Redesigning the Customer Experience for Civil Defense Services

The Ministry of Interior, through its various sectors, represents a vital pillar in Bahraini society due to the critical services it provides to citizens and residents, along with its responsibility to ensure public safety and community stability. Accordingly, the Ministry places a continuous challenge on its sectors to upgrade their services and simplify access in a way that ensures customer satisfaction and creates ongoing success stories stemming from a “positive customer experience.”

Civil Defense and the Responsibility of Public Safety
The General Directorate of Civil Defense is a key sector that society cannot do without, especially when dealing with emergencies and humanitarian situations that require prompt intervention to ensure public safety without disrupting security and order.

Unified Service Center for Clients
In line with this responsibility, the Directorate implemented a major service development initiative by relocating all customer-related services to the Civil Defense Service Center at the Muharraq Security Complex. This provided a unified environment suitable for receiving all customers within a competitive work setting, replacing the previous location in the capital, Manama.

Adopting Technology for Customer Convenience
The Directorate also activated communication channels through dedicated departmental email addresses, enabling customers to submit and complete requests without physical attendance. In addition, a WhatsApp communication service was launched in both Arabic and English to save time and effort, reducing the need for physical visits and waiting times. Appointment booking was also shifted from traditional manual scheduling to an electronic system via the “Appointments” application.

Structured Development Process
The practice was implemented progressively:
- October 2023: Relocation to the new Muharraq Security Complex. 
- November 2023: Electronic appointment booking launched via the “Appointments” app, along with email and WhatsApp communication services. 
- January 2024: Fire report services transitioned to electronic reporting. 

Philosophy of “Facilitation and Customer Service”
The driving philosophy was to facilitate services for citizens and residents, centralizing Civil Defense transactions in one location. Through awareness campaigns, the Directorate highlighted that these services can now be completed at a single point, and with modern technology, they can increasingly be delivered electronically to save time and effort.

Success Indicators
The initiative achieved significant positive outcomes, including:
- Reduced transaction processing times. 
- Minimized need for in-person visits. 
- Smooth, well-organized appointment scheduling through the application. 
- Comprehensive evaluation mechanisms including data collection, self-assessment criteria, scenario testing, and most importantly, customer satisfaction measurement. 

Sustainable Development Commitment
The General Directorate of Civil Defense emphasized the potential for replication of this practice across other sectors, especially given its success through cross-departmental cooperation within the Ministry of Interior. Contributing departments included Planning & Organization, Works, Finance, and Civil Defense units. 

Key lessons learned include: 
- The value of teamwork and collective responsibility. 
- The importance of striving for excellence in service delivery. 
- A focus on continuous and sustainable improvement.