Government Agencies Should Embrace the New Era of Digitization

In the era of one-click shopping and digital wallets, most of us have become accustomed to user-friendly, quick processes for our day-to-day needs. With a simple click, your bills are paid, and your groceries are delivered. This, however, is in stark contrast to tasks through government agencies, like applying for a new Real ID, which can require an in-person appointment and an additional time commitment to receive your new documents. It’s easy to understand why over half of U.S. consumers prefer digital interactions with government agencies over in-person ones, and it begs the question: Why haven’t these processes modernized like the private sector?

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In some countries, digitized versions of these processes have already gained momentum. In Estonia, for example, the Transport Administration sends you a reminder via text or email that your national ID is about to expire and beyond that, your national ID has a digital component so you can quickly pay bills, vote, and even pay your taxes. No lines, no wait, no hassle.

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This service is a great example of a government agency using digital tools to make things easier for consumers. And with today’s consumers accustomed to online customer service chats and automated IT support, governments need to follow suit by creating faster, frictionless interactions.

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Why government agencies lag behind corporations

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Too many government agencies aren’t moving quickly enough. About 70 percent of government officials believe their organization’s digital capabilities lag behind those of their private sector peers, according to a recent Deloitte survey .

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It stands to reason that the public sector could learn a few things from the private sector to hasten its digital transformation. One thing that I see frequently in the private sector is how digitization improves the experience both for consumers and for the organizations.

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This holds true in the public sector as well. Think about the Estonia example. When you’re notifying people ahead of time that any government-issued documents are about to expire and allowing them to renew online, you’re increasing the efficiency of your operations and freeing up time for government employees to focus on more pressing tasks. Consumers benefit from greater personalization and a more simplified experience, and government agencies benefit from greater standardization and more streamlined interactions. Or even consider the IRS. Once tax software packages made calculations easier and more accurate, your tax returns could be sent in online.?With these digital records the IRS could conduct audits and reviews or returns easier.

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Implementing secure digitized programs

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Perhaps the biggest concern I hear about digitization is that it introduces new security risks. It’s true that there’s a certain amount of risk that comes with digitizing services, but there are also plenty of cybersecurity measures that can reduce the risk to an acceptable level.

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Some government officials also believe that investments in these security measures are out of reach for their budget. I often hear this from officials who say, “We wish we could spend more on cybersecurity, but it’s not in our budget right now.” When this is the case, organizations may consider prioritizing the most crucial security parameters initially to ensure security protections for user data, and then build additional features later as necessary. This is exactly the principle of the NIST Risk Management Framework.

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Here’s the facts: No organization has unlimited money. CIOs and CISOs in the private sector talk about their budget constraints for cybersecurity too. I advise tech officials in both the public and private spheres that if you’re not going to cover what you think is a risk, make sure your larger team or supervisor agrees that this is an acceptable risk to take. It’s possible that your organization spends more money in the long run if it fails to invest in necessary protective measures today, resulting in mopping up issues like a ransomware attack or identity theft in the future.

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Change isn’t easy for anyone, and it may not come as naturally to government agencies as it does to more growth-oriented private companies. Government agencies may do things in a certain way today because it worked yesterday, or last year, or ten years ago. Agencies that embrace change and digitize their services have a lot to gain. Creating more efficient operations and more satisfied consumers is a win-win proposition.