Customer Experience
Doing less with less: Coping with federal cutbacks and fiscal uncertainty
COMMENTARY | Shrinking revenues and rising costs put state and local governments in a bind, especially as the federal government retreats. Strategic austerity might be the path forward.
Problem solved: How data makes cities more efficient, effective and attuned to AI
COMMENTARY | If the public sector wants to operate at peak performance, it must harness its data and deploy it across all its functions. Cities across the world are showing what is possible.
Minneapolis automates food permitting, removes ‘two-feet high’ paper stack
Having previously relied on handwritten permit applications and taking payment by phone, the city now uses cloud-based software to automate much of the process and make it more efficient.
Nevada turns to AI to speed up unemployment appeals
The state partnered with Google Public Sector on a system that analyzes appeals hearings against state and federal law to help adjudicators reach a decision. They say it’s made the process four times quicker.
The future of identity: Preparing for mobile driver licenses
COMMENTARY | The long-delayed implementation of REAL ID will help the U.S. play catch-up on efficiency, but identity verification in this country remains complex.
Building modern paid family and medical leave programs
COMMENTARY | How agile development, human-centered design and an API-first strategy drive success to ensure software always aligns with user needs.
These states have cracked the customer experience code
COMMENTARY | By implementing enterprise customer experience programs, New York and Maryland are improving service, lowering operating costs and building back trust with constituents.
Online age verification and the battle over biometrics
COMMENTARY | Lawmakers are experimenting with various ways to verify users’ ages and keep minors off websites with adult content. Using biometrics could represent a better path forward.
Illinois green lights modernized vehicle title and lien processing system
The state is exploring how an electronic approach to vehicle registrations and purchasing can lower costs for residents and financial institutions.
Pennsylvania is an efficiency north star, expert says
A permitting reform effort in Pennsylvania could serve as a model for other states looking to streamline operations and improve service delivery, according to a fellow at the Institute for Responsive Government.
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New Jersey turns to Direct File to make tax filing easier for older adults
The Garden State is one of several that are now making retirees eligible for the federal Direct File program.
Mapping vulnerability in Arlington County, Virginia
Local leaders last month released the Community Vulnerability Index Map, which uses various data points to find vulnerable populations and inform where resources should be allocated.
Filing taxes is hard. Here’s how agencies could help make it easier for residents.
As states increasingly turn to developing free, online tax filing tools for residents, civic tech experts said improving usability and experience is key.
EVs in Tennessee: Uncertainty abounds as Trump targets Biden-era electric vehicle funding
Tennessee investments in the electric vehicle sector face an uncertain future as President Donald Trump halts infrastructure spending.
Rethink federal spending to save broadband subsidy, tech group argues
The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation said the government should prioritize affordability over infrastructure and tweak eligibility for the Affordable Connectivity Program.
Amid budget ‘crisis,’ Maryland looks to modernize government
Gov. Wes Moore this month signed an executive order mandating agencies review data to find cost savings. He also is looking to modernize the state’s permitting and licensing processes.
New Jersey helps businesses get online
The state’s Small Business E-commerce Support Program offers funding to help less-resourced companies’ digital transformations.
‘Optionality’ could be the key to better customer experience, experts say
As digital advances have prompted state agencies to innovate their benefits systems, experts say officials should first consider what residents want.
States’ housing assistance sites get a ‘human-centered’ makeover
Based on feedback from homeless shelter residents, federal officials have worked to improve housing webpages for all 50 states over the past year. The site updates launched late last month.
Amid a $7 million deficit to Texas’ suicide hotline, thousands of calls are abandoned monthly
The state’s 988 suicide had the nation’s fifth highest rate of abandoned calls in August, the latest data available, amid a multi-million funding deficit that could worsen as federal dollars expire this year.
