Access and the real use

This section addresses the five questions asked of the participants that relate to the access to GEMSD services:

5.9.1 Question 26.

In banking we have seen the use of ATMs change the way customers do banking. Is there evidence of a similar shift in customer behavior for GEMSD projects?

The consensus amongst the sixteen participants who answered this question was yes, with only one negative response believing that the process was ‘not yet happening in (Victorian) government (9).’ Responses varied in complexity and attitude with two acknowledging that government is ‘lagging behind business (2, 7)’ in relation to electronic and mobile service delivery. Most of the participants who believed there was a shift in customer behaviour were able to supply examples of usage of GEMSD for their individual departments or agencies. These varied from simple information retrieval (6, 10) to fully interactive service retrieval, manipulation, ordering and payment of services (3, 8). There was a strong suggestion that industry were more ready to use GEMSD services than ‘mums and dads (1).’ Participants (4, 5, 8 and 12) were able to provide statistical data on usage of GEMSD services in their respective departments or agencies which indicated a progressive increase in GEMSD usage. Further data from participants (4 and 8) highlighted the use of these services outside normal 9.00am-5.00pm Monday to Friday government hours and over weekend periods when traditional service delivery mechanisms are not available.

5.9.2 Question 27.

Known impediments to GEMSD exist where potential customers are disadvantaged through problems such as: geographic location; cost; absence of technology; inability, lack of knowledge, or unwillingness to move to new technology. Does community group or stakeholder involvement help facilitate better access to GEMSD?

All participants responded to this question. Fifteen participants agreed with stakeholder and community group involvement and two did not agree. The two participants who disagreed were similar in response indicating in their circumstances it was necessary for government led initiatives rather than consultancy or involvement approach (9, OS2).

Those favouring community group and stakeholder involvements were able to elaborate more on the reasons for involving community and stakeholders. Most acknowledged that stakeholder and community involvement is a success factor ‘in terms of raising awareness (1).’

Five participants (1, 2, 4, 5, and 8) found in GEMSD ‘geographic location really doesn’t matter (2).’ Wireless and mobile examples were highlighted particularly in relation to the South West Health Network (SWHN) and Royal District Nursing Service (RDNS), as being an ‘excellent tool for rapid role-out (12, 13).’ The SWHN example illustrated community-based willingness and initiative in bringing health services to remote communities. Initially part of the Victorian Department of Health Services, SWHN is a 112 member non-profit organization operating wireless

technologies in telephony (WiVoIP) and mobile tablets throughout 33 hospitals and 70 ancillary health sites in a geographical area comparable in size to Ireland. Driving factors included a relatively small population, spread over a very large area, with vastly differing geographic requirements (e.g. ranging from coastal mountains, to flat, desert regions), and considerable divergence in the existing infrastructure in the various regional towns. As an extensive regional exercise, itoffered non-city centric interests and insights peculiar to larger geographical developments. Prerequisite to becoming a member of the network was a community or organisational acceptance of the technology and the costs involved.

In relation to the absence of technology, three participants considered general

technology such as computers, mobile devices and technology evolution issues to be a minor problem (2, 12, 13). The RDNS example, of a non-profit organization with 80% funding from the Victorian Government. Explained how in 1997/1998, the RDNS conducted a 12-month trial of 80 mobile computers. After a successful trial and identification of six areas of potential significant impact on the project success, a rollout of 800 mobile units commenced in 1999. The rollout was completed in late 2003 and represented a landmark wireless innovation for the Victorian Government with technology previously considered unstable. Two participants suggested technology can be and has been adapted to compensate for access areas such as low bandwidth, visually impaired or non-conventional access (10, 11).

Six participants suggested VicNet was a good example of the Victorian government providing access for large numbers of otherwise non-users (2, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 11), offering GEMSD services through public libraries and offering community groups a cheap and effective web-hosting service.

An area of concern for five participants was bandwidth (1, 2, 3, 5, and10). Opinions regarding bandwidth ranged from government applications being too big to run on low bandwidth to serious lack of infrastructure for many users of the systems. Yet in

contrast a common theme indicated was government should not get involved in infrastructure but rely on private providers for all telecommunication services.

5.9.4 Question 28.

Is there any evidence that GEMSD provides for the needs of transient and ex-patriot customers?

All participants responded to this question. Of those seventeen participants, fourteen believed there was evidence that GEMSD provided for transient and ex-patriot users. The three who believed there was no evidence had different reasons for their answers ranging from ‘probably more a federal (government) issue (10),’ to a personal

experience ‘No, because I am still trying to transfer my pension from the UK here and I have been here for 14 years and all I ever get is addresses that I can write to. I would assume it’s the same experience for Australians trying to work the other way (7)’.

In the main most suggested that the nature of GEMSD was conducive to transient and ex-patriot usage ‘I get quite a lot of traffic from overseas (3)’ and ‘it’s easier for expats as it can be used 24/7 unlike our traditional telephone and over-the counter services which have finite time access periods (8).’ One response went further and questioned the need for large staffing numbers at Australian embassies suggesting with GEMSD many document and information enquiries can be done electronically ‘It does not matter where you are, you can do it anywhere(4)’. Others suggestions included pod-casts to mobile telephones with basic information or brochure-ware and website information templates help to distribute effective government service

information, further they concluded these services were only limited by the bandwidth of internet connections or mobile telephone service coverage(5).

A major issue in servicing transient and ex-patriot customers was the successful use of credit card payment for GEMSD services. With participants departments or agencies at various stages of GEMSD implementation, opinion ranged from ‘limited by financial payments (13)’ to ‘card payment enables expat services to be handled easily (12).’ One participant suggests they were more successful in servicing these need because they copied their GEMSD ideas from commercial mobile and web sites (11).

5.9.5 Summary of access and the real use

Document analyses of departmental and agency records indicated there was a considerable shift in customer usage patterns and access methods including greater mobile and electronic patronage, however data also suggests government always lags behind the private sector in terms of usage up-take. In summarising the interview data, particularly access and real use factors reflected by questions 26-28, not all respondents agreed, however there was a strong nucleus of opinion that supported the documentation analyses yet it failed to identify a significant increase in ex-patriot or transient customer access whereas documentation did.

5.10 Conclusions

This chapter has explored the data collected in the interviews and applied a thematic analysis to the data utilised in the investigation of a success factors model for

GEMSD. It has validated the model and further refined the theoretical model into a practical model or use by GEMSD practitioners.

The next chapter (chapter 6) deals with research outcomes, it discusses and highlights resulting information from the data and compares this with the model described in chapter 3. It delivers a revised GEMSD model based on data obtained from Victorian government documentation combined with local and overseas participants in the case study and comparison of GEMSD success factors.

CHAPTER 6