A lot of people in the Netherlands struggle to understand government forms. The Balkenende-IV government wants to change this: every government form has to be easy for the recipient to understand. The benefits are self-explanatory. Understandable forms are not only easier to fill in; they also cut down the number of errors. This spares the sender time, costs and worry. How do you create a form that covers all the angles in terms of clarity? The Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations asked the advice of Edenspiekermann.
Edenspiekermann is developing a standard for understandable forms. The process is central to this. An understandable form can only be created once the form maker has gone through a number of essential steps. As such, he needs to step into the shoes of the people who have to fill in the form. Remove resistance to forms. Ensure that the exchange of information between the government and citizens is as straightforward and pleasant as possible. On the basis of this vision, Edenspiekermann developed the Form Guide: creating an understandable form in 10 steps.
The 10 steps cover all the aspects needed for an understandable form. Such as: target group research, structure, text, design, processing method and testing understandability.
Edenspiekermann also came up with the name for this step-by-step plan: the Form Guide, and created both digital and paper versions. The paper guide is a handy aid to creating understandable forms. Form makers can consult it at any time they need a guiding hand. Furthermore, the paper version makes reference to the digital Form Guide.
The digital Form Guide, www.formulierenwaaier.nl, is more ambitious. The site includes instruction films and references to literature. Each step is explained comprehensively. Formulierenwaaier.nl is set up in a way that makes it easy to expand: with practical experiences, interviews and other useful information. In this way, the site can grow into an increasingly rich knowledge centre. A centre that will continue to keep form makers on the ball in the future.
Edenspiekermann introduced the Form Guide in 2008. A great deal of knowledge is now bundled into this new resource for makers and has been made suitable for practical use. Edenspiekermann expects the Form Guide to further professionalise the discipline of creating forms. In the interests not only of the government but also citizens, businesses and institutions.
