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HELP.GV.AT
Federal Chancellery of Austria
Austria

The Problem

Information and services provided by public administration must satisfy certain quality standards and be user-friendly, secure and accessible to all. These criteria have been our main objectives when starting the project of developing the administrative portal HELP.gv.at.

At the beginning, HELP.gv.at offered a wide range of information regarding public administration. However, HELP.gv.at has been constantly enhanced from this point in order to increase and facilitate the use of the online services and to finally be able to offer not only information but also the possibilities of a full transaction portal, where administrative proceedings can be processed without media disruption fully electronically.

Nowadays, Citizens using HELP do not need to be familiar with administrative areas of competence anymore. They carry out their search according to "life events" (businesses according to business circumstances) via HELP as central point of access. Hereby, a principle laid down by the European Union in the field of e-Government, the "one-stop principle" has been realised.

Furthermore, the aim of providing barrier-free access was of substantial interest from the very first. Meanwhile, all HELP websites correspond to the conformity level “AAA” of the web accessibility guidelines.

What we have achieved:
• One-Stop-Principle
HELP.gv.at is a central point of access to public administration

• Correct and up-to-date information
HELP.gv.at offers information on approx. 200 life events. Information is updated regularly and amended according to legal and social changes

• Online transaction
Many administrative proceedings can be processed without any media disruption fully electronically

• HELP.gv.at supports all participating partners (i.e. authorities at federal, provincial and municipal level) in developing online procedures

• Direct communication and dialogue with citizens
Citizens have the possibility to ask questions and receive help directly via HELP.gv.at ("Questions and Suggestions")

• Online access for everybody
By 2006 a huge number of public access points have been set up all over Austria, from where HELP.gv.at can be accessed free of charge.

• Service for foreign citizens
HELP.gv.at offers relevant information especially for foreigners also in English language.

Solution and Key Benefits

 What is the initiative about? (the solution)
HELP has fulfilled an increasingly important function in enhancing e-Government as a fairly new concept in Austria. HELP also plays a leading role in Europe in implementing online transactions and ICT projects (Information and Communication Technologies) in the public administration sector.

HELP describes administrative procedures in a user-friendly way, based on the life situations principle. Citizens may ask questions in discussion fora and quickly receive answers. By implementing innovations and amendments, users’ wishes are taken into account and HELP’s services are continually improved.

Thus, HELP not only provides support for citizens seeking advice but also acts as a motor for administrative developments in Austria - electronic requests made via HELP are in high demand. The continual expansion of online transactions accelerates the broad dissemination of e-Government measures, so HELP strongly contributes to the development of a virtual office in Austria.

Actors and Stakeholders

 Who proposed the solution, who implemented it and who were the stakeholders?
• 1997: Conception and development of HELP.gv.at - the administrative guide on the Internet - by the Federal Ministry of Finance

• 1998: www.help.gv.at goes online providing at this point information on various life situations and administrative procedures

• 2001: http://www.help.gv.at/Content.Node/HELP-U.html, a new and comprehensive service for entrepreneurs called "HELP Business" was developed.

• 2001: With the addition of “Amtsweg-Online” HELP started to be transformed from a pure information platform to a transaction portal offering online administrative procedures.

• 2002: In the course of the "International Year of the Disabled" a new service - “HELP for Disabled" - was launched providing disabled persons and their relatives and carers comprehensive information on relevant administrative procedures.

• 2002: http://www.help.gv.at/Content.Node/HELP-FC.html the new service – "HELP for foreign Citizens" – was launched. Henceforth, information on the Austrian public administration is also available for non-German speaking citizens and entrepreneurs.

• 2003: The first administrative procedures can be processed fully electronically.

• 2003: Revision and expansion of the nationwide online forms http://link.help.gv.at/besucher/db/formularauswahl.startauswahl based on the WAI guidelines and usability criteria.

• 2005: Online processing of administrative procedures is offered by an increasing number of public authorities via HELP (about 650 partner authorities with 1981 online procedures). HELP ensures that usability and accessibility criteria are met and continues to improve the electronic administrative processes in order to guarantee permanent high standards.

• 2005: Integration of e-signature (Citizens‘ Card) and e-payment.

• 2005: HELP was hit approx. 10 Mio times per month!

• 2006: 1300 phone-booths with broadband web-access and 700 „Multimediastations” are set up, where people have free access to HELP and other governmental websites in order to overcome the “digital gap”.

• 2006: HELP was re-designed in accordance with the WAI AAA guidelines and usability criteria.

(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.
In 1997 the Federal Ministry of Finance developed the prototype of HELP. The core team worked together with development partners from the private sector. The results were then presented to the HELP Council, in which all the project partners (from the Federal Ministries, the Chambers, the Social Security Institutions, the Job Service Centre (AMS), the federal provinces, the municipalities, etc.) were represented.

(b) Implementation

 b.      What were the key development and implementation steps and the chronology? No more than 500 words
HELP as an interface between the citizens and the public administration:
Citizens want to be untroubled by questions of which authority is competent for what kind of proceeding. They want to handle their administrative proceedings (e.g. applying for a business licence) in a quick and professional way. HELP, therefore, acts as an interface between the citizen´s desire for facilitation and acceleration on the one side and the jungle of laws and regulations governing the public authorities´ competences.

Formulating texts for specific target-groups has been HELP’s highest priority right from the start. HELP provides currently information for some 200 life situations, which are continually updated and brought in line with current legislative and social developments.

Based on the one-stop-principle, HELP offers single access to administrative procedures and, as an interface between local authorities, covers 12 Federal Ministries, 9 federal provinces, 80 local authorities and 2359 municipalities.

HELP as a communications platform:
HELP offers citizens different types of communication. On the one hand, citizens can pose questions to the HELP team via discussion fora and, on the other hand, through an ingenious system of links referring to the competent authority or specialist.

HELP as a transaction platform:
As a virtual guide through the world of administrative proceedings, HELP was successfully developed from a pure information medium to a site for online proceedings. In addition, HELP offers its partner authorities assistance in developing their online procedures. Around 2500 forms for numerous purposes are now available.

(c) Overcoming Obstacles

 c.      What were the main obstacles encountered? How were they overcome? No more than 500 words
Accessibility:
Supported by experts on web design suitable for disabled people, HELP works towards fulfilling the strictest conditions of the relevant EU guidelines (WAI-AAA).
User-friendliness and barrier-free operability are imperative in order to make information and services accessible to as many people as possible.
For these efforts HELP.gv.at received the BIENE-Award 2006 – an award for barrier-free Web Design - in the category "complex transactions".

For overcoming the digital gap, HELP can be retrieved free of charge from around 700 "multi-media stations" and 1300 phone-booths with broadband web-access, thus enabling people with no internet access to use the HELP services free of charge 24 hours a day.

Communication strategies:
HELP opens up completely new possibilities for exchanging thoughts and information by actively integrating its visitors into the development process and to refer them to the relevant offices.

Transactions:
In 2001 HELP further developed its portal to include online transactions. In line with HELP’s inter-departmental approach, this step was taken in close cooperation with interested towns and municipalities. This initiative launched a broad implementation of e-Government projects within Austria. HELP cooperates closely with the federal provinces that developed within the "Federal Government/Provinces Working Group" a standardised style guide for e-Government forms. They are used by all public authorities and, therefore, sparked the interest of private-sector software providers for public administrations (available on http://reference.e-government.gv.at/).

In 2003 online forms were revised in accordance with the WAI AAA criteria to improve their usability. By developing the administrative procedures online/forms interface, HELP provides a comprehensive service with regionally and nationally applicable forms.

(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
Establishment of HELP as Austria’s main citizens’ platform:
Within a very short time after launching HELP for the first time, it succeeded in becoming an inter-departmental platform which is used by a broad spectrum of the population, regardless of whether they have internet access or not. Through these endeavours HELP gained several partners from the public administration sector, thus becoming a focal point for interlinking all administrative levels and continuing to expand its services.

The cooperation with towns, municipalities and local authorities throughout Austria kindled the initial spark for the broad implementation of e-Government projects. In addition, the standardisation of online forms and processes provided an impulse for administrative reforms.

HELP as a virtual office:
The Austrian e-Government Act and the related introduction of digital signatures in e-Government procedures, accelerated the efforts to compile online procedures which can be securely processed using the Citizen Card.

HELP took note early on the developments concerning the secure processing of administrative procedures through electronic signatures and now offers several processes – such as applications for a birth certificate or a business licence – which can be dealt with by using the Citizen Card.

Another essential feature of a modern, service-oriented administration are electronic forms of payment, as well as the electronic delivery of documents. This prevents interruptions, shortens the time for processing applications and means that citizens can deal with administrative procedures at any time and in every part of the globe.

HELP goes Europe:
One important success factor at European level is the intensive interlinking with the EU’s public services portal “Your Europe” http://ec.europa.eu/youreurope [Information on cross-border public services in Europe]. Here, too, information is provided based on the different target groups and life situations.

In 2003 the citizens’ portal clearly demonstrated that it need not fear international comparison. During the e-Government conference in 2003, out of 185 contestants HELP was awarded the e-Europe Award in the category: 'A better life for European Citizens'. HELP convinced the judges through its inter-departmental approach involving the federation, provinces and municipalities, as well as for its user–friendly orientation concerning transactions (fora, administrative procedures online etc.) and through the foreign language services. In early June HELP gained the Justitia Award 2003 for the best website with a judicial content. Furthermore, in 2003 HELP was awarded the e-Media Award 2003 for Austria’s best website in the 'Information' category.

Sustainability and Transferability

  Is the initiative sustainable and transferable?
Quality assurance:
A periodic examination of the life situations ensures that HELP’s quality is maintained and its information is updated. New legal provisions are incorporated into the existing texts by a team of editors cooperating with staff from the federal ministries. When current social developments so demand, new life situations are compiled.

The good cooperation at all administrative levels, as well as with decision-makers from the business sector, facilitates the rapid exchange of stable and reliable information.


HELP’s central role in Austrian e-government:
As the main interface between the public administration and the citizens, HELP plays a key role in disseminating and accessing e-Government services. Its fundamental importance within the federal government’s e-Government initiative – also referred to in a presentation made by the Council of Ministers in 2003 – guarantees the continuous development of the citizens’ platform and the concerted action of all participating organisations.

HELP as a pioneer of electronic signatures:
The E-Government Act of March 2004 together with the Electronic Signature Act created the appropriate framework for implementing sustainable e-Government measures. HELP acknowledged the developments concerning the secure processing of administrative procedures early on and now offers several online processes which can be signed electronically.

Developing standards for form design:
HELP’s online processes were developed in line with the existing style guide for form design, thus contributing to their standardisation. By maintaining the HELP links, the relevant authorities can themselves enter administrative data and fees (which sometimes differ).

Lessons Learned

 What are the impact of your initiative and the lessons learned?
Quality assurance through HELP coordinators:
To ensure that HELP’s information is always up to date, cooperation with the public administration offices – which are the first to learn about and implement legislative changes – is necessary. At the beginning, only a few volunteers from this sector were prepared to cooperate with HELP.

In 1998 a resolution was adopted by the Council of Ministers stating that each ministry must nominate a HELP coordinator to act as a HELP contact person in his/her area of work. This clearly defined the competencies and determined the work processes, thus making it possible for instructions to be followed based on an administrative decision. Meanwhile, around 250 contact persons from a wide variety of administrative levels support the HELP-Team.


HELP as a motor for administrative development:
Based on the four main values underlying HELP’s philosophy – "fast, up to date, correct, understandable" – HELP is a major motor of administrative development at all levels. The implementation of electronic administrative procedures influences the authorities’ internal organisation.

The legal framework was also influenced. HELP has assisted in the standardisation of procedures, accompanied by the relevant forms etc., thus ensuring that all its partner authorities agree to use standardised forms.

Therefore, in further developing online administrative procedures, care should be taken that technical innovations are not simply implemented without continuing to develop the organisation. As a standardised introduction to administrative procedures, HELP has contributed substantially to the standardisation, transparency and clarity of administrative processes.

Contact Information

Institution Name:   Federal Chancellery of Austria
Institution Type:   Government Department  
Contact Person:   Harald Mueller
Title:   Deputy Head of Department  
Telephone/ Fax:   ++43-1-531 15-4105
Institution's / Project's Website:   ++43-1-531 09-4105
E-mail:   harald.mueller@bka.gv.at  
Address:   Ballhausplatz 2
Postal Code:   1014
City:   Vienna
State/Province:   Vienna
Country:   Austria

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