User Experience in Morocco's Public Services: Framework and Methods

Why talk about “user experience” in public services?#

A public service user has no choice of provider. They cannot “go to a competitor”, which makes commercial indicators such as loyalty of little relevance. What counts is more concrete: was the procedure completed, how long did it take, how many trips did it require, and was the user treated with respect?

That is exactly what the Moroccan legal framework has aimed at since 2020. Customer experience methods (journey mapping, voice of the customer, complaint analysis) apply, provided they are adapted to the public service mission and to the principles of equality and continuity.

The legal framework in one table#

What the Public Services Charter requires#

Law 54-19 first sets out principles (Article 5): equal treatment of users without discrimination, continuity, quality that meets needs, transparency and access to information, and accountability. It translates them into obligations that bear directly on the user experience:

• Reception (Article 25): public services regularly take the measures needed to improve how users are received, by qualified staff and in suitable premises.
• Observations and proposals (Article 16): mechanisms must allow users to submit their observations and proposals.
• Quality and satisfaction (Article 29): service charters with commitments, annual quality improvement plans, regular measurement of user satisfaction, and published annual reports.
• Complaints (Article 30): services receive, handle and follow up complaints, prepare annual reports and publish a summary of how complaints were handled.

The Charter also provides for a public services observatory responsible for monitoring governance, performance and quality. Its implementing text had not been identified at the date of verification.

Simplification: what Law 55-19 has changed#

Law 55-19 rests on ten general principles, as presented by the MAP news agency: trust between administration and user, transparency and publication of procedures, simplification and cost reduction, maximum response times, silence meaning consent once the time limit has passed for the decisions concerned, proportionality of the documents requested, continuous improvement and digitalisation, a single submission of the file, proximity, and reasons given for negative decisions.

According to the specialist press, the maximum response time is 60 days as a general rule and 30 days for decisions needed to carry out investment projects; all procedures were to be digitalised within five years of entry into force. A circular from the customs administration confirms that users no longer have to provide more than one copy of a document, or have their signature legalised or copies certified.

For the user experience, these rules provide ready-made indicators: actual processing times compared with legal time limits, and the number of documents actually requested compared with the list published on Idarati.

Complaints: Chikaya.ma and the Ombudsman of the Kingdom#

The Chikaya.ma portal is based on Decree 2-17-265 of 29 June 2017. According to information reported by the press, the administration must respond within 60 days of receipt; the complaint is referred or rejected within 15 days. The channels are the website, the mobile app and the 3737 call centre.

The portal receives a large volume. The Minister Delegate for Digital Transition told the House of Representatives of more than 186,000 complaints in 2023 and around 176,000 in 2024, with a handling rate of 75%, according to press reports; other articles give around 171,000 complaints for 2024. The system covers government departments, public institutions and enterprises, and local authorities.

The Médiateur du Royaume (Ombudsman of the Kingdom), an independent constitutional institution governed by Law 14-16, handles complaints against administrative acts considered unlawful or unfair. Its reports offer a cross-cutting view of dysfunctions.

Complaints are the richest source of information an administration has. Our guide on managing complaints by their causes shows how to move from handling cases to fixing procedures, and our guide on AI in complaint handling sets out the safeguards needed if triage is automated.

The Digital Morocco 2030 targets#

When the Digital Morocco 2030 (Maroc Digital 2030) strategy was launched in September 2024, the press reported several targets: ranking among the top 50 countries in the United Nations E-Government Development Index, more than 80% user satisfaction, processing times cut by half and procedures reduced by 40%. These figures are as reported by the press; the official strategy document had not been consulted at the date of verification.

Methods for measuring and improving the user experience#

1. Map a procedure from the user's point of view, from looking for information to obtaining the document, including the back-and-forth between counters. The method is described in our guide on customer journey mapping.
2. Measure actual time and trips: total processing time, number of visits to the counter, number of documents requested. These behavioural measures are more reliable than opinions (see our guide on behavioural signals).
3. Read complaints as signals: classify them by cause, procedure and site, and track recurring causes.
4. Design surveys that limit bias. A user questioned at the counter by the officer who has just served them answers more favourably. Self-administered, anonymous surveys give a more accurate picture (see our guide on courtesy bias).
5. Ensure language accessibility: information and forms in Arabic, Amazigh and French, and staff able to explain in Darija.
6. Plan for digital inclusion: every online procedure keeps an assisted channel for users who are less comfortable with digital tools. Our guide on customer journey mapping helps identify where users drop off.
7. Protect users' data: surveys, recordings and complaints are processing of personal data subject to Law 09-08 on personal data protection (see our privacy by design guide).

Checklist for a public service#

• The priority procedure is mapped from the user's point of view.
• Actual processing times are measured and compared with legal time limits.
• The documents requested match the list published on Idarati.
• Complaints are classified by cause and followed up.
• Satisfaction is measured regularly, and its biases are known.
• The annual report required by the Charter is prepared from this data.
• Front-desk staff are trained in receiving users, complaints and data protection.