Episode 6: From automation to frustration

A just state for everyone? Researching access to administrative justice in the digital era

In this episode we discuss some of the experiences people have when they try to get in contact with the public administration. Especially (semi-)automated telephone hotlines create frustration among citizens who want or need to talk to a public agent. Our interviewees from the case study in Quebec, Canada, report about long waiting times and the impossibility of reaching the right person for a certain matter. Importantly, the administration is deemed to shirk its responsibility not only by outsourcing administrative tasks to the citizens but also by appearing as an anonymous entity both on the phone and in email communication. Citizens don't know who they are interacting with, so noone in particular can be held responsible for certain information that was provided or actions that were taken by the agent.

See more on the project: https://www.fh-campuswien.ac.at/en/forschung/projekte-und-aktivitaeten/digital-public-services-and-ombuds-role-in-access-to-justice.html
See more on my work: https://personen.fh-campuswien.ac.at/julia-dahlvik/