Incompleteness in digital public services: A case study of Lethbridge's construction permitting process
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Date
2024
Authors
McLeod, Bradley I.
University of Lethbridge. Dhillon School of Business
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Publisher
Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dhillon School of Business
Abstract
This thesis examined the digitization of the permit application process at the City of Lethbridge. The findings focused on service delivery and the tension between operational efficiency and human-centric values by employing a grounded exploratory case study approach, interviewing eleven members of the public and nine staff members. The research identified significant time savings and efficiencies while highlighting challenges, such as accessibility issues, personal interaction loss, and trust degradation.
The concept of incompleteness is introduced in complex and non-transactional public services, highlighting how digitization can negatively impact human-centric values such as connectedness, satisfaction, and trust. This research integrated design thinking with public value management theory to emphasize the need to balance operational efficiency and human-centric values. The case study revealed that while digitizing the permit application process increased accessibility for many users, it created new inequities.
This thesis advocates for a hybrid model that combines digital service platforms with additional support to address the issue of incompleteness. This ensures that the digitized services remain accessible and legitimate. This research provides insights into the lived experiences of digitizing public services and emphasizes the need to balance technological efficiencies with human-centric values and proficiencies. It contributes to the theoretical discourse on public value management and offers practical recommendations for policymakers, service designers, and practitioners looking to implement inclusive digital public services.
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Keywords
Digital public services , Public value management , User experience in digital government , Incompleteness in digitization , Permit applications , City of Lethbridge