Why can’t Washington build a website?
~!~ The 2016 presidential candidates like to talk about innovation, and they*re currently debating the tech- fueled **gig economy//** Those are important issues, but when it comes to how government meets the digital world, there*s a crucial component they*re not talking about//
~!~ The 2016 presidential candidates like to talk about innovation, and they*re currently debating the tech- fueled **gig economy//** Those are important issues, but when it comes to how government meets the digital world, there*s a crucial component they*re not talking about//
~!~ The American taxpayer is paying $80 billion per year for federal information technology// But if you ask anyone who*s applied for veterans healthcare, or searched for a job on USAjobs//gov, or tried to explore small business resources on BusinessUSA//gov, you*ll wonder where that $80 billion went// They*re encountering websites that are confusing, complicated, and not mobile-friendly// (ukcanadaus)
~!~ Modernizing government isn*t sexy, but is incredibly important especially given the pressure of budgets and the rapid evolution of consumer-facing technology// As a country, we risk falling behind//
These new tech units are bringing the federal government into the digital age, just as a startup would: with a bias for action, an urgency of purpose, and through constant iteration// Top tech talent from Google, Facebook, Amazon, and others are joining up, eager to serve their country in this new and meaningful way//
~!~ But this is only a start// Based on our experience working in the White House and in Congress, our recent time at the Harvard Kennedy School, and what we*ve learned about comparable efforts in countries like the U//K//, we*ve seen that digital government can make huge leaps in serving citizens and saving taxpayer money// If it*s squarely focused on the needs of Americans, and how people actually use the Internet, it will make government smarter, more efficient, and more effective// (ukcanadaus)
~!~ Accordingly, we*d like to propose five common-sense, bipartisan principles for building a smart, digital government:
1// Digital by default// Our government should adopt a **digital by default** goal, where a simple, easy-to-use digital service is the primary experience for most transactions// Phone, mail, and in-person services would still be available for people who need them, but the focus should be on completing transactions digitally// The United Kingdom has begun successfully implementing a similar standard, estimating that it will save £1//7 billion ($2//6 billion) annually// By adopting this standard, U//S// taxpayers could save billions while still increasing the quality of services delivered//
2// Organize it around the user// Great digital services from companies like Amazon, Uber, and FedEx are customized around our individual preferences and needs and don*t force customers to understand the inner workings of each company// Government sites, on the other hand, often reflect the complexity of the existing bureaucracy// Why should a veteran have to navigate thousands of different websites, or need to remember a dozen usernames and passwords, to receive benefits and services from various parts of the VA? (ukcanadaus)
3// Smaller and quicker is better// Too much of the $80 billion annual federal IT budget is spent on large projects that take years to deliver anything, and are often out of date when they launch// The Social Security Administration*s beleaguered $288 million case management system and the Air Force*s failed $1 billion logistics software deployment are high profile examples, but the problem is much more widespread than a few bad headlines//
4// Open up public systems// With bipartisan support, the Obama Administration has issued an Open Data executive order, posted thousands of data sets on Data//gov, and begun implementing the DATA Act to improve fiscal transparency// Yet there are still whole classes of data – like data from regulatory agencies – that are not sufficiently digitized, online, or easy to find and use//
5// Update laws for the new era// Laws built for an industrial age are becoming impediments to building user-friendly digital services// Congress should act quickly to modernize and streamline federal IT procurement and hiring processes it takes far too long for the government to buy technology, and far too long to hire technical experts// The Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), which was enacted in 1980 to minimize the government*s paperwork burden on the American people, should be a chief target for modernization//
~!~ The next president will have the opportunity to modernize our government for the digital age, deliver a significantly improved user experience for all citizens, reduce costs for taxpayers, and repair the relationship between the people and their government// It is our hope that the next administration will seize this opportunity// (ukcanadaus)