The Reus City Council has implemented the use of the biometric signature in all citizen care services. With this system, people can sign handwritten electronic documents in person with complete security and authenticity, minimizing the use of paper and streamlining municipal administrative management.
The biometric signature captures the written trace using a digital tablet, identifying the people signing the electronic documents. This allows citizens to carry out electronic procedures in person, signing the applications in a similar way as they would do on paper. The system eliminates the need to digitize requests and manage their destruction.
This is a good practice that improves the efficiency of processing face-to-face applications. For this reason, it is collected in theDigiCanvis Observatory as a digital transformation project of the local world.
Com funciona?
The application process using the biometric signature works as follows:
- First, the citizen service staff creates the electronic application using the information provided by the person in question.eressada, as if it were an electronic procedure. When finished, he shows the application on a tablet so that he can read it in full.
- The person then reviews the application and, if they agree, manually signs on the tablet with the e-pen, just as they would on paper. This signature is incorporated into the electronic document, and your consent is recorded.
- Finally, the tablet sends the signed document to the electronic register and creates the corresponding entry. The entry receipt is then sent by email to the person in charge.eresIf you request it on paper, you will be given a còpia authenticity of the request.
If the person submits supplementary documents in paper format, OAC staff digitize them using multifunction equipment and a secure digitization process. After digitization, the paper documentation is returned and therefore everything is presented in electronic format.
What advantages does this service bring?
- Improvement of effectiveness and efficiency in administrative actions. It allows any instance presented in person to be processed electronically and automatically registered in the electronic register, eliminating the use of paper and reducing internal management time.
- Legal security. The biometric signature solution captures the signature data and links it uniquely to the document, ensuring the identity of the signer, the integrity of the document and the intent of the signature.
- Higher degree of satisfaction. The service facilitates a signature model close to citizens and very easy to use, without the need for any additional elements or technological knowledge.
Reus City Council has gradually implemented the biometric signature service. It started in 2017 and has been fully operational in 2021 in all municipal offices for citizen attention and for all face-to-face procedures. In 2022, they registered 18.287 tickets with biometric signature and secure digitization.
You can find out the key aspects to take into account to replicate this initiative at the sheet Use of the biometric signature in the submission of applications to the OACs.
DigiCanvis Observatory
New space to spread and promote digital transformation projects
It collects innovative initiatives and good practices (DigiCanvis) that have been successfully implemented in Catalan councils and that are a source of inspiration for the rest of the bodies.
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