Language:
Search
 
Upper Austrian Family Card
Federal State Government of Upper Austria
Austria

The Problem

The Upper Austrian Department for family affairs issues the "Upper Austrian Family Card" to parents and single parents at least one child, that is receiving family assistance payments. This card offers discounts at organizations for leisure and recreation as well as for trading and service companies. 1.700 companies are participating in this program and 150.000 families own the "Upper Austrian Family Card". Likewise the Austrian Federal Railway (ÖBB) offers the "ÖBB-Advantage Family Card". This card offers discounts in passenger transport services for families and various other discounts in the area of mobility. By 2006, approximately 12.000 families were holders of the "ÖBB-Advantage Family Card" in Upper Austria. The fee for this card, which offers large discounts on train tickets, is 19,90 Euro per year.

The ambition of the cooperation was to achieve a win-win-situation for both organizations, the ÖBB (Austrian Federal Railway) and the Upper Austrian Department for family affairs, and their benefit-cards.
On the one hand, the 19,90 Euro fee via ÖBB is not covering all the costs for administration, postage charges and advertising expenses. On the other hand, most of the owners of the "ÖBB-Advantage Family Card" are also owners of the "Upper Austrian Family Card".

The cooperation is an advantage for Upper Austrian families.

Cooperation goals are:
- provide the owner, owning one of these benefit cards, with the benefits of both cards for free
- register and administrate the address database at one location
- combine the two benefit cards into one co-branded card
- reduction of the incidental changes for administration
- extend the validation of the card from between one and five years

These goals were attained without additional costs for the organizations. The administration of the cards was carried out by the Upper Austrian Department for family affairs as hitherto. The additional use of the means of transport in public transport causes no increase in the variable costs (train, tram or bus). The reduction only can be used for trips with at least one childe and one adult. Thus, more families use the Austrian Federal Railway especially on weekends and in holidays.

Solution and Key Benefits

 What is the initiative about? (the solution)
The Advantage Family Card of the Austrian Federal Railway (ÖBB) – the card was free until June 2006 – was distributed to 150.000 families (without any costs). This means an enormous revaluation of this card.
The owners are able to use all benefits (particularly the large discounts on train journeys). Furthermore the Austrian Federal Railway (ÖBB) and the Upper Austrian Department for Family affairs agreed to extend the validity of this card up to five years.
The Austrian Federal Railway (ÖBB) noticed an increase in "peak-off-travel" – especially on weekends and in holidays more families use the Austrian Federal Railway instead of cars.
Additionally, the Austrian Federal Railway is saving expenses on the administration of addresses which has been dealt with by the Department for family affairs. Thereby, the government of Upper Austria has no additional work and no extra costs.
An additional valorization of this ticket is the different excursion packages (e.g. winter sport offers and so on) and the free carriage of bicycles (bicycle voucher). On the part of the Upper Austrian Department for family affairs there has not been any campaign registered with such a positive feedback. The subjective benefit for the citizens is effectively noticed.

Innovation:
The Public administration and a company bring out a common store card.

Public concern:
150.000 families have the possibility to use public transport at a reduced rate (the adults just pay 50 per cent and the children are free). Thereby, the Co²-emission can be reduced. One kilometer covered by rail only causes 4,3 per cent Co²-emissions of cars.

Sustainability:
Children are educated to go by public transport. The Upper Austrian Family Card is an important contribution to environmental protection and mobility.

Impact:
Since the implementation of the card, there are approximately 23,5 million Euro savings for families. No additional costs for transport companies.

Learning capacity:
The Austrian Federal States Tyrol and Lower Austria adopted the project one-to-one. Hesse (Germany) was give advice.

Per Year, approximately 5 million Euro can be saved for families in Upper Austria. 66 per cent of the owners of the Upper Austrian family card (150.000 families) make use of the advantages of the ÖBB. Concerning public transport, there is an increase in demand. Furthermore, the attractiveness of the Upper Austrian Family card has soared. Because of the extension of the contract (the cooperation) in July 2011, families can make use of the competitive advantages of the Austrian Federal Railway (ÖBB) and other transport companies until June 2014.
The interviews showed that two-thirds of the owners of the Upper Austrian Family Card make use of the competitive advantages.

Actors and Stakeholders

 Who proposed the solution, who implemented it and who were the stakeholders?
Franz Hiesl, member of the provincial government of Upper Austria, suggested and initiated the project. 1.700 companies are participating in this program and 150.000 families own the "Upper Austrian Family Card".
There is a cooperation agreement between the Federal State Government of Upper Austria and the Austrian Federal Railway (ÖBB).


Core activities and measures:
- regarding the data protection act
- fixing the layout of the combined card
- cooperation agreement in written form between the Federal State Government of Upper Austria and the Austrian Federal Railway (ÖBB)
- starting the conceptual design of the advertising campaign
- technical concept how to handle the data
- upbringing the data (all 150.000 owners of the Upper Austrian Family Card were contacted)
- designing the layout of the card
- common application form
- test run of the combination of the data
- extension of the existing card program
- the public as well as all companies giving competitive edges were informed
- production of the blank cards, envelopes, information brochures and accordingly reformation of the former card
- fixing the advertising tactic
- "recruiting" of the promotion teams
- Fabrication of the advertising material
- Site relaunch of the website www.familienkarte.at (corporate identity of the new co-branded card)
- Online application for the new combined card
- Conformation of the Upper Austrian Family Journal (corporate identity of the new co-branded card)
- Events for journalists
- Press conference
- Starting of the advertising campaign (print, radio, point-of-sale)
- Distribution of the cards
- Promotion teams promoting the card throughout Upper Austria
- Events for families
- Offer the trips (in cooperation with the Austrian Federal Railway)
- Competitions

(a) Strategies

 Describe how and when the initiative was implemented by answering these questions
 a.      What were the strategies used to implement the initiative? In no more than 500 words, provide a summary of the main objectives and strategies of the initiative, how they were established and by whom.
The ambition of the cooperation was to achieve a win-win-situation for both organizations, the ÖBB (Austrian Federal Railway) and the Upper Austrian Department for family affairs, and their benefit-cards.
On the one hand, the 19,90 Euro fee via ÖBB is not covering all the costs for administration, postage charges and advertising expenses. On the other hand, most of the owners of the "ÖBB-Advantage Family Card" are also owners of the "Upper Austrian Family Card".

The cooperation is an advantage for Upper Austrian families.

Cooperation goals are:
- provide the owner, owning one of these benefit cards, with the benefits of both cards for free
- register and administrate the address database at one location
- combine the two benefit cards into one co-branded card
- reduction of the incidental changes for administration
- extend the validation of the card from between one and five years

(b) Implementation

 b.      What were the key development and implementation steps and the chronology? No more than 500 words
Core activities and measures:
- regarding the data protection act
- fixing the layout of the combined card
- cooperation agreement in written form between the Federal State Government of Upper Austria and the Austrian Federal Railway (ÖBB)
- starting the conceptual design of the advertising campaign
- technical concept how to handle the data
- upbringing the data (all 150.000 owners of the Upper Austrian Family Card were contacted)
- designing the layout of the card
- common application form
- test run of the combination of the data
- extension of the existing card program
- the public as well as all companies giving competitive edges were informed
- production of the blank cards, envelopes, information brochures and accordingly reformation of the former card
- fixing the advertising tactic
- "recruiting" of the promotion teams
- Fabrication of the advertising material
- Site relaunch of the website www.familienkarte.at (corporate identity of the new co-branded card)
- Online application for the new combined card
- Conformation of the Upper Austrian Family Journal (corporate identity of the new co-branded card)
- Events for journalists
- Press conference
- Starting of the advertising campaign (print, radio, point-of-sale)
- Distribution of the cards
- Promotion teams promoting the card throughout Upper Austria
- Events for families
- Offer the trips (in cooperation with the Austrian Federal Railway)
- Competitions

(c) Overcoming Obstacles

 c.      What were the main obstacles encountered? How were they overcome? No more than 500 words
The technical solution, how to handle the data, was not easy to deal with. The upbringing of the data causes a lot of work. All 150.000 owners of the Upper Austrian Family Card were contacted. The allowance of the families was needed (possibility to countermand).

(d) Use of Resources

 d.      What resources were used for the initiative and what were its key benefits? In no more than 500 words, specify what were the financial, technical and human resources’ costs associated with this initiative. Describe how resources were mobilized
The replacement of 150.000 cards was necessary. The bigger part of the owners of the "ÖBB-Advantage Family Card" were also owners of the "Upper Austrian Family Card". The data were brought together (regarding the Data Protection Art).
For this purpose, a budget of 300.000 Euro (for the exchange of the data) and approximately 1.800 hours (staff assignment – for coordination of the data, data input) were necessary. For the preparation of this project, for six months a work group of five persons was put in charge (staff assignment approximately 700 hours).

Core activities and measures:
- regarding the data protection act
- fixing the layout of the combined card
- cooperation agreement in written form between the Federal State Government of Upper Austria and the Austrian Federal Railway (ÖBB)
- starting the conceptual design of the advertising campaign
- technical concept how to handle the data
- upbringing the data (all 150.000 owners of the Upper Austrian Family Card were contacted)
- designing the layout of the card
- common application form
- test run of the combination of the data
- extension of the existing card program
- the public as well as all companies giving competitive edges were informed
- production of the blank cards, envelopes, information brochures and accordingly reformation of the former card
- fixing the advertising tactic
- "recruiting" of the promotion teams
- Fabrication of the advertising material
- Site relaunch of the website www.familienkarte.at (corporate identity of the new co-branded card)
- Online application for the new combined card
- Conformation of the Upper Austrian Family Journal (corporate identity of the new co-branded card)
- Events for journalists
- Press conference
- Starting of the advertising campaign (print, radio, point-of-sale)
- Distribution of the cards
- Promotion teams promoting the card throughout Upper Austria
- Events for families
- Offer the trips (in cooperation with the Austrian Federal Railway)
- Competitions

Sustainability and Transferability

  Is the initiative sustainable and transferable?
In the middle of July 2011, the contract (the cooperation) was extended for three additional years. The Federal State Government of Upper Austria pays no compensation for the reductions of the Austrian Federal Railway (ÖBB). In return, the Department for family affairs is still responsible for the administration and the marketing of the card.
Because of the extension of the contract (the cooperation) in July 2011, families can make use of the competitive advantages of the Austrian Federal Railway (ÖBB) and other transport companies until June 2014.


The Austrian Federal States Tyrol and Lower Austria adopted the project one-to-one. Hesse (Germany) was given advice.

Lessons Learned

 What are the impact of your initiative and the lessons learned?
The Advantage Family Card of the Austrian Federal Railway (ÖBB) was distributed to 150.000 families (without any costs). This means an enormous revaluation of this card.
The owners are able to use all benefits (particularly the large discounts on train journeys). Furthermore the Austrian Federal Railway (ÖBB) and the Upper Austrian Department for Family affairs agreed to extend the validity of this card up to five years.
The Austrian Federal Railway (ÖBB) noticed an increase in "peak-off-travel" – especially on weekends and in holidays more families use the Austrian Federal Railway instead of cars.
Additionally, the Austrian Federal Railway is saving expenses on the administration of addresses which has been dealt with by the Department for family affairs. Thereby, the government of Upper Austria has no additional work and no extra costs.
An additional valorization of this ticket is the different excursion packages (e.g. winter sport offers and so on) and the free carriage of bicycles (bicycle voucher). On the part of the Upper Austrian Department for family affairs there has not been any campaign registered with such a positive feedback. The subjective benefit for the citizens is effectively noticed.

Innovation:
The Public administration and a company bring out a common store card.

Public concern:
150.000 families have the possibility to use public transport at a reduced rate (the adults just pay 50 per cent and the children are free). Thereby, the Co²-emission can be reduced. One kilometer covered by rail only causes 4,3 per cent Co²-emissions of cars.

Sustainability:
Children are educated to go by public transport. The Upper Austrian Family Card is an important contribution to environmental protection and mobility.

Impact:
Since the implementation of the card, there are approximately 23,5 million Euro savings for families. No additional costs for transport companies.

Learning capacity:
The Austrian Federal States Tyrol and Lower Austria adopted the project one-to-one. Hesse (Germany) was given advice.

Per Year, approximately 5 million Euro can be saved for families in Upper Austria. 66 per cent of the owners of the Upper Austrian family card (150.000 families) make use of the advantages of the ÖBB. Concerning public transport, there is an increase in demand. Furthermore, the attractiveness of the Upper Austrian Family card has soared. Because of the extension of the contract (the cooperation) in July 2011, families can make use of the competitive advantages of the Austrian Federal Railway (ÖBB) and other transport companies until June 2014.
The interviews showed that two-thirds of the owners of the Upper Austrian Family Card make use of the competitive advantages.

Contact Information

Institution Name:   Federal State Government of Upper Austria
Institution Type:   Public Organization  
Contact Person:   Franz Schützeneder
Title:   Head of the Department for family affairs  
Telephone/ Fax:   0043-732-7720-11830/0043-732-7720-211639
Institution's / Project's Website:   www.familienkarte.at
E-mail:   franz.schuetzeneder@ooe.gv.at  
Address:   Bahnhofplatz 1
Postal Code:   4021
City:   Linz
State/Province:   Upper Austria
Country:   Austria

          Go Back
Print friendly Page