How can local governments effectively use digital tools to benefit their communities? As technology continues to advance rapidly, it also creates new opportunities to improve public service delivery. In this context, digitalisation has become one of the most frequently cited approaches for strengthening and modernising public services.
This article explains the “Once-Only” principle applied to digital public services. We take as examples the cases of MiBahía platform in Bahía Blanca, Argentina, and the One Stop Centre Online Submission system in Malaysia.
What is the “Once-Only” principle?
It involves creating a system when individuals or organizations that need to provide their data to the government only once.
The systme allows government agencies to access and share this data across different departments, while respecting data protection protocols.
This results in lower administrative costs; saving time for both citizens and local government and improving the efficiency of public service delivery by simplifying procedures.
Facilitating effective data exchange is essential when applying the principle. Local governments can consider standard data formats, cross-department collaboration, and the model of “Government as a platform”.
Government as a platform
This model implements the once-only principle by reimagining government as an ecosystem of shared digital infrastructure. It is an ecosystem of shared Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), components, open standards, canonical datasets, and services built on them, plus a governance process that keeps the broader system secure and accountable.
Government as a platform serves as a digital foundation for government organizations to break down silos and share data, software, and services, enabling faster delivery of services through simpler processes. The platform is designed to be one-to-many, allowing local governments to consider various services and users on the same platform.
The model was first proposed by Tim O’Reilly in his book, “Open Government”. In the book, he outlined seven principles for this model.
- Openness
- Simplicity
- Participation
- Learning from hackers
- Data mining
- Experimentation
- Leading by example
Open government, collaboration, and transparency are essential elements of a government-as-a-platform model, which fundamentally leverages technology to promote more effective problem-solving through collaborative efforts.
The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation has also published the “Playbook: Government as a Platform”, which helps develop organizational capability to implement the government-as-a-platform model.
We would like now to explore how some governments are applying this principles.
MiBahía in Bahía Blanca
MiBahía is a project led by the municipality of Bahía Blanca, Argentina. The unified application includes an online platform and mobile app, providing access to public services in one location using the same account for all digital procedures and services offered by the municipality.
The application functions include:
- Capacity for residents to report incidents
- Consult the schedule of due dates and municipal services
- Schedule appointments for consultations with different city departments
- Process business permits and other municipal procedures
Credit: Municipal of Bahia Blanca
Municipal transformation
At the start of his administration, Federico Susbielles, the Mayor of the municipality of Bahía Blanca, observed serious infrastructure issues in the city.
He realized that a comprehensive transformation, including a roadmap and data, was essential to address these issues.
Mayor of Bahia Blanca,
Federico Susbielles
These and other daily demands require a roadmap and accurate data in order to propose, design, and deliver an effective response.
The municipality developed both a transformation framework and a digital city framework. In this context, MiBahía, which is part of the municipality’s decentralisation efforts, aims to strengthen the connection between the local government and residents.
The municipality established an incident registry that includes information about issues related to infrastructure, such as potholes and tree trimming, as well as problems from other jurisdictions. Additionally, a tracking registry is created to map the situation, helping generate a faster and clearer response to residents.
MiBahía is part of the municipality’s effort to be open, transparent, and accessible to residents.
Achievements
The application has been used for delivering various public services, including the implementation of the Economic Reactivation Promotion Fund to support small and medium-sized enterprises. Launched in 2024, it has already yielded the following results:
One Stop Centre Online Submission in Malaysia
One Stop Centre Online Submission is a system launched by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government in Malaysia. It aims to assist local governments in managing applications that require approval and enable the technical agency to review them virtually, then obtain outcomes through the system.
On the One Stop Centre Online Submission, local governments coordinate a range of administrative matters with the main goal of shortening the approval process. It covers the following domains:
- Planning permission
- Building plan approval
- Land conversion, subdivision and amalgamation
- Online payment
The system includes the command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence (C4i) functions and enables users to monitor application status in real time.
With the One Stop Centre 3.0 Plus Online launched in July 2019, the system is now used by all 89 local governments in the Malay Peninsula. The system reduces bureaucratic red tape, minimizes administrative hurdles, and speeds up local development. In practice, it offers the following benefits:
- Efficiency
- Paperless
- Easy access
- Real-time submission and monitoring 24/7
- Online communication and coordination directly between local governments and agencies
- One-time registration
- Proper documentation
Credit: Ministry of Housing and Local Development in Malaysia
Implementation and results
The One Stop Centre Online Submission has accelerated local land development in Malaysia. A study found that delays in obtaining local government approval for land development were a common problem in Malaysia’s property development, thereby impacting local development. The system was therefore created to speed up this process.
The system distributes applications to the respective technical departments and monitors the approval process, giving the technical departments 14 days and 40 days, respectively, depending on the availability of a local plan, to deliver their comments to applicants.
After two years of operation, 65% of applications took less than 16 weeks.
Conclusion
The experiences of Bahía Blanca and Malaysian local governments show how the once-only principle can go beyond a theoretical e-government ideal to become a practical tool for delivering more efficient, transparent, and people-centered public services. By reducing repetitive data submissions and enabling secure data sharing across departments, local governments can streamline procedures, shorten processing times, and enhance the overall user experience for residents and businesses alike. Importantly, the successful implementation of the once-only principle relies not only on technology but also on governance, institutional coordination, and clear transformation roadmaps.
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