How to Design User-Centered Decision Support Systems in Public Budgeting? Guidelines and a Web-Based Prototype With First Insights From a Mixed-Methods Study

Due to increasing complexity and high political importance, public budgeting should be technically supported in the best way possible. In this paper, the use of a decision support prototype is explored to assist stakeholders in the context of public budgeting, to address the questions of what information is needed to facilitate decisions, and how to design and embed such a system. A user-centered approach was chosen, including a context analysis, qualitative interviews, and a shortened design sprint. From the insights gained, design implications as well as two hands-on application scenarios were derived. Based on this, a high-fidelity prototype was developed with modern web technologies. Afterwards, a summative evaluation was conducted in an interactive and cohesive online survey where participants could interact directly with the embedded prototype. The results show that the majority of participants expect such a system to have a positive impact on decision-making during budget preparations. Furthermore, most of the defined design requirements were fulfilled and the usability as well as the visual aesthetics of the prototype, were evaluated in a positive manner. The design implications provide a profound basis for further research and design iterations.