APTIC : report of the experimentation #1
Thinking about how to support users in the implementation of dematerialized public services
Many government departments have been involved in a modernization process for several years. They show a strong will to develop digital public services and to promote their use. This process of dematerialization of their procedures is a source of concern for many French people. The 2016 Digital Barometer shows that 40% of French people are worried about completing procedures online and that 28% want the government to offer local services to help them with these procedures.It is therefore necessary to think about the support of users in the appropriation of digital services, whatever they are (public services but also digitalization of VSEs / SMEs, online participation tools, purchases, ...).
Today, there are actors in the field who act on a daily basis to make digital technology, its practices and its uses more accessible to the public. These actors intervene in a variety of places, located in large cities or isolated rural areas, such as Third Places, Digital Public Spaces, media libraries... Nevertheless, this local offer is not well known by the public who need it. To connect this offer to the citizens' demand, Médias-Cité, a resource center for digital mediation in New Aquitaine, has created #APTIC, a "digital culture" voucher project. Based on the model of the lunch voucher, APTIC allows its beneficiary to access a support in a digital mediation place that has previously offered its services.The Digital Agency launched an experiment in April 2017, in partnership with the General Directorate of Public Finance, to test this tool for supporting users in completing their tax procedures online.
Course of the APTIC experimentation
The experiment took place from April 19, 2017 to June 30, 2017 in Gironde, Drôme and Reunion. 300 chequebooks were distributed (100 per territory): each chequebook contained 5 cheques (with a face value of €10 each) that allowed its beneficiary to access a support course of 5 courses in digital uses (apprehending the computer tool, creating an email address, declaring one's income, ...) in previously selected digital public spaces (2 per territory).The territories chosen reflect different social realities and the appropriation of online administrative procedures:
null
null
The final objective of this experiment was to support users in order to make them permanently autonomous in the realization of the online tax return.
Results / assessment of the experiment
A total of 138 people have been accompanied through the APTIC system, but 43 people have followed other courses than the one for the remote declaration of income and have been accompanied in other administrative procedures (Pôle Emploi and CAF), within the framework of the extension of the experimentation. This means that 95 people have been helped to complete their tax procedures online.- 51 years old: average age
- 12.3% of people knew the digital mediation site before the experimentation
- 98% of users are ready to recommend the place where they were accompanied
Only 12.3% of people knew about the digital mediation center before the experimentation. The experimentation has therefore mostly brought people who were not accustomed to this type of support to the places where they live.
More than 98% of users would recommend the place where they were accompanied to do their online tax and other administrative procedures.
Autonomy of users after support of users after support
Nearly 2/3 of the users consider themselves autonomous to declare their income online after the training. 15% of the users consider themselves almost autonomous but with a need for support. These figures illustrate the effectiveness of the support offered by the EPNs. The rate of people who do not consider themselves autonomous can be explained by the fact that the support offered was carried out in a very short period of time and did not allow for a complete learning process for people who are very far from computer use.Lessons learned from the experiment
- A beneficial collaboration between the Centres Départementaux des Finances Publiques (CDFiP) and the digital mediation sites. The experiment has helped clarify the role of each and the complementary nature of the support provided to users by public agents and mediators in carrying out dematerialized procedures.
- The different communication channels used to make the APTIC system known have a determining role. The media (radio, press,...), mainly at the local level, constitute a primordial relay to make the device known to the users.
- The tool made available by the DGFIP to simulate the tax return without having to enter personal tax data has been beneficial for digital mediators. It is now online and available to all locations: link. These "simulators" of digital public services must be generalized to guarantee a respectful accompaniment of personal data.
- The benefits of the APTIC device are multiple for EPNs: better visibility of their action; to make the role of digital mediator known to the general public; to defuse fears about the manipulation of personal data; economic valuation of their action.
- The number of checkbooks distributed while the paper declaration is still available shows a real need. The EPNs have also received more people once the possibility of declaring on paper was closed.
- The concentrated nature of the training offered proved to be too short for some people who are very far from computer use.
- The territory where the experimentation worked best was Reunion Island, where the rate of people reporting online was the lowest of the three experimental territories.
Conclusion and next steps
The experiment has therefore demonstrated that there is a real demand from citizens for support in carrying out dematerialized procedures. It also highlighted the complementary nature of the actions carried out by the departmental public finance centers and the digital mediation spaces. Considering the satisfaction rate of the users and the positive feedback of the different actors, the APTIC digital vouchers are an efficient tool to accompany citizens in the dematerialization of public services and to reduce the digital divide that exists in France.Other experiments are planned in the near future, on the support of users to online administrative procedures, but also on the discovery of third places, the digitalization of VSE/SME, the support of craftsmen, ...
Références :
