Questions/Answers

The lowest fertility rate In 2016, Korea’s fertility rate was 1.17, the lowest in the OECD. This has to do with the enormous costs of raising children (KRW 260 million on average to raise a child until he/she goes to college). Expectant mothers’ concerns “I’m pregnant with my first child. What kind of free check-ups can I get?” “I’m going to register my child’s birth. How can I apply for childcare allowance?” These are the questions most frequently asked according to an analysis of some 13 million posts on some 80 online childcare communities. Expectant mothers with disabilities, pregnant women with multiple children, and those in poverty going to work every day were found most vulnerable. The growing need for simplified application To get childbirth support from the government, you had to submit a copy of resident registration, family relation certificate and birth certificate if you had one child. If you had multiple children, you had to submit more application forms, with the written consent to personal information use attached to each. To address this, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety began to consider introducing one-stop services for mothers and babies. One-stop childbirth support services based on collaboration among organizations The government broke down silos between organizations and integrated childbirth-related services into One-Stop Services for Pregnancy and Childbirth (One-Stop Services), allowing people to apply for all services by completing just a single application form. One-Stop Services started as a pilot program with four municipalities in December 2015, was adopted nationwide in March 2016, and went online in November 2017 to reach the disadvantaged, including women with disabilities. The system has earned high satisfaction scores from women: the application rate compared to the number of registered births surpassed 92% by late 2017. Plus, it has saved KRW 8.4 billion a year.

Ensuring no one falls through the cracks The government provides six national services and some 900 local services to share the burden of rearing children. It was difficult to find the services available for you and visit several agencies to apply for each service. No wonder women with little information or no time for visits missed the opportunity to get support. A One-Stop System To get information on services or apply for them, mothers-to-be had to visit several agencies located in different districts. To visit them all, some could not go to work for days; things were more difficult for those in rural areas with lack of public transportation. One-Stop Services has brought a fundamental change in service delivery, allowing people to apply for all childbirth support services they need at once and check the results in the comfort of their own home. Simplified procedures People had to go through complex procedures, completing similar application forms and preparing the same documents for different providers. This has been solved with the introduction of an integrated application process: no matter which organization you visit, all you need to do is complete an integrated application form just once, only with your ID.

Redesigning the system to meet women’s needs Based on feedbacks from mothers, separate existing services were integrated into a one-stop system to better meet women’s needs, and this is One-Stop Services for Pregnancy and Childbirth. Breaking down silos between agencies; boosting transparency and accountability The government integrated childbirth-related services and broke down silos between agencies. The result is One-Stop Services for Pregnancy and Childbirth, which has enhanced transparency and accountability in service delivery by making it easier for women to get information and requiring the staff in charge to send application results expeditiously. Engaging mothers in policy planning The Ministry held an open forum for pregnant women at Cheil General Hospital on September 21, 2015, listening to their concerns about government’s childbirth support services. It also conducted an online survey of 471 expectant mothers. The opinions and survey results have been reflected in One-Stop Services. Online One-Stop Services for disadvantaged women Women with disabilities, pregnant women who already have children, and mothers in poverty need more support. The government introduced online One-Stop Services for Pregnancy and Childbirth in November 2017 for disadvantaged women. They can now search Government 24 (gov.kr) and apply for childbirth support services at home or work.

Ensuring healthy lives and promoting the well-being for women According to UNFPA’s State of World Population 2006, Korea’s infant mortality rate is among the lowest in the world. This may have to do with a stark reality of raising children: it takes KRW 260 million to raise a child until he/she graduates from college. The government had been providing various childbirth support services. The problem was you had to visit multiple agencies, and prepare several application forms and documents to get the services. This was not easy, especially for those with disabilities, pregnant women with multiple children, immigrant mothers who have a language barrier, and poor mothers going to work every day. One-Stop Services for Pregnancy and Childbirth allows expectant mothers to apply for childbirth support services they need online or through one visit. It also prevents anyone missing the services they are entitled to. One-Stop Services covers childcare allowance, electricity, gas and district heating bill cuts (families with at least two children), childbirth subsidies, free breast pump rentals, visiting services for pregnant women from multicultural families and more. Of some 363,000 births registered in 2017, more than 92 %, or 337,000 newborn babies benefitted from One-Stop Services.

Helping to build consensus Government agencies worried information and system sharing could undermine their work processes. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety thus organized regular meetings among different agencies, encouraging them to share views and narrow differences. This helped build consensus on the necessity of the system. Preventing a heavy workload for local government employees through communication In establishing the system, one of the problems was an increased workload for local government employees. Those responsible for family relation registrations had to deal with all submitted application forms manually. To address this, the Ministry organized a consultative body with local governments to gather their views and reflected them in the system. Furthermore, the Ministry held an information session on the system for the responsible employees of 246 local governments. A simplified process and less workload The workload of local government employees was significantly reduced with the introduction of an integrated administrative system and an administrative information-sharing system, covering cities and smaller districts. As a result, each department responsible for a particular service can process submitted application forms themselves, minimizing the workload of local government employees and simplifying the application process for the public.

One-Stop Services through collaboration among agencies Led by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, One-Stop Services for Pregnancy and Childbirth involves four central government agencies (Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, and Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission), 243 municipalities (2,340 community centers), and public corporations (Korea Electric Power Corporation, Korea District Heating Corporation, and Korea Gas Corporation). This led to a simplified online application system for childbirth support. Nearly universal coverage Since the system was introduced nationwide in March 2016, people have been able to apply for childbirth support services with just one visit and their ID. In 2017, more than 337,000 out of 363,000 new mothers (92 %) applied for One-Stop Services. Greater convenience and cost-efficiency With the integration of the services into one place, the number of required documents for applications was reduced from seven to two, addressing inconvenience and saving time and money. Considering about 330,000 applications are made every year, KRW 8.4 billion has been saved annually: nearly KRW 4.3 billion from fewer visits; about KRW 3.5 billion from simplified application; and some KRW 600 million from fewer required documents.

From supplier-oriented to people-oriented One-Stop Services for Pregnancy and Childbirth allows people to apply for multiple services at once and get information in advance, with fewer visits and documents required. The people-oriented system has been achieved through collaboration among agencies and the integration of services based on mothers’ feedback. Moving away from business as usual Central government agencies, local governments and public institutions have different policies and work processes. One-Stop Services shows moving away from business as usual can lead to a successful policy, without extra financial burden. Different agencies’ systems and information have been linked, and new work procedures have been established for the integration. The result is much more accessible government services. Easing the workload of public employees From December 2015 to March 2016, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety ran One-Stop Services on a pilot basis, during which 1,856 out of 1,959 women who gave birth applied for the services (94.7 %), causing a heavy workload for local government employees. To address this, the Ministry removed application deadlines and linked different agencies’ systems to ensure applications are automatically submitted and delivered to all relevant agencies. This reduced workload for public employees and increased convenience for people.

One-Stop Services for Pregnancy and Childbirth is the world’s first one-stop childbirth support system developed based on expectant mothers’ views. Planning: a bigger framework of Customized Services for Different Life Stages A person needs different services for different life stages. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety thus built a framework of Customized Services for Different Life Stages: the first program One-Stop Services for Reassuring Inheritance (allowing people to access all of their inherited property at once) has been well-received by people; and then the Ministry introduced One-Stop Services for Pregnancy and Childbirth to replace the complex childbirth service system with an integrated system. Implementation: Collaboration The Ministry continued communicating with other agencies and asked local governments to examine the system and suggest any feasible ideas. Under the leadership of the Ministry, relevant agencies came together to share information and solve difficulties. How many people are aware of the policy would be the best measure of its effects. The Ministry made all-out efforts to promote One-Stop Services for Pregnancy and Childbirth, utilizing blogs and social media to grab young people’s attention. This led to a steady rise in the application-to-registered birth ratio to over 92% by late 2017.

Financial resources - cooperation minimizing financial burden It takes a lot of efforts and costs until a new government policy takes root. One-Stop Services for Pregnancy and Childbirth is a redesign of an existing system, which saved costs and was made possible through collaboration and system integration among different agencies. Technological resources - online application and notifications by SMS and email A convenient process of checking application results is as important as avoiding visits to multiple agencies. One-Stop Services reports application results immediately after they come out, and send them by SMS or email when the process takes days, so that the applicant gets the results at home, without the need to visit the agency again. Disadvantaged women like those with disabilities may make online applications. Human resources - engaging service recipients in policy planning Using Big Data analytics, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety found out questions frequently asked by expectant mothers, such as “What kind of childbirth services can I get and how can I apply?”. In September 2015, the Ministry collected expectant mothers’ views on government childbirth-related services, and conducted an online survey of 471 expectant mothers. The collected views and survey results became the basis for One-Stop Services.

Yes

One-Stop Services for the happiness of mothers and babies Other countries also provide childbirth support designed to help enhance the quality of lives, especially for disadvantaged women. What is different in the Korean system is a better service delivery, which makes it easier to get services. Developing countries showing a great interest in One-Stop Services In 2017, more than 50 public employees from Kazakhstan, Afghanistan and Thailand visited the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and showed a great interest in the achievements made in the Korean e-Government. They were especially interested in One-Stop Services for Pregnancy and Childbirth. This may be because the system has great policy effects, targeting all women, and is focused on a better delivery of existing services rather than new ones, thereby incurring little financial burden. Universality of the system The eligibility and procedures of childbirth support services may differ from one country to another. One-Stop Services for Pregnancy and Childbirth is an integration of specific services provided in Korea, but the method can be applied anywhere. The method involves redesigning existing public services from people’s perspectives, integrating services from different agencies into a single channel, and informing people of what they need to know in advance.

One-Stop Services for Pregnancy and Childbirth saves costs for the recipients and providers and offers satisfactory services for people, thereby building public trust in the government. It is thus sustainable. Cost-efficiency A good policy is effective with little cost. One-Stop Services for Pregnancy and Childbirth is an efficient system for both the service providers and recipients. It allows expectant mothers to register births and apply for childbirth support services at once, saving time and money by 80 %. When all this is done online, it would save opportunity costs as well. Greater public satisfaction It is a blessing for women to have children, but the costs of raising children are tremendous. One-Stop Services provides a simplified application system, allowing people to get every service they need through just one visit to the agency or website. It has drawn positive responses from the media and people sharing their experiences of the system on blogs and social media. Building public trust in the government Governments provide administrative services ultimately to make people happier and earn their trust. The OECD’s “Government at a Glance 2017,” comparing countries on how much people trust their government, shows Koreans’ trust level in the government was only about half the OECD average. To gain people’s trust, the government has to put people at the center of every program and convince them it is working for their happiness. One way to do so is to provide personalized services fulfilling people’s needs. One-Stop Services is a government solution to a problem people have suffered for a long time; and it deals with pregnancy and childbirth, an experience any woman can have. This is an example of how the government can earn public trust by providing services tailored to people’s needs and letting them realize the government works for their happiness.

Sustainable public service delivery system designed for the people Every administration tries to deliver on the pledges made during the campaign, and sometimes, the policy priorities may change due to political decisions. However, the government’s ultimate goal is to make the people happy, which after all is why the government exists. In that sense, systems satisfying the needs of the great majority of the public are likely to last throughout different administrations. One-Stop Services for Pregnancy and Childbirth would be an example. It is designed to provide existing services more effectively; it does not restrict people’s freedom or creativity; and as all women are potential customers, the demand will only grow. With existing services provided by existing staff, there is little need to add more workers and budgets. More than KRW 8.4 billion saved for a year through One-Stop Services One-Stop Services for Pregnancy and Childbirth is an integration of childbirth support services provided by different agencies scattered across the nation, saving time spent on visiting them and having required documents issued, worth more than KRW 8.4 billion a year. When the opportunity costs saved are considered, the figure would be much higher. Furthermore, One-Stop Services will improve continuously, as the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the government agency responsible for the welfare of mothers and babies, is involved as a partner, developing new childbirth support services to be reflected in the system.

Yes

A survey on public satisfaction with the Ministry’s major programs A survey was conducted on how much people are satisfied with the quality of administrative programs, including One-Stop Services for Pregnancy and Childbirth, to get feedback from the people and reflect them in establishing administrative services that can satisfy people’s needs. From October 27 to November 24, 2017, the survey was conducted both online and offline for men and women aged 20 and older as well as experts from relevant agencies. More emphasis was put on the feedback from the ordinary people (70%) than the experts (30%) in reflecting them in the services.

Government administrative services earning 74.6 points on public satisfaction The survey included seven evaluation items of “policy awareness”, “democratic nature”, “proactive nature”, “responsiveness”, “performance”, “satisfaction levels” and “suggestions and recommendations”, on a scale from one to seven each, which was later combined and converted to a 100-point scale. The score received from the ordinary people was 72.4 points: by item, the score for “proactive nature” was the highest at 72.7, while the score for “democratic nature” was the lowest at 71.0. For the experts, the total score was 79.8, with the highest score for “democratic nature” at 82.5 and the lowest for “effectiveness” at 75.7. Recommendations made most frequently include building a simplified system easier to use, making active efforts to promote the system to the public, and moving away from the myopic focus on short-term results.

The survey on the levels of satisfaction with government policy performance included seven evaluation items, or questions, on a 7-point scale. < Questions> 1. How much are you aware of government projects, including One-Stop Services for Pregnancy and Childbirth, provided as part of efforts to improve Customized Services for Different Life Stages? 2. Do you think the people’s views have been well reflected in establishing and implementing government projects? 3. Do you think the government is being active in trying to achieve the goals of its projects? 4. Do you think the government is coping well with any change in circumstances and problems arising in the implementation of its projects? 5. Do you think any real achievement has been made through the implementation of government projects? 6. Overall, how much are you satisfied with the progress and achievements made so far in the implementation of government projects? 7. Do you have any suggestion or recommendation on government projects?

Collaboration among government agencies Led by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, One-Stop Services for Pregnancy and Childbirth engages four central government agencies, 243 municipalities, and 2,340 community centers, and public corporations as well as the Supreme Court of Korea. This led to a simplified online application system for childbirth support. The Central government: breaking down silos as a coordinator Equipped with information and tools on childbirth support, the central government took the lead in designing One-Stop Services. As the leading stakeholder, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety set a common goal across the government of “providing customized childbirth support through an integrated and proactive response”. The Ministry also established regulations on the integration of pregnancy- and childbirth-related services to ensure other stakeholders, including the Ministry of Health and Welfare, fully understand the system. The agencies worked together, linking their systems, sharing information to establish an integrated childbirth support application and eligibility verification system, and publishing forms and manuals to provide people with an easy access to the services. Local governments: playing an active role in promotional efforts Local governments have been very active in promoting One-Stop Services through community councils and newsletters. Gathering people’s policy reviews To reflect people’s views in One-Stop Services, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety analyzed some 13 million posts on some 80 online childcare communities, held a forum for expectant mothers to gather their views on government childbirth support, and conducted an online survey of 471 expectant mothers. How much people are satisfied with a policy is the measure of success of that policy. This is why the Ministry runs “citizen monitoring groups”, who give feedback on the effects of government policies.

Government services should be personalized. With people facing increasingly diverse problems, there is a growing need for tailored government services for different needs. The government thus came up with One-Stop Customized Services for Different Life Stages which include One-Stop Services for Reassuring Inheritance and One-Stop Services for Pregnancy and Childbirth. People who often harshly criticize the government have expressed their support for One-Stop Services, indicating a government program satisfying people’s needs builds public trust in the government. The era of Customized Services has begun. Since it was adopted nationwide in March 2016, One-Stop Services for Pregnancy and Childbirth received high scores on public satisfaction. The government plans to expand Customized Services for Different Life Stages to include employment, entrepreneurship, education and retirement. We learned that to fulfill people’s needs, it does not have to be a new project with a large workforce and budget; it can be done by reorganizing existing resources from public perspectives. Our goal is to ensure all government agencies put the people first in every work process, and integrate all government services to better meet people’s needs. With customized services for the people, we have taken the first step toward a people-owned government.