CHALLENGE
People’s expectations to public services are increasing, and the public sector is under constant pressure to be more efficient. Politicians envision Denmark to be among the most efficient and least bureaucratic nations in the world. Why do Danish people under the age of 30 feel that contact with the public sector is a hassle?

FINDINGS
Getting rid of what the public sees as “hassle” is often a path towards savings and greater efficiency in the public sector. Young people need a “translator” between the public administration language and their own situation; they need words such as “preliminary income assessment” translated into words they can understand. In addition, general legislation for specific areas needs to be translated so that it relates to their own exact situation. Young people’s knowledge about the organisation, rules, rights and obligations of the public sector is very limited, and this means that they do not feel at home with the public sector’s self-service solutions on the internet.

SOLUTION
A solution that creates debate is a folder that provides insight into the everyday life of quite ordinary young people and their experiences with the public sector. The project’s general insight into “hassle” for the public is disseminated through such user portraits. There are a number of provisional suggestions for ways of getting rid of the “hassle” for the public. One solution is that people who register a new business should be informed, during the registration process, about the administrative and tax obligations that they commit to when they start a business.

RESULT
The project has especially led to debate about future digital administration and the incentives presented to the public to accept the digital solutions offered. The project’s results have e.g. also provided input for the terms of reference for the public sector digitalisation strategy 2011-2015. The project resulted in provisional suggestions and the task of turning those suggestions into reality is still under way.

Partners Young tax payers, young people with work-related injuries, young company owners with no employees, employees in The Danish Ministry of Taxation, Ministry of Employment (especially the National Board of Industrial Injuries), Ministry of Economic and Business Affairs (especially the Danish Commerce and Companies Agency) and MindLab