We do nearly everything online: pay bills, apply for and open lines of credit, search for information, and entertain ourselves with streaming services. In just the past twenty years, our lives have moved increasingly online. This move has given us more visibility and control over our data, responsive feedback to the services we use, and more efficient transactions.

However, when citizens interact with the government, they may experience bureaucratic data silos, inconvenient or confusing online portals, or even multiple trips to different agencies to resolve issues. Some government agencies are still moving towards implementation of the private sector’s technological advancements that have heightened citizens’ expectations of public services. A citizen-centric government approach makes government services more accessible and responsive to citizens’ needs by implementing data-driven and user-focused policies and processes.

Policies for Successful Citizen-Centric Government Implementation

The state of Maryland was awarded Best in Class by the Interactive Media Awards in 2017 for its citizen-centric website enabling Marylanders to access agency services and complete transactions online. State residents can access information shared across multiple agencies, saving time and reducing wait times at state facilities. Their website is maintained in a public/private partnership between the Maryland Department of Information Technology and a private entity.

From Maryland’s example, we can uncover these key elements of a citizen-centric approach to public services:

●       Promote horizontal data-sharing to eliminate information silos. Multiple agency inputs create a single citizen-facing output, allowing business transactions to occur at individuals’ convenience without detours to other websites or offices.

●       Align agency objectives with citizen expectations and needs. Maryland demonstrates its mission to serve its citizens with a rich, interactive portal that gives them the information they need when they need it.

●       Embrace technology and open data with third parties. Engaging in a public/private partnership with a private entity that manages its digital products offers cost savings to the state while simultaneously benefitting from third-party innovations.

Citizen-Centric Public Services

Momentum worked with one government agency to streamline their approach to processing customer requests and digitize significant portions of their data. During the multi-year, multi-project initiative, we were able to help the client reduce processing times by several months. This reduction allowed them to complete orders from the public and eliminate their backlog of orders. Citizen-facing services like these, especially those which concern personal data, are good candidates for the citizen-centric approach.

Not all citizen-centric efforts focus exclusively on putting the services online; instead, they work to streamline and optimize the processes behind the services to make them more accessible to citizens. Some services, like public housing or disability benefits, may not operate exclusively online if the users do not have reliable internet access. But these services still benefit from citizen-centric elements to improve the citizen experience.

Some government agencies have already moved toward a citizen-centric experience and we can learn from their journey. Some examples of public services to be considered for a citizen-centric approach include:

• Vital records such as birth, marriage, and death certificates
• Mental health programs
• Applications for disability, WIC, or other benefits
• Public housing programs
• Pandemic response and emergency management
• State parks reservations

Improve Public Services with a Citizen-Centric Approach

Momentum is a leading IT and management consulting firm and has demonstrated our success with multiple government clients seeking to improve their public services. Our advisors work to understand every aspect of the project and implement industry-proven standards and strategies to accomplish your goals. Learn more about how we can help you today.