Public administration usually tackles digitalization once a service has been running for years and its processes are firmly established.
Moving it to digital form then means a compromise between the historical procedure and new technology.
A new service is different. That is exactly when the process can be designed to be digital from the start, sustainable in the long term and no burden on the office in the future.
The transport allowance project in the Hradec Králové Region shows how this works in practice.
A new public service as an opportunity for the right design
The transport allowance was introduced as a new measure with no historical paper form.
That made it possible to design the whole process without reference to old procedures.
The main goals were clear from the start:
- to let residents submit an application easily online,
- to work with a verified user identity,
- to minimize manual processing,
- and to create a solution that can be developed further.
Verified identity as the standard for digital services
The integration with NIA, the Czech National Identity Authority, makes it possible to design services differently than in the past.
The identity of the user is verified before the form is even filled in and the basic details can be taken over automatically.
That benefits not only residents but the office as well:
- a lower error rate in applications,
- less need for follow-up checks,
- a more trustworthy service,
- readiness for further connections to government infrastructure.
An open platform instead of a closed system
Drupal was chosen for the implementation, an open-source platform commonly used in the public sector.
The reason was not only technological preference but above all the long-term qualities of the solution:
- an open architecture,
- the ability to develop it without depending on a single vendor,
- a broad community and long-term support,
- easy integration with other systems.
Data as a natural output of the service
The service was designed so that data is created in a structured form straight away and can easily be exported or passed on to other systems.
The office therefore works directly with digital data, with nothing to retype.
Sustainability as the main benefit
In the long run, the greatest benefit of digitalization is not the launch of the service itself but running it.
A service designed digitally from the start:
- needs fewer operational interventions,
- is easier to extend,
- and does not create technical debt.
An approach that works for other services too
The model based on a combination of Drupal, the NIA integration, and a form solution is not limited to one particular service.
The same principle can be used for grant programs, allowances, registration forms, or other services provided to residents.
New public services can therefore be created as digital services from the start, with no need for a complex transformation later.
Series: Transport allowance applications in the Hradec Králové Region