Portugal Digital UX Head on Leadership
Marta Ferreira, Head of UX at Portugal Digital, advised that a key part of design leadership in government is demystifying the field for other stakeholders. "Bridging the language gap with leadership is half the job. Show, don’t tell—with prototypes and data," she said. This underscores the need for designers to communicate value through tangible examples and metrics.
- Portugal's "National Digital Strategy," which extends to 2030, aims to make the country one of the top 10 most digitally advanced nations in the EU. This strategy includes initiatives for the digital transformation of public administration, a national AI strategy, and a focus on digital skills for citizens. - A key part of Portugal's digital strategy is the goal for all public services to be available digitally. This involves simplifying administrative processes and improving online interaction for both citizens and businesses. - The European Union's AI Act, the world's first comprehensive AI law, will regulate the use of artificial intelligence in public services across member states, including Portugal. The act categorizes AI systems by risk level, with "high-risk" applications, such as those used in law enforcement or for assessing eligibility for public benefits, subject to stricter requirements. - Recent updates to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.2), released in October 2023, introduce new criteria to enhance accessibility for users with cognitive, mobility, and visual impairments. These guidelines are becoming the standard for public sector websites across Europe to ensure services are inclusive. - Service design is being increasingly adopted by European governments to improve public services by focusing on user needs and co-creation. Notable examples include France's DITP (Direction Interministérielle de la Transformation Publique) and Germany's DigitalService, which use design to make public services more human-centered. - A UK Government Digital Service (GDS) case study on replacing a legacy licensing system for scientific research highlighted significant improvements through a user-centered design approach. The new service led to a 50% reduction in the time taken to process a personal license application and a rise in user satisfaction from 47% to 78%. - Across Europe, local governments are beginning to use AI to enhance public services, with applications ranging from chatbots for citizen inquiries in Denmark to predictive analytics for traffic management in Italy. However, a significant technology gap exists between larger and smaller municipalities, creating an uneven landscape of service delivery. - The European Commission's AI Watch initiative monitors the use of AI in public services across the EU, noting a growing trend of governments exploring AI to improve policy design, automate processes, and enhance citizen engagement. As of 2022, researchers had identified nearly 700 instances of AI use by governments throughout Europe.
