For many organizations, the pandemic was a lesson in the need for digital experiences. This was no exception for government agencies, many of which typically relied on more traditional, paper-based processes. However, the last few years have seen much higher user expectations for digital experiences, and government agencies, like many other organizations, must modernize to accommodate these expectations.
As we enter 2023, we anticipate a variety of challenges for government agencies, including the demand for more efficient digital processes. Here, we discuss the priorities for government agencies this year and what strategies can be used to tackle the related challenges that may arise.
Security and Modernization Will be Key Focus Areas for Government Agencies in 2023
Following the implementation of the $1 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, which was signed into law in November of 2021, there will be increased funding for technology – including $1 billion for state and local cybersecurity grants – which will help all levels of government become more secure and resilient against cyber threats. Additionally, President Biden also recently signed a $1.7 trillion federal spending bill in December of 2022 which allocates more than $1.7 billion for cybersecurity efforts and reauthorizes the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s National Cybersecurity Protection Program, which provides government entities with cyber defense tools. These investments at the federal level demonstrate the pertinence of security across all levels of government.
According to a report by CloudSek, the number of cyberattacks targeting the government sector increased by 95 percent worldwide in the second half of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021. Improvements in enforcing security could be a result of securing documents, records and data with advanced data protection and granular access control to documents and files. In addition, this will also enable various departments to adopt technologies that will enable newer approaches to service delivery and allow for better integration by breaking down silos.
2023: A Milestone Year for Government Agencies’ Use of Paper Forms
To fulfill the 2021 Executive Order on transforming federal customer experience and service delivery, governments – local, state, and federal – have been seeking solutions that are compliant with strict industry security standards and will take the next step in adopting these solutions and transition to more digital processes. Reduction of paper forms allows for increased automation of everyday tasks, the ability to quickly route data with digitalized forms and the speeding up of approvals to better serve constituents.
An example of local government already implementing this approach is the City of Long Beach, which produced a service delivery plan that included the digitization of processes, forms and workflow. The South Tahoe Public Utility District had also been digitizing its processes and moved information into an online repository in 2022.
With these two primary focuses of 2023, government agencies will continue to progress towards being able to provide improved and scalable solutions, while controlling costs. As we see advancements in technology and increased threats, navigating these challenges becomes even more critical for governments and their citizens.
The author, Noel Loughrin is a Strategic Solutions Manager for Laserfiche.
