MÖBIUS Related

Cites & Communities

MÖBIUS’ solutions for local government

Cities, local authorities and OCMWs (public social-welfare centres) face many major challenges: new official and OCMW decrees and their legal status, an increasingly demanding public, all kinds of changes in the field of ICT, plus endless additional short-term tasks. These and other developments require that managers think how they can be responsive in order to deal flexibly with unexpected situations.

MÖBIUS has acquired many years’ experience in helping large and small communities, local authorities and OCMWs to achieve their goals, and supporting them in their quest to deal with the challenges they have to face.

Delivering customer-friendly service

Customer-friendly service means first and foremost a personal, efficient and friendly reception, adapted to suit the target group. However, an entrepreneur, a person in need of help or a new resident all have differing expectations, and each calls for a completely different type of welcome.
Customer-friendly service also implies making an effort to understand the public’s needs. This means the office layout and environment should no longer be organised by following the logic of internal service considerations, but instead by providing fast-service counters, information points and separate counters for specific services. In addition, the product offer should be arranged following that same externally-driven logic, accessed conveniently through multiple entrances (organised alphabetically, by subject, target group, service or department).
A tailor-made service-provision concept entails allowing the citizen to get in contact using the method of communication of his choice (office counter, website, e-mail, telephone).
A well-designed computerised service offering and, if appropriate, a customer contact centre are big advantages here.
A further requirement is seamless co-ordination between front-, mid- and back-office. The interface with the customer is the starting-point here: each customer contact will start up the appropriate administrative and/or technical operations.
A customer-friendly concept also means service-provision needs to be easily accessible. Opening hours should be as well-matched as possible to the needs of the public, while at the same time commensurate with the hourly costs. If need be and if practicable, opening hours could vary from one counter to another, so that particular counters open longer hours.
Another essential requirement is the smooth introduction of new technology such as the electronic identity card, electronic payment, mid-office back-up applications, chat sessions and an Internet shop.
A tailor-made concept means that each person will have his own case-file at the town, local authority or OCMW.
When a person gets in contact, the member of staff handling the case will call up all available data. The customer can himself monitor the status of ongoing case-files.
Accessible service-delivery bridges the gap between the computer and the individual by, for example, providing Internet terminals with support facilities for those needing assistance.

Moving towards far-reaching collaboration and/or integration at local level

A well-integrated, demand-oriented service offering, applying the office-counter principle. Special events, business and leisure-time counters are telling examples of this. Appropriate referrals to other bodies ((local) employment services, social services, etc) are another vital aspect.
Pooling of resources among support services (including personnel, finance, ICT and legal departments) by all players at local level (city, local authority, OCMW, police, fire service, etc). Shared service centres are a good example of this. Shared use of assets such as integrated ICT platforms, common purchasing policy, partitioned use of shared premises and centralised stock-control.
Co-operation between all partners in the field of the provision of social services. Many local managers show this by setting up an integrated Social Services centre.

A strategic policy plan.

Some essential aspects of this are the policy cycle, the budgeting cycle, the linkages between targets and processes, an effective internal-control system to manage risks and a properly worked-out process for long-term staff planning with a suitable staff recruitment, departures and turnover policy.
Efficient deployment of resources and assets as a function of policy priorities and the targets set, such as target-linked and efficient use of premises, vehicles and tools.
Delegating responsibilities out at various levels, releasing the resources required to do this in an organisation structure that facilitates co-operation and will allow growth into a self-learning organisation thatwill take the initiative in continually improving working methods.
A well-considered personnel policy that strikes the right balance with administrative work. Here we are talking about career advice and skills-management that will result in clarity as to exactly what is expected of an employee. The discussions are recorded in the job description, suitable training is available, and the appraisal cycle is arranged accordingly.

Our references in the public sector