MaryAnn Monroe’s Key Takeaways
- The Government Service Delivery Improvement Act establishes a clearer accountability framework by requiring agencies to designate leaders responsible for improving citizen service delivery.
- Human-centered AI and intelligent automation can help agencies streamline routine tasks, make customer service data actionable, and improve support for complex citizen needs.
- Mission-ready technology is most effective when paired with a trusted partner that understands federal agency needs, procurement priorities, and future-focused capabilities.
The 2023 Government Service Delivery Improvement Act laid the foundation for federal agencies to improve how citizens access critical services and benefits. The act requires federal agencies to designate a service delivery leader responsible for “improving and enhancing government service delivery” starting in 2026. Following the appointment of these team leads, agencies will be able to begin implementing technology that transforms how agencies interact with citizens and results in exceptional citizen service delivery.
MaryAnn Monroe, Vice President of the CX Accelerator at Maximus, welcomed this significant step forward. In an interview at Federal News Network’s CX Exchange 2026, Monroe noted that having a recognized leader at each agency would bring an unparalleled level of discipline and accountability to service delivery improvement projects.
“If you think about an agency as large as the Department of Veterans Affairs, where they have over 20 different service lines to serve veterans, caregivers, their families, and over 200 different numbers, barriers exist because service is fragmented across many different places within an agency. There isn’t always one person in charge of that service delivery improvement plan for the agency,” she said. “That is going to be one of the benefits, that it really will hold agency officials accountable. A person in charge of coordinating and ensuring execution of service delivery and outcomes across the agency — that’s a very important component.”
As with most transformational projects undertaken today, the goal is continuous improvement in technology, processes, and outcomes. With today’s tech refresh cycles continuing to get shorter — think weeks, not months — agencies need environments that can integrate new technology. But to achieve exceptional citizen service delivery, agencies also need to iterate feedback and improve service delivery on an ongoing basis. “The key is unlocking … data and not allowing it to live in the silos within one program or one area,” Monroe said. “Unlocking that data and establishing governance for sharing that data … is really where [exceptional service delivery] is going to move over the next year.”
While the vast repositories of data that agencies hold from customer service interactions can be overwhelming, AI and intelligent automation can help agencies make data actionable. Human-centered AI can help streamline service delivery by handling routine administrative tasks, such as triaging incoming inquiries and quickly and accurately answering routine questions, freeing up customer service representatives to manage complex cases and support citizens with unique needs.
AI’s benefits do not stop there when it comes to building an exceptional citizen service environment. Because AI can analyze and apply vast quantities of data in seconds, it can provide customer service agents and their managers with detailed feedback to improve service delivery. Not only does this result in better service outcomes for citizens, but it also supports another key goal of a federal government committed to improved service delivery: outcome-based contracting.
As federal agencies focus on transparency and waste mitigation in contracting, they are giving preference to partners committed to outcome-based contracting. In short, outcome-based contracting measures success by productive results. In the case of citizen service delivery, success is no longer represented by the volume of calls answered, for example, but by the number of calls resolved in a single encounter. “What [these technologies and contracting changes have] enabled us to do is be more proactive, operate more efficiently and reduce the administrative burden,” Monroe concluded. “[This] has greatly improved the pace at which we are able to turn around decisions and enable quicker benefits to the people who deserve them,” Monroe said.
As federal agencies focus on improving citizen service delivery, delivering exemplary experiences, and rigorously stewarding public funds, investing in mission-ready technology platforms has never been more important. But after listening carefully to MaryAnn Monroe, it is equally clear that working with a trusted partner should never be underrated. A partner with a proven track record, a demonstrated understanding of federal agencies’ needs, alignment on procurement, and domain-level expertise in future-focused technologies is the very foundation of mission success.
Learn from MaryAnn Monroe here.