What is a proactive service?

Ministry of Climate Change and Environment explains that a proactive service involves expecting and forecasting the services that a customer will need based on his/her needs, preferences and life events, which is based on data, information and documents known to the government, and proposing them to him/her in a timely manner.

Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security explains that providing proactive service is about identifying and resolving probable customer issues before they become a reality.

The Department of Proactive Services aims to redefine customers’ experiences of public services by anticipating needs and initiating service offerings before they are demanded. The team explores various types of customers and their service needs through every phase of their lives, and works with them to redesign the customer experience to ease their lives.

Regulatory framework promoting proactive services

The UAE Strategy for Government Services aims to design 100 per cent proactive digital services which cater to the public needs. The strategy involves carrying out more than 28 initiatives by 2023. It will enable providing advanced and efficient digital services, accessible to customers from anywhere, 24/7.

The UAE Government Charter for Future Services - The UAE Promise abides by its principles to provide:

• Digital Services by Default: Providing proactive digital government services to suit future lifestyle
• Seamless and Proactive Experience: Providing bundles of seamless, interconnected and proactive services to the customer on time and before request, based on life events.

The ‘Services 360’ policy of Dubai aims to provide a seamless, proactive, customised and integrated system that caters to customers’ expectations and needs. It aims to provide 100 per cent proactive and automated services that enhance communication with customers to anticipate their needs for the services and respond accordingly, and ultimately reduce the efforts made by the customers.

Proactive services and life cycle approach when designing services

The UAE Government identified that providing bundled services was convenient to its customers. Bundled services not only reduced the number of visits to various government entities but also reduced the number of steps and documents needed to conclude a transaction.

Bundled government services available in the UAE:

• The Work Bundle initiative aims to facilitate the issuance of work permits for those working in private sector companies. The initiative aligns with the Zero Bureaucracy programme aimed to simplify and reduce government procedures and eliminate unnecessary documents.

• ‘Manzili’ is a housing bundle service which offers 18 housing services to Emirati citizens, through collaboration with 24 federal and local government entities. It simplifies the customer’s journey by reducing the number of entities involved and the documents. It streamlines the procedures and reduces the service fields.

• Hiring an employee – Tawtheef, a bundled service for jobs

• Having a baby – bundled services for newborns
• Mabrook Ma Dabart – bundled services for bride and groom
• Basher – bundled services for businesses

• Usrati - bundled services for families

• The ‘Bait Amer’ service bundle from Ajman Government streamlines the process of applying for approvals to construct a new house. It also reduces the number of steps required for approvals; from 14 to just 3.

Read more:

• Proactive Services Guide (Arabic - PDF, 2.03 MB) 
• Building the future of public-sector digital services - The invisible government – PriceWaterhouseCoopers
• To improve competitiveness, build invisible government services – PriceWaterhouseCoopers
• What’s New in Digital Government from the 2022 Gartner Hype Cycle – Gartner