Questions/Answers

Citizen demands efficiency and effectiveness of government to provide civil services in a timely manner that accommodates the convenience and need of the citizenry. Government services have always been delivered in silos, meaning each government agency has its own physical structure, core business, human resources and locality. Citizens that need to get these government services have to move from one agency to another, most likely at various different locations. These states of affairs raised the inconvenience of the citizens, having to chase time, locate parking, got caught in traffic congestion and worst, having gone through all that troublesome, did not get the services that was intended to get done. With the citizens in mind and changing the perspective of giving services from the agencies’ perspective to that of the customer’s, the 1Malaysia Customer Service of Civil Servants (1Serve) initiative was mandated to the Public Service Department of Malaysia (JPA) under the umbrella of the National Blue Ocean Strategy (NBOS) through the NBOS Summit Meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary to the Government of Malaysia on 24th October 2014. 1Serve provides the citizens with convenience as they are now accessible to services offered by some government agencies in just one location, with just one queue number with less number of processes and these services are offered beyond the normal office hours, that is until 10.00pm in the evening. The realization of 1Serve is the quantum leap in the level of customer service in government. As of now, 1Serve under the purview of the JPA incorporates services from 3 government agencies, namely: Immigration Department, National Registration Department and Road and Transport Department within one vicinity with shared front liners that served the citizens at common counters. Hence, the mantra of 1Serve is “With Passion We Serve, Let’s Make a Difference”.

The notion of customer centric has always been the core of the Public Service of Malaysia and that notion has brought about the innovative idea of 1Serve by placing key services from 3 different government agencies in one location using shared front liners for the convenience of the customers. This initiative meets the terms of Category 2: Making institution inclusive and ensuring participation in decision making where government services provided are inclusive for the 3 participating government agencies. The implementation of 1Serve has demonstrates the commitment of these 3 government agencies in all decision making at all levels to ensure the success of the initiative through a series of engagements. Hence, the overall objectives of the 1Serve are to create a great customers’ experience when getting services from government and providing convenience and fast services to the customers using existing resources, minimizing processes and leveraging on technologies.

For 1Serve, inclusivity is the pivotal element in its implementation, not only in terms of the services offered but also from the perspective of the customers. For the services offered, 1Serve has transformed the conventional way of delivering government services whereby each government agency is silo and there is no sharing of resources. The new norm is having shared front liners and common counters where any customer can get all services in just one counter without having to go to three (3) different counters or locations. To accomplish this transformation, the participation of all relevant agencies at all levels are compulsory, hence the collective decision making. On the part of the customer, inclusivity can be seen in the sense that the services offered do not marginalized any segment of the population. Anyone who are qualified to get those services can do so and they do not have to wait for a specific counter to do one or two services instead they can just take one queue number and proceed on with the services.

1Serve improves the delivery of public services through the empowerment of human resource, the capitalization of technology and the improvisation of processes. To ensure uniformity in the delivery of front-line services, a standard and organized training system has been specifically crafted for the front liners as well as re-engineering and developing systems and procedures that are critical in delivering seamless, competent and effective customer service. 1Serve’s service design aligns the capabilities of service provider with customer needs so that the services provided are user friendly, competitive and relevant to our customers. The service design focuses on 1Serve in the public service, 1Serve in implementation and 1Serve in customer journey mapping. In 1Serve implementation, the emphasis is on customer experience before, during and after getting a service from the agency concerned, as well as taking into account the customer's emotions, the overall ecosystem related and transactions’ touch point. The commitment and co-operation of management from 1Serve agencies and the Public Service Department of Malaysia play a significant role to the successful implementation of 1Serve. Customers’ feedbacks and testimonials are used to assess the quality of the services offered and assist in the continuous effort of developing a more effective solution.

1Serve demonstrates the ability of the Public Service to progress with evolving technologies and transform key processes to accommodate the needs of all citizens. Now, any citizen of Malaysia can get their passport, identification card and also driving licence at one counter, in one location and after normal office hours. In 2015, the success of 1Serve counters can be seen by the reduction in the visa application period, a service provided by the Immigration Department. The previous process involves 6 different counters and takes 3 days but with the implementation of 1Serve, it now requires only 1 counter and only 1 day to complete the process. This transformation optimizes existing resources, particularly capitalizing the human capital and the technology and this implementation maximizes the level of customer satisfaction and increase productivity. Also in 2015, 1Serve counters at the Community Welfare Department has recorded a significant achievement by reducing the length of time required by People with Disabilities to obtain their membership card, from 2 weeks from the date of application to only two hours. 101 officers were successfully trained and are able to run all transactions offered at the counter.

As to date, 1Serve has been implemented in 28 locations (agencies, local authorities, urban transformation centre, and front-line agencies) and the most significant impact of this initiative is the ease for citizens from all segments of population to get top most demanded government services such as issuance of passports, driving licences, border passes, identification cards from 3 different departments through common counters within one location at extended time of operation. The processes have been significantly shortened by examining the possibilities which technologies can accommodates. The other significant impact would be the realization of collaboration not only among the 3 government agencies but incorporates other related agencies, for example local authorities, ministry and other government departments where 1Serve counters can be set up. Under the implementation of 1Serve, they managed to upgrade the quality of customer services by combining counters from different departments and offering services that can also be implemented by officer from different departments at the same time.

1Serve is innovative because it leverages on 3 key components, namely People, Process and Technology. In executing 1Serve at Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) Perlis and UTC Negeri Sembilan, 1Serve capitalizes on the offerings of technology to integrate services from 3 different government departments on a higher platform (1Serve Desktop Integration Virtual Machine) so that each individual department can then access their own systems at one counter, hence providing services to one citizen who might need services from one or two or all of the 3 government departments. This distinctively new approach of doing business in government, has brought about a new sense of commitment from all parties concerned, fortifying their own distinctive core function and embracing the spirit of collaboration and commitment to give the best services to their customers. 1Serve also has obtained permission from the Ministry of Finance Malaysia to allow the revenue collection to be executed by a frontline officer of the 1Serve strategic partner agencies at the application counter representing the supervisor as the collector. Customers need to get only one queue number to complete transactions at the application counter and submission counter.

1Serve is original in its innovation and implementation as it is the first of its kind being realized in Malaysia and it is not known whether any other country has implemented the same way. The business model of providing government services via common counters and shared front liners within one location for distinctive government agencies that have an array of services of its own has indeed created a new sense of innovation on how government services should be provided for. This new innovative and creative business model of offering government services not only provides convenience for the customer but capitalized on the need for collaboration and leveraging on the offerings of new technologies. The idea of 1Serve was initiated on the basis of the customers; what the customers want and not how government should give services. With that in mind, the customer journey mapping was prioritized and engagements with all relevant stakeholders were strategized.

1Serve leverages on People, Process and Technology. For the part of the People, 1Serve has been made possible using existing human resource from the 3 government agencies. The coordination part of 1Serve is being handled at the NBOS Unit of the Public Service Department (JPA). Multi-skilled training were provided for the front liners to handle the offerings of the different services by the 3 government agencies. As for the Process, the specific processes of each government agency for the services provided have not been modified but the process of providing services at the common counter using shared front liners has been deliberated through a series of brainstorming sessions. Special authorization from the Ministry of Finance Malaysia made it possible for revenue to be collected by the shared front liners, not compromising on the standard procedures of revenue collection. For Technology, investment has been made to develop the coordination layer for all the services offered by the 3 government agencies as well as implementing the new queuing system. Apart from that, new equipment for the technical infrastructure and computers have been purchased to provide the services at the common counters as well as ensuring connectivity at the network level.

Yes

The idea of 1Serve started off with the basic need to strengthen one of the core processes of the Immigration Department of Malaysia, that is visa application for foreigners. The customer journey for that visa application required transactions to be done at 6 different counters and to be completed within 3 days. It was then realized that government services are all about the customers, hence the conception of Customer Journey Mapping. This initiative was first piloted at 11 selected agencies through a series of discussions with relevant stakeholders. The agencies were given early exposure through briefing sessions, service manual development sessions, service design development sessions, front liner training and related activities from time to time. In 2016, a new mandate was given to extend the 1Serve initiative at various agencies. 1Serve: One counter Multiple Services Multiple Agencies should be a new business operation model for the establishment of the new UTC. In 2017, Ministry of Finance has allocated a budget for the implementation of 1Serve: One Counter Multiple Services Multiple Agencies at two UTC locations. 1Serve implementation in the new UTC has adopted the latest approaches, concepts and models and it’s differs from implementation in existing UTC.

1Serve is the new norm of doing government business and will be the epitome for an integrated provision of government services. This initiative has been implemented in 28 locations (agencies, local authorities, urban transformation centre (UTC), and front-line agencies). 1Serve has been envisaged to be extended to other states in Malaysia as positive feedback from the citizens are the motivation to move forward and sustain the initiative over a significant period of time. From the social aspect, 1Serve has brought about a new sense of government services, both to the service providers and also to the customers. For the service providers, the social sustainability aspect can be seen on the need of doing business in a collaborative manner and also capitalizing on the sharing of resources. This collaboration eliminates the individualistic trait of providing government services. As for the customers, they gain in terms of time and energy, thus improving the social sustainability of obtaining government services. As for the economic aspect, the government saves on building new government offices as the implementation of 1Serve leverages on existing infrastructure provided for by the Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) or any government premise. On top of that, 1Serve is committed to minimizing the need to employ new staffs and focusing on developing multi-skilled front liners to provide all the spectrum of services. 1Serve accommodates the environmental aspect as the implementation of 1Serve is done using existing government or commercial structure which are vacant for use. Since all the services are provided for in one location, hence there is a decrease in the emission of carbon, use of petrol and easing the traffic congestion within the vicinity. This initiative will definitely continue to be sustainable in providing an eco-friendly environment to the masses.

There will always be demand of government services and that demand is constantly increasing. As in the case of 1Serve, the government services offered are top demanded services such as the issuance of passports, driving licences and the national identification cards. The new business model of providing services using shared front liners at common counters in one location and during extended hours has proven to meet customers’ expectations and requirements. Even with the facilitation of online services, customers still need to be present to get services from government. Customers are comfortable with the face-to-face mode of doing transactions and the prospect of being able to complete the transaction in that one transaction is most valued. At present, the services offered using this modus operandi are mainly scoped to the 3 government agencies but in the long run, this new norm of service delivery where customers do not have to go far and wait for too long are durable in time where there are great potentials for extension in terms of the services offered and also in the number of locations where the services can be offered. 1Serve has gone through a series of continuous improvements and has indeed transformed the customers’ journey from one that does not cater to the needs of the customer to the one that facilitates the customers experience from the point of reaching the premise until getting the services required done. With the evolution of technology, workload are now being shared through the process of deliberation and collaboration in the true spirit of solidarity towards providing better service delivery. 1Serve will be the benchmark of service delivery and will path the way to be the new norm in the way government facilitates and provides services to the citizens.

Yes

The formal evaluation of the transformation concept of 1Serve was an impact study conducted by the Public Sector Transformation Division of the Public Service Department (JPA) from 23 March – 1 April 2016. The methodologies for evaluation were surveys and interviews, carried out with customers of JPA namely, civil servants from various ministries, JPA sponsored students and also customers at JPA4U counters, which include pensioners. Overall, there were 1953 samples and only 790 samples were considered for the evaluation which was 40% of the overall samples. For the surveys, the questionnaires were sent out to 1,150 students and 690 civil servants from various ministries. Only 340 students and 337 civil servants responded. As for the interviews at 1Serve counters, altogether there were 113 respondents. The evaluation focused on the provision of services by JPA and 7 areas were assessed, namely centralized powers, bureaucracy, working in silos, responsiveness, consultation, officers’ competency and also service. These areas reflected how JPA provide the services and how well and fast does JPA address any issues raised which can impact the perception of JPA customers.

The outcome of the evaluation of the impact of 1Serve clearly indicates that overall, customers are satisfied with the services provided for by JPA, with 93% of the respondents giving a rating of being satisfied and really satisfied. The overall outcome for the impact study as rated by the respondents are as follows: • Centralized powers - 58.93% • No Bureaucracy - 59.37% • Not working in silos - 76.17% • Responsiveness - 93.33% • Consultation - 85.65% • Officers competency - 84.31% • Service - 89.42% From the outcome, several areas were suggested for improvement, namely, agencies can be empowered to make certain decisions, re look at some of the services whereby some processes can be shortened and improved, the front liners can be trained to be more well-versed of the services offered, more engagements with other agencies and the need to revisit and revise the old circulars and procedures.

• Centralized powers - Empowerment by JPA to other agencies for the services that JPA offer, pertaining to the tendency to always refer to JPA on the services provided for. • No Bureaucracy - The degree of bureaucracy in obtaining services from JPA, in the sense of filling so many different forms and also providing many supporting documents. • Not working in silos - The degree of teamwork in JPA, meaning how well other officers can provide the services if the officer-in-charged in not around. • Responsiveness - The performance of JPA officers in delivering the services and addressing issues raised, particularly in the ability to assist and giving friendly services and full attention to the services requested. • Consultation - The degree of consultation done by JPA officers before any decision is made and also whether opinions, advice and guidance are being considered in the decision made. • Officers competency - How competent the officers in JPA handled the services being offered to the customers, particularly on giving accurate answers and services. • Service - The degree of services being offered by JPA in terms of facilities, service time, personality of officers and the confidence of officers in providing the services.

1Serve marks the true spirit of collaboration in government because this is the new norm of service delivery where customers do not need to scatter around to get services. The journey towards accomplishing 1Serve has been adrenaline-charged where the Public Service Department (JPA) took the role of the protagonist in coordinating the whole transformation process of service delivery, mapping the customers’ journey from the perspective of the customers and not from the standpoint of how government provides the services. Touch points were made at all levels to ensure everyone had the same shared vision to accomplish 1Serve. The initial point of engagement was getting top management support in this new approach of service delivery. JPA, mandated by the National Blue Ocean Strategy (NBOS) Summit, chaired by the honourable Prime Minister of Malaysia received the support of top management from all relevant agencies to move forward with 1Serve. Then champions were identified from each agency to drive the initiative and deliberations were done with all the subject matter experts, namely the process owners, the technical people and also the front liners to get their viewpoints and also commitments to look at their own processes from a different angle and propose a more collaborative approach. The outcomes of the deliberation, the first concept of the proposed 1Serve were then put forward and shared with the customers in a form of focus groups at some of the service counters to get their feedback. From there, the feedbacks were used to further fortify the proposed 1Serve and was presented at the NBOS Summit for endorsement and implementation. The implementation of NBOS continues to be further enhanced through the feedbacks received from the process owners, technical people and also the front liners.

The journey of implementing 1Serve has been both challenging and exhilarating. Lessons learned during the journey includes: • It is most imperative to listen to the needs of the customers and not to assume what the customers want; • It is imperative to be mindful of the current policies and be bold to challenge the norm; • Engagement is key and should be done continuously at all levels; • Collaboration is critical which cut across multiple agencies so that resources can be shared and service delivery enhanced; • Top management’s buy-in must be obtained and all relevant agencies must be on board from the beginning; • The coordinator’s role is to facilitate and not frustrate, hence the need to be accommodate within the permissible, inculcating shared responsibility of delivering the best services to the customers; • Everyone in the initiative must have the same shared vision, for any initiative which emphasized on collaboration in government service delivery should have the mantra of “It is not about us but the people”; • Communication and transparency are critical success factors for the implementation of 1Serve; and • Most importantly, everyone must try to be open-minded to change their perspectives and in the case of 1Serve to see from the customers’ eyes.