Three Government Strategies for Digital Velocity

Four years after President Obama announced his administration’s digital strategy, government still sometimes gets a bad rap for not doing enough to bring its technology into the 21st century. Make no mistake, there are definitely areas where all levels of government have improved significantly to advance their digital government strategy. And yet, as technological change continues to bombard government, it can be difficult to keep up.

Government at all levels should think beyond today’s buzzwords of “cloud” and “mobile” as they plan their digital government approach. Three strategies, in particular, can help government keep pace with technological changes in the future:

1.) Adopt a citizen-centric approach.

Government exists to serve its constituents, and technology is a vital tool in delivering services and making government accessible 24/7. Fulfilling its promise requires government leaders to approach service delivery differently, changing their perspective from improving government process to enhancing the experience from the user’s standpoint. While internal efficiencies are important, today’s government official must focus on the user experience, finding ways to offer the same online convenience people have become accustomed to in their everyday lives.

One way government can enhance constituent convenience is by consolidating services from multiple government agencies into a single, user-friendly solution. This requires top-down commitment and a willingness to break down silos. Working through those challenges, however, can result in services designed to meet specific users’ needs – while also helping government agencies manage costs, enhance internal efficiencies and increase constituent satisfaction.

In Maryland, for example, the state’s Business Express service condensed several agencies’ processes into four simple steps, allowing business owners to enter data about their companies just once, with the information automatically populating across all other agency forms requiring the same information. Since the business-centric service launched in 2012, the percentage of businesses that register online has grown from 17 percent to 52 percent, and the time required to register a new business has dropped from 10 weeks to two days.

2.) Recognize the growing mobile-only constituent base.

In a well-publicized report released last year, The Pew Research Center detailed new facts about smartphone use that government agencies would be wise to consider as they develop digital strategies. The report revealed that 64 percent of Americans own smartphones and that 25 percent of Americans use their smartphones as the primary means of accessing the internet.

Further, the study said that 10 percent of Americans own smartphones but don’t have broadband at home, and 15 percent own smartphones but have limited options for accessing the internet apart from their mobile phones.

eMarketer predicts that the percentage of people who access online information solely through mobile devices will climb to 11.7 percent in 2016—and continue growing.

To reach a smartphone-only constituency, government needs to think far beyond the native mobile app approach popular a few years ago. Today’s constituents require digital government services that are built responsively – automatically scaling to a variety of mobile devices. But even beyond responsive design, to remain current government officials must think more broadly. With wearable technology and the Internet of Things, a responsive website is no longer enough. Government agencies must think in terms of an entire lifecycle of citizen interactions with government and respond with services that anticipate needs and provide solutions in a single mobile channel – and make them easily accessible from a smartphone.

In Arkansas, the state is bringing reminders and government services directly to constituents’ smartphones with a new personal government assistant called Gov2Go. Based on input from users, Gov2Go proactively brings relevant government services and information to them on their smartphones, as well as a host of mobile devices—even Apple Watch. Gov2Go keeps track of deadlines such as property tax payments, car tag renewals, and property assessment, and sends users important reminders based on their needs.

3.) Get ready for the user interface shift.

In the future, it’s likely that we will no longer interact with our devices through keyboards and screens, but through dialogue. Called “conversational user interface” or “no user interface,” the disruptive technology utilizes chatbots, artificial intelligence systems that people interact with via voice. Chatbots serve as “personal digital assistants,” allowing users to accomplish tasks such as getting the day’s weather report or scheduling appointments.

In the government setting, conversational user interface will create customer service and information routing efficiencies. In June, for example, Utah launched a voice-driven capability, or “skill,” through Amazon Echo’s Alexa Voice Service. The skill allows residents to take the state driver’s license practice exam using the Echo device. Alexa asks questions from the practice exam, the user answers and Alexa advises whether or not the response was correct.

Other government agencies are using Amazon Echo skills to remind citizens about their vehicle registration, license renewal and tax deadlines. As the technology advances, it could be used to provide end-to-end services—for example, connecting outdoor enthusiasts with options for weekend fishing at state facilities, providing directions to the selected location, supplying a weather report, reminding the user that he or she needs a fishing license and facilitating the online purchase of the license.

The possible applications for conversational user interface are virtually limitless, and government agencies at all levels should begin exploring how this technology could benefit citizens.

For a while, government may be challenged to match the pace of technological change in the private sector. But, by developing far-sighted thinking that strategically engages new technologies and puts citizens’ needs first, government can choose appropriate technologies for solutions targeted at delivering a high-impact citizen experience.