A journey towards efficiency in the management of municipal procedures.
We Optimize Citizen Service in the Social Development Secretary
Citizen service is a fundamental pillar for any municipality, and in Vicente López, the Social Development Secretary faced a complicated situation. Before the implementation of a new system, residents dealt with a tedious and disorganized process. They would arrive at the municipality, complete paper forms, and then an operator would transcribe that data into an Excel sheet. Subsequently, those physical forms were placed in a tray, where they could be lost or forgotten. In many cases, the same resident, when requiring different procedures (for example, disability and housing), had to restart their history from scratch, causing frustration and loss of trust in the municipal administration.
The Need for Change
The ineffectiveness of this process affected not only citizens but also the employees of the Social Development Secretary, who were overwhelmed and disconnected from each other. This lack of organization resulted in prolonged response times, often exceeding weeks, and in unsatisfactory service quality. The community cried out for change, and the municipality knew it had to innovate to meet these demands.
Implementing the Single Window
Aware of the situation, it was decided to develop a comprehensive system that would allow for more agile and efficient service within the Social Development Secretary. The key was the creation of a single window that centralized procedures. From the moment a resident entered the municipality, the operator could access all the necessary information without needing to resort to paper. This allowed for effective tracking of the procedure, avoiding information duplication and enabling immediate referral to other areas.
Resulting Benefits
The implementation of this system not only improved the citizen's experience but also transformed the internal work of municipal staff. Employees could now coordinate among different dependencies, prioritize procedures, and carry out internal consultations in an agile and effective manner. Over 30,000 neighbors benefited from this new approach, and response times were reduced by 60%.
Additionally, the system allowed for the generation of demographic reports and workload assessments, providing the municipal administration with tools to make informed decisions about resource allocation and continuous service improvement.
Challenges Along the Way
However, the implementation of the new system was not without challenges. One of the main obstacles was to support the employees of the Social Development Secretary in adopting this new way of working. It was necessary to unify processes, coordinate areas, and organize existing information to feed the new application. It was also needed to integrate the new system with the interfaces of other systems already used in the municipality.
Final Reflections
The digital transformation in the Social Development Secretary of Vicente López has been a journey of learning and adaptation that has shown that, with the right technology and a citizen-centered approach, it is possible to overcome the barriers of public administration. The experience reminds us of the importance of collaboration, communication, and willingness to change. With the improvement in service quality, a path opens towards a more efficient and transparent administration, benefiting both residents and employees.
