Government organisations are big ships to steer. And when it comes to digital transformation in government, progress can be slow. Enter the DXP.
A 2022 UN E-Government Survey report focused on the impact COVID-19 had on highlighting the need for effective digital services. Despite it finding that United Nation Member States have shown signs of an increasing urgency brought on by COVID-19, it also found that ‘overall e-government development has not gained significant momentum over the past two years.’
But the digitisation of government services is advancing as new technological capabilities come online, making it much simpler to transform legacy systems. In February 2023, for example, the Australian Government announced a hard push to further link the private and public sectors through digital transformations to create a ‘national digital identity system’. And there’s a thirst for this digitization.
Research from Accenture found that:
The goal of government digital transformation is to improve how people access public services and how those services are delivered by creating a more resilient, agile, and responsive public sector.
The key to the success of any government digital transformation strategy is to make sure people feel like this digitization creates a more transparent and accountable relationship with governments. By leveraging digital technologies, government leaders can streamline operations, reduce costs, and improve decision-making through data-driven insights.
Government digital transformations can be broken down into a range of approaches.
The benefits of digital transformation have changed over the years as the capabilities of AI, DXPs and other advanced technologies have increased.
While technological restrictions have kept digital government transformation at bay, so have other factors. Gartner’s recent survey findings suggest that governments are still struggling to move quickly, with these top challenges holding back progress on digital transformation projects:
DXPs can deliver operational improvements that transform how governments interact with citizens, businesses, and employees. A DXP promotes a more seamless and consistent experience across all digital touchpoints, making it easier for users to use government services. Additionally, DXPs help governments quickly and effectively make data-driven decisions, ensuring continuous improvement and adaptation to changing needs.
Search can be implemented to index multiple sources of information and retrieve data from multiple sources such as government websites, directories, and databases.
This enables the public to easily find relevant information, especially when there is a large amount of content or a complex user journey for them to discover specific content. For example, a government agency could use this feature to provide a centralized search for various departments and services.
When Wellington Council sought to replace their Google Search Appliance, they were aware of the importance of their DXP solution offering a smooth transition for the large number of people who accessed their search.
The search tool they implemented within their DXP migration now not only indexes content from their own website but also incorporates information from other specialized sites. This helps them enhance users' search experience and provide more comprehensive results.
Improved self-service
Integrated systems allow organizations to offer enhanced self-service options to their customers.
On one end, local governments can implement query forms for basic tasks like scheduling bin pickups or booking services. On the other, federal governments can create more advanced self-service portals that enable users to complete tasks without direct assistance, saving time and resources.
Digital self-service transformations make a real impact on people’s ability to access vital information and services. In 2019, Centrelink customers conducted 207.4 million digital self-service transactions – a 25% increase since 2017. This was compared with Medicare, which saw only 20 million such transactions that year.
In 2019, Shared Services Connected Limited (SSCL) – a joint venture between the UK Cabinet Office and global consulting firm Sopra Steria – engaged Squiz to build nine hubs. They were spread across two instances of Squiz DXP. This helped simplify access to information and self-service across 29 UK government departments.
A complex project, phase one delivered a myHub system where users benefit from improved wayfinding and search guidance to the right information, form, or action, with additional light personalization for logged-in users. Phase one saw hundreds of thousands of government employees accessing the myHub system.
Proactive decision-making
Governments are able to identify and even anticipate surges in the needs of their citizens and deliver services proactively. They can do this as the storage and analysis of data have become increasingly granular and sophisticated through DXPs.
Identifying a range of restrictions and complex processes in the management of their existing CMS, Country Fire Authority upgraded to a DXP solution. Their website now presents crucial, location-based information for Victorians in a user-friendly way, combining bushfire safety and alerts. Thanks to their ability to integrate diverse data sources, they can more easily adapt content according to seasonal weather changes and emergency events.
Faster service delivery
With a DXP, it’s easy to spin up a new website or microsite that incorporates the style brand of the overall government. A single update on a component can reverberate through all the different websites of a government agency, instead of having to manually update each one of them. This is achieved with capabilities like templates, pre-configured components, and headless architecture.
The Local Government Association of South Australia had over 130 government websites it needed to manage, and it came to Squiz when its CMS came to the end of its life cycle. Representing over 60 councils across South Australia and Tasmania, LGA needed a solution that could help them handle a large volume of digital content. They also needed it to cater to both small and larger organizations, adapting to unique design and content requirements.
The Squiz team provided more than 40 adaptable interface elements and templates that could be individually improved and implemented by each client on their respective websites.
Improved member engagement
Digital transformations can boost a government's member engagement. Easier conversations with citizens, personalized content and services, greater accessibility, and more convenience can all help achieve this. DXPs make it easier to seek feedback and leverage data analytics to make better decisions and continuously refine engagement strategies.
GESB is a WA Government statutory authority with over 80 years of experience managing and administering the super savings of current and former public sector employees.
They approached Squiz to achieve three objectives:
Following the implementation of Squiz DXP, 73% of members rated their experience with the new website as ‘very good’ to ‘excellent’.
Scalable, smart security
Instead of trying to manage multiple systems that all present their own security risk, a DXP helps government agencies manage security more efficiently through its robust architecture, which is designed to protect sensitive data and handle potential threats.
By implementing Single Sign-On (SSO) capabilities, a DXP streamlines authentication processes, reducing the risk of unauthorized access while simplifying user experiences.
This centralised approach to security management helps governments maintain control over their digital assets, swiftly respond to incidents, and ensure compliance with necessary regulations.