Berlin's citizens' offices to be modernized

During a visit to the Schöneberg Citizens' Office, Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) expressed his deep appreciation for the employees.

Berlin's 45 citizens' Offices (German: Bürgerämter) are set to become more modern and welcoming and will be gradually renovated according to a standardized design. Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) announced this during a visit to the citizen service center at Schöneberg City Hall. A pilot project will soon begin there that can serve as a model for the other centers.

According to Janet Schütz, the head of the department, a bright and modern open-plan office is being created where employees will handle customer inquiries. The layout, developed in collaboration with staff, also includes a reception area, inviting waiting areas, an express counter for urgent matters and a wayfinding system for customers. Break rooms for employees are also planned.

Schöneberg City Hall: renovation next year

Schütz stated that the goal is to launch the call for bids for the project in September and to finalize the contract award by the end of the year. The renovation will then take place in 2027. She estimated the cost of the pilot project at 400,000 euros. Three-quarters of that amount will be covered by the Senate. 

"Reorganization of Citizens' Offices 2030" also for other locations

Building on the experience gained in Schöneberg, the "Reorganization of Citizens' Offices 2030" project will then be rolled out to other locations, as Wegner explained. He argued that the first step should be to focus on those citizens' offices where renovation is most urgently needed. The decision on this must be made by the new Senate after the election. 

Wegner: "Got citizens' offices up and running"

Wegner pointed to significant progress that had been made in improving the services provided by the citizen service offices. "We’ve gotten the citizen service offices up and running in recent years," he said. For example, new offices have been opened, additional staff have been hired, and a pool of on-call staff has been created. Appointments can now be made on short notice, and people can also visit the office without an appointment. "Three years ago, that was still a pipe dream."

Citzens' offices remain important despite online services

Wegner added that 460 services are now available online. And many more need to be added. Nevertheless, modern work environments in the citizens' offices and maintaining the current staff of around 620 employees will remain important in the future. "I want the staff at the citizens' offices to have more time for customers." At the moment, they have twelve minutes per customer. "That's enough sometimes, but not always."

More time for advice and support

Looking ahead, Wegner believes it is possible that employees will use the time they save as a result of ongoing digitization to provide more counseling or, for example, practical assistance with filling out applications. Furthermore, not every citizen wants to or is able to handle all their matters with the citizens' office online.