Direct line to local government: Public service number 115

Project field

Citizens, the city and the state

Partners

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Einheitliche Service-Rufnummer 115 des Landratsamtes Bodenseekreis.

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Einheitliche Service-Rufnummer 115 des Landratsamtes Bodenseekreis.

Brief description

Since the beginning of December 2009, the 210,000 residents of the Bodensee district have been able to access all public services - whether they want to register a motor vehicle, ask about administrative office opening hours or apply for a passport - on a single service number, 115. Thus for the first time a south German local authority in a rural area has become a model region for the Germany-wide Project 115.

Anyone in and around Friedrichshafen who dials 115 automatically lands in the central service center of the Bodensee administrative office. There, specially trained staff is ready to answer questions themselves or put callers through to the official responsible. To ensure that service center staff can help as many callers as possible themselves, they have access to a new knowledge management system. It contains information on more than 400 of the most popular public administration services as well as links to information from various other authorities.

115 is available from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday. Calls from the fixed network of Deutsche Telekom cost seven cents per minute.

Project aim

The administrative offices for the Bodensee district are using the standard number 115 to give citizens easier access to information about their services, and to improve their service overall. The objective is for staff to take 75 per cent of calls within 30 seconds and to answer 55 per cent of calls directly during the first contact. When a call cannot be directly answered or forwarded, the caller should receive a response within the next 24 hours.

Benefits

Instead of having to look for the right department to deal with their problem, then search for its phone number and – often after several detours - get connected to the right person, residents in the Bodensee district now only need memorize one number for all their contacts with the public authorities. Residents who call 115 have their questions answered quickly and without any red tape.

Project status

After a two-year pilot operation period in model regions, the new service for citizens has proved its worth, so that the standard service number 115 was launched into regular operation on April 14, 2011. The 115 service number is available to 23 communities in the Bodensee district. Other local authorities can join the 115 service after a three-month wait.