Designing Public Service Process Models for Understandability

Abstract

Abstract: This paper discusses the use of process models as an instrument to promote transparency and communication between public organizations and their clients (citizens). It depicts a way to design public services process models aiming at increasing their understandability. The design is based on a catalogue containing characteristics, operationalizations and mechanisms for designing understandability on public service process models. The use of the catalogue by process analysts and the level of understandability acquired by the generated models were evaluated through case studies at a public educational organization. The results show that the proposed catalogue is applicable ‑ process analysts were able to apply it in a reasonable time ‑ and that more simple process models can be obtained, adequate for process explanation for citizens/users.