Agencies Seek Gains Through Precision Modernization

Recognizing that legislators and executive leaders have little appetite for sweeping modernization plans, many agencies are opting for a more targeted approach, focusing on initiatives that deliver tangible benefits. For example: A lawmaker who might not understand the need to upgrade network infrastructure will likely see the value of providing constituents with more reliable and secure services.

Here is a look at some of the key areas in which agencies are injecting modern technologies and strategies.

1 – DELIVERING BETTER CX

In making the case for prioritizing modernization projects that improve customer experience (CX), the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) Board refers to the “time tax” that constituents and employees pay when they must use outdated systems or processes. CX is a tax cut that everyone can agree on.

• CASE IN POINT: Minnesota created a TMF program for reviewing agency funding requests that makes CX is a key criterion. “The systems that once served us well have been adapted to respond to laws or business processes that they weren’t built to support,” the program description states. “The TMF will help meet our customers and residents where they are and respond with agility to changes in customers’ needs and expectations.”

2 – CAPTURING MORE REVENUE

Legislators often question what return on investment modernization projects will deliver. But for tax agencies, it may be easier to pinpoint: Any solutions that help employees work more effectively and quickly will translate into more revenue and/or less fraud.

• CASE IN POINT: That’s the gist of a recent report from the U.S. Treasury Department on Internal Revenue Service modernization funding. By modernizing its core business systems and providing employees with new tools, the tax agency could make big strides toward closing the tax gap, both by identifying individuals or organizations not complying with the tax code and by detecting fraud. Additionally, more modern systems would make it easier to implement tax code changes that affect revenue, the report states.

3 – TIGHTENING DATA SECURITY

Modernization is a linchpin of the March 2023 National Cybersecurity Strategy. The problem is that legacy systems often do not work with modern cyber solutions or strategies, such as a zero-trust architecture, leaving those systems vulnerable to modern malicious actors.

• CASE IN POINT: As part of its 2023–2026 IT Strategic Plan, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) plans to adopt a zero-trust architecture and to deploy an enterprise-level identity, credential and access management (ICAM) solution. Together, these initiatives will help OPM provide much tighter controls over the data it keeps on federal applicants, employees and retirees. “Ultimately, OPM must be viewed as — and serve as — a trusted entity for that data,” the strategic plan states.

4 – ADVANCING AUTOMATION THROUGH AI

Automation has always been one of the most tantalizing benefits of modernization, as new technology typically makes it easier to implement digital processes that don’t require human intervention. But the latest generation of artificial intelligence (AI) has agencies thinking about automation in new and bigger ways.

• CASE IN POINT: Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt recently said the scary part out loud: AI can, and should, be used to reduce the size of the government workforce, freeing up talent for the private sector. Among other benefits, AI-based automation can optimize document handling, “reducing manual errors and processing times for permits, applications, and other government documents,” according to a state task force report. AI chatbots also can use natural language processing to provide quicker, more accurate responses to many constituent queries.

This article appears in our guide, “How to Kickstart Modernization.” For more ideas about how to make the case for modernization that agency leaders and legislators find compelling, download it here:

Image by 3D Animation Production Company from Pixabay