephone number only.
All things considered, it would be advisable to proceed with the activation of a "116" number
(116 115). This will involve some expense, however, because the "116" numbers may be
free of charge for the callers but not for the service providers who have to pay for infrastruc100
ture and running costs. Then there are negotiations to be conducted with all the network operators to arrange for the number to be set up as a special number in their networks. However, this scenario does not require any additional changes to the existing service, which facilitates the implementation process and keeps costs in check. Given the fact that the PSN
service is already available in English in the majority of the EU Member States, it would be
easy to develop a harmonized language service.
2.3 Option 3: Linking PSN systems between several EU Member States
Other PSN integration scenarios are possible which go beyond the basic connection. In
these scenarios the PSN systems which have already been introduced remain in place and
can in principle be connected without a standard European telephone number within the
scope of harmonized services of social value if, for example, such connection is nothing
more than a bilateral process between EU Member States. For Germany this scenario would
work with Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark and France because no other EU Member
State has introduced a PSN system.
As far as the issue of cross-border cooperation is concerned, it depends most notably on the
development of the production perspective and on the implementation perspective. In terms
of specifics, various alternatives as to how the connection between the national PSN systems could take shape are conceivable. Given the status and the different forms of implementation in the various countries, there are two basic connection options: first, to connect
the national PSN systems in border regions; and/or second, to connect the national systems
across the board.
Option 3a: Connecting PSN systems in border regions
A European "116" number (116 115) is not necessarily required for this alternative if two EU
Member States arrange for a bilateral connection in border regions. If, for example, a person
living in Aachen had an enquiry about an administrative procedure in the Netherlands, he or
she could call the German D115 service centre which can answer general enquiries about
administrative services in the Netherlands. If further information is required to answer enquiries, the Dutch call centre in the border zone could then function as the second service level.
Enquiries could be referred on by means of a ticket system or by forwarding calls.
For this scenario to work it is not absolutely necessary for the neighbouring country to have a
PSN system as the enquiry could be forwarded to the relevant authority in the neighbouring
country. In this respect "smaller connection scenarios" beyond the EU dimension could also
be considered. In any case cross-border cooperation is an option for (Euro)regions where
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many people live in one country and work in another. From the German point of view this
would mainly apply to the regions bordering on the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, France,
Switzerland, Poland and the Czech Republic.
If setting up a transnational service, the first step is to identify services relevant to specific life
circumstances in these regions or at certain times and events (e.g. floods). In addition to acting as a hotline in emergencies, the service could also provide information about subjects
like education, housing, tourism, employment (rights of employees), taxation, passport applications, registrations and the transport system. The needs of cross-border workers should be
represented, this being a significant target group.
It is also conceivable that a D115 service centre in a border region could specialize in the
relevant subject areas. Enquiries about "border topics" would be answered as fully as possible and preferably finalized by the service centre with the aid of a database of information
specific to the region. If an enquiry cannot be resolved by the service centre then it would record the enquiry and offer to call back after consulting with the call centre in the neighbouring
country (by telephone or ticket). In effect this service centre would act as an intermediary between the caller and the call centre in the other country. The calls of the specialist D115 service centre would be taken in the neighbouring country either by national call centres (e.g.
"Postbus 51 Informatiedienst" in the Netherlands or "39 39" in France) or by call centres in
border regions.
As opposed to the basic connection of a European "116" number (116 115), Belgium and the
Netherlands are particularly suited to transnational cooperation in border regions, as a single
national PSN system would not be imperative in this case. In Belgium this would apply to the
PSN in Wallonia, and in the Netherlands it would apply to the local authorities in the border
region which have already introduced "Antwoord".
The following German cities could set up specialist service centres of this kind for the following border regions: Hamburg for Denmark, Aachen for Benelux, and Freiburg i.Br. for France
and/or Switzerland. Cooperation initiatives in the areas bordering on Poland and the Czech
Republic could also be considered. Because neither country has a PSN system yet, regional
call centres could be set up in both. They could then be expanded into national systems at a
later date. The advantages of such specialist call/service centres are that the service can be
provided in the relevant language and that local knowledge databases can be used.
Ms Smith intends to start a new job in Tønder in Denmark in six months. She will continue to reside in
Flensburg, Germany. Ms Smith would like to know what procedures need to be followed in changing
her job. She does not have time to search for the information on the internet and her knowledge of
Danish is insufficient to communicate with public administration staff in the language.
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So Ms Smith calls "115". An agent at the specialist service centre for the Hamburg region answers the
call and asks what she is calling about. While Ms Smith is explaining, the service centre agent is already entering search terms like "Denmark" and "job" into the workflow management system. It takes
just a few seconds to find the relevant information, namely that Ms Smith needs to contact the town
hall or council office in Tønder. She will need to take her national identity card and the employment
contract with her. There she will be issued with a Danish health insurance card and with documentary
evidence that she is covered under the health insurance system in Denmark. Ms Smith must also go
to the nearest tax office where she will be given a tax reference number and a tax document to give to
her employer.
The service centre offers to call the specialist call centre in Denmark to ask any specific questions that
Ms Smith may have. Ms Smith declines, however, as she already has the information she needs.
Option 3b: General connection of PSN systems of EU Member States
The most workable PSN solutions for connecting PSN systems of different countries are
those which have developed an efficient service network within their own country between
different administrative and/or service levels. Countries currently falling into this category are
Belgium (Flanders) with "Contactpunt Vlaamse Infolijn" and Italy with "Linea Amica": Both
have reached a similar stage of development to the "D115" system from a production perspective. Enquiries could be forwarded between these countries by means of a ticket system.
If at first enquiries were to be forwarded by telephone only then cooperation initiatives between all the PSN systems are conceivable in principle, e.g. "39 39" in France could be
linked with "060" in Spain and "Linea Amica" in Italy. Difficulties arise in the Netherlands with
its separate "Postbus 51" and "Antwoord" systems in that any cross-border referrals require a
knowledge of the national assignment of responsibilities.
Any general connection of PSN systems of different EU Member States must consider the
different call/service centre structures. If there is only one national call centre (e.g. Spain), it
is far easier to organize implementation than in a network of call/service centres (e.g. "D115"
or "Linea Amica"). If a call goes in to the national call centre in Denmark, for example, and
needs to be forwarded to the "D115" service, it is not clear to which call centre in Germany
the call should be forwarded, as the first “D115” service level comprises numerous local authority service centres, all of which would be potential recipients of the call. So the Danish
call centre would have to locate the German service centre responsible for that region. Then
every call centre might have to recruit agents with the relevant language skills, at which point
the system would no longer be feasible.
The logical step forward for Germany would therefore be to designate, for each (cooperating)
state, a lead service centre which would effectively head up the network and offer the relevant linguistic skills and additional service content. This service centre would be able, where
103
necessary, to obtain further information from the second or third service level and to forward
calls to the call centre in the other country or to make direct calls to the public.
2.4 Option 4: Links between national PSN systems and EU telephone numbers
Another option is to link "europe direct" with one or more national PSN systems (EU integration). "Europe direct" and national PSN systems could forward enquiries to each other as
needed. If specialist call centres were designated or set up in the various countries, as set
out in option 3, then enquiries could be forwarded from "europe direct" to these call centres.
The "europe direct" service is provided in the languages of all the EU Member States, so cooperation with the various national systems would not present any problems. For this scenario, as for the connection of individual PSN systems, the respective status of implementation would be relevant, although virtually all the countries with PSN systems come into consideration. If a country has a network of service centres, like Germany, it would be advisable
to appoint a lead service centre to receive calls from "europe direct". This is not absolutely
necessary for linguistic reasons as "europe direct" provides its service in all EU languages.
This connection scenario would be much simpler to implement in practice than option 3 and
should therefore be the preferred option to pursue. This connection scenario would be the
least expensive for all the EU Member States.
3. Summary
It can be said in summary that the EU Member States with PSN systems are a rich source of
potential for the "D115" service in terms of innovation and further development.

Service centres could be extended into all-embracing contact centres accessible via various media, such as email, MMS, SMS, etc. A multi-channel approach with local drop-in
centres and council websites is something to be aspired to in the medium to long term
because it is the key to unlocking the full benefits of the PSN systems. Moreover, it is
possible to set "soft standards" for local authorities by putting a franchise system in place.

The range of services also needs to be extended, especially in crises and emergencies,
because the PSN system can really add value here in contrast to existing (local authority)
public service numbers.

As things stand at present with the "D115", the top priority is to establish a franchising
system which can be used to introduce the PSN in rural areas with distributed structures.
Indeed, Germany is still in the pilot phase with only about 15 per cent coverage, predominantly in large cities and city states. The current "D115" initiatives and developments
lend themselves well to integration in a franchise system.
104

In the medium term it is important to work towards adding depth to the service, albeit with
due regard for convenience and specific benefits. An authentication system is not necessarily needed because a number of services do not require any formal authentication
procedure, such as the reporting of certain incidents (e.g. fly-tipping). Nevertheless the
new identity card could be used to add depth to the service.

By the time a single European government service number has been activated, if not before, there should an increasing drive to provide multilingual services and to stop charging the public.
Irrespective of the ways in which the "D115" service could be developed, Germany is also a
source of potential innovation for other EU countries. The "production strengths" identified in
Germany offer potential for innovation in other EU Member States which might like to emulate the network solution with its ticket system and standardized databases of information
and the accompanying organizational infrastructure. The breadth of cooperation in the PSN
system has been a comparative success although federal structures are commonly regarded
as a hindrance to cooperation.
The table below summarizes options for EU-wide cooperation which are based on the status
of implementation in the EU Member States:
Policy recommendations
Potential partners
Sharing of good practices between EU
Member States
All EU Member States
Introduction and connection of "116 115"
in EU Member States
All EU Member States which have already
introduced or are planning to introduce a
PSN service
Benelux, Denmark, Netherlands, France,
Poland and Czech Republic
Full connection of PSN systems
introduced a PSN system
Connection of national PSN with EU telephone number
introduced a PSN system
Connection
options
Connection of PSN for border
regions
Figure 25: Potential partners in respect of policy recommendations
for Europeanization of PSN systems
Based on the general options, the following recommendations for concrete implementation
can be made:

Sharing experience on the potential for innovation and Europeanization is recommended.
In particular, the EU Member States could discuss different forms of Europeanization.
105
The aim of such experience-sharing could be to agree on specific scenarios to be implemented in practice.

A second scenario is activating a European "116" number (116 115) in each EU Member
State with a PSN system. This could be achieved with comparatively little outlay especially since the formal requirements for this are already met in the EU Member States
with PSN systems.

A further parallel medium-term aim should be a vertical connection with "europe direct"
which initially envisages a standardized format for forwarding telephone enquiries. This
would also enhance the status of the "europe direct" service and raise the profile of the
EU among the citizens of the Member States.

The next medium-term goal would be to set up pilot projects for bilateral cross-border
connections, within EU-funded projects where applicable, and then to apply the lessons
learned to further scenarios.

General transnational integration initiatives should be regarded as longer-term projects
even if it seems easy to develop systems for forwarding enquiries by telephone. This
would also be simple to implement via "europe direct", however, which could then act as
the head office for the EU Member States.
106
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20100225_kurzfassung_allensbach_studie.pdf
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Verwaltung - eine Einführung, Berlin.
Lenk, K./Klee-Kruse, G. (2000): Multifunktionale Serviceläden: ein Modellkonzept für die öffentliche Verwaltung im Internet-Zeitalter, Berlin.
Lenk, K./Schuppan, T./Schaffroth, M. (2010): Organisationskonzept für ein föderales EGovernment Schweiz; in: eGov Präsenz, Heft 1/2010, p. 30-32.
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Zapf, M. (2003): Flexible Kundeninteraktionsprozesse im Communication Center, Frankfurt,
108
Appendices
Appendix 1: Questionnaires for countries with PSN
European Survey of
Single Non-Emergency Government Telephone Numbers
Questionnaire
We would like to ask you to complete this questionnaire. For some questions, you have to option to
choose between several options; in such cases, we ask that you mark the appropriate option with an
“x”. For other questions, the answer should be in the form of a short text passage.
For the questions which are marked by an asterisk (*), we would also like to ask you to provide any
additional documents which may be helpful to us, such as internal studies, strategy papers, documentation, etc.
General information about the single non-emergency government telephone number
What is the telephone number?
What is the name of the project?
Services provided
What was the goal of establishing the single non-emergency government telephone number?
Coverage area of the single non-emergency government telephone number:
National
Regional
Local
□
□
□
The single non-emergency government telephone number provides services or information about
which of the following topics? (Multiple selections possible) *
Labour questions (employee rights and protection, payroll taxes, etc.)
□
Immigration and services for migrants (nationalisation, residence permits, visas, work permits,
□
etc.)
Education (schools, vocational training, university studies, continuing education, financial assistance, student loans, job search assistance, workforce integration)
□
Family affairs (custody issues, child protection, alimony payments, financial assistance for families, family leave, marriage, child care…)
□
Financial issues (retirement planning, public pensions, etc. – excluding tax questions)
□
Health (health insurance, health certificates, transport of sick individuals, etc)
□
Private vehicles and driving (vehicle registration, driving licenses, traffic violations, specialized
number plates, etc.)
□
Culture and sport
□
Identification and registration (birth certificates, passports, ID cards, notarizations, residency
registration, death certificates, etc.)
□
Law (courts, lawsuits, claims deadlines, etc.)
□
109
Pension affairs
□
Social affairs (social assistance, handicapped persons, unemployment assistance, homelessness, etc.)
□
Taxes (personal or business income taxes, VAT, tax identification numbers, etc.)
□
Environment (rubbish collection and disposal, emissions, noise complaints, disposal of large
items, environmental violations, etc.)
□
Business affairs (business promotion programs, financial support for businesses, credits, workers
protection, marketing promotion, start-up assistance and advice, etc.)
□
Consumer protection
□
Transportation (public transportation, regional and national transportation, discounts,
tickets, etc. – except vehicle and driver affairs)
□
Insurance services
□
Elections
□
Housing (rental law, rental contracts, building permits, property rights, renter and landlord affairs,
housing assistance, housing placement etc.)
□
Other services (please specify):
Callers receive information by telephone:
Only about public services provided by the public
authority being called:
□
Also for services provided by other public authorities:
□
Calls are forwarded on to other public authorities
(i.e. the responsible authority)
□
Using the system, can callers carry out the following tasks over the telephone?
Notify authorities of a change in their personal data
(such as an address change)
□
Carry out a registration process (such as registering
a business)
□
File a formal application or claim
□
Additional services provided (multiple selections possible)
Remote support services (e.g. support in the completion of online forms)
□
Sending forms
□
Appointment setting for public authorities
□
Tracking the status of an application
□
Other (please specify):
In addition to the general public, is the service oriented toward any particular target groups? (e.g.
families, senior citizens, entrepreneurs, etc.):
Yes
no
110
□
□
If yes, which ones?
Is the service oriented towards specific life events? (e.g. birth of a child, change of residence, starting
a business, etc)
Yes
no
□
□
If yes, which ones?
Is the provision of information about public services over the telephone of the part of a multichannel strategy?
yes
No
this is planned
□
□
□
If yes: the following contact channels are also available: (Multiple selections possible)
email
□
Post
□
Short Message Service (SMS)/Text Message
□
WWW Portal
□
Chat
□
Physical face-to-face contact point
□
Additional channels:
Service Commitment
On which days of the week and hours of the day does the number accept calls?
Monday-Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Public Holidays
□
□
□
□
from … to …
from … to …
from … to …
from … to …
Day of the week
Hours of operation
What happens when the number is called outside the above hours of operation?
Automated message only, with information about
operating hours
□
Calls are forwarded to voice mail where the caller
can leave a message
□
No information/call goes unanswered
□
Other:
Is a telephone (not service) charge incurred when using the service?
Yes
no
111
□
□
If yes, how high are the telephone charges? (only one answer necessary)
… € per minute
… € per call
In addition to telephone charges, are service charges incurred when using the service?
Yes
no
□
□
If yes, how high is the service charges? (only one answer necessary)
… € per minute
… € per call
When calls are forwarded to other call centres or public authorities, are telephone or service
charges incurred?
Yes
no
□
□
If yes, how high are telephone charges? (only one answer necessary)
… € per minute
… € per call
Is the service also offered in foreign languages?
Yes
no, only in the official language(s)
□
□
If yes, please specify the languages: (Multiple selections possible)
English
□
French
□
German
□
Spanish
□
Portuguese
□
Polish
□
Romanian
□
Other languages (please specify):
If an enquiry can not be resolved in the first contact, is the caller called back?
Yes
no
□
□
If yes:
The caller is called by the call centre
□
The caller is called by the responsible public authority
□
Within which time frame must the caller be
called?
What is the standard time within which incom112
Seconds
ings calls must be answered by the call centre?
Quality Management
Must call centre employees possess any special qualifications? *
Yes
no
□
□
If special qualifications are required, which ones?
Which of the following quality management instruments are employed?: (Multiple selections possible) *
-
Monitoring
□
-
Benchmarking
□
-
Error and complaints management
□
-
Evaluations
□
-
Activity reports (incoming and outgoing
calls are recorded in writing)
Reporting system (regular reports and statistics)
-
□
□
Sanction mechanisms
□
Additional instruments:
What proportion of inquiries are answered in the
initial single contact by the citizen (no follow-up
call is necessary by the citizen or public authority)?
%
Organisational Structure
Which actors or institutions are involved in the system (such as project leader, financing, IT provider, marketing)? *
Actor/Institution
Role
politically responsible lead authority
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
How is the operation of the number financed? (Multiple selections possible) *
Public funding
□
Public Private Partnership (PPP)
□
113
Private funding
□
Through service charges
□
Other sources of financing:
Does a detailed operating or business model exist? *
Yes
no
□
□
Was an autonomous organisation created for the implementation and operation of the number? *
Yes
no
□
□
If yes, please name the organisation.
Which of the following best characterizes the structure of the call centre(s) which answer calls to
the number? *
One single national call centre
□
Several connected call centres
□
Several separate, unconnected call centres
□
Other structure:
If a network of call centres is used: How many
call centres are used?
Knowledge and Information Management
Which tools or applications are used to support the call centre staff in their work? *
Yes
no
Shared knowledge database
□
□
Simple organisational or telephone directory
□
□
Searchable directory organized by life event, target
group, service provided or similar criteria
□
□
Other:
If a network of call centres exists: will call centres have access to the same data set?
Yes
no
114
□
□
Can the call centre staff access the IT systems of other public authorities?
Yes, they have readonly rights
Yes, they have read and
write rights
Yes, they can initiate
processes
No, they have no such
access
□
□
□
□
Is a so-called customer relationship management (CRM) system employed?
Yes, for the national call
centre
Yes, for the network of
call centers
Yes, for each individual
call-center
no
□
□
□
□
Is a workflow management system used?
Yes
no
□
□
If yes, for which working steps/processes?
Do all call centres utilize a standardized catalog of services? *
yes
no
□
□
If a network of call centres is used, at which call centre does a call first arrive?
Always at the call centre responsible for that geographic area (possibly with a waiting queue)
□
At the nearest call centre with available capacity
□
How are enquiries forwarded to the responsible back office?
Letter
□
Fax
□
E-mail
□
Telephone
□
Notification in workflow management system
□
Other:
If the callers’ personal data are accessed: it is necessary to authenticate the caller?
yes
no
□
□
If yes: for which tasks/processes?
If authentication is necessary, how is this accomplished?
115
PIN
□
The caller provides his/her name and date of birth
□
Password
□
Electronic identification card
□
Other/additional remarks:
Implementation
What was the trigger for the introduction of the single non-emergency government telephone
number? (multiple selections possible) *
External influence (e.g. suggestions or ideas from
other countries)
□
Overloaded emergency contact numbers
□
Unanticipated event (such as catastrophe, flood,
etc)
□
Part of a strategy for the modernization of public
administration
□
Other/additional remarks:
Is the introduction of the single non-emergency government telephone number part of an egovernment strategy? *
yes
Inclusion in a strategy is planned
no
□
□
□
From when?
For when?
Who is responsible for the strategy?
Is the introduction of the single non-emergency government telephone number part of a general
strategy to modernize public administration? *
yes
Inclusion in a strategy is planned
no
□
□
□
From when?
For when?
Is there a separate or stand-alone strategy for the introduction of the single non-emergency government telephone number? *
yes
Strategy is planned
no
□
□
□
116
From when?
For when?
Is there an implementation plan for the single non-emergency government Telephone number? *
yes
no
□
□
Which phases of the project have been completed to date? Please indicate the duration. *
Initial planning
□
from to
Implementation concept
□
from to
Pilot operation
□
from to
Pilot operation in the
process of being expanded
□
from to
Regular operation
□
Since
Who are/were the project partners? Please specify the respective role of the organisation.
Project partner
Role
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
What is the leading public authority or organisation responsible for the project? *
-
Which of the following measures for public relations are utilised? (Multiple selections possible) *
Brochures and flyers
□
Radio and television advertising
□
Posters
□
Stickers
□
Newspaper and magazine ads
□
Internet advertising
□
117
□
Other
Is there a public relations concept for the number? *
yes
no
Planned
□
□
□
Which barriers or problems exist or arose during implementation? (Multiple selections possible)
Insufficient financing
□
Large differences in the interests of the involved actors
□
A lack of acceptance of the number by the general
public
□
Problems in the technical implementation of the system
□
Services offered are not appropriate to the needs of
the citizens
□
Inadequate project management
□
Other/additional remarks
Are evaluation results available for the system?*
yes
no
□
□
If yes, which:
User polling
□
Staff polling
□
Other
Are the data in the customer relationship management system analysed for statistical purposes?
yes
no
□
□
If yes: the following data are analysed:
Nature of enquiry
□
Demographic features of the callers (such as age,
gender, employment status, etc)
□
Other/Remarks
How many calls does the system receive? (one of the answers below is sufficient)
Per day
Per month
Is the expansion of the system being considered?*
Cooperation with other EU member states:
118
Per year
yes
no
□
□
If yes, with which countries?
Cooperation with other government telephone numbers (for example, disaster management)?
yes
no
□
□
Are other types of expansion under consideration?
Again, thank you very much for completing this questionnaire!
119
IfG.CC - A Comparison of Public Service Numbers in European countries
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Cyprus
X
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Slovenia - new
X
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Portugal
X
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Hungary
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Spain
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Postbus 51
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Antwoord
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Malta
X
Italy
X
Ireland
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Greece
europe direct
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Netherlands
France
Denmark
Range of services
Employment matters
Immigration
Education
Family
Finance
Health
Motor vehicle registration and driving licences
Culture and sport
Passports and registration
Justice/legal matters
Pension and welfare provision
Social affairs
Taxation
Environment
Companies
Consumer protection
Traffic and transport
Insurance matters
Elections
Housing
Wallonia
X
X
X
X
X
X
Flanders
Germany
Belgium
Slovenia - Halo
Uprava
Appendix 2: Range of services
X
X
X
X
X
X
Glossary
Range of services
The range of services refers to the breadth of administrative issues about which the public
can seek information via the single government service telephone number. The range of services requires a certain breadth of cooperation. As a general rule, a wide range of services
can be provided by one source only if there is cooperation across organizations, i.e. if several centres in one state or country cooperate with each other.
Depth of services
This refers to the depth to which enquiries can be dealt with via the single government service telephone number. Members of the public can call the single government service number to obtain information but also - subject to due authentication processes - to submit applications or make status requests.
The depth of services requires a certain degree of cooperation. Information can be provided without much depth - with a limited degree of cooperation (e.g. use of shared databases) but
adding depth to services generally demands greater cooperation mechanisms with the specialist authorities, including at several levels.
Service level
All the institutions and authorities involved in the process of providing the information service
are referred to as service levels.
The incoming calls are taken by the first-level service centre employees who attempt to resolve as many cases as possible in dealing with enquiries. If the enquiry cannot be resolve,
perhaps due to its specific nature, then the call is generally passed on to staff working at the
second service level who have a higher grade of specialization. Enquiries are passed on to
the third service level mainly if the information is case-related or if the question is very specific and can only be answered by the relevant specialist authority - often referred to as the
back office. The third-level employees have inside access within the specialist authorities to
the specialist IT applications which may contain personal data.
Benchmarking
Benchmarking can be regarded as a continuous improvement process. Reference levels
(benchmarks) are defined and taken as a basis for nationwide or even Europe-wide or
worldwide comparison of service centres. The aim of comparison with better service centres
is to identify good practices and to subsequently improve the services and processes.
Complaints and problem resolution management
Complaints and problem resolution management covers all the measures taken and the instruments used to restore caller satisfaction and to sustain it in the long term. Complaints are
recorded by the call centre agents and systematically evaluated. This then serves as a basis
for decisions as to use of appropriate instruments.
Complaints and problem resolution management is a constituent part of the quality management system.
Call centre
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The calls to the single government service telephone number go to a call centre, where calls
are taken on a large scale and from which telephone calls can be made. The necessary
technical and organizational infrastructure is in place to guarantee a high level of availability.
Customer relationship management system
Customer relationship management (CRM) is generally used in the corporate world to refer
to a holistic approach to customer service. When applied to the public sector it refers to the
measures taken with a view to optimizing relations with the public and to improving responsiveness to citizens' needs. All the measures taken in this regard can be systematically supported by CRM documentation and management of information about members of the public,
e.g. address details or contact history.
For example, the service centre staff can keep a record of matters enquired about by members of the public in the CRM system and, when they next call, they can enquire if the matter
was fully resolved (also called citizen relationship management).
Public service number (PSN)
A PSN is a short and easily remembered telephone number which provides central access to
as many frequently requested public services as possible. The PSN is assigned by the national (regulatory) authorities upon request and the service is offered by these authorities. A
national PSN allows citizens and companies to contact the authorities irrespective of administrative responsibilities.
The telephone is one of several channels of access (see definition of multi-channel approach).
Potential for Europeanization refers to the prospects of European cooperation with a view to
providing a single Europe-wide government service telephone number as a harmonized service of social value (see definition of harmonized service of social value).
Franchising
Franchising is a system whereby several organizations operate under a common brand,
adopting a uniform strategy and presenting a united front. The franchisor develops the strategy for a product/brand and monitors the adoption of the strategy by setting certain standards. The franchisee adapts this strategy and offers the product or products complying with
the standards under the brand. Franchising systems are increasingly being applied in the
public sector and are particularly good for creating an organizational infrastructure in scattered and fragmented administration structures.
Good practice
Good practices are solutions or approaches which have been successful in the longer term
and are sustainable when taking all aspects into consideration. Good practice solutions need
not necessarily be best practices, as it is often difficult to identify the - one - best solution and
to use it as a model for others. Good practice also refers to the process of finding such solutions and applying them to make improvements.
Harmonized service of social value
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According to Art. 2 of the Commission Decision of 15 February 2007 (2007/116/EC) on reserving the national numbering range beginning with "116", a harmonized service of social
value is a service which can be accessed by individuals via a freephone number, which is
potentially of value to visitors from other countries and which answers a specific social need,
in particular which contributes to the well-being or safety of citizens, or particular groups of
citizens, or helps citizens in difficulty.
An example of a harmonized service of social value is the EU hotline for missing children
("116 000"). This hotline takes calls about missing children and passes the reports on to the
police. This telephone number is currently operational in five EU Member States and also
provides advice and support for relatives and for others who are affected by the situation.
Innovations are generally new enhancements and/or improvements and refer to the implementation of (new) ideas in products, services, processes, structures and practices.
There are two dimensions to potential for innovation as used in this report: firstly, areas in
which the D115 service could learn from successful approaches taken by other EU Member
States with a single government service telephone number and, secondly, areas in which the
D115 service has adopted successful solutions which can, in turn, be of interest to other EU
Member States which have a single government service telephone number or are planning to
introduce one (see definition of good practice).
Monitoring
Monitoring is a systematic and long-term method of recording, observing and scrutinizing the
quality of call centre services based on statistics which are usually generated by technical
systems. The monitoring of statistics can be used to intervene in processes which are not
meeting the specified requirements or which are not hitting the target.
If call centre statistics are regularly compiled and analysed, the results can be compared with
previous performance and areas can be flagged up where the quality of the call centre services could be improved.
The term multi-channel approach refers to the different channels or routes to public services
and to the fact that there are several types of channels. Distribution channels are means
whereby members of the public, companies and other interested parties can get in contact
with the public authorities in order to use administrative services and the authorities can contact said parties in order to provide administrative services.
One channel of access is the telephone. The use of IT renders the call centre capable of
communicating via multiple channels. Members of the public have numerous channels of access by which they can contact the call centre, e.g. by letter, chat, email or SMS (see definition of service centre).
A "genuine" multi-channel approach can be said to be in place if (the same) information and
services are available to the public via a website or at a drop-in centre as well as over the
telephone. Added value for the public can be expected only if the different channels of access to the authorities are coordinated with each other. A multi-channel management system
is required to integrate and coordinate the various channels of distribution.
Mystery call
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Mystery calls are mock enquiries made to service centres without the employees’ knowledge
in order to assess the quality of the information given according to a set of criteria. They are
a way to evaluate and analyse the content of calls in order to check the reliability of the information given and the information systems, and to assess staff expertise and the standards
of customer service provided by the service centre agents.
Mystery calls are commonly used in call centres in order to assess the quality of the services.
One-stop government
One-stop government is the combined provision of different public sector information services, e.g. via a shared platform and access via a common user interface. Irrespective of the
local administrative units and authorities to which the individual agencies belong, one-stop
government is an attempt to integrate different services and to make them accessible via one
point of contact.
This enables members of the public to deal with all the administrative requirements arising in
any given situation at one port of call, which requires a new networked infrastructure.
Call centres are an example of an access point to a multitude of information - regardless of
remits and responsibilities.
Production
In e-government the production of public services is one of the structural dimensions. Production is typically the remit of the back offices (the specialist authorities). The term "production" is used to denote the part of the service provision which is "invisible" to the customer on
the "sales floor".
In relation to call centres, the production perspective is about how the call centre needs to be
organized in order to tailor its services to public needs as well as to provide an efficient and
high-quality service. Key from the production perspective is cooperation with other authorities
as otherwise the services cannot be provided from one source. Other relevant aspects include the organizational and procedural structure, forms of cooperation with front and back
offices, IT applications and information management.
Quality management
Quality management denotes all the measures put in place to improve and refine products,
processes and services of every kind.
There are several quality control instruments specifically for call centres, such as training
sessions, on-the-job training/coaching, monitoring, recording of telephone calls, mystery
calls, customer surveys, analysis of key ratios for management control and resource planning, evaluation, benchmarking, complaints management and problem resolution management. Quality management is essential for the continuous improvement and further development of the service provision in the call centre as a whole.
Service centre
The increasing penetration of IT is turning call centres into service centres or service contact
centres. In contrast to conventional call centres, service centres not only take calls and answer enquiries but also serve as centres of communication which interact with the callers by
email, chat, SMS, letter and fax, thus increasing the demands on the telecommunications infrastructure and IT systems in comparison with call centre workstations.
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Service level agreement (SLA)
Service level agreements are formally negotiated agreements setting out in writing quantitative (or qualitative) targets which are measured regularly in order to appraise a service. The
targets must be clearly defined and measurable (e.g. number of telephone enquiries which
must be answered to the required quality standards within a defined period).
Organizational infrastructure
The organizational infrastructure refers to the practical measures surrounding the implementation and integration of the single government service telephone number. This includes aspects such as the call centre structure, operator model, financing and charges, personnel
management, quality management and public relations.
Distribution
In e-government the distribution of administrative services is separate from their processing
and preparation. Distribution is typically the remit of the front offices. Distribution is about the
visible and accessible parts of the public authorities which have a customer-facing role, i.e.
their "user interface".
In relation to call centres the distribution perspective is about the way the telephone access
is structured. From the customer's point of view, this is the totality of relations between citizens and call centres. This includes aspects to do with both access (multi-channel access)
and with the supply of public information and services via the single government service
telephone number (e.g. range of services, depth of services, availability (hours/languages)
and service pledge).
Knowledge management systems
Knowledge management generally means a targeted approach to analysing, combining and
harnessing all the assets of the employees in an organization in terms of their experience
and what they know.
The knowledge management system is part of the infrastructure in the service centres with
the ability to search for information in various sources. It is therefore more of an information
management system than a knowledge management system. The knowledge or information
management system is a basic resource for the call centre agents which enables them to
provide information to the required quality standards.
Workflow management system
A workflow is a sequence of individual operations relating to parts of a business process or
other organizational procedures. In relation to a call centre the term denotes the steps involved in processing the enquiries.
Workflow management systems are a tool which can be used to control the flow of individual
operations or (sub)tasks in any given process and to automate certain functions.
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