Empowering state and local governments in the evolving tech landscape

Amidst a dynamic landscape of technological advancements and shifting market trends, it is essential for state and local government employees to stay informed. You, ultimately, are the drivers that will shape the future of govtech to better serve communities.

Below, I dive into a few prevalent trends we’re tracking in the private sector and offer recommendations for how state and local government employees can influence and leverage these developments to drive positive outcomes for their constituents.

Trend 1: Consolidation

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, there was an urgent rush for governments to get online as quickly as possible. This led to a proliferation of software and technology adoption. 

During a recent conversation with a county chief technology officer, I learned their team had recently conducted an audit and discovered they were using four separate asset management systems — not just different interfaces but entirely separate backend data sets being built.

However with most funds spent from the American Rescue Plan and bipartisan infrastructure law, both budgetary and operational pressures over the past year have driven governments to prioritize consolidation. We are entering a period of “app collapse,” moving from point solutions to enterprise applications.

In my conversations with private-sector companies, discussions around consolidation typically focus primarily on the interface — simplifying it to make citizen engagement easier or streamlining access for employees. However, there is far less emphasis and discussion on data integration and consolidation.

The most critical aspect of improving government efficacy and efficiency is data consolidation. The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County in Tennessee provide an excellent example of how local governments can approach data integration from an enterprise perspective to drive value on pressing issues, including homelessness and climate. 

State and local government agencies are gatekeepers of vast amounts of data and have a deep understanding of the friction points within the system. It is up to you to push the private sector to prioritize how data connects — equally or more than the interface.

Trend 2: Cybersecurity

Over the past year, I have facilitated about a dozen company-hosted roundtable discussions on cybersecurity. These forums provided opportunities for government officials to share best practices across geographies, verticals and silos, while helping companies better understand the needs of their government clients.

Every private-sector host for these cyber roundtables has been eager to explore zero trust architecture and the risks associated with personal information housed by state and local governments. While these are critical issues, they are not the only risks.

The Environmental Protection Agency reports that there are approximately 166,000 public water and wastewater systems. Many of these facilities operate on small budgets with limited access to cybersecurity expertise and tools. In roundtable discussions with water and transportation authorities, the cyber risks to critical infrastructure systems emerged as an alarming issue. 

A recent survey of more than 200 state and local government leaders conducted by the Professional Development Academy found that only 15% expressed high confidence in their agency’s ability to defend against basic cyber threats, such as malware and phishing attacks.

With a constantly evolving threat landscape, cybersecurity is an area where the private sector can be a helpful partner for the government. But it’s important that chief information officers and other government leaders push the private sector to think more holistically about how to secure all systems — not just the most visible ones.

Trend 3: Generative AI

Generative artificial intelligence and large language models are dominating headlines, and private-sector leaders are eagerly discussing use cases, particularly for citizen-facing applications. Examples include enabling translations, reducing drop out rates for state unemployment agencies, and streamlining customer service interactions. 

Right now, most state and local governments are initially focused on developing rules, regulations, and policies to guide responsible use of generative AI. When they are testing the technology, some of the most immediately impactful deployments have been focused on back-office processes like transcribing meetings or managing and generating documents. 

For instance, the City of Boston used OpenAI to analyze 311 data, which enabled city officials to spend less time navigating analytical mechanics and more time addressing discrepancies in service delivery.

As state and local government leaders, you must encourage the vendor community to work with you to use generative AI to streamline not just your citizen’s experience, but your employees' too. 

In addition, a reminder that you can compete with the private sector on this! Follow the lead of innovators like Santiago Garces, Brendan Babb, and Steve Monaghan — experiment with AI to better understand its potential applications for your organization.

Trend 4: Public Private Partnership

In the world of government, public-private partnerships are often capitalized and are traditionally focused on financing infrastructure projects like roads, bridges, and utilities. For example, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm often notes that the energy transition should be private-sector led, with public-sector enablement. However, there is significant potential for more immediate and impactful public-private collaboration.

The issue we hear about most from government officials nationwide is their workforce, and the challenges they face in hiring, training, upskilling and retention. This is an area where private-sector partners can make a real difference. 

For instance, companies working in fields like cybersecurity and AI often provide free training programs, aggregating and sharing expertise gained from working on complicated challenges with large organizations around the world. In Baton Rouge, Louisiana State University partnered with the state government and private companies to deploy cutting-edge cybersecurity tools managed by a student-powered operations center, achieving both workforce development and educational goals.

Seizing the Opportunity

As state and local government employees, you will shape the next wave of govtech solutions. Leverage your unique insights and priorities to drive meaningful progress and ensure technological advancements benefit your constituents.

Influence is a powerful tool. Embrace the opportunities presented by these trends to build a more efficient, resilient, and responsive govtech ecosystem that serves the needs of all our communities.

Elle Hempen builds companies, products, strategies and partnerships that respond to the most urgent issues of our times. Prior to her current role as EVP for State & Local Strategy at GovExec, she founded and led a government technology company, worked in philanthropy and served in government. Find her on LinkedIn.