Page 12 - Federal Computer Week, January/February 2019

High-Impact Government Engagement
Trust:
The currency of government
A citizen-first, cloud-first strategy can help agencies grow the public’s confidence in government
Casey Coleman
Senior Vice President of Global Government Solutions, Salesforce
In short, we have an unprecedented opportunity to do things differently and take advantage of the technology people are already using to provide services that work for them.
Agencies have always implemented new systems using the best technology available at the time, but then because of budget and staff constraints, regulations and a complex procurement process, each generation
of new technology hardens into place. Agencies build business processes around the technology, but older systems lack the agility to respond to today’s expectations, leading to a “trust gap” between what the public expects and what government has been able to deliver.
Fortunately, today’s cloud platforms can be implemented quickly to realize value and results in a fraction of the time to
help close this trust gap. And they can be deployed on top of legacy systems that are still doing important work. Cloud platforms can introduce innovation continuously, allowing agencies to quickly adapt to changing missions and take advantage of new technologies while modernizing legacy systems along the way.
Starting small and
gaining momentum
Rather than having to figure out everything upfront, agencies can start small and gain momentum as they learn — often from the experiences of other agencies. Amtrak, for example, gathered all the old systems and applications that had built up over time and reclassified them into productivity workspaces that are optimized for different kinds of workers. For instance, when a
AGENCIES FULFILL CRITICAL missions — related to health, safety, economics
and stability — that contribute to the flourishing and success of individuals and communities. People rely on those functions to be available when they need them, so trust is essential to how agencies successfully engage with customers.
Every year, communications firm Edelman conducts a survey called the Trust Barometer that measures the American public’s trust in large institutions. From 2017 to 2018, the government’s trust score dropped from 47 percent to 33 percent. There are a lot of factors at play, but turning
that trend around starts by meeting people wherever they are and fulfilling agency missions in ways that build trust, credibility and legitimacy.
The age of intelligence
We live in an exciting time when artificial intelligence, the internet of things, autonomous vehicles, drones and advanced technologies of all kinds are starting to blend the physical world with the computing world. This new age of intelligence provides a unique opportunity for governments to interact with the public in ways that are connected, intelligent, personalized and convenient.
davooda/Shutterstock/FCW Staff
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