Bridging the Divide: How to Advance Digital Equity in Local Government
In an increasingly digital world, access to information and services online has become vital to modern governance. In fact, Pew Research estimates most Americans, about 97%, now own a cellphone and 95% use the internet regularly. This shows a growing trend towards a reliance on devices and the internet for everyday tasks, which includes interactions with government, but adoption often depends on income, education level, and age.
The Digital Divide: Challenges and Implications
Pew Research also shows 84% of African Americans own a smartphone and 68% have access to broadband at home while 91% of white Americans have a smartphone and 83% have broadband. In suburban areas, 86% have broadband access, but in rural America only 73% have broadband. In addition, 15% of Americans are smartphone-only users – meaning, they have a phone, but limited access to home broadband services.
Addressing the Digital Divide with NTIA’s Initiatives and Funding Programs
The prevalence of this digital divide poses a significant challenge for local government as it strives to provide equitable access to information and services for all residents. Smartphone access coupled with broadband access will both play a pivotal role in enhancing civic engagement long-term, including how residents stay informed about public policy, participate in the electoral process, and connect with government daily to access, understand, and request government services.
Bringing high-speed broadband internet to communities that exist in a digital desert is at the core of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Broadband USA program. Like all modern governments, NTIA understands the importance of reliable and affordable technology in creating equitable economies and opportunities for all parts of the country.
To meet that need, NTIA has established three grant programs that leverage the Digital Equity Act, providing $2.75 billion (about $8 per person in the US) to efforts centered on promoting digital equity and inclusion. They aim to ensure that all people and communities have the skills, technology, and capacity needed to reap the full benefits of our digital economy.
Promoting Digital Equity for Economic Growth and Community Engagement
By making digital equity a priority, local government can promote economic growth, public safety and emergency preparedness, civic engagement, and overall quality of life for all residents.
As of April 2024, all 50 states have digital equity plans sanctioned by the NTIA in place, reflecting a nationwide commitment to addressing digital disparities. Notably, Colorado has emerged as a pioneer in this endeavor, focusing on digital inclusion for various demographics, including low-income households, aging populations, and individuals with disabilities.
The opportunity exists for local governments to not only leverage the funds available to create improved technology infrastructure for their communities, but completely transform and modernize the way their residents interact with government.
Unlocking access for all
Digital services have provided a sea change in how people interact with common tasks. In an era where the point-and-click accessibility of Amazon-like experiences has reshaped the way people shop, find entertainment, or even socially interact with each other, government still lags behind in providing consistently positive digital experiences for their constituents.
Modernizing Government Services
Whether it be completing a permit application, paying fees, or even connecting with common city services, many local governments still rely on outdated technology and processes that can be seen as inconvenient for users compared to the low-stress, low-effort experiences they find in other areas of their digital daily life.
Connecting with Residents Through Multiple Channels
One way today’s digital government can leverage tools to address this critical issue is by connecting with residents through a variety of different channels. Whether it be a website, email, social media, or even through their smartphone, providing a variety of options to connect with government services will help residents more easily and conveniently meet their needs, improving both their relationship with local government and alleviating some of the stress that governments have with fulfilling service requests.
However, especially in areas not yet brought up to date by the digital transformations funded by the Digital Equity Act, governments should always look to maintain in-person services for those who don’t have access to a computer or smartphone. By offering multiple ways to connect, government can create seamless customer experiences for their communities that are based on need, fostering inclusion and ensuring no one is left behind.
Embracing Diversity and Inclusion
Residents expect digital options today, and community needs continue to evolve right along with technology. Government leaders must align their innovation strategies, which include a mix of reducing walk-in traffic and call-in volume, finding ways to better understand the needs of residents while saving time and offering online options, streamlining government processes, and eliminating technology risks.
Building Trust Through Empowerment
Innovation, however, requires more than bringing new technology to bear on existing problems. It asks community leaders and service providers to reconsider the processes in place, identify opportunities for efficiency, and build a mindset that takes a citizen-centered approach to services that is inclusive of the entire community.
Benefits of Digital Self-Service Experiences
Successful digital self-service experiences not only relieve government staff of the need to answer emails and telephone calls, but they also empower the individual user who feels encouraged by being able to complete their needs without further staff assistance. This kind of empowerment can build a stronger trust with government.
Innovation Strategies for Digital Equity
Innovation strategies focused on digital equity can help communities by:
- Connecting more users to digital experiences, increasing the likelihood that communities will receive critical updates and instructions in times of crisis, such as natural disasters or public health emergencies.
- Providing clear, human-centered processes that include access to relevant information and services to successfully meet user needs and bridge socioeconomic gaps in the community.
- Delivering timely and accurate information about government processes, including voter registration and election information, increasing engagement from the community, and building positive relationships.
- Creating focused hubs of relevant information to drive positive economic growth for small businesses.
An Imperative for Simplicity
At the local level, the struggle to locate relevant information or navigate complex service processes can erode residents’ trust in their government. Such challenges can deter residents from engaging with government and exacerbate existing access gaps. With public scrutiny on the rise and as the digital needs of residents continue to evolve, local government must deliver streamlined, equitable, and inclusive access to information and services.
Case study: Hartford’s digital transformation
Understanding the levels of digital experiences can also positively impact how residents interact with their local government’s online resources. For example, the city of Hartford, CT, found that their limited in-roads into digital services were not meeting the needs of their residents completely.
Static PDF forms gave the impression of interactivity but still required that users print the forms, manually fill them out, and then either mail them to the government office or deliver them in person. What might have originally been seen as a convenience was, in reality, another version of the same manual processes. In some ways, their digital experience may have created more frustrations.
By transforming their website, however, Hartford was able to implement interactive fillable PDFs and other online forms into their processes. The result was a significant increase in interactions from both businesses and residents on everything from public health issues to building permit applications to engagement with the mayor and city council.
Read Hartford’s digital transformation success story.
Meeting Residents’ Needs
Understanding that residents want to interact with their government from their preferred devices, local government can simplify the process and align with resident expectations while ensuring everyone in the community has readily available access to the information and services they need.
Finding The Tools That Meet Needs Now and in the Future
Granicus’ Service Cloud is purposefully designed to enhance accessibility to government information and services and encourage resident interaction with government using their device of choice in the time and place that is most convenient to them. The Service Cloud tools are designed to make government easy to understand for residents.
Benefits of Service Cloud
Governments can create websites and forms that are mobile-responsive and written in straightforward, plain language for those who predominantly interact with their cell phones. In addition, Service Cloud’s communication and sentiment tools help government better understand its residents and their evolving needs over time.
Helping local governments both large and small in their digital equity efforts is both the goal of the Digital Equity Act and Granicus’ suite of digital government solutions.
Explore Service Cloud
Connect with us to discover how Service Cloud can help local governments leverage their digital growth and improve user experiences.