Digital Citizens Research Summary May 2014

DIGITAL CITIZENS SURVEYMAY 2014

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

WHEN?May 8-11, 2014

WHO?Representative sample of 400

Australians aged 18+, including 42% Centrelink customers

WHAT?Telephone survey, averaging 18

minutes in length

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Australians are currently less comfortable corresponding with and transacting with government online than they are with other commercial entities, but this appears to be largely a matter of experience.

Ultimately, online is the number one preferred way for communicating and transacting with government, with 41% of Australians identifying online as their preferred channel, followed by phone at 22%, in person at a government office 17% and in person at a single office for all services 14%.

The majority of Australians (70%) also agree they are likely to use a central online system for communicating and transacting with government services, provided it is secure and easy to use. In fact almost half of Australians (47%) agree they would be very likely to use this service.

Support for greater digitisation of government services is high and the benefit of convenience is already obviously to Australians. Top of mind support for a move towards greater digitisation of and online access to government services, transactions and communications is high, at 65%. Unprompted, 64% of Australians immediately identify aspects of convenience as the benefit of this move.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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Australians are most likely to agree that greater digitisation of government services will save the government money (59% agreement), increase the likelihood of people using the service if all government services can be accessed through one point of contact (57% agreement), and that online will enable access to government to be faster (54% agreement).

The greatest concerns that will need to be addressed to both grow support and address potential concerns, include:

• Continued accessibility to information and services for all Australians, including those who are not comfortable with or don’t have access to the internet

• The benefit of improved access and convenience; and• The priority for the highest of security standards.

Additional information campaigns targeting lower income households, the unemployed and older Australians will be particularly important to maximise community support.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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Paying bills

Booking airfares and hotels

Managing your day to day banking

Renewing your vehicle registration

Transferring money to someone else

Buying items from Australian retailers

Buying items from international retailers

Searching for info on govt payments & services

Receiving correspondence from government online

Completing and lodging your tax return

Reporting information to government agencies

Claiming government benefits

Making a private health insurance claim

Applying for government benefits

Applying for a credit card or loan

Receiving assistance via a virtual assistant or live chat

76

71

71

70

67

66

52

52

52

51

42

41

40

36

33

25

Total Comfortable with Online Services and Transactions (4-5 on 1-5 Scale)

%

CURRENTLY LESS COMFORT WITH MOSTONLINE GOVERNMENT TRANSACTIONS

Base: Split sample (n=200)

Q2. I am now going to read out some services and transactions that some people currently undertake online. I would like you to rate how comfortable you are undertaking that service or transaction online on a scale from 1 to 5, where a 1 means you are very uncomfortable undertaking that service or transaction online, and a 5 means you are very comfortable. If you have never undertaken this service or transaction or you are not sure, that’s ok, just say so.

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HALF OF THOSE WHO ARE AWARE OF MYGOV HAVE NOT UTILISED THE SERVICE

NO - not aware of myGov

58%

YES - aware of myGov and used it

19%

YES - aware of myGov service but have not

used it23%

Awareness and Usage of myGov

Base: Total (n=400)

42% of Australians

aware of myGov

Q4. The myGov service allows people to access government services from Medicare, Centrelink, Child Support, the Department of Health, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and the National Disability Insurance Agency, using one user name and password online and via mobile apps. Before today, were you aware of the federal government’s myGov service?

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TOTAL SUPPORT

Strongly support

Somewhat support

NEITHER OPPOSE NOR SUPPORT

TOTAL OPPOSE

Somewhat oppose

Strongly oppose

CAN'T SAY

65

31

34

8

25

9

15

2

58

21

36

10

29

8

21

3

Initial Support for Greater Digital Government

Centrelink customersTotal

%

MAJORITY INITIAL SUPPORT FOR GREATER DIGITISATION

Base: Total (n=400); Centrelink customers (n=172)

Q5. The Australian government is currently considering undertaking greater digitisation of government services – that is, improving online access to government services, transactions and communications. On first impressions, do you support or oppose the proposal to move towards greater digitisation of and online access to government services, transactions and communications?

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CONVENIENCE, BY FAR THE BIGGEST TOP OF MIND BENEFIT

Convenience / ease of access / saves time

Faster service delivery / payment / transactions

Cheaper for government

More transparent / open government

Centralisation

Saves paper/environmentally friendly

Cuts down on red tape / bureaucracy

Reduces size of the Australian Public Service

Improved access for culturally & linguistically diverse

Less human errors

Improved access for people with disabilities

Help bring the budget back to surplus

Other

None

6423

13222

1111112

1

Unprompted Benefits of Digitisation

%

Base: Total (n=400)

Q6. What, if anything, do you think would be the benefits of moving to greater digitisation and online accessibility of government services, transactions and communications?

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SECURITY, COST SAVINGS, ACCESS & CONVENIENCE ALL KEY FOR SUPPORT

The government will save money

Having access to all government services & transactions in one place will make it simpler & people are more likely to use it

You can be connected to the right information and transact with government faster

Provided the highest standards of security are applied, it can make personal information more secure

Accessing government services online means it is easier to be understood no matter who you are

59

57

54

46

43

Prompted Benefits of Greater Digitisation

%

Base: Total (n=400)

Q9. The following statements and claims detail some of reasons people have given for supporting the move towards greater digitisation of government services. Using a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 means strongly disagree and 5 means strongly agree, please indicate whether you agree or disagree with it as a reason to move towards greater digitisation of government services.

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LESS CERTAINTY AS TO THE TOP OF MIND CONCERNS

NET SECURITY CONCERNSSecurity of online transactions

Potential for fraud / internet fraudDon’t trust government / privacy concerns / Big Brother effect

Privacy concerns relating to offshore storage All information in the one place

NET ACCESS CONCERNSNot all Australians are comfortable using the internet

Not all Australians can access the internetMore difficult to access for people with disabilities

More difficult to access for culturally and linguistically diverse NET USAGE CONCERNS

More difficult / confusing / hard to find right infoQuality/useability/flexibility of website

IT/Broadband issuesNET CONTACT CONCERNS

Less personalised service/ability to ask questionsSpeed of response slower

JOB LOSSES IN PUBLIC SECTOROTHER

CAN'T SAY

3924

1111

82

2215

1122

1914

42

1817

18

117

Unprompted Concerns of Digitisation

%

Base: Total (n=400)

Q7. What, if anything, are your concerns when it comes to moving to greater digitisation and online accessibility of government services, transactions and communications?

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ACCESS, SECURITY ISSUES, USEABILITY & JOB LOSSES KEY CONCERNS

Some Australians will miss out because not com-fortable using the internet

Privacy concerns associated with offshore storage of personal information

More security risks and risk of identity theft with all personal information in the one place

Frontline public servants, such as Centrelink staff, will lose their jobs

More likelihood that people will get confused or not be able to understand information

Security concerns having to enter account details online to receive government payments

68

65

65

62

56

53

Prompted Concerns of Greater Digitisation

%

Base: Total (n=400)

Q10. The following statements and claims detail some concerns people have about the move towards greater digitisation of government services. Using a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 means strongly disagree and 5 means strongly agree, please indicate whether you agree or disagree with it as a reason to be concerned about the move towards greater digitisation of government services.

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IMPROVING CUSTOMER ACCESS & CONVENIENCE NUMBER ONE BENEFIT

Improving customer access and convenience

Reducing costs for government

Cutting down on bureaucracy and red tape within government

Other

Can't say

39

30

20

3

8

39

28

20

5

8

Most Important Reason for Greater Digitisation of Government

Centrelink cus-tomers

Total

%

Base: Total (n=400); Centrelink customers (n=172)Q12. Which of the following is the most important reason for the Australian government to consider moving towards greater digitisation of government transactions and services?

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MAJORITY OF AUSTRALIANS AGREE THEY WOULD USE A CENTRAL ONLINE SYSTEM

Base: Total (n=400); Centrelink customers (n=172)

TOTAL LIKELY

Very likely

Somewhat likely

NEUTRAL

TOTAL UNLIKELY

Not very likely

Not at all likely

70

47

23

8

21

9

13

69

46

23

6

25

9

15

Likely to use a Central Online Government System

Centrelink customers

Total

%

Q13. How likely would you be to use a central online system for communicating and transacting with government services, provided it were secure and easy to use?

14

TOTAL

Male

18-49

NSW/ACT

WA/SA/NT/TAS

Metro

Centrelink customers

Family payment customers

Aware myGov

Working

$50K+

70

78

81

73

76

74

69

80

81

77

80

Profile of Those Who Agree They are Likely to Use a Central Online Gov-ernment System

%

PROFILE OF THOSE LIKELY TO USE A CENTRAL SYSTEM

Base: Agree they are likely to use a central online system (n=263)

Q13. How likely would you be to use a central online system for communicating and transacting with government services, provided it were secure and easy to use?

15

ONLINE THE NUMBER ONE PREFERENCE

Base: Total (n=400); Centrelink customers (n=172)

Online

By phone

Over the counter, in person at a government office

In person at a single office for all government services

Via self-service kiosk or terminal at a government office like Australia Post

Can't say

41

22

17

14

4

2

35

25

20

16

2

2

Preferred form of Communicating and Transacting with Gov-ernment

Centrelink customersTotal

%

Q14. What is ultimately your preferred way for communicating and transacting with government?

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KEY CONCERNS AND BENEFITS

• Security and privacy• Access – some disadvantaged• Usage issues• Less personalised• Job losses

Concerns

• Convenient, fast and quick• Greater access• Greater security for personal info• Cost savings for government

Benefits

DIGITAL CITIZENS SURVEYMAY 2014