{"id":40472,"date":"2024-02-12T13:27:24","date_gmt":"2024-02-12T12:27:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oecd-opsi.org\/?p=40472"},"modified":"2024-05-14T19:20:43","modified_gmt":"2024-05-14T17:20:43","slug":"reducing-frictions-in-public-services","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oecd-opsi.org\/blog\/reducing-frictions-in-public-services\/","title":{"rendered":"Reducing friction in public services: Three lessons learned from the first International Sludge Academy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The International Sludge Academy, launched in 2023, is a partnership between the OECD and the Government of New South Wales (NSW) in Australia. Over the course of 5 months, 16 teams from 14 countries completed sludge audits on government processes and public services. Learn more about the Academy and the sludge audit approach in our previous blog: \u201cSpotting the sludge: Behavioural audits to improve public services across countries<\/a>.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have you ever felt frustrated by an unnecessarily lengthy government form or exasperated while trying to navigate a complicated public service website in search of the information you need? If so, you have experienced \u2018sludge\u2019 \u2013 unjustified friction that affects citizens\u2019 satisfaction, trust, and access to government services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year, governments from around the world joined forces to tackle sludge through the International Sludge Academy, a partnership between the OECD and the Government of NSW. Sixteen teams piloted the NSW Government sludge audit method and tool<\/a>, a robust behavioural assessment for public services and internal government processes. Sludge audits pinpoint practical, emotional, and social barriers to accessing government services. The NSW Government has used sludge audits to make many services easier to use, including increasing the attendance of milestone health checks by 24%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the International Sludge Academy, teams engaged in peer learning discussions, mentorship sessions, and masterclasses, including a talk from Prof. Cass Sunstein, author of Sludge: What Stops Us from Getting Things Done<\/a><\/em>. Below, we bring you three key lessons learned from the International Sludge Academy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Snapshot of the International Sludge Academy timeline.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

1. Sludge audits helps teams quantify hidden frictions users face<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Academy members using the NSW sludge method were prompted to consider time, cost, effort, and inclusion for every step in their behavioural journey map. This approach simplifies complex processes and offers a tangible way to express burdens in public services. Audits operationalise behavioural science principles into values that are easily digestible, ultimately allowing teams to justify improvements. For example, one team found that while staff had been aware of the challenging internal onboarding process, quantifying the precise time burden for managers made it a more compelling case for change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Besides being important to identify opportunities to reduce time losses and costs, sludge audits can be a powerful tool to spot inequalities in the access to public services.<\/p>\nMinistry of Management and Innovation in Public Services (Brazil)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

2. Sludge audits are useful across diverse teams, services, users, and governments<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Sludge audits not only allow us to create better services for the public, but also to create better internal processes for our colleagues.<\/p>\nBritish Columbia Behavioural Insights Group (Canada)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Teams audited services across a wide range of government areas, from the Government of Canada’s largest student employment program to New Zealand’s criminal justice case management process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n