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In recent years, many government agencies have made tremendous strides in modernizing systems and processes to alleviate these burdens. Many agencies are still in this midst of this journey. The word “interoperability” became the slogan for service delivery. Together, we thought of ways to enhance the user experience, ultimately giving the caseworker quality time with applicants to help them reach their goals. We continued to hear more positivity toward a universal digital approach. We also knew that digital transformation required massive change management for the staff and the users. We have also been keenly aware of the need to make sure that agencies continue to provide services for those that do not want to engage digitally with government for a variety of reasons.
Then the world shifted. The pandemic accelerated the implementation of digital services, particularly for government. Serving as Commissioner during this time, I witnessed firsthand how government and human services agencies were forced to redefine the services they provide. This time gave us insight into the art of the possible, while highlighting how all individuals must continue to have access to services.
Pioneering multiyear EY research reveals deep insights into US citizens’ needs and expectations when seeking government services. In early 2021, EY released the Connected Citizens report, which further detailed the personas of individuals who are likely to engage with government and how they choose to interact digitally. Understanding these seven personas is critical as agencies continue to build more online and electronic services.
Childcare is one of the program areas that became subject to digital transformation. Amid a historically tight labor market, parents were challenged with a trifecta of limited access, lower affordability and uncertain quality. In inflation-adjusted data from 2018 (the most recent year available), childcare costs represented 8% to 19.3% of median family income per child, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. [SS1] And as of October 2022, the childcare industry still had about 100,000 fewer workers than before the pandemic, the bureau added.¹ Many childcare agencies were forced to cut back their offerings while others shut their doors altogether. While the pandemic highlighted these issues and brought some innovation to service delivery, the crisis is still far from over for American families.
Families continue to face a gauntlet of challenges to find basic resources, including parsing the varied eligibility requirements and completing highly repetitive applications. In fact, research shows that vital services are not reaching vulnerable children and families who could benefit from the other wraparound forms of support. Other benefits — such as Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); food assistance (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program); and cash assistance (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) — are underutilized, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). If government could use additional innovation in digital technology — and enable transformations that keep humans at the center of their plans — those families could be connected to services efficiently and cost-effectively.
The second phase of Connected Citizens, released earlier this year, took a deep dive on the personas and focuses on families with children under the age of 5. By understanding the personas and how these individuals want to digitally engage with government, the research found that there is still apprehension in moving to purely digital services. However, when the interviewees discovered that information was being shared for their benefit — to access multiple services and connect to available childcare agencies, with a clear line of sight to quality ratings, for example — the support was resounding. The research gave us insights into eight key priorities necessary for government to succeed in digital transformation.