Migration Strategies for Multi‑Channel Service Provisioning in Public Agencies

Abstract

Many public agencies aim to realize better service delivery for citizens and businesses by implementing multi‑channel service provisioning (MCSP). MCSP coordinates service delivery channels to enable citizens and businesses to choose their preferred channel for their contact with the government. As the introduction of MCSP requires substantial organizational and technical change, organizations are in search of the right migration strategies. This study explores migration strategies for MCSP deployed in practice. We found that migration strategies for MCSP can be divided into two types: design and change management strategies. By looking at four case studies and evaluating the findings during an expert workshop, we found that organizations prefer a gradual migration process, as both step‑wise migration and the celebration of quick‑wins were often mentioned strategies. Furthermore, the strategy to implement MCSP starting in the front office was observed more often than starting in the back office, as the client needs were usually taken as a starting point for the migration. And finally we found that the public agencies under study consider having the right change management strategy in place more important than deploying the right design strategy.