Harnessing Citizen Sentiment to Improve Experience Across Public Services

The shift towards a citizen-centric government has become imperative for governments all around the world to remain efficient, trusted, and competitive. The key to sustainably deliver citizen-centric experiences is knowing how the citizen truly feels about a particular service at a chosen point in time; the Happiness Meter reports exactly that. 

The Happiness Meter enables real-time interaction with citizens across the UAE Federal Government service centers and identifies areas of improvement in service delivery channels across federal entities. The UAE Federal Government Happiness Meter Initiative launched by Her Excellency Ohood Bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Happiness and Wellbeing in the UAE in 2016.

This paper, prepared for the World Government Summit 2019, serves as a case study for public sector leaders seeking to gauge citizen sentiment and derive actionable insights through use of data analytics, to deliver quality services that are truly centered on citizen happiness. The paper presents highlights of what governments are doing globally to initiate a citizen-centric transformation; insights into the UAE Federal Government Happiness Meter Initiative, and a preview of the potential application of the latest technologies in Big Data and Citizen Sentiment Analysis, in the space of the Happiness Meter.