Page 13 - FCW, May 2021

Digital CX by the numbers
95%
Local governments that used software to maintain service delivery during the pandemic
38%
89%
FCW respondents who said their agencies are improving employee engagement as part of their efforts to improve CX
573,021
Queries on Search.gov related to unemployment benefits in 2020, an increase of nearly 400% over the previous year
FCW survey respondents who
said their agencies found new and innovative ways to serve customers during the pandemic
Sources: FCW, General Services Administration, Partnership for Public Service
— something the USPS Office of Inspector General recommended in a 2018 report.
Enhancing digital capabilities is also a primary focus at the state and local levels.
For state CIOs, “improving and digitizing
CX” is a key element of the second of 10 priorities related to strategies, policy issues and management processes in 2021, according to the National Association of State CIOs.
Such concerns are not surprising given the fact that state and local governments have been on the frontlines of helping people deal with challenges related to jobs and education during the pandemic, including filing for unemployment benefits, adjusting to telework and pivoting to remote learning for students.
Last year, Rhode Island partnered with Google Cloud to create a Virtual Career Center to connect residents to potential new career paths and training opportunities with the help of an artificial intelligence-powered chatbot. And a public/private partnership is supporting Tucson, Ariz., on its smart-city strategy and
its efforts to connect more than 32,000 of
the city’s 212,000 households to broadband internet — a necessity for teleworkers and students.
Gleaning lessons for future policymaking
In fact, taking steps to narrow the digital divide was one of the lessons cited in a December 2020 report by the Partnership for Public Service and Microsoft. In “Bit By Bit: How
Governments Used Technology to Move the Mission Forward During COVID-19,” they examined how three agencies responded to the crisis and gleaned lessons that could be applied to technology policy and management in government.
The lessons also included the importance
of building a technology foundation, putting users first when designing technology solutions and rethinking mission delivery through technology, especially now that so many government employees have embraced telework and the tools that make it possible for them to deliver services from any location.
“Governments can take advantage of changed attitudes to alter their approach to technology for operations and service delivery,” the report states. “Technology could allow agencies to reach a larger number of people, provide more seamless services and reduce the burden on employees providing those services.”
Fortunately, 89% of respondents to FCW’s
survey said their agencies are focused on improving employee engagement as part of their efforts to improve the customer experience.
The common thread running through
all those lessons is the need for agencies to enhance their understanding of customers so they can make better decisions about delivering services and providing important information. Agencies must also be able to build digital services quickly without compromising quality or security. And because engaged employees are essential to the delivery of government services, agencies must make sure employees have the technology and support they need to do their jobs.
The requirements of the 21st Century IDEA set the stage for agencies to meet and even exceed those goals. The pandemic demonstrated that providing a robust, digital experience for all customers is not optional
— it’s essential.
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