Development and application of a clear communication methodology in municipal taxation (ESMD0006)

Commitment ID

ESMD0006

Commitment Title

Development and application of a clear communication methodology in municipal taxation

Problem

Citizens must understand the information provided by administrations in order to exercise their rights and fulfil their obligations, easily and without the help of intermediaries. Administrative language is often incomprehensible, service design is cumbersome and communication channels are difficult to use, thus leading to inequalities in society, with a particular impact on vulnerable groups or those who have difficulty accessing information.
This problem is heightened in the case of tax services due to their particular regulatory and technical complexity.

Status quo

Madrid City Council's Clear Communication project aims to achieve a progressive and complete deployment throughout the organisation.  There is a very high volume of information contained in the web portals and the variety and number of documents aimed at the public. The objective is to promote the application of the Clear Communication guidelines in their areas of competence.
To do this effectively, coherent planning is required, based on a thorough analysis that clearly indicates the steps to be taken and the order and priorities to be established, as well as allowing and facilitating the responsible units to assume commitments and specific actions.
In 2017, the Practical Guide to Clear Communication was developed as a theoretical basis and reference document. In addition, the first application, dissemination, and training tests were carried out through web spaces and specific training courses. Various actions have been carried out, described in the form of case studies and applications.
Likewise, in 2020, a study-analysis of the existing situation in terms of Clear Communication in Madrid City Council was carried out in accordance with the parameters and criteria established in its practical guide. In this way, the sectors and units requiring greater intervention were identified and specific proposals for action were put forward.

Action

The next step to continue with the deployment of Madrid City Council's Clear Communication project for the year 2024 and beyond will be the development of a specific methodology for the application of Clear Communication in units and areas of the City Council and the definition of the necessary guidelines for these units to achieve the clear communication seal on the documents they produce. In this project, this methodology will be applied especially in the area of municipal taxation, focusing on the requirements of the elderly and people with disabilities.

How will the commitment contribute to solving the public problem described above?

In order to address this situation, the Clear Communication project was created as a lever to guarantee the right of people to understand and be able to interact fluently with Madrid City Council.
This project seeks to strengthen the way in which the City Council delivers quality public services by focusing on people. Clear Communication will facilitate this dialogue between the administration and the people to whom it is addressed in an easy, direct, transparent, simple, and effective manner. Therefore, Clear Communication involves a cycle that consists of:

• understanding what the people targeted want, what they do, and what they require,
• designing innovative solutions to meet these requirements,
• planning their development,
• implementing new systems and eliminating obstacles,
• making them known and accessible,
• checking that they work,
• improving them,
• training the teams that will be the prescribers of this initiative.

Only through Clear Communication will it be possible to guarantee the right of citizens to understand what the Administration intends to convey. Hence the slogan “Clear communication, commitment to the right to understand”.

What long-term goal as identified in your Open Government Strategy does this commitment relate to?

The action integrates clear open government values: transparency, public accountability, and citizen participation. For an organisation that proactively applies Clear Communication guidelines, it will yield the following advantages:

• Decreases dissatisfaction and perceived lack of transparency.
• Increases confidence of the targeted persons.
• Improves the brand reputation of those who promote it.
• Enhances interaction, while facilitating the improvement of services and products.

Contributes to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• Democratises access to information.
• Saves time and money. Reduces the effort invested in reading and speeds up procedures.
• Reduces doubts, complaints, and queries.
• Reduces anxiety caused by difficult-to-understand complex information.
• Facilitates online machine translations and language processing systems.
• Helps simplify complex, basic processes for citizens, who abandon them if they cannot easily complete them.

Primary Policy Area

Right to Information, Social Accountability

Primary Sector

Public Services (general)

What OGP value is this commitment relevant to?