Case study: Service innovation in the public sector

Case study: Service innovation in the public sector
Service Design Network site

This case study is based on a series of public sector projects commissioned by the Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with local governments in two large cities in The Netherlands. A nationwide survey had recently rated the services provided by the local councils to local entrepreneurs poorly, and the stakeholders involved asked STBY to help provide a deeper insight in the issues at hand and explore potential opportunities to improve the service delivery. The project we designed sought to map the experiences of various entrepreneurs who’d recently had contact with local government, using design tools to capture their everyday experiences. The analysis of the resulting customer experience maps helped to identify the barriers the entrepreneurs are navigating, laying the foundation for potential solutions. The insights and suggestions were then discussed with civil servants in a series of workshops, generating ideas and momentum for short and long term service improvements.