Driving innovation in state and local government is no easy feat. Agencies often face tight budgets, bureaucratic hurdles, and risk-averse cultures that can stifle creativity and hinder progress. Yet, citizens expect faster, more efficient, and digitally accessible services, putting pressure on government entities to modernize. The COVID-19 pandemic further accelerated this need, as lockdowns and social distancing measures forced agencies to rapidly adopt digital service delivery models and find new ways to connect with citizens remotely. This highlighted the importance of agile and responsive government.
Despite these challenges, many local and state government entities are finding ways to improve services, streamline processes, and better serve their communities. Technology empowers these agencies to find creative solutions, often at lower costs than traditional approaches, and engage with citizens in new ways. It also plays a big role in driving innovation in many ways, from fostering inter-departmental collaboration to data-driven decision-making.
Enable better inter-departmental collaboration
Silos between departments is a common barrier to innovation in state and local government. Departments tend to operate independently with limited communication or collaboration. This fragmentation hinders the flow of information, creates redundant efforts, and slows down progress. For example, if the transportation department is planning a new public transit route but doesn’t collaborate with the urban planning department, the new route might not align with future development plans, leading to inefficiencies and wasted resources.
Integrated Plan Management (IPM) software, like AchieveIt, can break down these silos. It provides a centralized platform for all departments to access and share information and enables better coordination and alignment. Teams can work together on shared goals, track progress in real-time, and communicate updates and challenges easily. Transparency and collaboration allow for faster decision-making, more efficient problem-solving, and ultimately, a greater capacity for innovation.
A city government using IPM software to develop a new climate action plan can rope in all relevant departments easily — the sustainability office, the transportation department, the public works department, and the community development department. Each department can share data, align on goals, and track progress toward reducing emissions and improving sustainability.
Engage the public
Government decisions affect everyone, regardless of their social status or direct involvement in government. Fostering a culture of innovation requires actively soliciting and incorporating citizen input. When citizens can share their ideas, perspectives, and feedback, government agencies can tap into a wealth of knowledge and creativity. Aside from improving innovation, this approach also strengthens trust and collaboration between government entities and the public.
The demographic and cultural diversity of your constituents is a key ingredient to innovation. The public’s different lived experiences and realities can lead to ideas and solutions that might not have emerged from within the government itself. Taking these different perspectives into account helps agencies build initiatives that are more likely to hit common goals and address different needs.
Technology also facilitates communication and feedback collection from a variety of external stakeholders, such as community organizations, businesses, and citizens. This broader collaboration brings in diverse perspectives and fosters a more inclusive approach to innovation, leading to solutions that better address the needs of the community.
One way to harness citizen input is through journey maps which capture a community’s experience with specific services or policies. These maps convey valuable information to government officials, facilitating positive change and inspiring innovation. For example, journey maps could highlight pain points in accessing healthcare services and what can be done to remove these barriers.
Create R&D opportunities
Innovation often requires resources and expertise that government agencies may lack internally. Government entities should actively seek partnerships with external organizations, such as research institutions, universities, and nonprofits. These institutions can carry out cutting-edge research, possess specialized knowledge, and have access to alternative funding sources.
IPM software, like AchieveIt, can be crucial in facilitating and managing these R&D partnerships. IPM software enables government agencies and external partners to collaborate effectively on joint initiatives by providing a transparent and structured platform. The goal-tracking and reporting features of IPM software can be used to co-develop solutions, track progress, and measure outcomes.
A city government could partner with a local university to research and pilot a new smart traffic management system. Using IPM software, the city and university can collaboratively define project goals, track milestones, share data, and monitor progress toward developing and implementing the new system. The R&D initiative stays on track, resources are used effectively, and the partnership leads to measurable outcomes that benefit the community.
Streamline workflows
Many government entities still rely on manual and outdated systems such as spreadsheets or even paper-based solutions to manage their strategic initiatives. Employees spend extra hours on administrative tasks, such as data entry, report generation, and communication coordination, leaving little time for creative problem-solving, strategic thinking, or innovation.
Government entities looking to free up brain power for more innovative tasks are turning to IPM software to automate workflows and streamline key processes. These platforms automate tasks such as data collection, progress tracking, and report generation. For example, IPM software streamlines data collection and consolidates information, providing real-time insights that inform data-driven decision-making.
Facilitate a smoother modernization process
Adopting an IPM system is a significant step toward modernization and innovation in government — but it’s not the only step. Government entities can further enhance their operations by modernizing various aspects of their technology stacks. This might involve implementing new citizen relationship management (CRM) systems, migrating to cloud-based solutions, or adopting advanced data analytics platforms.
Technology modernization is a strategic initiative in itself and requires careful planning, execution, and monitoring. IPM software provides a centralized platform for managing all aspects of modernization projects, ensuring that these initiatives are aligned with strategic goals and deliver the expected benefits.
Government agencies often need to process various types of payments, such as taxes, fees, and fines. Modernizing the payment processing system can improve efficiency significantly, reducing errors, and enhancing citizen satisfaction. AchieveIt can be used to manage the implementation of a new payment processing system, track progress against milestones, coordinate tasks across different departments, and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as transaction volume and processing time.
Strategy execution software is shaping the future of government work
Technology is improving people’s lives across the board and government is no different. More government agencies are recognizing this and are turning to IPM tools like AchieveIt to improve their readiness for innovation as well as enhance other areas of their work. At AchieveIt, we’re helping numerous local and state government agencies to improve citizen services and maximize resource allocation.
To learn more about how strategy execution software makes government more efficient and effective, read “Future of Government Efficiency: The Role of Strategy Execution Software.”
