A user-centric approachfor the Interoperability unit

Who are our users?

What motivates them?

These user personas have been developed under the ISA² Programme of the European Commission, as part of the user-centricity review. Personas help writers and strategists to think about the diff erent groups of people who make up their audience and what really motivates them. Bearing the personas in mind makes communications targeted, relevant and persuasive.

ISA² is a EUR 131 million programme supporting the modernisation of public administrations in Europe.

«Persuading a client to stay with us gives me a buzz»

IT supplier Matti� Matti joined HP a� er working in private start-ups for 10 years� He is proud to work with a lot of experts in the fi eld and help companies complete projects for which they don’t have the skills or tools� He enjoys the competitive nature of the job and is o� en looking for ways to minimise his workload so he can achieve more

MOTIVATION� Profit� Attracting new clients� Keeping existing clients happy� Selling updates and keeping clients locked in � Creating products that can be used again with another client

COMMS� On social media Matti mostly follows news from his company and competitors, rather than the whole IT sector� He often communicates in English with colleagues� He believes in the importance of networking online but doesn’t go to many events

CHALLENGES� Competition from SMEs and Public Administrations’ internal IT teams� Do more with less� Expand to new markets� Comply with tender specifications Lack of information about legal obligations � Legal differences across clients

DECISION�MAKERS� Sales team� Shareholders � CEO

Private SectorHP Tallinn, Estonia

36,Keen on fi shing and walking

«Persuading a client to stay

«I want this service to look so good my Mum could use it»

Policymaker Laura� Laura works in the Italian Taxation Ministry in Rome. She has always worked on high profi le policies, close to the Minister. Now she has been assigned as the tax expert in the team making the online dashboard � She expects the project to run smoothly, but isn’t familiar with the back end and doesn’t always understand why problems have occurred� She suspects the team don’t take her very seriously because she isn’t technical, but sometimes they ask for her help with English

MOTIVATION� «My policy will be excellent, efficient and meet all legal obligations»� A service should look good � Appear to be very collaborative� Make processes more efficient� Her policy area – taxation – is her area of interest

COMMS� Heavy personal use, not much focused on professional topics� Attracted by information presented well, since her job is to present complex information to a busy Minister

CHALLENGES� Low knowledge of IT – relies on IT people to make the service but has to judge contractors’ offers� Not technical, dislikes jargon� Cross-government siloes� Budget constraints� Doesn’t see beyond national or internal boundaries to the strategic picture� Keeping up to date with EU obligations

DECISION�MAKERS� Head of Unit (maybe not working on an IT project)� Budget people� Head of IT� Head of IT Strategy � Minister= lots

Central GovernmentMinistry for Taxation, Italy

27,Goes running nearly every day

«I want this service to look so

«Cost is the priority in every-thing I or my team do»

IT Director Ingrid� Ingrid’s background was in IT but she moved into managing other areas of government several years ago and doesn’t feel up to date� Now back in IT, she puts a lot of eff ort into being well-informed through industry publications and conferences� She is responsible for several services being digitised across the city� She spends a lot of time discussing details with technicians to understand their choices because she is accountable for them

MOTIVATION� Simplify bureaucratic procedures� Cost-efficient choices� Acquire a reputation for good and meaningful IT projects� Initiate projects that help staff and listen to their needs

COMMS� Ingrid is too busy to really use personal social media. � However, the Mayor asks Directors to have a social media presence, so the Comms team helped her set up a Twitter account. She sees this as part of her workload, not a leisure activity

CHALLENGES� Squeezed budgets� Change management� Legal obligation to make data open� Knowing the best practice and IT tools� Keeping up to date with tech, news and legislation� Getting law-makers to consider IT � When she doesn’t have a contact, it’s difficult to work across departments or levels of government

DECISION�MAKERS� Municipal Council� Mayor� Executive Director� Other IT Directors / Board

Local GovernmentCity of Hamburg, Germany

44,Loves travel, but doesn’t o� en have time

«Cost is the priority in every-

for the Interoperability unit«I like my boss because he

lets me build things my way»

IT Practitioner Kurt� Kurt works in the Digital Transformation team. His bosses are close to the deputy PM but as a practitioner he feels remote from politics and strategy� He used to do the IT in a hospital and for a small business, so he knows the private as well as the public sector� He is on a two year contract, which could be extended, but he doesn’t feel attached to the Ministry long-term

MOTIVATION� Not a manager: head of team assigns all the tasks� Passion for quality IT and likes to be proud of what he makes� Has ideas about how to do things� An expert - but in 1 or 2 fields only� Independent: «I did this»� Respects recommendations from community of practitioners more, from academia less

COMMS� Discusses work challenges on Slack with colleagues and former colleagues (not in English)� Follows his bosses and Minister on Twitter

CHALLENGES� Low EU knowledge� Doesn’t have good English beyond programming� Budget constraints – pressure to be cheap� Dependent on private providers� Knowledge gaps � Dislikes being pushed to solve a problem in a different way than he would normally

DECISION�MAKERS� Head of team� IT director

Central GovernmentDigital Transformation Team, PM’s Offi ce, Slovenia

46,Always online

«I like my boss because he