The current health services model in which the state shoulders most of the direct financial burden and other social costs is unsustainable in the long term, according to a paper presented during a Summit in Dubai.
The Government Summit, the first of its kind initiative in the region held in Dubai, has unveiled a series of strategic research papers that present the latest insights on the provision of key government services in the region.
Underlining the focus of the Summit to promote knowledge sharing, the specialised research papers are developed through structured research by specialist agencies, and cover areas including the GCC’s labour market policy, healthcare sector, citizen engagement approaches, building citizen trust in government and efficiency of public services, among others.
A thought leadership paper on ‘Harnessing the Power of Public–Private Partnerships in Healthcare,’ prepared in collaboration with Booz & Company, recommends the creation of a structured framework for public private partnerships in the healthcare sector. The study states that the region will face significant challenges in managing future healthcare costs, with healthcare spending accelerating in part due to the rising incidence of chronic diseases.
“Governments need a different approach that invites the private sector to play a role to managing costs, improving quality of service and providing access to expertise,” the paper recommends.
The study states that governments in the region must remove institutional hurdles to the deployment of public private partnerships, and create an enabling regulatory, operational and financial environment. “The careful and rigorous introduction of PPPs into healthcare can provide citizens with three mutually supporting healthcare improvements – greater accessibility, higher quality care and an affordable price for patients and governments.”
Another paper, ‘From Customer Satisfaction Measurement to Customer-Centricity – Lessons from Abu Dhabi,’ prepared in collaboration with the General Secretariat of the Executive Council highlights the importance of developing a deep understanding of the customer’s current experience using a structured methodology. Based on a survey of 18,400 customers, the report takes into account different satisfaction drivers that are relevant to different types of customers.
The study highlights that customer centricity has two goals – improving customer satisfaction and improving the performance of government service agencies. “Putting customer-centric principles into action means changing an agency’s organisational and governance model so that its operations are geared to the customer’s needs and preferences, rather than the institution’s culture,” the report states.
‘Taking a more sophisticated approach to GCC Labour Market Policy,’ a report prepared in collaboration with McKinsey & Company, demonstrates that Governments will need to adopt more complex and targeted labour policies and interventions in order to successfully address an increasingly diverse set of employer and employee segments. The report states that the countries have a long way to go to create sustainable job creation engines for their location population. “Policy interventions need to become much more granular, addressing specific segments of job seekers and jobs. The one-size-fits-all policy solutions of the past have run out of steam and are likely going to be counterproductive.”
Prepared in collaboration with Deloitte, the paper on ‘Government Efficiency – Innovate, Scale, Measure, Incent,’ reviews leading practices in the public sector in the UAE, Australia, Canada, Singapore, and the UK. It shows how to drive efficiency in four key areas: innovation in public services; scaling the use of efficient practices; improving the use of measurement and analytical tools; and strengthening management incentives.
‘Citizen Centric Government – Engaging Citizens and Private Sector in Service Design and Delivery,’ prepared in collaboration with A.T. Kearney is based on broad survey of UAE public and private representatives. It identifies specific challenges and opportunities in citizen engagement and provides actionable recommendations to develop better public services. The report states that engaging citizens in service design and delivery is crucial to help Government entities implement their strategy and enable economic development.
The paper on ‘Building Citizen Trust in Government Entities’ highlights that mobile communications and social media sharing experiences have increased customers’ expectations towards government services. This report states the importance of building trustworthy interactions which are more efficient for citizens and more cost-effective for government entities.
The report on ‘Achieving Excellence via Data-Driven Decision Making in Government’ highlights how data driven approach can provide government entities the tools needed to function in a more citizen-centered, market based, and results-oriented environment.
A specialised paper on ‘New Frontiers for Citizen Engagement,’ analyses the impact of social media on public services by the UAE Government. The report states that the active participation of citizens in determining the main design elements and their engagement on the quality of services has impacted the nature and quality of services provided.
The Government Summit also presents the findings of the UN e-Government Survey 2012, which finds that many have put in place e-government initiatives to further enhance efficiencies and streamline governance systems to support sustainable development.
The conclusion of the survey is that while it is important to continue with service delivery, governments must increasingly begin to rethink in terms of e-government and e-governance placing greater emphasis on institutional linkages between and among the tiered government structures to create synergy for inclusive sustainable development.