Join the Public Service - Interview with the developer of a fantastic app

Did you have any prior development or coding experience?

This mobile app was developed by our supplier, and definitively was not their first experience in such development.

What was the most challenging aspect of developing mobile app?

Mobile app users have various range of devices with different screen sizes. We cannot only opt to design for latest platforms. So, the challenge was to develop a mobile application which can work perfectly across multiple devices and have similar look and feel. Moreover, since mobile platforms have numerous limitations based on OS versions, screen dimension, and pixel intensities. We need to check on various devices that all the necessary screen elements are accessible with different screen sizes and aspect ratios.

Name a few of your favorite apps and reason you love them.

One favourite mobile app is ‘Maltapps’. This app provides visibility and access to all Malta Government published mServices. It allows the user to enlist all published mServices as well as the ability to install and launch the respective apps directly from within the app itself. All mServices available are also classified under 12 sectors, representing the various Government entities and departments, hence making it much easier to access. Another app is ‘Rate the Public Service’. The objective of this mobile app is to provide users with an easy way to rate the services provided by the Government of Malta. By sending their feedback, the Government of Malta officials can constantly monitor the satisfaction level for each department and act to improve the services where required.

How long have you been working on this app?

Work started in September 2017. System Analysis and scoping of the mobile app was done by the supplier with regular meetings with all stakeholders. A number of focus group meetings were held and gave the opportunity to a number of users from all spectrum of the society to try and test the mobile app prior going live. The feedback was noted and changes to the development were completed, making the app much more representative and meeting the demands for its use. Eventually ‘Join the Public Service’ mobile app was launched in March 2018, and ever since response to it was quite encouraging.

What need of the user did you have in mind when developing this app?

The scope of ‘Join the Public Service’ mobile app was to offer the users all the information required by all those interested to join the Public Service in Malta. We wanted to provide a window on each career opportunity, and a direct link to the central recruitment portal which was launched two months earlier. Everything from one mobile app.

In what way do you think your app is better than similar apps on the market? Please describe in detail what innovation you think you bring and what you are proud of in your app.

We are sure this was a first in the genre of mobile apps, at least in terms of the public service of Malta. While other departments have published their own apps, ‘Join the Public Service’ departed from the traditional way of how career opportunities are published. We looked at this project with the intention of keeping its users constantly updated with all the new vacancies issued particularly those which interest them directly. The notification system within the mobile app adds value to the app as it enables users to select their own favourite categories and tag any vacancies they wish to apply for. Our goal was to provide further exposure to all the opportunities available in joining the Malta Public Service, and that is surely what made this app so successful.

What are your future plans and expected features of the coming new versions of this app?

‘Join the Public Service’ was part of a bigger project. While we are not foreseeing any particular updates to the current services provided through this app, we cannot say so to other ideas. We are currently looking into other Human Resources aspects provided by the Malta Government and exploring ways to provide more services, this time intended to the internal audience and reach more its employees.

Assuming new users of your app are reading this page. What do you want to ask them to do (contact you about X, Share the app, etc.)?

‘Join the Public Service’ mobile app can be downloaded directly from Google Play for Android and from Apple Store for iOS. All contact details are provided from this app, particularly those links required to facilitate their job application.