Digital Government
Social Security Administration Seeks to Solicit More Feedback from Customers
The agency is following White House guidance to improve customer service delivery, beginning with getting more input from actual customers.
Modernization
Lawmaker Wants Hard Details on Agencies’ Plans to Upgrade Legacy IT
Sen. Maggie Hassan gave 10 agencies until August 3 to answer six questions about their modernization plans—or lack thereof.
Ideas
COVID-19 Has Exposed the Need to Invest in Digital Infrastructure
Even before the increased demand caused by COVID-19, much of our digital infrastructure was so poorly designed as to be hostile to users.
Emerging Tech
TSA Wants Passenger Self-Screening that Looks Like Grocery Store Self-Checkout
The agency, in partnership with the Science and Technology Directorate, is planning a solicitation to streamline airport security without compromising safety.
Digital Government
Veterans Affairs' Focus on Experience Sees Increase in Veteran Trust
Trust among veterans has increased 5% in VA health care services since the department began measuring real-time feedback in 2017.
Ideas
Learning from New Jersey: Why Government Organizations Should Cut Ties with COBOL
COBOL is an aging programming language and its workforce is no different.
Modernization
GSA Suggests Using ‘Secret Shoppers’ to Evaluate Call Centers
The contact center within GSA’s Centers of Excellence offered a template for using mystery shoppers to measure performance.
Ideas
Improving Customer Experience in the Wake of COVID-19
During a crisis when it is most important to provide an experience that gives customers confidence in their government.
Ideas
3 Ways Technology Meets Empathy to Solve Overwhelmed Agency Phone Lines
Conversational technology can be an excellent way to deflect repetitive questions to AI that can act like a live FAQ around constantly changing information.
Digital Government
SBA Awards $5.5M Contract to Improve Response to Disasters
As the Small Business Administration responds to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s also implementing what it learned during its response to the 2017 hurricane season.
Modernization
Labor Wants Feedback on Checklist for Modernizing State Unemployment Systems
The federal agency seeks input on the mandatory guidance it released to help states prevent service disruptions as they update their technology.
Modernization
Accenture Federal Wins $96M Task Order to Modernize and Automate VA Services
Through human-centered design, federal employees and other users will weigh in on what works, along the way.
Artificial Intelligence
NGA Knows Its Challenges, Now It Needs the Tech to Address Them
The world is changing—from commercially available GEOINT to COVID-19—so the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency released a list of tech challenges the agency needs help to overcome.
Modernization
GSA Develops Human-Centered Design Buying Guide for Agencies
The buying guide assistance to federal agencies looking to improve their customer experience operations.
Ideas
What Federal IT Modernization Leaders Do Best
Modernization is not about just finding solutions that are more cost-efficient and more secure.
Artificial Intelligence
Critical Update: How the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Plans to Run ‘Better, Cheaper, Faster’ Tech
Chief Information Officer Jamie Holcombe and his team are stabilizing and modernizing IT to help meet growing demands in a changing marketplace.
Ideas
Ensuring Continuity with Your Internal Customers in a Virtual World
Focus on internal customers, even during a pandemic.
Modernization
COVID-19 Forces a New Approach to Public Health Communications
No one likes to wait for answers to questions regarding health issues, especially when there is a lot of uncertainty and conflicting information.
Digital Government
The Suite Life
Nextgov chats with federal executives about their role in agencies’ ever-growing C-suites.
Ideas