Nearly 70 percent of U.S. federal, state and local government respondents have initiated or are considering adopting digital government programs, according to a survey sponsored by Unisys Corporation.
Digital government is defined for the purpose of the survey as “the process by which government agencies harness various digital technologies — including cloud, virtualization, advanced data analytics and mobile — to deliver superior services to citizens, stakeholders and other government employees.”
The fieldwork, conducted between June 29 and Aug. 5, returned 165 usable responses, split between federal (105 completes) and state/local agencies (58 completes).
While 69 percent see the potential for digital government to improve internal business processes, speed up service delivery, reduce expenditures and foster citizen participation, the remaining 31 percent remain skeptical of measurable benefits outside of specific problem areas.
A majority of participants recognize that digital government helps break down agency silos, but a deficit of knowledge and experienced technical personnel, as well as upfront costs, mandated infrastructure and management changes, and security concerns are the main stumbling blocks to cultural change. Third-party consultants have been integral to agencies that are mature in their digital government transformation, reflected in user-centric design choices, modular development methodologies and collaborative approaches.
“While it is encouraging to see more federal, state and local governments using digital government tools to simplify government, we still have work to do in terms of educating many government leaders about the benefits of these initiatives,” said Mark Forman, global head of public sector at Unisys.
“Government agencies must meet citizens’ expectations of customer service based on what they see in commercial companies, and they should not hesitate to reap the benefits digital government can offer in terms of cost savings, enhanced security and a more efficient workforce.”
Infographics and the full report can be viewed on Unisys’ website.
