The Importance of Modern, Digital Government Services
Deployed responsibly, high-quality digital platforms can help power a more resilient public sector. As governments prepare to meet future crises, they should seek out digital solutions that provide citizens with choices, rely on user-centered design and also harness the power of open-source technology.
Digital platforms can give people options and reduce risks when analog systems fail.
For instance, decentralized digital networks and payment systems could help the IRS move beyond its reliance on decades-old databases and paper checks to deliver emergency financial assistance.
New Ways to Serve the Public via Technology
Secure, trusted systems for exchanging data would allow medical labs to submit coronavirus test results digitally instead of via fax, as they do now.
Technologists and government agencies are finding new ways to serve the public by building digital solutions with user-centered design principles and open-source solutions.
Government technology solutions need to be accessible and address the challenges faced by the people they serve. User-centered design can draw expertise from communities that rely on digital tools and bring them into the design, testing and deployment process.