A report from The Deloitte Center for Government Insights says the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated governments’ digital transformation efforts with agencies advancing their digital journeys by scaling their digital infrastructure, investing in citizen connectivity and establishing a more digital workforce.
Agencies seeking to meet the increasing demand for digital services have scaled their digital capabilities by using cloud platforms, advancing the use of artificial intelligence and automation and establishing a “whole of government” digital architecture, Mike Canning, government and public services leader at Deloitte Consulting, and others wrote in an an article published Wednesday in The Wall Street Journal.
Canning and his colleagues at Deloitte said federal agency leaders should work together to come up with a strategic approach to digital modernization and one of the components of that approach is embracing operational adaptability by expanding the business models that could help the agency adapt in evolving conditions and breaking down silos that may hinder optimization.
Other components agency officials should consider are the establishment of intelligent workflows through the use of AI and automation; enhancement of infrastructure resilience by providing cyber response and resilience; creation of a scalable infrastructure by leveraging cloud; and development of digitally savvy, open talent networks by upskilling and training the workforce and backing human-machine collaboration.
“With the Biden administration’s addition of $1 billion to the Technology Modernization Fund for shared IT and cybersecurity services across government, agency leaders including CIOs, CFOs, and chief risk officers should be working hand-in-hand to ensure their agency makes the right investments and adopts a cohesive approach to modernizing digital capabilities,” they wrote.
Manning co-wrote the article with William Eggers, executive director at The Deloitte Center for Government Insights, Deloitte Services; Dave Mader, chief strategy officer for the civilian sector, Government and Public Services at Deloitte Consulting; and Meghan Sullivan, principal, Government and Public Services, Deloitte Consulting.