Citizens Weigh In on Digital Government Interactions

A busy business professional stands on a corner with an arm stretched out, trying to catch a taxi. Once a routine occurrence, it's now suddenly a quaint, odd-looking ritual. Technology changes our behavior faster than we can process, and with it comes a new set of rules for how we interact with each other, businesses, and even the government.   

We are bringing on-demand, app-enabled expectations to the public sector, seeking a similarly customized and convenient experience. What does the rise of the “digital citizen” mean for the Federal Government? How do we compare our access to government services with those of commercial platforms? What technologies show the most promise for transforming our federal digital experience?

To help us answer these questions and more, we partnered with Ipsos, a leading global market and opinion research firm. We asked respondents how their experience with the Federal Government stacked up with commercial websites. We also wanted to know what more they wanted from their digital experience with the Federal Government.  

To find out, we launched a public survey in early February 2018 to 1,000 participants. They had a lot to say. Here’s what we learned: 

We expect to engage with the Federal Government online. More than three quarters of people who have recently accessed Federal Government information have obtained it online at a Federal Government website, an impressive 78 percent of respondents.

Relatively few survey respondents accessed information from the Federal Government in the past 12 months (26%), but those who did accessed it largely online through federal websites (78%). In terms of other ways to access federal information, these significantly trailed websites. For example, others accessed via mail (24%), email (21%), and phone (18%). This is a marked change from the late 1990s and early 2000s, when federal call centers were overwhelmed by customers, as illustrated by the 2002 Harvard Business Review Case Study of the IRS Transformation. With this shift to online engagement, federal leaders need to consider their website the digital front door to their agencies.

We want the same innovations on Federal websites that we see on commercial websites. We want to see federal websites provide support when needed, especially in the form of an online chat function.

We asked survey respondents to rank actions that the Federal Government could take now to improve their online experiences. Their top three responses? 

1. Make it easier to find information (56%)
2. Make support available if needed (46%)
3. Make it easier to complete all needs online (44%)

It’s clear we want to find relevant information when we want it and when we need it. When we can’t find something—we want help quickly. When asked to rank how help was best provided—online chat support was a top choice (48%), followed by phone (30%) and e-mail (16%). Respondents expected a curated digital experience akin to what they experience on commercial sites.

We are optimistic about the future of federal websites. Over half of respondents are optimistic that federal digital experiences will be improved.

While survey respondents noted lots of opportunities for improvement (we’ll be writing more articles on these recommendations soon), they're optimistic about the prospect of improving the federal digital experience. More than half of respondents, a full 56 percent, were somewhat or very optimistic that the federal digital experience can be improved—good news for federal leaders tackling the challenge. Only a small proportion were pessimistic about improving the experience (15%).  

With these findings in hand, we brought together Booz Allen’s experts to offer recommendations for federal technologists, web designers, and strategists. As we envisioned what’s next for the federal digital experience, we identified three top recommendations:  

1. Build Digital Experiences with a Citizen-First Approach: Today’s federal web users are accustomed to websites with responsive design, logical navigation, and self-service features. Federal technology leaders should build digital experiences with these common commercial site experiences in mind—using industry best practices that make federal engagement easier for users.
   
   
2. Think Beyond the Agency Construct: Too often, federal websites are based on internal organizational logic, requiring users to understand not only the overall federal bureaucracy, but in some cases, individual offices. It makes sense to the federal leaders who build the sites, but the average user sees a maze of acronyms and vaguely worded programs. Building digital experiences that encompass a more holistic, services-driven approach based on user needs is key. Put the customer first. A good model is Benefits.gov—administered by the Department of Labor—with connections across the Federal Government.
   
   
3. Optimize the Overall Customer Experience: While the survey focused primarily on how we access information through websites, that’s just one way we engage with government services. Websites should be part of an overall citizen services approach that engages customers where they are—whether that’s a social media platform, call center, or facility. Several agencies have been pioneering new forms of engagement—like the Transportation Security Agency’s customer education-focused (and hilarious) Instagram account or NASA scientists’ engagement on Reddit Ask Me Anything chats. These platforms offer agencies the opportunity to present their “brand” in a positive, focused light, building a more positive relationship with constituents.  

About our research partner Ipsos

Ipsos is a leading global independent market research company that is passionately curious about people, markets, brands, and society. They make our changing world easier and faster to navigate, and inspire clients to make smarter decisions. They deliver research with security, speed, simplicity, and substance. For more information, please visit www.ipsos.com.