Mijn Burgerprofiel: careers with tangible results
The agile specialists at Equalminds work on projects with impact, that’s for sure. Thomas, Nicolas, and Bert talk about how the part they’re playing in the Mijn Burgerprofiel (My Citizen Profile) project is making a difference for every Flemish citizen. Discover the story behind Mijn Burgerprofiel: careers with tangible results.
Mijn Burgerprofiel is a central access point to Flemish government services. Flemish citizens use the application to get an overview of what’s available and what they’re entitled to. Think of child benefits, mobility services, education, and in-work support or jobseeker’s allowance. Mijn Burgerprofiel also allows you to access other communication channels of the Flemish government, such as eBox. Many people got their first introduction to the service when they received their invitation to get the coronavirus vaccine through the application.
Centralized access
Nicolas De Greef and Thomas De Ridder are both Equalminds account managers working on the Mijn Burgerprofiel project. Their task is to integrate this “citizens’ access point” with as many government services as possible. This is no mean feat, given that there are about 300 e-counters where the public “lines up” to access different services. The aim is to simplify access to all these counters and establish useful connections between the various government departments and bodies. Mijn Burgerprofiel is the platform where you achieve this.
When a government department wants to offer its services through Mijn Burgerprofiel, it’s Equalminds project coordinator Bert Casaert who leaps into action. He shows the department how to share their data in an efficient and accessible way. As a scrum master, he’s also involved in project planning. “It’s a job with a lot of variety,” he says. “At the moment I’m in constant contact with local authorities that want to connect to Mijn Burgerprofiel. That always results in exciting results.”
Low digital threshold
“As account managers, Thomas and I are on the frontline,” explains Nicolas. “We always work out a high-level plan with all the teams involved, typically with eight to ten sprints.” In addition to implementing complex projects, the account managers are also thinking up new applications for Mijn Burgerprofiel. “Take the call for your annual car inspection,” says Thomas. “Three million people still receive a notification in the mail for this. By digitizing the process and making it accessible via eBox and Mijn Burgerprofiel, we can achieve significant savings.”
Another example is compulsory enrollment in education for primary and secondary school students. The current proof-of-enrollment paper process could easily be digitized through Mijn Burgerprofiel. “Student IDs can play a key role in this,” explains Thomas, “as they’re the ideal way to sign in for all things educational.” Integration into Mijn Burgerprofiel would simplify the whole process.
Mijn Burgerprofiel has come a long way over the last four years, and the coronavirus in particular made the application much more visible to the general public. “But you can always improve things,” Nicolas laughs. “Estonia is our great example in this area. Citizens there only go to the town hall to get married or divorced. All other services are completely digital.” And there’s certainly no shortage of ideas — from digitizing social housing services to the integration of VREG’s V-Test.
Extra dimension
“The fact that we work on projects that have a direct impact on the lives of so many people gives our job an extra dimension,” says Bert. “What we do is very tangible, which makes it even more exciting.” Nicholas nods in agreement. “It’s nice to be able to really help. If our work means you no longer have to go to the local town hall to apply for a passport, that gives us a great sense of achievement.”
The Mijn Burgerprofiel project is just one of the ways Equalminds is making a real contribution to society. “I’m fascinated by what digital transformation makes possible,” Thomas concludes. “It’s really great that we’re making contact between the government and the people it serves so much more efficient.”
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