Hello! 🙂
The highlight for this month is our collaboration with the BDA on their eAuction communications. Read on!
Designing Transparency: Working with BDA on eAuctions
Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) recently shared announced on Twitter about their upcoming eAuctions. Zen Citizen noted that the poster was hard to understand, with too much information packed in and no clear visual hierarchy. The same design was also being used across newspapers, Twitter, and the website without adapting it for each platform.
The Commissioner strongly agreed and asked if we could help refine the communication. Since the auction would soon be live, we were hesitant. Mobilizing volunteers at such short notice would add pressure on the team and pull them away from existing commitments.
Sincere gratitude to Priti Pandurangan, who recognized this as a rare moment where the Govt. reached out for help. Until now, we have usually had to follow up.She took ownership of the UX work and is transforming a static PDF into an interactive interface that will provide details of the sites being auctioned. We hope this interface can serve as a template for future auctions as well.
It has been refreshing working with the Commissioner. While developing a detailed FAQ to reduce citizens’ reliance on intermediaries, we came across several terms and conditions that gave pause. One such clause stated, “BDA reserves the right to accept or reject the bid made by the successful bidder without assigning any reasons.” In response, the Commissioner directed his team that such blanket clauses should not be included in BDA communications going forward.
Closing the Feedback Loop Between Citizens and Govt. Departments
Two readers reported a new issue while filing a Marriage Certificate application in quick succession. We flagged this as a new bug to the department, and to our surprise the issue was fixed immediately. This shows another way a citizen platform can work constructively with the Govt.
Constructive citizen inputs on Govt. Service Delivery
We wrote an article titled The Lost ‘Last Mile’ in Government Service Delivery. It documents the ambiguities, pain points, and uncertainty faced by a couple, Latha and Anand, even after they had all the required documents. The article also lays out concrete steps the Govt. can take to improve the experience.
We are also sharing our constructive suggestions on Twitter as and when we come across them. For example, citizens are encouraged to apply for eKhata at Bangalore One, but the visit becomes futile if they do not have their ePID or if their name does not appear in the draft eKhata.
When the system tests your resilience. But not yet.
At Zen Citizen, we usually avoid calling out individuals publicly. We believe in maintaining a constructive dialogue. At the same time, it can be cathartic to acknowledge these experiences.
No matter how prepared you are, you still feel frustrated when you come face to face with the predictable Govt. attitude of hoarding information. This happens even when there is no risk of misuse and control seems to be the only reason.
A couple of weeks ago, we were deliberately left waiting for four hours in Govt. office, only to be told by the official that they could not help us. At times, waiting for bureaucrats is understandable; they may be genuinely busy, or their assistants may not have informed them about visitors. This was not one of those times.
A senior bureaucrat once warned us that the system invariably drives out citizens who try to change the status quo. We might get beaten in the future, who is to say? Just not now.
Outreach from the Bengaluru Nirmana Party
The BNP reached out to Zen Citizen regarding setting up a center of excellence that would demystify all Govt processes in Bangalore. We are discussing the possibilities.