Written by
The XWiki Team
In 2018, we embarked on an ambitious project to create a comprehensive wiki database of all digital administrative services (in French, démarches administratives dématérialisés) for the DINUM. Our mission was to help the French ministries track the status of digitalization within public service, ensuring transparency and efficiency in their operations. Over the past six years, we have witnessed significant milestones that have shaped the evolution of this project.
The beginnings
The project kicked off in 2018, with a clear objective: to build a robust database that would allow all ministries to input and update their data on digital services. Initially, data was provided through spreadsheets, which we imported into the wiki. The ministries then transitioned to updating their information directly within the wiki using dedicated accounts. This was the first step towards creating a dynamic and up-to-date resource that was accessible by all stakeholders.
Our initial challenge was to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data. Ministries were trained to use the wiki platform effectively, leading to a collaborative environment where information was constantly updated and refined. This foundational work established a culture of transparency and inter-ministerial cooperation that was crucial for the project's success.
Enhancing user engagement
In 2019, the Ministry expressed a desire to evaluate user satisfaction with digital services. Rising to the challenge, we demonstrated that XWiki could seamlessly integrate voting features. Thus, Je donne mon avis (in English, I give my opinion) was born. This feature allowed managers of digital services to create feedback buttons for their websites, enabling users to share their opinions.
Beyond just collecting feedback, the "Je donne mon avis" voting feature promoted a culture of transparency and accountability. All voting results were publicly accessible, ensuring that feedback was not only heard but also visible to all stakeholders. This open approach fostered trust and encouraged continuous improvement, as digital service managers could readily identify areas for enhancement based on real user input.
Transitioning to a more private system
However, in 2020, under new management, the focus shifted to gathering data for the top 250 digital services, with a mandate for these services to incorporate the feedback button. Consequently, we adapted the wiki platform to support a more private environment.
Thus, data was published quarterly as a static observatory. While the transition to a private system reduced public visibility, we made sure that the most critical digital services continuously improved based on the user needs.
Adapting to changing needs
As the project requirements became increasingly customized, the benefits of XWiki's platform began to diminish. Recognizing this, we agreed that a transition to a fully custom platform was necessary. We took this decision due to the need for tailored solutions that could better accommodate evolving demands and ensure scalability.
The migration process started in 2023, and we worked diligently to ensure everything transitioned smoothly while preserving the integrity and functionality of the database. Throughout this journey, our focus was on maintaining a seamless user experience. This change allowed us to work more efficiently and deliver even more value to everyone involved.
A successful transition
By 2024, we successfully completed the transition to the new platform. Over the course of this project, we stored and managed more than 10 million opinions from the French population about their digital services. This wealth of data provided invaluable insights and contributed to the continuous improvement of public services.
We are proud that we got the chance to deliver innovative solutions that positively impacted the citizens' everyday experiences with the public services. This aligns with our commitment to maintain transparency and efficiency as we continue to evolve in the digital era.
A warm thank you for being a part of our journey
As we bid farewell to this rewarding project, we reflect on the journey with a lot of gratitude. We are especially grateful to our DINUM collaborators and to the XWikiers deeply involved in this long-lasting project.
Creating an innovative project is always quite exciting, but at XWiki SAS, we believe that professional work means running the project for years and also knowing how to end it. We ran this project for more than 6 years, gathering millions of opinions from the French population about their digital services. We are very proud to have participated in that and very proud to have successfully transitioned the platform to the new maintainers, Numéricité. We'd like to thank DINUM for having XWiki SAS as a partner for so many years, and we are also grateful to have been able to have a peek at how public administration functions. — Ludovic Dubost, CEO and Founder of XWiki and CryptPad
