15 August 2017

Kiwis Count highlights satisfaction with public services

The State Services Commission has today published the latest Kiwis Count survey results and launched an interactive information portal where New Zealanders and government agencies can see how important public services are being received by the public.

“The latest Kiwis Count survey shows New Zealanders are satisfied with the quality of the public services they are receiving and highlights particular areas where a focus on meeting customer needs is giving better services,” says State Services Commissioner, Peter Hughes.

Kiwis Count is an ongoing survey where New Zealanders are asked for their views and experiences on the public services they have received. This feedback helps government agencies see where service innovations are being well received, and where to focus efforts to improve.

“It’s great to see the overall service quality rating remains consistently high,” says Mr Hughes.

“The Public Service is using new and innovative approaches to make public services better meet the needs of New Zealanders,” he said.

“The passport application process is a great example of using digital technology to make the process faster, easier and more convenient,” said Mr Hughes.

Applying for a passport has achieved a nine point increase in satisfaction since the start of Kiwis Count. Rather than filling in paper forms and returning them with certified photos, people can now apply for or renew passports online at a time that suits them. The latest figures show that more than half of all passport renewals are now completed online.

“Making it easier to pay fines with a more co-ordinated and customer centric service has led to more people paying their fines faster,” Mr Hughes said.

The Ministry of Justice and NZ Police have also achieved a nine point increase in satisfaction with paying fines or getting information about paying fines since Kiwis Count started. The agencies have changed how they collect fines and are using technology to make it faster and easier for people to pay fines online. The Ministry of Justice has changed how its fine collections function is set up so it can give people more consistent and responsive service right across the country. Other improvements include being able to dispute a fine by email, rather than having to go to a Court in-person.

“While we are seeing positive trends across all areas, we need to continue improving the services we provide to New Zealanders,” Mr Hughes said.

The new online information portal has full survey results going back to when Kiwis Count started a decade ago. This makes it easier for New Zealanders to see the data they are most interested in and for government agencies to see their strengths and areas for improvement.

“The Public Service is working hard to make sure New Zealanders have easy access to high quality public services, and we are committed to being transparent and showing exactly where we still have some work to do,” Mr Hughes said.

The Kiwis Count survey report can be found on the State Services Commission website http://www.ssc.govt.nz/kiwis-count

ENDS

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