A Customer-Centric Upgrade For California Government

A Customer-Centric Upgrade For California Government REPORT #229, October 2015 LITTLE HOOVER COMMISSION DEDICATED TO PROMOTING ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY IN CALIFORNIA STATE GOVERNMENT To Promote Economy and Efficiency Little Hoover Commission The Little Hoover Commission, formally known as the Milton Marks “Little Hoover” Commission on California State Government Pedro Nava* Organization and Economy, is an independent state oversight agency. Chairman Loren Kaye* By statute, the Commission is a bipartisan board composed of five Vice Chairman public members appointed by the governor, four public members David Beier † appointed by the Legislature, two senators and two assemblymembers. Anthony Cannella Senator In creating the Commission in 1962, the Legislature declared its p urpose: Jack Flanigan ...to secure assistance for the Governor and itself in promoting economy, Chad Mayes Assemblymember efficiency and improved services in the transaction of the public business in the various d epartments, agencies and instrumentalities of the executive Don Perata branch of the state government, and in making the operation of all state Sebastian Ridley-Thomas departments, agencies and instrumentalities, and all expenditures of Assemblymember public funds, more directly responsive to the wishes of the people as Richard Roth expressed by their elected representatives... Senator David A. Schwarz The Commission fulfills this charge by listening to the public, Jonathan Shapiro consulting with the experts and conferring with the wise. In the course of its investigations, the Commission typically empanels advisory Sumi Sousa committees, c onducts public hearings and visits government operations † Served as subcommittee chair in action. * Served on study subcommittee Former Commissioners Who Its conclusions are submitted to the Governor and the Legislature for Served During the Study their consideration. Recommendations often take the form of l egislation, Katcho Achadjian which the Commission supports through the legislative process. Assemblymember Commission Staff Carole D’Elia Executive Director Contacting the Commission Jim Wasserman All correspondence should be addressed to the Commission Office: Deputy Executive Director Little Hoover Commission Tamar Lazarus Project Manager 925 L Street, Suite 805, Sacramento, CA 95814 Ciana Gallardo (916) 445-2125 Research Analyst littlehoover@lhc.ca.gov Alexandra Ampudia Intern This report is available from the Commission’s website at www.lhc.ca.gov. Letter from the Chair Letter from the Chair October 22, 2015 The Honorable Kevin de León The Honorable Jean Fuller President pro Tempore of the Senate Senate Minority Leader and members of the Senate The Honorable Toni G. Atkins The Honorable Kristin Olsen Speaker of the Assembly Assembly Minority Leader and members of the Assembly Dear Governor and Members of the Legislature: Californians demand and deserve high-quality service. As home to Silicon Valley, California is synonymous worldwide with innovation. California companies have set the gold standard for customer service. But why when Californians interact with their government, is their experience so much different? Why can’t an aspiring business owner go to one website and fill out one form and open up shop? Why can’t Californians set up one account and have all pertinent information available across every department they deal with? Why can’t Californians, particularly those most vulnerable with the least amount of time to spare, use their smartphone to access services and then automatically enroll in a program – and not just one program, but every program for which they qualify? California state government has fallen behind, embarrassingly behind, on providing its customers – Californians – excellent experiences in their interactions with government. Cities and other states have taken a lead in making it a priority to provide services that are more user-friendly, easy to find, understand and get. It’s easy to say California is too big, it’s too hard. Yet the federal government seems to get it. And the United Kingdom, with an economy and a population larger than California, has streamlined its services and is looked to worldwide as a model. During the past year, the Commission has heard from other governments, from civic technologists, from user experience experts, from public servants and from Californians. We ask this question, what is holding us back? The Commission found technology is an important part of the solution. But it isn’t everything. It starts first with a customer-centric focus and a willingness to question the way things usually get done. It’s not just turning a paper form into an online document (though California can and should look for these efficiencies). It’s first asking do we really need all these questions, can the form be simplified and is it available in the multiple languages customers need? Moreover, what do our customers say would make it easier to access, and have we even asked for their input? The Commission believes California can excel at customer service. After all, we are civic servants - our job is to serve the public. We have the people, the skills and a can-do enthusiasm. Little Hoover Commission 1 A Customer-Centric Upgrade For California Government To this end, the Commission recommends a chief customer officer at the highest level of government, empowered and resourced to implement and be accountable for a statewide customer service strategy. Designated customer champions should permeate state government and lead customer-centric reforms across every program and service. To help make these changes happen, California should copy what President Obama has done at the federal level and establish and empower a small team to work quickly and differently. This small team will take a budget allocation, but a similar team in the federal government has already shown it can save millions, if not hundreds of millions of dollars, particularly in digital innovation. The payoff for taxpayers is well worth the upfront investment. California simply cannot afford business as usual. This report also includes a blueprint for cultivating a customer-centric culture across California state government. From empowering front-line public servants who already know what needs to be done, to unlocking and unleashing government data, and much more, these are recommendations that can and should be pursued immediately. We encourage you to think big and think bold, but start small, test, correct and repeat – always with the customer in mind. Technologists and designers, including those who are currently among the state’s public servants, are eager and ready to make changes that will improve the lives of millions of Californians. The Commission respectfully submits its recommendations and stands ready to assist. Pedro Nava Chair, Little Hoover Commission 2 www.lhc.ca.gov Contents Contents 5 Designing a Better State Government for Californians Creating Better Experiences to Address California’s Trust Deficit .......................................... 6 Adopting User Experience Lessons from the Private Sector and Others ............................... 6 The Commission’s Study Process ........................................................................................... 8 Recommendations for a Customer-Centric California Government ...................................... 9 12 The Customer Comes First: Improving the Government User Experience The Entrepreneurial Spirit of “Reinventing Government” ..................................................... 12 “Blow Up the Boxes:” California’s Reinventing Government Experience ............................... 14 Today’s Reinvention: Focus on the Customer ......................................................................... 15 Just Start! ............................................................................................................................... 19 21 Building a Government Worthy of the California “Brand” Harnessing Technology to Meet Modern Expectations ......................................................... 21 Advancing a Digital Government Strategy ............................................................................. 22 Case Study: Designing Digital Government in the United Kingdom ............................... 23 Case Study: A Technological “Insurgency” Within the Federal Government ................. 24 Case Study: Pioneering Digital Government in Utah ...................................................... 28 Reinvigorating California’s “Brand” as Innovator ................................................................... 30 33 Recommendations for a Customer-Centric California Government Recommendation 1: Designate and Empower Customer Champions ................................... 33 Recommendation 2: Empower a Small Team to Work Quickly, Differently .............................. 35 Recommendation 3: Cultivate a Customer-Centric Culture Across California State Government ....... 36 Reward a Customer-Service Culture ............................................................................... 36 Involve Public Servants ................................................................................................... 38 Research Customer Experiences for Continuous Improvement ..................................... 39 Provide Political Cover for Experimentation .................................................................. 41 Pilot Change to Test and Demonstrate the Value of Working Differently ....................... 42 Communicate Clearly ..................................................................................................... 43 Create Multiple Service Pathways .................................................................................. 43 Move Beyond Mobile Apps ............................................................................................ 44 Seek Opportunities for Organizational Improvement .................................................... 46 Unlock the Promise of Government Data ...................................................................... 47 Leverage Data Resources to Bring Services to Californians ............................................ 50 Bridge the Technology Industry and the Public Sector ................................................... 51 Little Hoover Commission 3 A Customer-Centric Upgrade For California Government Contents 53 Appendices Public Hearing Witnesses ....................................................................................................... 53 Advisory Committee Meeting Participants ............................................................................ 54 55 Notes 4 www.lhc.ca.gov Designing a Better State Government for Californians Designing a Better State Government For Californians Our daily experiences as consumers who shop online, Imagine if Californians had one personalized log-in track a flight from a desktop, hail a ride home with account to manage all their business with the state – a mobile app or rate restaurant service on social media from updating address information and voter registration are teaching us that government, too, could be so to paying taxes and applying for and managing benefits. convenient. And they could do it all from a mobile device while taking the bus to soccer practice or at home after putting their It’s easy to imagine the possibilities for state government children to bed for the night. by the time Governor Brown leaves office at the end of 2018. What if leaders and agency heads were challenged Imagine, too, if California made it easy for new to provide Californians the same fast and convenient businesses to establish roots in the state, and simple for services and interactions they’re accustomed to in the existing establishments to conduct their business with rest of their lives? It’s hardly unrealistic. Increasingly, government. Imagine if Californians could file all of the California cities and counties, the federal government, necessary paperwork to start and run a business online, other states and nations are already at the forefront. in one place, in a matter of minutes. Done. Imagine if California made it a priority – the number one People often say California’s problems are too big to solve priority – to improve its services to the public, especially in any meaningful way, that the state is too large, with for those most vulnerable Californians with the least too many rules that make change too difficult. This line amount of free time to spare navigating the bureaucracy. of thinking serves to maintain the status quo and shy away from bold reform with the excuse: “It just won’t Imagine if after qualifying for one benefit program from work here.” the state, applicants are given the option to “opt-in” to the other programs for which they qualify. No extra But, technology has the power to change this paradigm. paperwork, just consent and they can immediately enroll. In the digital age, reform is introduced successively For the low-income workers, the single parents juggling through small, discrete changes that make incremental multiple jobs, the families struggling to make ends meet, improvements to products or processes. And those this could mean time spent working rather than waiting proven usable easily can be adapted and reintroduced unpaid in a government line. elsewhere. And, imagine if Californians could sign up to receive text Some forward-thinking government organizations – from alerts or phone calls to let them know when their car the federal government to cities across the country – registration renewal is due (and another that it’s been have shown these previously unimaginable reforms are received). possible. By paying attention to the needs, expectations, abilities and preferences of customers, and adopting And rather than spending time on hold or in lines to track modern technologies in innovative ways, government down important information, imagine if Californians services can be delivered better, more efficiently and could ask a question of government well beyond regular more responsively, in turn improving confidence and trust office hours. Moreover, what if they could expect to get in government’s ability to function. And these results a quick response to their question or the status of their can be achieved in a relatively short time with minimal request? investments. Little Hoover Commission 5 A Customer-Centric Upgrade For California Government With a population of 38 million and growing, California is The Obama Administration is betting it will and has so big that the potential impact of any such digital reform created new digital service teams to modernize the is itself nearly unimaginable. And, yet, it is not. As others federal government. In a July 2015 interview with Fast have done, California too must embrace this new way Company Magazine, President Obama said he hopes the of thinking about government programs and services teams will build “a culture of service” that transforms that puts the end users – customers – up front and start the federal government’s relationship to citizens by creating better experiences for millions of Californians. improving and modernizing service delivery and helping government to be more efficient.5 And the Commission agrees. The Commission’s study is Creating Better Experiences to Address based on the premise that by engaging with the public in California’s Trust Deficit a way that makes sense in the 21st Century and improving each Californian’s cumulative experiences interacting Californians have, and have had for some time, little with government, the state can rebuild public confidence trust in their state government to perform well or do in government’s ability to perform and ultimately what is right. Research from the Public Policy Institute encourage greater trust in its institutions. of California (PPIC) demonstrates that most Californians believe state government is run by a few special interests looking out for their own benefit, rather than that of the people, and worse, that government is run inefficiently, Adopting User Experience Lessons from the wasting taxpayers’ dollars.1 In fact, a 2015 statewide Private Sector and Others survey found that two-thirds of respondents said state This concept of creating trust through a better “user government can be trusted to do what is right only experience” is not new. In the private sector, companies some of the time or never. Since August 2002, PPIC’s compete to build and maintain their customer base. The statewide surveys reflect consistent findings with more most successful are adopting new technologies to provide than 60 percent of Californians expressing a high distrust services that are fast, convenient, easy to understand and in state government’s effectiveness, responsiveness and personalized. Southwest Airlines offers pre-flight check-in efficiency.2 and mobile boarding passes. Grocery store chains send Steady reminders in the press about government’s personalized promotions to customers’ smart phones; failures perpetuate distrust and a sense that government some offer home delivery services. Amazon offers its cannot function well, and reinforce low expectations for Prime members free, two-day shipping on nearly any service. For example, a December 2014, story in The product sold. Doctors and dentists send texts and emails San Francisco Chronicle described difficulties that many to remind patients about upcoming appointments. And California families who qualify for the state’s food stamp banks are continually making it easier for customers program, CalFresh, have when attempting to enroll.3 A to manage their accounts remotely. This level of January 2015 story in The Sacramento Bee reported service has, in a sense, reset the bar so that consumers discrepancies in Covered California’s enrollment system more often expect to receive services with ease and resulting in confusing, multiple and inaccurate healthcare convenience. eligibility and coverage notices to consumers. And a While the pace of change in our larger society is fast June 2015 story in The Sacramento Bee described how and growing rapidly, government often is reluctant to the state’s Medi-Cal complaint line rejected up to 45,000 embrace it and defaults to maintaining the status quo. calls a month and of the calls that got through, staffers Government has no profit motive to spur innovation and answered half or less.4 no internal demand for process improvement. And when But consider: If you continuously received excellent change is embraced, initiatives are often incremental service from government, would that inspire greater and slow to roll out. As the private sector continues confidence in government’s ability to perform? to outpace government in delivering services when 6 www.lhc.ca.gov Designing a Better State Government for Californians and where people want them, the gap between the Governments around the world are learning from the expectations for speed, ease and quality of private and business sector and leveraging technology to improve public services will continually grow and become more how they deliver information and services. They are frustrating to those who interact with government. adopting new concepts, called “customer experience” or “user experience,” that put the government customer at “We hold private sector companies accountable by voting the center of all decision-making. These ideas are about with our feet and our dollars,” Cyd Harrell, senior director understanding and improving a customer’s journey to get of product with Code for America, told Commission staff. the services they need – a far bigger vision than asking But, she said, “We can’t go and interact with another how quickly they got their phone call returned. They government.”6 (Nonprofit Code for America partners ask their customers: “How was your experience getting with governments to improve use of technology and what you needed, from start to finish?” And they use design, and make services simpler and easier to use). the feedback to change program processes or policies to make services more convenient and share information Unlike private services they might receive, Californians that is readable and easy-to-find. can’t choose a different provider if a government agency is inconvenient, slow, confusing or overly The expectation is high: There’s little reason signing up complicated. To get a driver’s license, Californians must for government services can’t be as easy as shopping deal with the Department of Motor Vehicles. To receive online or getting individualized help from government unemployment insurance benefits, Californians must go can’t be as easy as walking into any successful retail store. to the Employment Development Department. To visit a friend or family member in prison, Californians must first receive approval from the Department of Corrections and “The challenge with government is that Rehabilitation. To pay state taxes, Californians must file selling simple is hard. Government needs to with the Franchise Tax Board. And to start a business, understand the value of simplicity.” California’s entrepreneurs must interact with several Participant at Little Hoover Commission state (and local) government entities, including the Advisory Meeting7 Franchise Tax Board, Board of Equalization, Employment Development Department and sometimes the Secretary of State. There are no alternatives. For these services, The Commission believes California state government Californians are, for all intents and purposes, captured can live up to this expectation. To do so, it is imperative customers. for California to modernize and think differently about how it can use technology to provide more competent All of these direct interactions provide opportunities and efficient services. Often people say California state for the state to rethink how to make them more government is too big and unwieldy to fix. But if other convenient and efficient and help improve Californians’ governments, including the federal government and the attitudes toward state government. The Commission United Kingdom, can reorient service delivery around believes a responsible government should respect the wants and needs of customers, so can California. the public’s means, abilities and time. It should make Positive work is already underway in California and will customer experiences easier and more accessible for all be discussed in the following chapters. But much more is Californians, but particularly for the state’s economically possible given the state’s powerful advantages. As home vulnerable populations that most need to be protected to Silicon Valley, California more than any other state, is by the state’s safety net and can least afford to spend primed to tap innovators to be a part of this change. And time trying to overcome access barriers. A focus on to the extent California succeeds, its accomplishments improving services for this population inevitably will can spur other public sector agencies to offer higher- improve experiences for all. quality government interactions. Little Hoover Commission 7 A Customer-Centric Upgrade For California Government The Commission’s Study Process for its review, the California Department of Parks and Recreation, a leading high-touch state system with an The Commission began this study with a public hearing estimated 75.5 million annual visitors.9 Additionally, in January 2015 to introduce the problem – namely, the Commission identified two programs that served that Californians generally have a strong and prolonged much smaller segments of the population, but were of sense of distrust in state government’s ability to great importance to those served – the Department of perform. In January, the Commission heard about Public Health’s vital records program and the California 1990s and subsequent efforts to “reinvent government” Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s inmate nationally and in particular, to improve service delivery visitation program. The Commission also heard from the at the federal level. The Commission also learned California Health and Human Services Agency about its how technology is empowering a new generation of open data portal. government officials to take up the “reinventing” mantle – becoming more customer-centric by incorporating user- The Commission’s study process included an advisory experience principles. committee meeting with key stakeholders – both inside and outside government – at the Code for America At its second hearing, in March 2015, the Commission headquarters in San Francisco on July 16, 2015. heard about some of the creative ways two other states – Participants and Commissioners discussed strategies to Maryland and Utah – use technology to improve the way improve state service delivery, expand its portfolio of they govern, as well as communicate and deliver services digital services and better communicate information to to their customers. The Commission also heard from meet Californians’ needs and expectations. labor representatives on ways to engage state employees in the process of improving operations and service Public hearing witnesses and advisory committee delivery. Additionally, the Commission conducted a meeting participants are listed in the appendices. review to identify top state departments whose programs During this study, Commission staff received valuable are both “high-touch,” meaning they interact with a great input through interviews, meetings and discussions number of Californians, and “high-impact,” meaning their with countless other researchers, civic technologists, programs greatly affect the daily lives of those they serve. current and former federal and state public servants, and The Commission excluded from its review high-touch/ representatives from organizations who are bridging the high-impact programs, such as Medi-Cal, that, though gap between the worlds of public policy and technology. administered by the state, are primarily managed by counties. As a result of this research, the Commission Commissioners and staff benefited from interviews with invited two departments, both of which annually interact key elected officials and senior staff of the Secretary of with millions of Californians, to participate in its second State, State Controller, State Treasurer and Lieutenant hearing: the Franchise Tax Board, which processes over Governor to better understand current efforts to improve 17 million personal income tax returns and 1.7 million Californians’ experiences with government. Additionally, business returns annually, and the Department of Motor a July 2015 meeting with representatives from two of Vehicles, which has registered approximately 33 million the federal government’s new digital services teams, vehicles in the state and licensed more than 24 million 18F and the U.S. Digital Service, helped the Commission drivers.8 Both departments highlighted the innovative learn about the federal government’s efforts to develop ways they are serving their customers. and deploy digital services to better serve the American public. The Commission’s third and final hearing, in May 2015, provided an opportunity to demonstrate how the state Though the Commission greatly benefited from the might begin to put into practice customer experience contributions of all who shared their expertise, the principles and the types of questions state departments findings and recommendations in this report are the might consider when redesigning programs and services Commission’s own. to benefit the end user. The Commission selected 8 www.lhc.ca.gov Designing a Better State Government for Californians The Commission, as a state government organization, Recommendation 1: Designate and Empower also looked for opportunities to apply lessons it learned Customer Champions. California needs a designated internally. For the first time, Commission staff surveyed leader both empowered and resourced to implement and met with two groups of college students interning and be accountable for a statewide customer service in and around the Capitol as part of the study process. strategy. Also, designated customer services champions Their perspectives offered critical insight to some of the throughout the state’s agencies and departments should expectations of the state’s next generation of leaders. The lead customer-centric reforms. Commission also began using Twitter as a way to share its work with the public (@CALittleHoover) and currently is exploring options to improve the design and information The Governor and Legislature should designate architecture of its website as well as how it publishes its the Secretary of the Government Operations reports. While these are incremental steps toward better Agency as the California Chief Customer Officer, serving our customers, the Commission is committed to responsible for overseeing implementation continuously identifying new areas of improvement. of a statewide customer-centric strategy and ensure that the secretary is both empowered and resourced to drive change. Specifically, the Governor and Legislature must provide a budget Recommendations for a Customer-Centric allocation to enable the Government Operations California Government Agency to lead the state’s customer service strategy. The chapters that follow detail more fully these valuable insights provided by experts and lessons learned from As the California Chief Customer Officer, the other governments. Two themes emerge: The power Secretary of the Government Operations Agency of a customer-centric orientation to meet customer should be accountable for overseeing customer- needs and a focus on delivering services most efficiently centric strategies across the state’s departments and conveniently, often drawing on the best available and agencies. Additionally, the secretary should technology. In theory, the approach is relatively simple, work with oversight agencies to develop strategies but it requires persistence, skill in practice, and above all, to build additional “checks” into processes committed leadership. common across state government to ensure that agencies have considered their customers’ The Commission recognizes that without a champion, needs. For example, every time the Department any comprehensive effort to reform the state’s culture of Finance reviews a budget change proposal or will most likely go the way of other well-intended the Department of Technology reviews a new transformation efforts: nowhere. Consequently, the most technology project, analysts should consider critical of the report’s recommendations are those to whether and how the proposal will create a better customer experience. create leadership to drive customer-centric change. Additionally, the Commission offers a blueprint of strategies Additionally, the Governor and Legislature should direct each of California’s agencies and to guide top policymakers, whose buy-in and support is departments to designate a senior leader to serve essential, as well as managers, leaders and the public as chief customer officer. This officer will represent servants who work on the front lines of government the interests of the organization’s customers, programs. Ideally, the new customer service champions oversee the organization’s customer service would oversee implementation of these strategies across strategy and coordinate cross-agency efforts state government. However, these strategies are not with colleagues. In large organizations, the chief dependent on new roles being created. The blueprint offers customer officer could be supported by various practical, specific examples of how to make California state designated employees in senior program positions. government the innovative, user-friendly entity it can and should be. Little Hoover Commission 9 A Customer-Centric Upgrade For California Government Recommendation 2: Empower a Small Team Recommendation 3: Cultivate a Customer- to Work Quickly, Differently. The state should centric Culture Across California State establish an in-house digital services team to recruit Government. California’s agencies and departments top innovators into state service and make Sacramento can and must focus on what their customers need and an attractive environment for creative technologists, devise strategies to deliver on those needs. Although engineers and designers to engage in public service. ideally policymakers should establish champions Given room to unleash their talent, these hires will work to drive customer-centric change, as indicated in with customer service champions to help agencies and Recommendation 1, there is no reason for agencies and departments redesign processes, encourage innovation departments to delay using the strategies included in and use technology creatively to improve customer the blueprint below and nothing to stop leaders from service. encouraging public servants to vigorously and relentlessly pursue a customer-centric orientation, whatever their responsibilities within the organization. Agencies and departments should immediately adopt the following customer-centric strategies into their operations: The Governor and Legislature should create within the Government Operations Agency a Reward a customer-service culture. California digital services team to recruit top technologists, agencies and departments must make improving engineers and designers into public service for their customer experiences a strategic goal, develop the state. Such talent could help build a stronger measurable strategies to monitor progress and be customer-centric culture within California rewarded when successful. government and help existing public servants remove roadblocks that have long stood in the Involve public servants. California’s public servants way of creative reform. should feel empowered to share ideas and suggestions about ways to improve processes inside their The new digital services team should coordinate organizations, provide better customer service and with chief customer officers to identify a priority communicate more effectively to their customers. list of projects to improve program efficiency Research customer experiences for continuous and customer experience. The team should improvement. Californians should be asked regularly work with partners outside of government to about their experiences interacting with state agencies offer fellowship opportunities that would attract and departments and included in conversations about those with limited time to work on shorter- improving experiences – from start to finish. In turn, term projects, but also create an office out of California’s agencies and departments should use this which those with longer-term aspirations could information to refine how they deliver services and operate. The agency should grant the team the ensure those services are accessible, convenient, easy to flexibility to approach their work using human- use and ultimately meet their customers’ needs. centered designed techniques that allow for experimentation through small pilot projects. Provide political cover for experimentation. State leaders should support the new customer service champions and digital services team, granting them authority to work around traditional barriers to fast-track customer service improvements. 10 www.lhc.ca.gov Designing a Better State Government for Californians Pilot change to test and demonstrate the value Leverage data resources to bring services to of working differently. To overcome a traditionally Californians. Californians seeking government cautious, risk-averse culture, state agencies and information or assistance might not know which departments should identify small, meaningful projects department or program is responsible for what they to test and demonstrate the value of customer-centric need, but they probably know how to do a general reforms and generate enthusiasm for working differently. online search. Because of this, state government leaders should make sure data is available in formats that can Communicate clearly. All information from California’s be leveraged by others to get information to Californians agencies and departments should be communicated in where they already go to seek it. plain, straightforward language and shared in ways that make it easy for Californians to find and understand. Bridge the technology industry and the public sector. California should connect the state’s technology Create multiple service pathways. Californians should sector with state government leaders and welcome be able to access state government services in ways most innovators to help address some of the state’s most comfortable and convenient for their individual needs pressing challenges. and abilities. Move beyond mobile apps. In designing digital services, agencies and departments should offer maximum options for Californians to conveniently access government services – whatever the platform they choose to use. Seek opportunities for organizational improvement. Because a good customer experience is dependent on a well-functioning, modern organization, California must break its reliance on outmoded technology and processes that prevent it from meeting public expectations for high- quality, on-demand services. Unlock the promise of government data. The state should continue to pursue an open data strategy, taking steps to make government data available for those in government, as well as outsiders to use. Doing so will allow the state to better manage its programs, inform policy and resource decisions, improve transparency and create new products and tools for the public’s good. Little Hoover Commission 11 A Customer-Centric Upgrade For California Government The Customer Comes First Improving the Government User Experience People who interact with their governments universally will show how others are modernizing their connections want them to become simpler, faster and easier to to customers and lay out a vision for California state navigate. A 2014 multi-state survey about satisfaction government to give its customers a better experience. with state services revealed widespread citizen frustrations with “the complexity of processes, the slow speed of service, and the effort required to navigate The Entrepreneurial Spirit of “Reinventing through processes.” Government compares poorly to the Government” rest of their consumer experiences, lagging badly with low levels of customer satisfaction.10 For decades, public administrators have experimented with strategies to improve the bureaucracy, create new California state government suffers equally from this and better forms of governance and fight the public’s perception – that it is slow, needlessly complex and general cynicism that its public sector always settles behind technologically – even as California revels in for “good enough.” In the early 1990s, David Osborne a history of ceaseless reinvention to become better and Ted Gaebler’s Reinventing Government: How the and more efficient. Perhaps no state government Entrepreneurial Spirit is Transforming the Public Sector, has an opportunity so rich to match the best of its both captured and reenergized that call for reform. The entrepreneurs. To the extent that state government book, which showcased work by creative public sector once again reinvents itself – this time by delivering its entrepreneurs who were trying hard to make government thousands of everyday services in ways that Californians more effective, popularized the term “reinventing want them – it can go far to improve its reputation and government.” Public sector leaders across the country close the state’s trust deficit. aspired to introduce reforms aligned with the book’s vision of a responsive, decentralized and entrepreneurial California hardly has to go it alone in this endeavor. government. Already, it can adopt practices from the best of the best – from some of its own leading-edge state departments, President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore visibly from innovative local governments and other states caught the spirit, introducing the National Partnership showing the way. The federal government, too, is for Reinventing Government, originally the National leaping ahead in service delivery, learning from national Performance Review, to reform the federal government. government advances around the globe. This chapter The guiding principles: put people first, save taxpayer Defining California’s Customers Customers of California state government include both citizens and visitors to the state. They are the 17 million individuals and 1.7 million businesses who file taxes with the state.11 The 25 million licensed drivers who commute on the state’s roads and highways.12 They are the 75.5 million visitors who spend leisure time in one of California’s state parks13. They too are the 2.8 million professionals who are licensed or certified to practice in the state,14 as well as the three million who in hard times go to the state seeking help finding a job or to apply for unemployment and disability benefits.15 They are the 4.4 million who receive food assistance.16 And, they are the 24 million eligible to vote as well as the 17.7 million who are already registered.17 12 www.lhc.ca.gov The Customer Comes First: Improving the Government User Experience dollars, be visionary and innovative, be accountable and efficient, and be performance driven.18 Bob Stone, former project director of the National “…we tried to listen not just to administrators Performance Review, told Commissioners there was a and legislators but to line employees and formula for success during the performance reviews. He the people who are the beneficiaries — or at said the “magic touch” was to pair the front-line staff, the times victims — of what a particular agency or people who know what’s wrong and how to fix it, with program does.” the organization’s leadership, the people who are willing Billy C. Hamilton, former deputy, to listen and who have the power to change things.19 National Performance Review22 Lessons from those reforms still resonate today – put customers first, cut red tape and empower public servants to get results, and create space for paper Form 1040 to the right name at the right address experimentation. A closer look at these concepts: with a letter notifying the taxpayer of the filing deadline. But through customer satisfaction surveys, the agency Put customers first. Evaluating programs from the learned that “never talking to the IRS was the most ground up, starting with the customer or client desirable outcome” for its customers, he explained. After experience, and working up to larger issues like instituting a system for electronic filing, the agency’s policymaking, was a basic tenet of the performance customer satisfaction numbers improved.24 reviews, Mr. Stone’s colleague, Billy Hamilton, who also was involved in reinventing efforts in Texas and California, Cut red tape and empower public servants to get results. told Commissioners in January 2015. “We were not The performance reviewers also created customer interested first and foremost in making the job easier service task forces at various agencies to bring together for the government, but instead in making the service or public servants from the front lines with mid-level responsibility as easy and straightforward as possible for managers and executives to review customer complaints, the people being served.”20 interview experts and employees and taxpayers and develop recommendations for change. Mr. Stone told Mr. Hamilton described a variety of listening tools that Commissioners the IRS’ customer service task force performance reviewers used to collect data about a produced a 65-page report with recommendations customer’s experience. Beyond interviews, observation, ranging from simplifying forms to improving telephone focus groups and short surveys, the reviewers used service to helping small businesses to radically “mystery shoppers” who sought help from an agency, reorganizing the agency.25 then evaluated the response, and monitored calls to identify trends in questions and to insure the quality of “Line employees have to live with the consequences of service. Regardless of the data collection tools, he said, our bad decisions,” Mr. Hamilton told Commissioners, the results were evaluated and followed up on.21 “and once we started a flow of communication [with agency employees], we were able to identify ‘hot spots’ In one example of successful “reinvention,” the Internal and then determine if there were ways to address them.”26 Revenue Service (IRS) modernized some of its processes based on customer feedback.23 In the early 1990s, while Create space for experimentation. “Another way businesses started to move toward online transactions, we applied the magic touch was to designate certain many government services were still conducted in person organizational elements as special, where workers and or on paper. Former director of the National Partnership managers were allowed to do their work their own way, for Reinventing Government Morley Winograd told with the promise that top headquarters would waive Commission staff that at the time, the IRS believed it had rules or otherwise remove impediments,” Mr. Stone told done a good job if, by January 2, it had delivered the the Commission. “The model installation program at Little Hoover Commission 13 A Customer-Centric Upgrade For California Government [the Department of] Defense and reinvention labs under Improving customer service became a central theme of NPR unleashed the enthusiasm of workers and managers the CPR. Reviewers found a number of critical issues: while showing top management what rules needed to be The state lacked statewide customer service standards, changed for everyone.”27 and customer service took a backseat to other issues facing the state. Services were not readily accessible The “reinventing” project spurred numerous laws and because the state didn’t employ modern technologies. presidential orders aimed at streamlining government Programs were designed for the convenience of operations, making the federal bureaucracy more government, from a bureaucratic perspective, rather responsive to citizens and less stifling to workers. By than for the convenience of Californians from a consumer 2000, the effort had trimmed 426,000 federal jobs, perspective. And finally, the state did a poor job of eliminated 640,000 pages of internal regulations and collaborating with local partners. saved more than $136 billion.28 It also made smaller, common-sense improvements, such as inviting citizens Reviewers recommended customer-centric reforms – to use the Internet to buy stamps, look up census data or many which echoed over the course of this study and apply for a patent.29 remain relevant today: • “Give customers of state government a voice “When our reinvention effort began…these kinds of – and a choice. Set standards and listen to the obvious, common-sense practices weren’t in place people who use our services. and now, in many cases, they are,” then-Vice President Al Gore told an Associated Press reporter in 2000. • “Make access easier for Californians. Providing “Common sense can be quite uncommon.”30 better access starts with improving our services and particularly our use of modern technology. • “Focus on what the customer needs, not what the “Blow Up the Boxes:” California’s government needs. Think in terms of the main Reinventing Government Experience places people come in contact with government and do our best to improve the experience. When California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger gave • “Work with local government. To succeed, the his first State of the State address in January 2004, he state must forge a close relationship with local said the state could no longer afford waste and fraud in government in California. Communication is the any department or agency, and made a now famous call place to begin this process.”35 for bold reform: “Every governor proposes moving boxes around to reorganize government,” he said. “I don’t The CPR process brought new thinking into the state want to move the boxes around. I want to blow them and generated thousands of great ideas. Unfortunately, up.” He promised a total review of state government implementation strategies – developed at the highest and its performance, practices and cost and pledged level of government – stalled in attempts to introduce too to reorganize, consolidate, abolish or modernize as much at once and ultimately failed to bring about large- appropriate.33 To complete the task, he created the scale reform. Followed by the Great Recession, focus California Performance Review (CPR), modeled after shifted to more pressing matters and left many of these the Texas and federal performance review programs. great ideas gathering dust on government bookshelves. The effort brought in 285 civil servants from across the state’s agencies who were knowledgeable about the “People look to California for innovation,” Billy Hamilton, state’s problems and had ideas to fix them. After nine one of the leaders of the CPR, told Commission staff. months of work, they produced a massive yellow-covered “You have the table set because we have gone through report that identified over 1,200 recommendations and this period [of reinventing government] and now, to some incorporated feedback from 10,000 Californians. Authors degree, we’ve lost the way. We’ve dealt with the Great estimated the CPR would save the state $32 billion over Recession and the state is set now to refocus on customer five years if its reforms were implemented.34 service.”36 14 www.lhc.ca.gov The Customer Comes First: Improving the Government User Experience Today’s Reinvention: Focus on the Customer told Commissioners. “It would be very unusual for a consumer-facing company not to consider it a key As the nation’s economy continues to recover from the component of product or service development,” she Great Recession, and more digital tools become available said.39 Yet only a few government organizations have to improve government operations and services, more adopted the practices. reformers are calling for a new round of customer- focused government reinvention. Government should again find new, more efficient and effective ways to deliver services, solve problems for people and create a Opportunities Abound For Improved positive impact on society.37 Customer Experiences Research from the McKinsey Center for Government Improving the customer experience across the suggests that governments face common obstacles in state’s programs and services, from the critical to meeting rising public expectations for better, faster, the nice-to-have, could be a powerful force for simple service: improving trust. Opportunities abound throughout • Government agencies tend to focus on individual the state, but the Commission has highlighted “touchpoints” in their interactions with the throughout the report several specific services that public, rather than the beginning-to-end could made simpler and easier for customers: “journey” through a process. • Many government leaders lack data-driven insights about customer satisfaction. They do not know the specific services that dissatisfy customers, the extent of their dissatisfaction or Ordering Vital Records the factors driving it. Nor do they know what is working well and how to replicate that across agencies. How it’s done today: Most Californians seeking certified birth, • Designing new programs or adapting current death, marriage and divorce records go practices can be difficult for governments to a county clerk or recorder’s office – or that traditionally measure success in meeting order records online in 45 of California’s budgets, complying with regulations and tallying 58 counties.31 Those in counties without the number of customers served, rather than the online options or lacking transportation to customers’ experiences.38 their county seat must order records from Yet governments around the globe are finding ways to the California Department of Public Health, overcome these obstacles. They are looking for ways to which offers no online ordering options. The improve on what is already done, adapt proven ideas to state requires a paper application with an new contexts and develop entirely new solutions. ink signature accompanied by a notarized statement. The process is lengthy and accepts Some of the most forward-thinking governments are only checks and money orders.32 adopting practices common in the private sector to make a customer’s needs a focal point. Since the late An easier way: 1990s, private-sector companies have refined a set of The state moves the process online, evaluates “service design” tools to help them offer customers a whether a notary check is really necessary consistent positive experience across multiple channels and takes electronic signatures and online of interaction – online, over the phone, in person payments. and via social media, Cyd Harrell of Code for America Little Hoover Commission 15 A Customer-Centric Upgrade For California Government FRANCE Tailoring Services to Life’s Predictable Events. Around the World of Public servants in France use Customer-Centric Solutions customer “journey maps” to better understand how their Throughout the world, governments are looking customers receive government services. for ways to provide better public services, increase Staffers identify life events, customer needs transparency and build trust. The following are and expectations during the journeys, and examples of various customer-centric approaches develop scenarios that create satisfaction that national governments have taken to design services around user needs and expectations. or dissatisfaction with corresponding government services.40 ESTONIA Voting Through Your Phone. Estonians don’t take time off work UNITED KINGDOM or travel to a polling station. Instead, Everything on One Website. British they cast their votes from home, on citizens can access almost all government their mobile phones or even while services through one streamlined Web traveling abroad. Estonia introduced portal, GOV.UK.42 To add a government its Internet voting system in 2005 service to the portal, agencies must meet 18 with mechanisms to protect voter standardized digital service criteria that emphasize identity, ensure voter integrity and plain language, ease of use and a plan for how to prevent voter fraud.41 respond should the service be temporarily taken offline. NEW ZEALAND & AUSTRALIA One-Stop Government Services. The New Zealand Government Office provides a one-stop shop where people can go for all government services.43 Customers can use self-serve kiosks or get face-to-face help from public servants. Similarly, Australian Mobile Service Center vans travel regularly to remote areas to provide rural Australians access to government services.44 16 www.lhc.ca.gov The Customer Comes First: Improving the Government User Experience NEW ZEALAND & AUSTRALIA One Number For All Your Business Needs. New Zealand and Australia each created go-to government portals for businesses, providing advice on starting a business or hiring employees, tips on financial reporting and guidance on intellectual property protection.45 Both governments also created unique UNITED KINGDOM 13-digit business numbers to serve as the sole identifier Cutting Red Tape. The UK, through its an individual business uses to interact with government Cutting Red Tape program, asks companies in agencies and more easily share information across all key business sectors to identify burdensome government agencies.46 regulations and bureaucratic barriers to productivity and growth.49 Businesses offer comments on the Cutting Red Tape website, in emails or on Twitter. Through crowdsourcing, the government can quickly learn what is important to customers and act on their feedback to keep rules and NEW ZEALAND & AUSTRALIA regulations current with technology and digital capabilities. MyGovernment. With a single username and password, Australians can access their myGov account, which functions like a single inbox for government messages. It also provides a quick way to update personal information across agencies.47 New Zealand offers a similar application called RealMe.48 ESTONIA Digital Citizen Identifiers. Rather than identifying Estonians through a social security number, taxpayer or driver’s license number, Estonia’s electronic identification system provides citizens unique numbers to access their information across public and private agencies, digitally sign documents and vote online.50 SINGAPORE Apps for Complaints. Singaporeans use the OneService mobile app to send feedback to their government on municipal issues. The app lets citizens select from several issues-based categories and fill in relevant information that goes automatically to relevant government agencies for response. The app allows users to add photos and geo-tag locations for more accurate reports.51 Little Hoover Commission 17 A Customer-Centric Upgrade For California Government Common elements of user experience and human- centered design applicable to government include:53  Research user needs. Projects begin with Visiting People in Prison research to discover as much about customers as possible – what they want and need and what they like and dislike. Some approaches, like one How it’s done today: taught at Stanford University, emphasize the need Inmates initiate a paper process by mailing a to “empathize,” to observe, interact and become form to their prospective visitor. The visitor immersed in the customers’ experiences. Other fills out the form and mails it to the inmate’s approaches, like one promoted by product-design facility. Reviews and approvals typically take a and innovation firm IDEO, focus on “hearing” the month, but errors or inaccuracies in the paper needs of constituents in new ways. In this stage, forms or others found during a background researchers might interview customers directly to check often restart the entire process.169 learn about their experiences and study customer experience indirectly, for example by using An easier way: “secret shoppers.” Visitors apply online to visit and inmates  Generate creative solutions. The next stage approve the request before state officials of activity involves taking the lessons from the conduct a background check. The online user research and refining the focus. This stage application process eliminates common errors includes thinking about both concrete and and inaccuracies at the start. Centralized abstract solutions, but ultimately hones in on a review and processing of visitor applications specific area or group of customers that will be saves the corrections department time and helped through the new design. money.  Develop and test prototypes. In this stage, developers move toward a product that is ready for release and further testing. This stage Known as “human-centered design,” “user experience” creates an opportunity to learn more about or “design thinking,” these practices put user needs at users experience and interactions with the new the center of decisions. They encourage organizations solution and allows adjustments to be made to to observe behavior, engage in conversations, watch improve their experiences. and listen to understand why people do what they do, what they need, how they think and what they find • Deliver a product. This stage involves additional meaningful.52 These practices intentionally reorient the testing of the previous research, design or focus of decisions to the needs of customers, and when product and using observation and feedback to appropriate, use technology to help. It’s “reinvention” learn more about the users’ needs and refine for the 21st Century. accordingly before delivering a solution. Ongoing evaluation is done based on user feedback, starting the cycle again. The first step toward improved customer experiences, “To create meaningful innovations, you need is to identify customers and study their unique needs. to know your users and care about their lives.” Human-centered design helps government agencies do Stanford University’s Insitute of Design this by thinking broadly and specifically about the service individuals receive, the products and processes customers touch and who they interact with to get a service. 18 www.lhc.ca.gov The Customer Comes First: Improving the Government User Experience Unlike many businesses that are designed to serve specific types of customers, government must serve everyone. But strategies to best meet the needs of one “Starting with users isn’t just how we should population group, might not work well for another. IDEO be making technology, it’s how we should be cautions governments against designing solutions for making government.” the “average” customer. There isn’t one. “While private sector businesses pick and choose the people for whom Jennifer Pahlka, Executive Director, they design, governments can’t. They must design for Code for America54 everyone, not just the obvious or easy to reach people, IDEO’s Fred Dust and Hilary Hoeber contend. Rather than trying to design for a “typical” customer, they suggest that governments search out common behavior types in person because the system to upload verification to highlight opportunities for improved service for the documents doesn’t work for the people who have to maximum number of people.55 process the applications,” a participant from Code for America told Commissioners. He suggested enrollment Once customer groups are identified, experts suggest could improve if the state addressed basic access issues that governments begin by researching customers’ end- and allowed people to enroll online.60 to-end journey through a process (obtaining a license), rather than their interaction at an individual “touchpoint” (receiving an application).56 The U.S. General Services Administration, for example, recently conducted journey- Just Start! mapping sessions to better understand customer experiences with the federal government’s online portal, The Little Hoover Commission fully recognizes the public’s USA.gov.57 Through these exercises, governments can poor opinion of state government’s ability to perform. eliminate duplicative or unnecessary steps and generally But it also believes that a continuing series of small steps, make services more readily available, easier to use and initiatives and actions can handily create new impressions accessible.58 of government. In short, this is not the proverbial “rocket science.” The Californian who gets state business done Additionally, this design process encourages testing quickly online, the business that discovers one-stop and experimenting new strategies to deliver services. processing for documents, the person who learns that Participants at the Commission’s advisory meeting navigating the state bureaucracy is as easy as one-click suggested public servants should be encouraged to use shopping with a mobile phone begins to shed long-held their own products, study them and tear them down or preconceived notions of government as a nightmare. before building again. One participant described how Collectively, this accumulation of better impressions can a Code for America fellow applied for and enrolled in then feed an upward spiral of trust and perhaps lead to a CalFresh, the state’s food assistance program, to better further self-reinforcing cycle of greater civic participation understand how the program worked so he could and confidence in public institutions. This starts, redesign the process and make it easier for people to however, with getting started. enroll or to check their financial balance with a text. During their research the Code for America team found The Commission believes California can, and should, start that CalFresh applicants were asked to complete more to focus on what its customers need and how to best than 50 screens of questions and when trying to contact deliver on those needs. To begin, the state’s leaders must program representatives on the phone encountered start to convey a message of “yes” to customer-centric long wait times.59 “Right now, the system for online change. And they must show that a new way of doing applications is often down, phone interviews are done business in state government is not only possible, it’s during work hours and documents have to be submitted necessary. Little Hoover Commission 19 A Customer-Centric Upgrade For California Government The Case for Government Reform “Everyone who touches any part of it designs Billy Hamilton, who throughout his career has it. Government is a massive, continuous service participated in reinvention efforts in the states design project.” of Texas and California as well as in the federal Dana Chisnell, Generalist Problem Solver, government, eloquently described the philosophical United States Digital Service64 and practical underpinnings of the case for renewed reform: “Government matters. It is not an afterthought or a drag on the economy. It provides useful services that “One interesting characteristic of human-centered design are needed in a modern society. is that there is no real minimal level at which it must be practiced to be useful,” Ms. Harrell told Commissioners. “Even the best organizations accumulate Though she noted that change moves faster with support bureaucratic ‘detritus’ over time and can become from the top levels of leadership, she said, “Individual bogged down and unresponsive. The times change employees, taking time to listen to their clients and faster than state agencies normally do. Technologies document their needs, can begin to make user-centered can change, customer expectations can change and implementation decisions on their own.” More important political realities can change. Modern government Ms. Harrell said, is the lesson that user-experience must be in a state of constant recreation to keep practitioners most often repeat to their clients. Simply up with the change and to be successful. It must put: “Just start.”61 continually evaluate its own operations in terms of current realities. State government leaders and public servants in “The effort to improve government is not a California should feel encouraged to question the status pointless exercise, as some critics suggest. Instead, quo and contribute ideas for improvement. They can the effort to improve the quality of service should be start by talking with their customers and asking simple relentless. Government organizations can be better questions about how their agencies work, imagining how than they are. Most organizations – public or private their service could be improved and then delivering some – can be better than they are. It is just a matter of improvements. Among some relevant questions in the investing time and discipline into innovation and spirit of getting started: improvement.”48 1. Where are the “pain points?” Where do people get stuck in the process of receiving services? 2. What is the customer’s experience completing question on a form? Is there a design flaw that forms? could fix the problem? 3. Does the language used to describe programs 6. How do people find out about an agency’s and services make sense to customers? Is it services? Can that be optimized? translated for non-English speakers, and if it is, 7. What is the normal behavior of people when does it also make sense when translated? interacting with an agency? Are they alone or 4. How do operating hours impact customers’ ability with family? If online, at home, in a coffee shop to get services? Do the service hours really meet or at the library? customers’ needs? 8. What assumptions are made in providing a 5. Why don’t people comply with the process, such particular service? Are they still valid with as paying park entrance fees or answering a current stakeholders and modern behaviors?63 20 www.lhc.ca.gov Building a Government Worthy of the California “Brand” Building a Government Worthy Of the California “Brand” Millions globally identify California with the ceaseless elsewhere. Awaiting connection are many within the innovation of its tech sector. It also is home to state’s tech sector who don’t fully understand how they many of the leaders in the sharing economy. These and can help solve government challenges. Also waiting are other innovation strengths consistently place California at those within the government who know how a digital the top among comparisons with other states, even other approach might modernize the public sector. Connecting countries.65 Computer and social media giants, startup both can build a state government worthy of the companies and venture capital seeding the next big thing California brand. in Silicon Valley continually enhance the state’s enviable international brand. As success builds on success, California drives many of the great technological and Harnessing Technology to Meet Modern economic advances of the 21st century. Expectations Yet two hours inland from Silicon Valley, California’s Because modern society is technology-enabled, the state government has developed a reputation for public more and more expects that government, too, technology blunders. The state’s mammoth IT projects will be available online at any time. Technology offers run over budget, fall behind schedule and don’t work as opportunities for government to do better: better engage advertised. Embarrassed leaders finger point, allocate with customers, better inform them about the business more funding, start over or pull the plug. All of it makes of government, better communicate about government the headlines. services and, ultimately, better deliver its services. This performance gap presents an enormous opportunity “Partly because the commercial Web is highly visible, for state government to reinvent itself, merging citizens in 2015 know that excellent digital experiences California’s innovative culture with its government are possible,” Cyd Harrell, Code for America’s senior operations in Sacramento. California state government director of product, told Commissioners in January leaders sit on a trove of potential not readily available 2015. “When they find less than excellent experiences, Better Services, Better Trust Research suggests linkages between digital government and public trust.67 For example, a 2005 study of citizen satisfaction and trust in government found that individuals who are more satisfied with government websites and online services also trust the government more.68 More recently, a 2014 survey of citizens in 15 states found that overall satisfaction with state government services correlates with satisfaction of online offerings. Survey participants indicated they wanted processes to be simpler, faster and easier to use. And, more than any other improvement, participants wanted to be able to complete processes online. The survey found that across states, the most satisfied motor vehicle department customers, for example, were those able to eliminate their upfront interactions with staff. Dissatisfied customers were those forced to interact through more channels, such as using call centers or walk-in centers.69 Little Hoover Commission 21 A Customer-Centric Upgrade For California Government whether in the commercial, nonprofit, or government Connectivity in California realm, they assume that this is a choice by the entity they are interacting with. When experiences interacting High-speed broadband has become an integral with government don’t live up to the private sector channel for the public to access services, both from baseline, let alone the best the private sector offers, government and the private sector. It expands people assume that government is making a choice not to access to health care, education and an array of prioritize citizen needs in these systems.” other services in remote locations where workforce shortages or transportation limitations can reduce They may also assume the government is not trying to options. It creates new options for businesses to help them. “For economically vulnerable citizens who expand their market reach well beyond geography. may not have fixed addresses, being able to communicate As California ramps up its digital services portfolio it and access services from a basic smartphone (or even will be critical also to take those last steps to ensure a non-Internet-enabled feature phone) is essential to that all Californians have access to affordable, participation in both services and civic life,” Ms. Harrell reliable broadband coverage. The ability to told Commissioners.66 transfer information at high speeds can help generate greater civic participation and streamline government processes. Advancing a Digital Government Strategy Like their private sector counterparts, many public agencies are experimenting with new ways to use Broadband70 technology to improve operations and customer service. 6% of Californians underserved. Most often, government agencies use digital technology to share information about their programs or services 94% of Californians have broadband coverage. online. People commonly visit government websites to find information about a program or service, fill out 99.7% of Californians have access to mobile required forms or pay their taxes or other government broadband service. fees without having to visit a government office. But increasingly, government organizations are using modern technologies and new ways of thinking to change how they develop and deliver services to their citizens and customers. Many are using the Web to offer direct services to customers or using social media platforms California is the such as Twitter or Facebook to engage in real-time 11 dialogues with constituents. Some are experimenting th most connected state. with texting customers to alert them to appointments or using predictive analytic tools to target groups most at risk and in need of a service. Taking a cue from the entrepreneurial culture of California’s Silicon Valley and some of the nation’s most successful businesses, these reformers are bringing new approaches to planning, developing and offering digital services to the public sector. These are not the mammoth-sized, over-budget, behind-schedule IT projects of yesterday. They are small, fast, agile, open 22 www.lhc.ca.gov Building a Government Worthy of the California “Brand” and customer-centric. And they’re demonstrating Like many government organizations, the U.K. how government can reduce the cost and complexity traditionally initiated information technology projects of technology projects, while delivering better, more with a detailed policy, then attempted to digitize the responsive services, in real-time, to customers. existing process. “This is why so many of our digital services look like clunky, hard-to-use versions of our These changes positively challenge traditional thinking paper forms: because the process behind the paper about governance, as well as participatory and version dictates the digital thinking,” Mike Bracken, representative democracy, California’s Lieutenant director of the U.K.’s Government Digital Service, Governor Gavin Newsom said in a February 2015 meeting explained on his blog.75 The problem with this approach with the study’s subcommittee chair and Commission is that user feedback, if it happens, is sought at the end staff. “This is not just a technological challenge. It’s a of this process when it’s too late to react. “Because cultural challenge,” he said. “It’s about thinking about these services have been hard-wired, like the IT contract how to design everything for [citizen] participation. It’s which supplied them, our services simply can’t react to about how to give people more choice and more voice.”71 the most valuable input: what users think and how they behave,” he explained.76 Ironically, with notable exceptions in some of the state’s cities, the most transformative use of technology within government is happening largely outside California. The Old Process New Process cases that follow are intended to provide both a road 1. Policy 1. Users map and inspiration for California state government to do 2. Process 2. Service (re)design likewise. 3. Systems 3. System development Case Study: Designing Digital Government in the 4. Users 4. Policy check United Kingdom 5. Stasis 5. Feedback Source: Mike Bracken. Blog. January 6, 2013. Government in the United Kingdom offers a clear “On Strategy: The strategy is delivery. Again.” example of how public sector organizations are employing design thinking to improve delivery of public services online. Because the majority of the nation’s population is online, the public now expects services to meet a certain standard – digitized, mobile-accessible, clean and easy to use. The goal for government: make digital services so good that people prefer using them “We are in a system that for 15 years the over the paper versions they replace.72 prevailing logic has been ‘it is technology, you don’t understand it, it costs a fortune, it Led by the Government Digital Service (GDS), established takes years.’ At the same time we as digital in 2011 as a centralized group of digital experts within the consumers have been enjoying the output of government, the U.K. has made groundbreaking advances a consumer society that says ‘it’s technology, in improving customer experiences with government it’s really cheap, it’s really quick and it digital services.74 provides step changes in great service.’ Only The approach begins with a seemingly simple directive: one of those arguments can be right.” put users first. This strategy is atypical for many Mike Bracken, former Director, government service-delivery tools, which are built after U.K. Government Digital Service73 long, costly processes that often result in monolithic, structured products. Little Hoover Commission 23 A Customer-Centric Upgrade For California Government Instead, the Government Digital Service now champions A more recent project, in its early stages in fall 2015, a new model that puts user up front, then tests how the is looking to improve the way government keeps process works, seeking regular feedback from users and people updated when they’ve asked for something making revisions along the way. The GDS developed a from government. The goal: find ways to reduce set of design principles, included in the box, to help keep time people spend on the phone or in offices tracking projects focused on the new strategy.77 down information (was an application received, a decision made, a license or form sent?) and accurately In an early, visible example of this new strategy, the communicate when people can expect what they’re U.K. redesigned its main website, GOV.UK, to improve waiting for. The Government Digital Service is the user experience for those seeking information and considering how status tracking or notification systems services through the domain. Mr. Bracken explained on might get people the information they need faster and his blog: The team first built an “alpha” version of the more accurately.80 site based on what they knew about user needs, then quickly redesigned services based on user feedback from Case Study: A Technological “Insurgency” Within surveys, testing and social media input. They made over the Federal Government 100 changes to the website based on user feedback In a modern take on “reinventing” government, President within the first 10 days of its release – all at a negligible Barack Obama has made delivering effective, world-class cost.78 customer service experiences to citizens and businesses The final result of this experiment was a transformed a priority of his administration. The public deserves website named 2013’s Design of the Year by the London competent, efficient and responsive service from the Design Museum. Judges said the design “[provides] vital federal government, he said in a 2011 executive order services and information in the simplest, most logical directing federal agencies to streamline service delivery way possible for everything from renewing a passport and improve customer service.81 The president’s bid to to understanding your rights as a disabled person” build a “21st Century government” has renewed the call and likened the website to the digital equivalent of for governmental reform. Among his ambitious goals: “grand public projects,” such as Harry Beck’s London improve key citizen- and business- facing transactions, Underground map and its New York counterpart.79 deliver smarter information technology, enhance productivity to achieve cost savings and open data to spark innovation.82 “You know, our private sector thrives because we Government Digital Services historically have had a very effective government,” Design Principles President Barack Obama said in a 2015 interview with Fast Company Magazine. “Now, over the last several 1. Start with needs 6. This is for everyone years that has become more ossified and stuck. And it 2. Do less 7. Understand context hasn’t kept pace with changes in technology. And part of what we’re doing here is to yank government – upgrade 3. Design with data 8. Build digital services, it, patch it, and ultimately transform it so that it is not websites 4. Do the hard work to responsive and can interface with this new private sector 9. Be consistent, not make it simple in a much more efficient way.”83 uniform 5. Iterate. Then iterate To help achieve the President’s vision of a better- 10. Make things open: it again designed, more efficient, innovative, technology-enabled makes things better government, the Obama administration created several new organizations to revamp the federal government via technology: the Presidential Innovation Fellowship, 24 www.lhc.ca.gov Building a Government Worthy of the California “Brand” 18F and the U.S. Digital Service. Collectively, these In the three years since, nearly 100 technologists and organizations are recruiting top technologists from across innovators from across the country – more than a the country – many of whom might not otherwise have quarter from California – have answered the call.88 They considered a career in government – to sign up for a tour act as a sort of “incubator” for cultural change within of duty. And, in part, they’re coming because they’re government, helping those within the administration see not asked to make a career pivot toward a permanent how they can deliver government services differently and job with government. The programs are structured to be testing change through small pilot projects, Ms. Hartley flexible so that people can sign up for just a few months told Commissioners.89 Many of the former fellows have to several years while still accommodating their careers. remained within government, taking up leadership Recruitment is surprisingly simple and effective. In a positions in various offices across the administration.90 In nutshell: Come to D.C., work on challenging problems August 2015, President Obama signed an executive order and do it for your country and the good of the American to make the program permanent.91 people.84 Offered latitude by the President to operate outside the norm, these teams are working alongside partners in “People want an opportunity to build agencies throughout the administration to rethink the something that makes a difference.” way the federal government buys, builds and delivers technology projects and customer services. Along Hillary Hartley, Deputy Executive Director, 18F85 the way they are reshaping the culture of the federal government. Some have described it as an “insurgency,” others as an important new way to serve their country.86 Though different in their purpose, structure and 18F: An In-House Digital Consultancy. When federal approach, each offers lessons for California: agencies need help with software or consult on a technology project, there’s now a new in-house Presidential Innovation Fellows: Incubators of This organization they can hire for help. Named for its Cultural Change. The Presidential Innovation Fellowship headquarters at 18th and F Streets, NW, in Washington, (PIF) was launched in 2012 to recruit entrepreneurs, D.C., 18F operates as a digital consultancy for the U.S. startup founders and innovators to partner with top civil government. It is housed within the General Services servants and collaborate on high-profile initiatives across Administration (GSA). 18F works on projects at the the federal government. The fellows, or PIFs, were to request of “partner” agencies on a fee-for-service basis. parachute into the federal government for a short “tour Its mission: to work with federal agencies to rapidly build of duty” – just six to 12 months. In that time, they were and deploy technology solutions and online services that to leverage best practices from the private sector to help are reusable, cut costs, and are easier for people and the federal government deliver better, more effective businesses to use.92 programs and policies, focusing on some of the nation’s biggest and most pressing challenges.87 18F operates like a lean startup, bringing together software developers, designers and project managers to Recruitment took place at large tech conferences and tackle problems through an approach that emphasizes other industry events, headed by senior officials including user-centered design. “At its core, user-centered design is Todd Park, the second Chief Technology Officer of the about asking, ‘Should we write this this way or that,’ then United States. “He got on stage and told us ‘we are trying getting user feedback and selecting the design,” Andrew to disrupt federal government – come and help us do McMahon, regional administrator of the GSA, told that,’” Hillary Hartley, a 2013 fellow who now serves as Commissioners. He said good research needs to be done 18F’s Deputy Executive Director, recalled in a July 2015 up front to make sure the product that is built will deliver meeting with Commissioners. on the minimum things people will use to be viable.94 Little Hoover Commission 25 A Customer-Centric Upgrade For California Government Ms. Hartley told the Commission that 18F orients its work So far, the most transformative aspect of this work is around several core principles to stay user-centric and the knowledge transfer that occurs between 18F and its which can be adopted by other organizations looking to government partners throughout a project’s lifecycle. transform the way they work: “The biggest impact we make on an organization isn’t in creating the best designs,” Mr. McMahon told • “Be the change. We intend to lead by example, Commissioners. “It’s that everyone has a user-experience by instruction, and with hands-on assistance. component to their project, and everyone thinks about • “Think like a designer. We believe that user- external stakeholders up front.” He explained 18F also centered design can fundamentally change the generates value by teaching agencies how to adopt these experience the public has with government. skills so they are better after the project. “This is secret We build only what people really need, nothing sauce to business success,” he said. Ms. Hartley agreed: more. User needs are the driver for all decisions “We teach our partners to reset the bar for how service – not stakeholder or government needs. should be delivered and help them so that when we • “Data-driven. We use metrics and analytics leave, they are better at providing services.”97 to augment our user research. We measure The United States Digital Service: Revamping High- everything, including ourselves. 18F does more Priority Citizen Services. The U.S. Digital Service (USDS) than make websites; we enable the discovery of has its origins in the disastrous early performance of information. Whenever possible, we think ‘API healthcare.gov that marred the launch of President first’ and lead with data. [APIs, or application- Obama’s signature legislation, the Affordable Care Act, programming interfaces, allow third parties to in October 2013. The Obama administration in August build software applications.] 2014 created the USDS within the White House’s Office of • “Agile practices. Agile and lean methodologies Management and Budget to replicate the success of fixing drive our work. We believe in delivering early the healthcare.gov website elsewhere in government.98 and often. We build something small; learn (To fix the website’s glitches and loading errors that were by validating with real people; and ‘rinse and preventing millions of Americans from signing up for repeat.’ Quick feedback loops with stakeholders health insurance, the White House called in a small team mean big failures never happen. of digital experts – many from California’s Silicon Valley.99 • “Open by default. We are open by default – both In just weeks, the team doubled the site’s user capacity, what we make and how we work. We’re coding eliminated many bugs and introduced features to make it and designing in the open; we use and build open more user-friendly.100 The experience demonstrated what source code by default; and we’re evangelizing can happen when a small team of innovators is given the our methods and practices across the federal authority and responsibility to “reboot” government and government.”95 fix problems before they turn into a crisis. The organization’s approach to technology problems The U.S. Digital Service is similar to 18F in terms of the serves dual purposes: to deliver products and services, skill sets it recruits into government – software engineers, but also to demonstrate that ideas from the startup technical experts, product managers, procurement world can also work for government. “We favor experts, visual designers and user experience experts experimentation, customer feedback and analytics, – and the customer-centric approach it takes to solve and iterative design over a sequential ‘waterfall’ government technology problems.101 But, unlike 18F, model,” Ms. Hartley told Commissioners. “If startups whose partner agencies are “clients,” the U.S. Digital and companies like General Electric can do it, why not Service, works with cabinet agencies to target issues that the U.S. government? Our goal with this approach is are a priority for the administration – veterans services, twofold: Build user-centered digital services; and prove education, energy and the environment, healthcare, that building technology in an agile manner is possible in finance and student loans, immigration services, national government at scale.”96 security and defense, to name a few. It then mitigates 26 www.lhc.ca.gov Building a Government Worthy of the California “Brand” risks of technology projects, removes barriers and redesigns how agencies deliver public services. The U.S. Digital Service concept embeds a tactical group of technologists directly into a federal agency for a “tour of duty” where it becomes deeply engaged in “We are user-centered. When there’s a choice the organization to understand its problems and help between doing what government stakeholders permanent staff develop solutions. “It’s less about fast- tracking projects and more about helping people there [in want versus the users, we go with the users.” the agencies] know what resources are available to them Stephanie Rivera, Director of Business Strategy, 18F93 and helping them identify processes to make their work better and smarter,” Dana Chisnell, a consultant with the digital service, told Commission staff in February 2015.102 In doing its work, the service challenges the federal government to approach problems in ways similar to some of the nation’s most successful businesses. “There’s kind of a default assumption [in industry] that if you’ve thought of something new and you want to try it… U.S. Digital Services Playbook there’s a standing assumption that the company will help you try your new thing,” Mikey Dickerson, director of the 1. Understand what 7. Bring in experienced U.S. Digital Service explained in a April 2015 interview people need teams with Federal Times Magazine. “There’s a little bit of an 2. Address the whole 8. Choose a modern attitude in some agencies that’s a little more change- experience, from start technology stack averse – more resistant to outside ideas.”103 to finish 9. Deploy in a flexible To communicate its methodology and guide agencies 3. Make it simple and hosting environment in its approach, the digital service in 2014 released two intuitive 10. Automate testing and documents explaining its foundational principles: the 4. Build the service using deployments U.S. Digital Services Playbook, to highlight key “plays” for agile and iterative 11. Manage security building effective digital services drawn from successful practices and privacy through practices from the private sector and government, and 5. Structure budgets and reusable processes the TechFAR Handbook, to highlight the flexibilities in contracts to support the Federal Acquisition Regulation that can help agencies 12. Use data to drive delivery implement the “plays.”104 In September 2015, the USDS, decisions in partnership with 18F, also released U.S. Web Design 6. Assign one leader 13. Default to open Standards as a shared set of tools all federal agencies and hold that person could use to create consistent, easy-to-use websites.105 accountable The President’s 2016 budget included $105 million to scale and institutionalize the digital services approach to technology. It added funding for about two dozen federal agencies to develop their own high-impact, tactical digital services teams, with assistance from the U.S. Digital Service. If approved, this funding would add about 500 staff to the nation’s digital services squad.106 Little Hoover Commission 27 A Customer-Centric Upgrade For California Government Case Study: Pioneering Digital Government in Utah positions as non-merit or at-will and employees received a salary increase to help create an Utah embraced technology to transform government agile IT workforce and provide the state greater service delivery to its citizens and businesses in the mid- flexibility to attract workers with necessary 1990’s when then Governor Michael Leavitt challenged IT skills.114 (The Little Hoover Commission in the state to focus more on new technologies and less its 2008 report, A New Legacy System: Using on traditional ways of doing business.108 In the decades Technology to Drive Performance, recommended since, sustained commitment to this agenda has the Legislature consolidate all of California’s earned Utah more than 100 awards and national and IT resources under an empowered state chief international recognition. The most recent is an A grade information officer to achieve similar positive and first-place recognition in citizen engagement and results). other categories in the 2014 Digital States Survey.109 • A self-funded, public-private partnership for Today, the Utah.gov website connects citizens and IT services. Utah’s state agencies access an businesses with more than 1,260 services – job array of technology services through an open searches, arts grants, hunting and fishing licenses, contract with Utah Interactive, a subsidiary of vehicle registration and license renewal, campground the National Information Consortium. In the reservations and more.110 Additionally, Utahans can past 10 years, the firm has developed more than connect with their state government through more than 600 interactive government services, including 1,500 pathways on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest off-the-shelf IT products (such as Utah GovPay, and LinkedIn – just to name a few – or monitor traffic, a tool that allows any state agency to take locate library books, check professional licensure status payments online) and customized solutions (such or report crimes using one of the state’s 85 mobile as website design, development and hosting or applications.111 In addition, individuals can access a development of mobile applications).115 The growing number of publicly available, reusable data state’s partnership with Utah Interactive is sets as part of the state’s Utah Data initiative, access an self-funded through modest user fees applied archive of government finance reports through the state’s to a select number of transactions that pay for Transparent Utah initiative, file public records requests the cost of developing and offering service. through OpenRecords, the state’s cross-agency portal or Because there is a financial incentive to design search the state’s laws and regulations.112 Together, these tools and services Utahans want and need, digital services have improved levels of customer service, the contractor invests time and resources to won strong approval ratings from Utahans and businesses understand what works best for end users.116 and helped the state save money. This arrangement has helped the state avoid spending approximately $15 million each year.117 Several organizational and policy features have helped Utah achieve success. Among the stand outs: “Since 2002, Utah has made consistent annual progress towards its goal of providing high quality, high value • A consolidated IT infrastructure led by an digital government service,” Dave Fletcher, Utah Chief empowered Chief Information Officer. All of Technology Officer told Commissioners. “With over half Utah’s information technology resources and our population accessing [Utah.gov] on a monthly basis, services operate under a single Department we want to ensure the very best experience possible. of Technology Services, led by the state chief Every year, we review the latest technologies, trying information officer.113 This consolidation was to ensure that we can incorporate new ideas that will initiated by the Legislature in 2005, downsizing improve the user experience,” he said.118 38 state-owned data centers to two, and saving the state more than $127 million in IT costs. Research from the University of Utah’s Center for Public Additionally, the Legislature repositioned all IT Policy and Administration suggests that returns from 28 www.lhc.ca.gov Building a Government Worthy of the California “Brand” the state’s digital service strategy include numerous Budget Savings. Utah research suggests that for most quantifiable benefits. Among them: government services, moving from an offline method, such as mail, phone or in-person visit to an agency Better Customer Service. Overall, Utahns are satisfied office, to an online format saves the state a significant with the state’s main online portal, Utah.gov, and with amount of money. The University of Utah’s Center for the multitude of services available online, a 2014 survey Public Policy and Administration in 2012 reviewed the of residents found. The research concluded that Utahns top 25 online services with the highest transaction totals are both interested in online government services and to compare the cost of providing those services online desire more. or in more traditional formats. Researchers found that for most of these services, the state saved money by Utahans Said... digitizing the service. On average, the study found that 87% the state of Utah paid $3.91 to provide these 25 services the digital services that Utah.gov online, compared to $17.11 offline – a savings of $13.20 provides are valuable. per transaction. Researchers estimated that digitizing 85% Utah.gov saves them time compared to more than 1,000 Utah state services saves the state offline methods. approximately $46 million each year.121 82% using Utah.gov is less hassle when needing The research also found that a few of the top 25 online to interact with government. transactions created no real cost savings, but they still 80% advantage consumers, a representative from the Center they are satisfied with the Utah.gov for Public Policy and Administration told Commission website. staff. For example, even when digitized, obtaining a copy 75% they expect the state to continue to of a birth or death certificate still requires state staffers improve the website by adding more online to locate and pull a certificate out of a file, print and services and information datasets.119 then mail a copy to the consumer. But for the consumer, requesting a copy of a certificate through an online form Greater Approval From Businesses. Businesses have high rather than driving to an office or printing and mailing in expectations of online services, wanting a dependable a form is far more convenient and less time-intensive.122 system that is available when they need it and easy to use. Research from Utah suggests that perceptions of government improve when government digitizes necessary business transactions, saving businesses “More than a million people a year come to significant time compared to traditional methods. In the city website to get information. If we had a survey of Utah.gov business subscribers, researchers a million people a year coming to our permit found that the majority of Utah businesses said that the counters, we would certainly staff up to meet services provided by Utah.gov have had a positive impact that need. And yet, for most city staff, that on their finances: million people, they were invisible.” Utah Business Owners Said... Karen Boyd, Director of Communications, City of Oakland189 91% the the services provided by Utah.gov save them time. 85% Utah.gov’s services make it easier to conduct business in Utah. 82% the services provided by Utah.gov reinforce the perception that Utah is a business-friendly state.120 Little Hoover Commission 29 A Customer-Centric Upgrade For California Government Reinvigorating California’s “Brand” as “Most people think about government like Innovator this: We write a policy, we implement it and then who knows. We usually don’t look New digital thinking in the U.K., the federal government back. We assume it works, even if it’s not and Utah shows what’s possible for the State of working. But...a new model is emerging. California. These forward-looking initiatives also reveal Implementation is no longer a phase, but a the positive, trust-building impacts of putting the process. Delivery is the continual process of customer’s needs first. California government often understanding and meeting user needs.” provides services and organizes information in a way that makes sense internally – that is, to bureaucrats or other Jacob Solomon, Product Manager – Health, stakeholders familiar with government’s processes. But Code for America248 it doesn’t make sense to customers. They often apply for services via time-consuming, paper-heavy processes or hunt for information buried deep within department websites. And they don’t understand why government Reshaping Government with Data is still using mail as a means of communication when it could be done online.123 As part of this review, the Commission met with State leaders, pressed for time and mindful of previous Lieutenant Governor and former Mayor of San poorly-run or failed technology projects, sometimes balk Francisco, Gavin Newsom, to learn about his at digital improvements: If it works, it’s good enough for leadership at the local level in making data open now. As the pace of technology quickens, this default will and usable for the people of San Francisco. As continue to move California state government further mayor, Lieutenant Governor Newsom in 2009 from the level of service Californians expect. Failing to issued an open data executive directive requiring live up to expectations will become increasingly risky, city departments to make all non-confidential likely further eroding the public’s trust in government. datasets available on the city’s open data portal so third parties could use the resource to develop new The State of California needs to embrace change and services for the public. San Francisco soon became unleash the innovation of its workforce, currently one of the first cities to establish an open data policy. throttled by rules created for an earlier time. Success will require new thinking and allowing a culture of In his book, Citizenville, Lieutenant Governor customer service to flourish. It will require government Newsom makes the case that ordinary Americans can to reexamine old habits – contracting processes, service reshape their government through technology. Just design and program requirements – and focus on as millions of people were cultivating farms in the introducing change through small, user-centric projects. popular Facebook game, Farmville, Newsom’s book And it will require rethinking the use of technology to suggests technology can be harnessed similarly to deliver government services whenever possible. transform the way citizens interact with government. In 2013, he challenged cities across the nation to Some departments and agencies within the state have reinvent the user experience through technology. already started. They are seeking customer feedback and designing services to make it easier for Californians He has continued to champion open government to conduct business with the state. And they are at the state. As chair of the State Lands relying on the creativity and expertise of the existing Commission, he led an effort in 2015 to present workforce. At the California Department of Motor the organization’s entire financial picture, including Vehicles, many reforms originated from one or two public how the state generated nearly half billion in servants who saw the potential of a new technology or revenue annually from its leasing programs. envisioned a new way of delivering service. They also 30 www.lhc.ca.gov Building a Government Worthy of the California “Brand” were encouraged by the department’s leaders who are Finally, as reforms are made, the state must take the receptive to new ideas to enhance specific services.124 opportunity to celebrate its successes. To extent the But not all of the state’s leaders are so willing. And even state can promote customer-centric, digital services it if open to change, some may not know where to turn can have a halo effect across the state, supporting similar for help. California will need something more to build efforts at local and regional levels. Together, this could be customer-centric change across the state and begin to a powerful force for changing the culture of government restore the state’s brand as an innovator. within the state and ultimately, providing a public service worthy of the Golden State. As the state works to bring this customer-centric change to scale, it is missing a key ingredient, Kish Rajan, Chief Evangelist, CALinnovates and former director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, told Commission staff. He said California “…it’s no secret that many people feel needs a central place – an office, a team – inside alienated and distant from government. And government to welcome technologists in and to help I think the opportunities for us to think about teach state agencies and departments how to transform how tech can empower citizens and make government. “It needs to have the impermada of the them feel ownership for their government is Governor or be codified by the Legislature to mark it as a really important. Some of it is as simple as legitimate resource with a real mandate to do real things. giving people quick, easy access to information And it needs talented people with the ability to make about how taxpayer money is spent, or change who are resourced to execute,” he said.125 improving transparency, or being able to navigate a site easily. But eventually, what Like the federal government has done, California too we should also be thinking about is, ‘How should invite the very best engineers, technologists and can technology enhance the experience of designers from the private sector to apply their creativity democracy? How can we make it easier to and ingenuity to help tackle some of the most challenging vote? How can we make it easier for like- problems facing the state. And the Governor and minded citizens to petition their government in Legislature must create a home within the administration a way that is meaningful?” to welcome them in. Teaming with the new chief customer officers and their program colleagues, who in President Barack Obama107 many cases already know what’s needed to solve some of the state’s most painful organizational and customer service problems, they could champion a new path for the state to tackle problems through small, incremental, but meaningful improvements. And in doing so, begin to reinvigorate California’s pioneer spirit in the 21st century, using 21st century technology. “It is possible for government websites to work as well or better than anything in the private sector, and this is an area where we need to do a better job of learning from the private sector,” Billy Hamilton told Commission staff in January 2015. “This is a place where the profit motive really does favor improvements in speed and usability, and as government administrators, we are fools if we don’t learn from that wellspring of knowledge and innovation.”126 Little Hoover Commission 31 A Customer-Centric Upgrade For California Government DIGITAL GOVERNMENT IN CALIFORNIA Over the course of its review the Commission saw opportunities for the state to improve digital service delivery, particularly thinking first about how its end users actually access services and designing delivery around their needs and habits. But it also saw examples of creative ways individual agencies and departments are using technology to improve internal processes, share information and better serve Californians. Some bright spots: Franchise Tax Board. The “MyFTB” program allows Employment Development Department. Californians individual taxpayers, businesses and authorized tax seeking unemployment insurance can now set up representatives to set up online accounts to access an online account to conveniently access claim their tax information. Recent upgrades for individual information, certify benefits, manage claims, schedule account holders allow users to do more online with appointments with program administrators and sign access to CalFile (a site to file state tax returns), Web up for instant notifications and messages from the Pay (a site to make a payment) and Secure Chat (a live department. UI Online is available for smartphone and chat feature to ask account-specific questions).127 tablet users and provides information in both English and Spanish.136 Board of Equalization. The Open BOE data portal provides access to the department’s public data in State Controller. The office’s online portal, easy-to-use formats.128 (Received the 2015 Best of bythenumbers.sco.ca.gov, allows visitors to track California Award for “best application serving the financial data including revenues, expenditures, public” from the Center for Digital Government).129 liabilities, assets and fund balances reported by California’s 58 counties, more than 450 cities and more California Department of Corrections and than 4,800 special districts. It also allows visitors to Rehabilitation. The visitor processing appointment analyze data for each of the state’s 130 public pension scheduling system (VPASS) allows inmate visitors to plans.137 (Received the 2015 Digital Government make appointments online through a Web-based Achievement Award for “driving digital government” application.130 (Received the 2013 Best of California from the Center for Digital Government).138 Award for “best application serving the public” from the Center for Digital Government).131 California Health and Human Services Agency. The agency’s open data portal improves access to public Department of Motor Vehicles. The automated health, health care, human services and other publicly multiple-choice knowledge testing system allows available data. As of September 2015, nine of the driver’s license applicants to take the written portion agency’s 12 departments had posted data on the of their exam on touchscreen computer terminals portal. All departments are expected to publish open located in the DMV field offices.132 (Received the 2013 data by early 2016.139 Best of California Award for “best application serving the public” from the Center for Digital Government).133 State Treasurer. The office’s latest transparency tool, “DebtWatch,” expected to launch in late 2015, will Secretary of State. The online voter registration allow the public to see and analyze up-to-date data on system allows voters to register for the first time or more than $1.5 trillion in bonds and other public debt amend their voter record online.134 (Received the 2013 issued by more than 6,000 state and local government Best of California Award for “best application serving entities in California.140 the public” from the Center for Digital Government).135 32 www.lhc.ca.gov Recommendations for a Customer-Centric California Government Recommendations for a Customer-Centric California Government Over a year involving three hearings and numerous At an increasing number of companies, customers have conversations with service-delivery innovators, tech a champion in the highest executive ranks designated to entrepreneurs, government modernizers throughout represent the interests of the customer. Known as chief California and other states, as well as customers customer officers, chief experience officers, chief client of state services, the Commission began to hear officers or some other variation, these executives are common themes that drive organizational change and accountable for customers and drive customer strategy successful reinvention. Namely, creating a culture of throughout their organization. A 2014 study found that government that pays attention to its consumers’ needs 10 percent of Fortune 500 companies and 22 percent and behaviors, and whenever possible, uses current of Fortune 100 companies have hired these customer technology to make transactions more efficient, simpler, champions.141 faster and ultimately easier for its end users. The key is a Recently, four federal agencies created similar senior singular focus on the user experience, as opposed to the leadership positions: a chief customer officer at the perceived needs of the agency or department, or how General Services Administration, a chief veteran things are traditionally done in state government. experience officer at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Drawing on the expert input it received, the Commission a chief customer experience officer at Federal Student Aid began to envision how the state could draw from its own in the U.S. Department of Education and a vice president past reform efforts and from the experiences of other of customer experience at the Export-Import Bank of the public sector innovators to reinvigorate the California United States.142 “brand” and become more customer-centric. At its heart, The General Services Administration added a chief the state must stimulate organizational culture change, customer officer position to make it more efficient identify the needs and desires of consumers and start following a spending scandal in 2012. “It was about with small successes that inspire larger successes in an choosing a hypothesis…that a dedicated, empowered upward spiral of customer satisfaction. team around the customer could actually move the The Commission offers two major recommendations, needle at GSA when it came to the way that customers followed by a blueprint for agencies and departments, to think of the Agency,” GSA’s chief customer officer Phaedra reignite a sense of innovation, curiosity and enthusiasm Chrousos said in an August 2015 interview with Federal within California state government and make it the Computer Week. After months of extensive research innovative, user-friendly entity it can and should be: on the GSA customer experience, the agency launched several projects, including a Yelp-like rating system for Recommendation 1: Designate and Empower government contractors, call center consolidations and Customer Champions. California needs a designated an app that allows government tenants to report non- leader both empowered and resourced to implement emergency requests.143 And, though not the primary and be accountable for a statewide customer service goal, the work to improve customer experience also strategy. Also, designated customer services champions saved the agency money.144 throughout the state’s agencies and departments should lead customer-centric reforms. Little Hoover Commission 33 A Customer-Centric Upgrade For California Government California’s past government reform efforts offer the customer journey rather than the various silos of cautionary lessons about creating sustained cultural government.148 Advisory meeting participants suggested change: specifically, that it requires persistent and these customer champions could introduce changes deliberate commitment from the top to ensure customer on the front end of service delivery, such as creating a service improvements are not treated as a fad. single portal to feed customer information to multiple departments or creating intra-agency agreements to “I have seen performance management efforts, total make it easier to share customer information. quality management efforts, zero-based budgeting efforts, activity-based costing efforts and a long string To ensure success, the customer champions should of other so-called management innovations flourish, possess a unique skillset. First, they should be strong then fall by the wayside once management becomes customer-experience advocates who are knowledgeable bored with their novelty and stops investing interest in about how their organization operates and its function them,” Billy Hamilton told Commissioners. “Outstanding and be powerful communicators. They will need to be customer service is not a piece of software that can be equally skilled at discussing program and policy issues installed and upgraded over time. It is something that as they are considering opportunities for technological management must demand, employees must embrace solutions. Additionally, to understand if and how and which must be rethought on a regular basis.”145 customer experiences are improving, they will need to know how to collect and use data, as well as be familiar In the 2012 Governor’s Reorganization Plan creating with various methodologies to collect customer insight. the Government Operations Agency, Governor Brown Additionally, because their role will be to introduce specifically noted a goal to provide “better and more cost- change, they must be well respected by colleagues and effective service.” The reorganization plan stated that able to communicate the voice of the customer to those the newly created Government Operations Agency would within the organization, as well as communicate the “foster state-wide perspectives, improve communication organization’s strategy back to the customer. and information sharing, and change cultures that prioritize control over service.”146 Because of this mission and the Secretary of the Government Operations The Governor and Legislature should designate Agency’s responsibilities to oversee the state’s information the Secretary of the Government Operations technology, human resources and procurement functions, Agency as the California Chief Customer Officer, the position is ideally situated to serve as the state’s responsible for overseeing implementation executive-level customer service officer. of a statewide customer-centric strategy and ensure that the secretary is both empowered In addition to an executive-level customer service officer, and resourced to drive change. Specifically, the California needs dedicated customer champions at the Governor and Legislature must provide a budget highest levels of state agencies and departments with allocation to enable the Government Operations the authority to drive change and foster a customer- Agency to lead the state’s customer service strategy. centric culture, participants at the Commission’s advisory meeting said.147 These customer champions should As the California Chief Customer Officer, the evaluate the quality of customer experiences within their Secretary of the Government Operations Agency own organizations, but also work collectively across state should be accountable for overseeing customer- government. Because some customers’ needs cross over centric strategies across the state’s departments multiple departments, a statewide customer-centric and agencies. Additionally, the secretary should focus will require departments and agencies to work work with oversight agencies to develop strategies together to better understand when and how they share to build additional “checks” into processes customers and how best to work together to meet their common across state government to ensure that agencies have considered their customers’ needs. The focus should be on identifying opportunities to reorganize and redesign service delivery around 34 www.lhc.ca.gov Recommendations for a Customer-Centric California Government California, too, must create a pipeline for talented people needs. For example, every time the Department outside of government to come in for short stints and of Finance reviews a budget change proposal or bring new ideas, skills and excitement. A couple of the Department of Technology reviews a new models already exist: technology project, analysts should consider • Fellowships. Fellowships create time-limited whether and how the proposal will create a better customer experience. work opportunities and ways to attract new talent into government without asking for Additionally, the Governor and Legislature permanent commitments. Some fellowships should direct each of California’s agencies and are administered directly by government, departments to designate a senior leader to serve like the Presidential Innovation Fellowship as chief customer officer. This officer will represent which operates out of the General Services the interests of the organization’s customers, Administration. Others are run in partnership oversee the organization’s customer service with nonprofit organizations, such as Code for strategy and coordinate cross-agency efforts America or FUSE Corps. These pair fellows with with colleagues. In large organizations, the chief government partners to help develop digital customer officer could be supported by various approaches to delivering key public services, designated employees in senior program positions. and address pressing strategic challenges.150 If structured as prestigious, competitive placements, these programs are particularly attractive for those who might not otherwise Recommendation 2: Empower a Small Team consider a career with government. And because to Work Quickly, Differently. The state should of the temporary nature of the commitment, establish an in-house digital services team to recruit these programs create soft transitions for top innovators into state service and make Sacramento mid-career executives and other government an attractive environment for creative technologists, outsiders to come in while maintaining a foothold engineers and designers to engage in public service. in industry, FUSE Corps CEO James Weinberg told Given room to unleash their talent, these hires will work Commission staff.151 with customer service champions to help agencies and departments redesign processes, encourage innovation • In-house consultancy teams. In-house teams and use technology creatively to improve customer of tactical staff allow government to look for service. creative ideas within, rather than turning outside to consultants for help. As described previously, The federal government has created three programs to the federal government established two new attract the nation’s most innovative thinkers – engineers, offices – 18F and U.S. Digital Service – that deploy technologists and designers from Google, Amazon, tactical teams into the administration to work Twitter and Facebook – to Washington to help solve some on high-profile issues and address “pain points” of government’s biggest social and operational problems. for employees and customers via technology Similarly, cities and counties across the country and in solutions. 18F operates as an in-house contractor California partner with organizations to bring in new and charges fees-for-service of its client talent – on a short-term basis – to rethink operations agencies, while the USDS is funded through and better connect people to their governments. These the White House’s Office of Management and examples have shown that the tech-to-government Budget. Both have successfully fast-tracked pipeline is strong, as talented, civically-minded individuals the federal government’s typically slow hiring are drawn to government for the opportunity to make a process, bringing in recruits in a matter of difference through public service knowing their work will weeks for limited-term contracts – two years impact many. with option to renew. The temporary nature of Little Hoover Commission 35 A Customer-Centric Upgrade For California Government the appointments is more amenable to the top designers, developers and product specialists The new digital services team should coordinate they want to hire. The Presidential Innovation with chief customer officers to identify a priority Fellowship and other fellowship programs, such list of projects to improve program efficiency as the one run by Code for America, have served and customer experience. The team should as a pipeline for these teams.152 work with partners outside of government to offer fellowship opportunities that would attract The Government Operations Agency was given the those with limited time to work on shorter- authority to hire an innovation fellow, but the position term projects, but also create an office out of required funding from outside of government. In the which those with longer-term aspirations could summer of 2015, the Health and Human Services Agency operate. The agency should grant the team the announced a partnership with FUSE Corps to establish flexibility to approach their work using human- a statewide health innovation office within the agency. centered designed techniques that allow for The office will function as an in-house consultancy experimentation through small pilot projects. for the agency, leveraging outside talent to identify opportunities to use new people, tools, systems and processes to improve the agency’s operations, as well as its departments’. Support from the California HealthCare Recommendation 3: Cultivate a Customer- Foundation made this partnership possible.153 With centric Culture Across California State additional funding, the state could scale up the fellowship Government. California’s agencies and departments program in other agencies and departments.154 can and must focus on what their customers need and devise strategies to deliver on those needs. Although Recent Op-eds citing the federal government’s success ideally policymakers should establish champions in recruiting Silicon Valley’s best and the brightest to to drive customer-centric change, as indicated in Washington, have called for California to launch its own Recommendation 1, there is no reason for agencies and digital service and similarly reinvigorate California state departments to delay using the strategies included in government.155 The Commission agrees. the blueprint below and nothing to stop leaders from encouraging public servants to vigorously and relentlessly pursue a customer-centric orientation, whatever their “If I fix the design of one small thing, I’m likely responsibilities within the organization. Agencies and improving the lives of millions of New Yorkers.” departments should immediately adopt the following customer-centric strategies into their operations: Ariel Kennan, Director of Innovation and Design, New York City Mayor’s Office of Operations149 Reward a customer-service culture. California agencies and departments must make improving their customer experiences a strategic goal, develop measurable strategies to monitor progress and be rewarded when successful. The Governor and Legislature should create within the Government Operations Agency a California’s Franchise Tax Board (FTB) offers one example digital services team to recruit top technologists, of how to begin. FTB has worked more than two decades engineers and designers into public service for to develop a customer-centric culture by aligning strategic the state. Such talent could help build a stronger agency actions with customer needs and continually customer-centric culture within California striving to find new ways to make it easier, simpler and government and help existing public servants more convenient for Californians to file their taxes. By remove roadblocks that have long stood in the law taxpayers must pay taxes and aren’t, in the usual way of creative reform. sense of the word, customers. But the FTB has found that a customer-centric approach – that is, providing its 36 www.lhc.ca.gov Recommendations for a Customer-Centric California Government “We’ve been this way for so long, we don’t even think of it as a big deal anymore, but at the time this shift was a big deal.” Anne Miller, Filing Division Chief, A Master Business Application Franchise Tax Board160 How it’s done today: To start and run a business in the state, customers with information they need to comply with tax entrepreneurs must navigate a complicated laws and continually seeking out ways to make the filing process to license and register their business process simple and easy to understand – has helped to and obtain appropriate permits, interacting with maximize taxpayer compliance.159 separate state entities along the way. In large part, FTB’s customer focus is attributed to the In July 2015, the Governor’s Office of Business department’s strategic approach, which articulates and Economic Development launched a providing taxpayer-centric service as the first goal in one-stop portal for business owners to get the department’s strategic plan.161 “All things align with information and help from the state.156 strategic goals,” Carol Williams, chief of FTB’s Accounts However, business owners still must file Receivable Management Division, told Commission staff. separate paperwork with each involved “It’s part of our culture to always look for ways to state agency. Previous efforts to build a one- improve.”162 stop business application failed, not due to technological issues, but because of difficulties Beyond words on paper, the department has invested getting multiple departments to work across significant time and energy into implementing its strategic silos, former California Chief Technology Officer plan through a unique governance model that taps P.K. Agarwal told Commission staff.157 employees to serve on several action committees. The customer service action committee specifically addresses An easier way: enterprise-wide policies and practices that affect how Businesses interact with the state through FTB serves its customers and manages the department’s an online business portal, reducing and annual customer service satisfaction survey.163 streamlining paperwork requirements, where they submit a master business application that As a result of these efforts, the FTB has experimented communicates required information with all with ways to use new technologies to continually government agencies. Businesses are assigned improve customer service options. In the early 1990s, a common business identifier recognized across the department created electronic payment options and all departments and agencies, making it easier interactive phone service to allow individual taxpayers to for businesses to comply with the state’s rules, call to check on the status of their return. More recently, while streamlining work processes for the state. the department has added features to make it easier for (The Commission recommended these reforms taxpayers to file personal income taxes directly to the in its March 2015 report, Level the Playing Field: state at no cost for the service, check the status of their Put California’s Underground Economy Out of refund and chat online, in real time, with a department Business).158 representative to get help answering questions about personal and business taxes.164 Little Hoover Commission 37 A Customer-Centric Upgrade For California Government The Commission heard from labor representatives who Agency and department leaders should work emphasized the value of including employees in customer with colleagues responsible for strategic service improvement efforts. “State employees want planning and performance measurement to to provide excellent services to Californians. They want develop strategic organizational goals around to help the people who come to them – many who their customers’ needs, as well as metrics are struggling to make ends meet,” Mario Guerrero, to monitor implementation. Leaders should legislative affairs director with the Service Employees continually monitor customer service metrics to International Union Local 1000, told Commissioners. evaluate program performance, assess progress, “There is nothing more frustrating for our members identify best practices and inform future resource than to face the frustration and anger of Californians and policy decisions. Additionally, leaders should who have been trying to get through the phone system encourage creativity by celebrating successful for assistance for days, or have problems with online projects and acknowledging the public servants interface and to hear the impact of these situations on involved. their lives.”167 Public servants can be just as frustrated as customers and bear the brunt of systems that don’t work well. Involve public servants. California’s public servants “We often work under the assumption that we have should feel empowered to share ideas and suggestions a community of employees not ready. We have about ways to improve processes inside their people who are eager to learn, but are faced with bad organizations, provide better customer service and technology,” a representative from the City of Oakland communicate more effectively to their customers. said during the Commission’s advisory meeting. She California’s state employees, particularly those who observed that the pain points for external users are regularly interact with the public and act as the face of also the same for internal ones.168 Part of developing a state government, are essential to any customer-centric customer-centric culture across state government will transformation effort. entail addressing the technological limitations many employees face in their day-to-day environments and The Franchise Tax Board offers one example of how creating a technologically-enabled workplace that is as departments might include civil servants in problem- good as what employees experience at home. solving efforts. Leaders at the FTB purposely seek and encourage employee feedback as part of the department’s effort to continuously improve, Executive Agency and department leaders should ensure Officer Selvi Stanislaus told Commission staff.165 In that both formal and informal communication addition to collecting data on who calls the department channels are available for public servants to or uses its online services, the FTB also encourages share ideas for improving program performance staff to look for processes that could be automated or and providing better customer service with otherwise simplified, and to take part in the process top executives. In addition to regularly inviting of making those improvements. “The department’s employee feedback, agency and department culture invites and encourages employee feedback,” Ms. leaders should communicate to employees how and Stanislaus explained. The department’s employees have when their feedback was used to introduce change and use several channels to share ideas for improving within the organization. services. They include idea boxes within their divisions, online forums where employees can ask questions and make suggestions related to any topic, as well as various employee workgroups and committees.166 38 www.lhc.ca.gov Recommendations for a Customer-Centric California Government Research customer experiences for continuous them identify pain points, gather customer reactions improvement. Californians should be asked about to proposed changes and reinvigorate continuous regularly their experiences interacting with state agencies improvement efforts. The report suggested that and departments and included in conversations about continuous monitoring allows organizations to respond improving experiences – from start to finish. In turn, to sudden decreases in satisfaction levels and quickly California’s agencies and departments should use this address emerging problems.172 information to refine how they deliver services and ensure those services are accessible, convenient, easy to use and ultimately meet their customers’ needs. “The state should be asking – what can we do?” Learning about customers’ experiences is crucial to Dan Parham, Co-Founder, Neighborland249 making government services accessible and relevant. The Commission heard from experts who suggested that agencies and departments should take special care to understand the needs of and improve experiences for Government has at its disposal many tools for collecting the most vulnerable Californians. This group doesn’t customer feedback and listening to customer concerns, often have a voice to represent its interests, they said, from traditional surveys to social media platforms. In so government has to be conscious and deliberate about August 2015, the federal government starting asking for including it in decisions. Adjusting service delivery to reviews on Yelp, a Web and mobile-based user review better serve the hardest to serve will likely improve platform that allows users to rate and review various customer experiences for all Californians.170 categories of services from restaurants, hotels and travel organizations, professional services and religious A laser focus on the most vulnerable likely will require organizations and now public services and government.173 departments to consider how their operational hours Additionally, some federal agencies are experimenting affect accessibility. Departments inevitably will find that with regular office hours on Twitter. Both the U.S. some customers have more than one job, work during Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Office of regular government operations hours or have limited Federal Student Aid use Twitter to give customers another transportation options requiring them to rearrange work avenue for asking general questions and receiving real- schedules – or take a day unpaid – to get to an office time information from government officials.174 or even to speak over the phone with a government representative. But, rather than simply collecting feedback about services provided or analyzing customer complaints, government Just one example: In anticipation of an increase in agencies should use human-centered design practices applicants following passage of legislation to allow to research customer needs to figure out ways to undocumented immigrants in the state to apply for better meet them. Some local governments, as well as driver’s licenses, the Department of Motor Vehicles California’s Franchise Tax Board offer examples: temporarily extended weekday office hours in selected field offices throughout the state and opened some The City of San Francisco’s Office of Economic and offices on Saturdays.171 The department should review Workforce Development partnered with Neighborland the success of this program to consider whether it could to develop a revitalization plan for UN Plaza that be expanded – either in additional office locations or on a includes responses from residents about the project. continual basis – to better serve its regular customers. (Neighborland provides local leaders seeking immediate feedback about a pending decision a platform to engage The McKinsey Center for Government found in a 2014 with constituents.) Hundreds of residents participated citizen experience study that “best-in-class” organizations in a public meeting to consider how to improve the UN regularly measure citizen satisfaction to set priorities Plaza and another 1,500 residents weighed in online on and monitor changes in satisfaction levels. It helps Neighborland. City officials vetted the ideas and selected Little Hoover Commission 39 A Customer-Centric Upgrade For California Government some to be tested, Neighborland co-founder Dan Parham told Commission staff. One idea to host weekly markets Agency and department leaders should regularly at the plaza is now a regularly-scheduled event featuring engage their customers, seeking feedback about local food, craft vendors and live music, bringing renewed their experiences in receiving information and vibrancy to the plaza.175 Mr. Parham said in the last two services and asking for ideas about how to better years, 160,000 Californians have used Neighborland meet their needs. Working with program partners, to provide online feedback to local government and they should employ human-centered design community leaders.176 practices to revise how services are delivered, then test strategies to create better experiences The City of South Bend, Indiana, partnered with Code for for their customers. Leaders should relentlessly America to design CityVoice, a tool for residents to quickly monitor customer experiences, through surveys, and easily provide opinions on such geographic entities as social media platforms and other forms of customer vacant properties or city parks. Public servants place signs communications, and use feedback to determine if at specific locations for input. Neighbors call a phone and how information or services could be delivered number listed on the signs to give their feedback and more effectively. information is published to a website where neighbors and government decision-makers can review it.177 California’s Franchise Tax Board has created several formal channels to receive customer input. The department offers a survey to customers after they file a return online. Taxpayers who phone one of the department’s call centers are given an option to leave comments after their call. Paying In-Home Caregivers This information is used to improve processes and make it easier for people and businesses to pay their state taxes. Department representatives told Commission staff they How it’s done today: introduced the department’s “virtual hold” option after Paper timesheets for In-Home Supportive call center agents received customer feedback asking Services Providers begin a typical 18-day for the feature. Realizing that many callers contact the process to get a state paycheck. Checks may department online before picking up the phone, FTB be delayed due to processing problems with Web staffers now occasionally sit with their call center illegible hand writing or text corrected with colleagues to better understand what challenges users are white-out. Mail delivery timeframes also can be having and get feedback on service improvements.178 unpredictable.179 An easier way: Providers to submit timesheets electronically, either through email or a secure website, cutting “We have a chance to build government processing costs and time and getting checks services that put people first.” to providers faster. Payments to caregivers are Jacob Solomon, Code for America182 expedited through a direct deposit feature. 40 www.lhc.ca.gov Recommendations for a Customer-Centric California Government Provide political cover for experimentation. State government because the “reactions” infrequently are leaders should support the new customer service undone and government leaders must live with the champions and digital services team, granting them cumulative rules and regulations that are created. authority to work around traditional barriers to fast-track customer service improvements. For California to build a customer-centric culture Regardless of the model California uses to introduce new and have a successful digital services strategy, ideas into state government, it must support innovators the state must allow public servants latitude to as they experiment with new ways of doing business. In question the status quo and experiment with ways the United Kingdom, the call to change government’s to provide better customer service. High-level approach to digital services was driven by a high-powered sponsorship from the Governor and legislative entrepreneur who had the ear of the Prime Minister and leaders, as well as cover from administration ministers who in turn had the political capital to launch appointees, will be critical to ensure customer the Government Digital Service. The call to change in service improvement projects are given priority and the U.S. came from the White House and began with have sufficient support and resources to succeed. the Presidential Innovation Fellowship, one of 18F’s cofounders, Andrew McMahon, told Commissioners. “Political cover is crucial,” he said.180 When introducing broad change, particularly on highly visible projects, support from powerful executives can overcome the risk-averse nature of bureaucracies. Several leaders of President Obama’s new digital services teams told the Commission that in Washington D.C., political appointees are more likely to take risks because, unlike “I think where [the new digital service teams bureaucrats, they know they will be moving on. are] having more of an impact is in their interactions with the agencies, and the They also emphasized the importance of finding partners IT teams at the VA, or at HUD, or some of within the administration who are knowledgeable about these huge organizations that contain a lot laws and regulations, and also can keep projects on track. of excellent people but have been so stifled “You need someone to ask, ‘Hypothetically, if I want to do sometimes by this rule, or this statute, or this this thing, how can I do that and stay within the regulations traditional approach to how we do something. and laws?’ This person will need to know the rules and laws And so, part of the reason why we’ve been to help you figure this out,” Mr. McMahon said. successful so far is I have essentially provided air cover for these teams because I can call up High-level support for change is particularly important to the secretary [of various agencies], and say, ‘I combat government’s tendency to favor accountability want this to happen. And I don’t want us to over results, participants of the Commission’s advisory find a reason not to do it just because it hasn’t meeting said. “Accountability in government is about been done before. And I want us to bring when something goes wrong there is a reaction. We build together a team to be as creative as possible.” those reactions on top of each other and when there are President Barack Obama181 problems, we build more on top of that,” one advisory meeting participant said. “We don’t operate in the same environment as the private sector. We can learn a lot from businesses, but the expectations for us are not the same.” Over time, this buildup of reactions constrains Little Hoover Commission 41 A Customer-Centric Upgrade For California Government Pilot change to test and demonstrate the value of build in an agile way. We told vendors ‘we want working differently. To overcome a traditionally cautious, you to build something for us in two weeks and risk-averse culture, state agencies and departments do the user research on it.’ So, now we have should identify small, meaningful projects to test and examples of their work and can look at their code demonstrate the value of customer-centric reforms and and look at their user research. We curated this generate enthusiasm for working differently. large list of approved vendors down to a subset of about 20 companies that have proved they can Too often government projects fail to get off the build in this way.”185 ground with plans that get too big by trying to solve all problems at once. Even the newest initiatives, especially • 18F also helped streamline and automate the those involving technology, often appear instantly acquisition process for purchase card holders outdated, clogged by questionable specifications, – those designated to manage their agency’s overly complicated contracts, cost overruns and unmet purchasing requests. The team built a new email- deadlines. based tool, Communicart, to serve as a uniform system for reviewing and approving purchases. “…we realized that a lot of times agencies take two The project cost 18F $400,000 to develop, a first steps that I wouldn’t suggest,” the U.S. General number their clients said was “unbelievable” Services Administration’s first chief customer officer compared to typical costs of $18 million to $19 Phaedra Chrousos recalled in a June 2015 interview with million, Ms. Hartley said. Over time, the project Government Technology magazine. “The first one is to will generate additional cost savings as a result of create a very long-winded strategy. Articulating strategy the faster processing times. Leveraging further is important, but sometimes just taking action and value from the work, the tool has been replicated proving you can make change on a small scale is equally for three other projects.186 important, and sometimes more so when it comes to changing the mindsets of people.”183 Team representatives and others who met with the Commission suggested that when designing services, Her colleagues suggested a different approach: start with California’s agencies and departments should allow small projects, case studies that focus on a “minimally administrators to invite customer testing and feedback viable project” – just the core features needed to be and build in time for course corrections before arriving deployed. They told Commissioners that this approach at a final product. Doing good research up front helps to has worked successfully for 18F, whose early projects make sure that whatever change is introduced will deliver have demonstrated that work can be done differently, on the minimum things people actually want and will use. while saving time and money. Some project examples: Additionally, they said the approach allows for lower-risk experimentation before scaling reform across programs or • 18F revamped the Federal Business departments. The idea is to start with small pilot projects Opportunities Agency website to make it more to test an idea, then percolate out by bringing projects to navigable for vendors searching for contracting scale either within one organization or across agencies.187 opportunities with the federal government. The new site helped to level the playing field and made it easier for potential contractors to “Pick one small narrow problem you want to search for opportunities, Mr. McMahon told solve and everything else is noise.” Commissioners.184 Emily Wright Moore, Interaction Designer, • 18F changed the blanket purchase agreements U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs188 with which the federal government buys new technology. Ms. Hartley explained the change: “Our team has tried to create a micro marketplace by asking vendors to prove they can 42 www.lhc.ca.gov Recommendations for a Customer-Centric California Government Representatives from 18F told the Commission that be called on to help translate government information successful pilot projects generate excitement and that they don’t fully understand themselves and cannot interest beyond the participating organization. “Never translate accurately. Trouble also may arise in trying underestimate the power of your users to tell your story to explain words that have very different meanings in for you,” 18F’s director of business strategy, Stephanie English than in other languages.193 Some programs Rivera, said. “You’d get converts. People would say, use Google translator to make their websites more ‘You know what you need? You should get these guys in accessible to a wider audience, more representative of here.’”190 the state’s cultural diversity. On its face, this appears to be a valuable tool for increasing accessibility, but in this study the Commission did not assess the tool’s overall Agency and department leaders should identify effectiveness. small, meaningful pilot projects to demonstrate the value of human-centered design. To California law already requires government agencies generate enthusiasm for working differently, they to “write each document it produces in plain, should share lessons learned with other state straightforward language, avoiding technical terms administrators and publicly celebrate successful as much as possible, and using a coherent and easily projects. readable style.”194 Cyd Harrell, Code for America’s senior director of product, told Commissioners the state could be more customer-centric by enforcing its “plain Communicate clearly. All information from California’s language” statutes.195 agencies and departments should be communicated in plain, straightforward language and shared in ways that In evaluating programs and services, agency and make it easy for Californians to find and understand. department leaders should develop strategies for Government can perhaps most easily improve better communicating information to the public in the customer experience by changing the way it ways that are succinct, clear, accurate and easy to communicates with the public: being succinct, clear, understand. Leaders also should consider whether accurate, precise, as well as approachable, and easy to communications are offered via the state’s many find and understand. common languages, and if not, take steps to ensure culturally competent translations are available to Government communications are often long and improve communication with non-native English muddled with jargon and legalese, making it difficult for speakers. the public to find what they need, understand what they find and get the information or services they seek. The state’s website for obtaining certified copies of birth and Create multiple service pathways. Californians should death records, for example, is text-heavy and cluttered be able to access state government services in ways most with notes, links and legal caveats.191 Another example: comfortable and convenient for their individual needs California’s Air Resources Board developed an online and abilities. application to track air quality anywhere in the state. But rather than giving the app a catchy title reflecting Outside of their interactions with government, its useful function for customers, it is named “Air Californians increasingly expect to access services and Resourceskik Board.”192 communicate with institutions – be it a bank or retailer – wherever and whenever needed and however they Non-native English speakers experience particularly prefer. Simply, customers expect customer service to be formidable barriers accessing government information. accessible anytime, anyplace, and by whatever means Not all government information is available in multiple of communication they prefer – whether mail, email, languages. Children of non-native English speakers may telephone, fax, in person, online or on a mobile device.196 Little Hoover Commission 43 A Customer-Centric Upgrade For California Government Like the private sector, government, too, must deliver Collectively, these efforts have improved customer on these expectations. Government also must satisfaction over time. Public reviews of the department’s continuously evolve along with technology and deliver offices now rank fairly high on Yelp, an online service on new communication options and expectations. But, for the public to provide businesses feedback about the government must recognize that no single delivery mode services they receive. In fact, most offices average a score will work equally well for everyone. Unlike businesses, of more than three out of five stars.202 However, during government must offer a pool of services so that everyone, the Commission’s hearing it was noted that wait times are not just the easiest to reach, are served. “We should not not consistent across DMV field offices. Specifically, that lose the human aspect. We need to make those [in-person] wait times in some of the poorest areas of Los Angeles can interactions better,” one individual told Commission staff.197 be significantly longer than wait times in more affulent areas of the city. This discrepency raises the quetion of California’s Department of Motor Vehicles, popularly whether the DMV is consciously thinking through how best known as the DMV, demonstrates how a department to serve all its customers. By further applying some of the can start to improve service and better meet customer customer-centric design techniques described here to more expectations by offering its customers choices in their fully understand their customers’ needs and experiences, interactions with the state. Millions of Californians interact the department could further refine its service particularly with the department each year to register or renew to address long lines in low-income neighborhoods. registration for their vehicle or driver’s license.198 Not long ago, Californians had to visit a DMV field Agency and department leaders should evaluate office to conduct their business, Stephanie Dougherty, how customers access services, determine if DMV’s Chief of Enterprise Planning and Performance, existing channels are sufficient and consider ways told Commissioners. But, the department has invested to improve and expand accessibility, whether substantial effort to increase access to its services and digital or in person. provide customers greater flexibility in how they complete their DMV transactions. Now, in addition to in-person visits, the department offers options – online, on mobile devices, Move beyond mobile apps. In designing digital services, by mail or phone, on self-service terminals or through visits agencies and departments should offer maximum options to a DMV business partner or auto club.199 Indeed, more for Californians to conveniently access government than 20 DMV services are available online and some are services – whatever the platform they choose to use. now also mobile-friendly. The department also offers a “virtual hold” call-back feature for Californians who want Making government services accessible online is to speak directly with a department representative. And particularly important for making government more a number of local DMV offices have self-service kiosks accessible to Californians who live in rural areas or for customers to quickly and conveniently complete otherwise have difficulty connecting with government. transactions – to name just a few recent improvements.200 “For economically vulnerable citizens who may not have fixed addresses, being able to communicate and access “Providing alternative ways to complete DMV transactions services from a basic smartphone (or even a non-Internet- benefits all of our customers,” Ms. Dougherty said. enabled feature phone) is essential to participation in both “Customers who use an alternative service channel are services and civic life,” Cyd Harrell told Commissioners.203 saved a trip to a DMV field office and are able to complete their DMV transaction in the time and manner most California’s Department of Technology, which leads the convenient to them. Redirecting customers to other state’s technology initiatives and provides guidance service channels also helps to reduce field office traffic, to government decision-makers, has made building a which results in improved service levels for our field office “responsive, accessible and mobile government” the first customers.”201 goal in the state’s 2015 Information Technology Strategic Plan. It plans to achieve this, in part, by making more 44 www.lhc.ca.gov Recommendations for a Customer-Centric California Government government services, information, and transactions parks to pay for parking on their smartphone or pull up available online and accessible via mobile devices.204 a guided tour of the park may be of interest. Though government should have a role in promoting mobile But as California’s agencies and departments ramp up apps, Hillary Hartley, 18F’s deputy executive director, told efforts to improve how the state delivers services to the Commissioners, a more important focus is for government public, some might be tempted to direct their focus on to pave the way for third parties to develop mobile building mobile applications to better meet customer services by putting out APIs and open data. The market expectations. But the end goal should not be to build can then decide what users need and others can build the most mobile apps. It should be to offer the most apps to meet those needs. “The things behind the scenes options for Californians to conveniently access government are more important than the apps,” she said.210 services whatever the platform they choose to use (including in-person and on paper). Agency and department leaders should work with program partners to review how services The focus on building mobile is justified by research. currently are offered and create new digital Findings from a 2015 Pew Research Center study show services or improve existing ones as appropriate. that nearly two-thirds of Americans use a smartphone In addition, to better ensure a customer-centric to go online, and some population groups (including focus across state websites – regardless of the younger adults, non-whites and those with low household platform on which they are accessed – leaders incomes and levels of education) are dependent on these should review and revise Web standards and work platforms to access the Internet.205 Moreover, research by with the new digital services teams to develop IT research firm Gartner suggests that by 2018 more than common tools that are consistent and easy-to-use. half of users will go to a smartphone or tablet first for all Whether creating new websites, service portals online activities.206 And Americans are more frequently or mobile apps, they should be designed with the using these mobile devices to access federal government users’ needs in mind. In addition, digital services websites.207 should be built around responsive designs with the However, research also suggests that consumers spend flexibility to work on multiple platforms. little time using “non-native apps,” that is, applications that do not come pre-installed on their mobile device.208 The implication is that the effort and cost to produce and maintain government-built apps for specific programs Visiting a State Park might not be worth the payout in terms of usage. Experts suggested government think instead about How it’s done today: building a responsive design – that is websites that Visitors decide to make a trip and pay at the work on any device and are usable on any size screen. gate with cash or more often, a debit card. “Designing a website that is only accessible to a certain The only advance online ordering option at percentage of the population is the same thing as the Department of Parks and Recreation is an providing service only in English or that doesn’t account annual pass.211 Getting a hunting and fishing for people with disabilities,” Andrew McMahon, Regional license involves another state department, the Administrator of the General Services Administration, told Department of Fish and Wildlife. Commissioners in July 2015.209 An easier way: Some services might make sense in a mobile app, but Visitors go to one online site, much like they do these are not the solution for all government services. to buy airline tickets or movie passes, to order Californians are not likely to download an app to file a daily pass. At the same site they can buy a their once-a-year vehicle registration with the DMV, hunting or fishing license if desired. for example. But an app that allows visitors to state Little Hoover Commission 45 A Customer-Centric Upgrade For California Government Seek opportunities for organizational improvement. Forms reform is just the beginning. In part, modernizing Because a good customer experience is dependent on a government will require a look at internal processes well-functioning, modern organization, California must and tools that public servants use to do their work. break its reliance on outmoded technology and processes Indeed, some departments within the state have begun that prevent it from meeting public expectations for high- experimenting with ways to make internal processes quality, on-demand services. more efficient for both internal and external stakeholders. Since 2014, participants from 17 departments have “Sometimes you have to fix the back end before launched 36 projects through the state’s Lean 6-Sigma you can fix the front end,” 18F’s director of business Program, offered through a partnership between the strategy, Stephanie Rivera, told Commissioners. “It’s the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development plumbing.”212 and the Government Operations Agency.215 The Lean 6-Sigma training program teaches participants to use In government, that “plumbing” can include time- complex analytical and statistical tools that identify waste intensive paper-based application and review processes, and inefficiencies in processes, then apply these tools to hiring processes, requirements for ink on paper make improvements in their organizations. According signatures, restrictions on how customers pay for to the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic services, as well as outdated and multiple databases that Development, project outcomes included improved might not allow data sharing across systems. Within efficiency and operation of organizational processes, but the civic tech sector, new companies are popping up to also have a positive impact on governments’ interaction address these and other process issues common across with the public.216 These sorts of ongoing data-driven government. evaluations should be conducted throughout state Government can gain some efficiency by digitizing paper- government to help leaders make more informed based processes, which require extra work by public decisions about how best to manage their organizations servants to review and process, more for handwritten based on performance data. applications. This also means longer timeframes for customers to get answers about the services or information they seek. But technology is making it easier Becoming a Denti-Cal Provider for governments to streamline and consolidate forms so customers only fill out necessary information and can submit documents online. SeamlessDocs, for example, How it’s done today: helps governments take paper-based forms and PDFs and Dentists must find and download the 22-page put them online so they can be completed on any device Denti-Cal provider form. Then they have to fill and submitted with an electronic signature.213 out some fields electronically before printing and manually completing and signing the form, then mail it to the Denti-Cal program. They can wait up to six months to find out if the “What we’re seeing is a 19th Century application is approved, incomplete, requires institution often using 20th Century technology further review or is denied.218 to respond to 21st Century problems. We need An easier way: to change that.” The Denti-Cal provider form is streamlined and House Republican Conference Chair Cathy McMorris modeled after commercial insurance provider Rodgers (R-WA)214 applications, eliminating all fields that relate solely to Medi-Cal. Dentists complete and submit this simpler form online. 46 www.lhc.ca.gov Recommendations for a Customer-Centric California Government Modernization also will require a look at the often Two of California’s agencies, including the State Controller outmoded technological environment within which public and Health and Human Services Agency, already have servants work and the lengthy processes organizations embraced the open data movement by sharing public use to procure technology. The technological datasets through Web portals.219 In addition to creating a environment public servants face in their day-to-day data portal for all departments within the agency to share work environment doesn’t usually match tools they use publicly available data, the Health and Human Services at home, such as Netflix and Amazon. Though public Agency also created an open data handbook which servants are comfortable using newer technologies and lays out processes, procedures and definitions for the are eager to learn, at work they often use outdated agency’s open data program – something which can be technology and might be asked to double and triple enter adopted and adapted to meet the requirements of other into a DOS-based system. To update technology, the agencies.220 Other agencies, including the State Treasurer state will likely have to review procurement processes. and Government Operations Agency were in the process The State Auditor said in a September 2015 interview of establishing open data portals as this report was being with TechLeader.tv the current processes can take so long developed.221 that the technology has changed before the process is A representative from the health and human services complete.217 agency told the Commission, “the biggest benefit I see is that open data establishes a beachhead that Agency and department leaders should identify can bring in new ideas and make government more those internal processes, procedures or systems data savvy and ultimately, makes government more that slow or complicate service delivery to open to innovation and smarter.”222 Recent legislative customers. In identifying small pilot projects, interest to develop a statewide open data portal and leaders should look for opportunities to improve chief data officer stalled.223 Despite these setbacks, the agency and department operations. Government Operations Agency is moving forward with a pilot Statewide Open Data Portal, to be launched in late October 2015. The pilot will pull together data from Unlock the promise of government data. The state multiple agencies, and arrange information by topics that should continue to pursue an open data strategy, taking make sense for those unfamiliar with the organizational steps to make government data available for those in structure of the state’s agencies and departments.224 government, as well as outsiders to use. Doing so will allow the state to better manage its programs, inform Though opening its data resources should not be the end policy and resource decisions, improve transparency and goal for a customer-centric state, it is a necessary and create new products and tools for the public’s good. critical step on the way toward reinventing the state’s relationships with the public and with its partners. California state government holds a valuable and largely untapped resource: an overwhelming volume The Governor should issue an executive order of official and real-time datasets. Unlocking this encouraging agency efforts to allow Californians existing information allows the state and interested online access to the state’s raw, publicly available parties to better address societal challenges, foster civil data. The ultimate goal should be to create a single engagement and enhance government transparency, online warehouse for the state’s publicly available accountability and efficiency. To accelerate innovation data, searchable by topic area. The Governor both within and outside government, the state can should encourage agencies to begin by developing capitalize on “opening” its raw data resources in a statewide open data policy and digital standards downloadable and machine-readable formats that are to guide departments as they evaluate existing data easy to search, download and combine. and organize it into formats that ultimately can be shared on a statewide platform. Little Hoover Commission 47 A Customer-Centric Upgrade For California Government UNLOCK THE PROMISE OF GOVERNMENT DATA Data to inform government decisions. Some governments have built a culture of continuous improvement through data-driven decisions about resource investment and policy priorities. The State of Maryland in 2007 launched the nation’s first state open data portal and what has now become an award-winning government performance management program, StateStat. While many governments monitor their performance through annual budget reviews, StateStat requires most agencies to track and report performance. Cabinet officials regularly review agencies’ data reports and make immediate policy and resource decisions based on the results. As departments became more comfortable with the StateStat process, and “internalizing data,” a shift occurred, recalled Chris Reith, Socrata’s GovStat program manager and former director of the Governor’s Office under Governor Martin O’Malley. Rather than using the program solely to improve government operations and service delivery, the state began to use it to address broad, cross-agency strategic goals.225 For Marylanders, StateStat’s performance management techniques have resulted in improved service delivery. Before the program, state administrators in the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) had no baseline data on their work, Beth Blauer, former StateStat director, told Commission staff. The perception was they were doing the best they could with the resources they had and performing at their maximum capacity. But when they started collecting data on work in other states and monitoring their own data they found there were areas for improvement. One simple finding: Office kiosks were not used as frequently as staffed counters. As the MVA made changes, it simultaneously collected data to measure how those changes impacted kiosk use and wait times. “We didn’t have to wait a year [to know if the changes were working],” Ms. Blauer explained. “Instead we knew in a month.” When the MVA identified practices that increased kiosk use and decreased wait times, it spread that practice across the state, creating a positive ripple effect across the agency’s operations.226 Cities and states across the country have followed Maryland’s lead and adopted the “stat” model of using data to improve public services and address issues important to citizens. Data to improve transparency. Much of government’s data is locked into siloed legacy systems and scattered throughout numerous agencies and departments. But liberating this data can increase transparency of government information to the public and also facilitate intra-agency information sharing among government programs. Participants at the Commission’s July 2015 advisory meeting said that for government, the real value of data is the insights it provides about how government is operating and its function as a mechanism for feedback between the community and government.227 During his tenure as State Controller, John Chiang’s administration made it a priority to make government financial data more transparent online, Collin Wong-Martinusen, who served as chief of staff to Chiang at the State Controller’s Office and who continues to serve at the State Controller’s Office, told Commission staff. “The lack of transparency and access [to government financial information] breeds corruption and mismanagement of taxpayer monies,” he quoted Mr. Chiang as saying in response to the string of high-profile local government corruption scandals, best epitomized by the City of Bell in 2010. As a counter to these types of scandals, he said one of Mr. Chiang’s goals as State Controller was to make the office become the go-to destination for reliable, no-nonsense information about the state’s finances. The effort resulted in three open data portals – ByTheNumbers,228 Government Compensation in California229 and Track Prop 30230 – which provide users a visual narrative to customize reports using desirable interface tools such as mapping and geographic information systems. Today, the current State Controller, Betty Yee, continues to offers readily-accessible government financial data to the public 48 www.lhc.ca.gov Recommendations for a Customer-Centric California Government Liberating Government Data • California’s population of nearly 40 million people generates data through their Creating everyday behaviors. Data • State departments and agencies hone in on this information by accumulating data in the course of delivering services to Californians. Accumulating • Data collected by the state includes everything from public health, education and Data population statistics to crime rates, tax records and internal operations. • Governments worldwide have begun to publish data on web portals, in formats that allow re-use. Publishing • Examples of web portals in California include, the City of Los Angeles and Data San Francisco, State Controller’s Office and Health and Human Services Agency. • Interested stakeholders consume the raw resources and transform it into tools, products and services of value. Transforming Data • Informed decisions across sectors, improved governement transparency and Results increased public accessibility. that several years ago were only easily accessed through commercial resources at exorbitant costs. Data to increase accessibility. Collecting information is at the heart of many government functions. Through government activities, state departments and agencies accumulate data in areas ranging from public health, education, and population statistics to crime rates, tax records and internal operations. With this information, the state has the opportunity to act as a data wholesaler and make government data available for those in government, as well as outsiders, to freely use to create and deliver new products and tools for the public’s good. Organizations, such as Code for America, promote use of data to improve access to public services. In West Sacramento, Code for America technologists are working with the city to advance the regional food system by transforming vacant lots into urban farms. By making it easier for people to find locally grown produce, this project also is expected to help address the city’ “food desert” landscape. The City of Vallejo also has partnered with the organization to use technology to improve public safety and build trust between law enforcement and city residents.231 Open data also creates opportunities for third parties to develop tools that cater to very specific subsets of the state’s population. For example, by permitting access to data about the state park’s reservation system, third parties could design services targeted to attract specific population groups, such as non-English speakers or urban dwellers, to state parks. And by making it easier for more people to visit parks, these third parties also could help further the state parks mission to remain relevant and accessible to all Californians and world-wide visitors.232 Little Hoover Commission 49 A Customer-Centric Upgrade For California Government Leverage data resources to bring services to tool could make it easier for the more than 1.45 million Californians. Californians seeking government WIC participants to use the program. The application information or assistance might not know which was built by Code for Sacramento, a Code for America department or program is responsible for what they Brigade, using data from the California Department of need, but they probably know how to do a general Public Health’s open data portal.237 online search. Because of this, state government leaders The Commission heard that the state should be more should make sure data is available in formats that can proactive in revisiting and revising and potentially be leveraged by others to get information to Californians eliminating rules that limit access to the state’s robust where they already go to seek it. publicly-available data resources. For example, an In 2012 the City of San Francisco partnered with Yelp to advisory meeting participant told Commissioners the import restaurant hygiene scores from the city on Yelp state should include in its contracts requirements businesses pages. Because that data was available and to build in open data and application-programming shared, San Francisco Yelp users can now make more interface, or APIs, into new contracts. (APIs are informed restaurant selections by clicking through and computer programming protocols for building software viewing restaurants’ historical inspection scores.233 As of applications.) Third party developers can access the APIs March 2015, seven cities and counties have partnered to build tools, like WICit, for public consumption. with Yelp to share these scores.234 “This model of using APIs to help government be more As state government continues to open its data resources consumer friendly is helpful,” she said. “The example to third party developers, a new array of tools will is government as a platform so others can build on it to inevitably become available to Californians to help help the many different populations of the state.”238 them find and access government services. California’s agencies and departments should look for opportunities to promote tools or services that help direct people Agency and department leaders should review to state services, just as the City and County of San rules and internal policies to determine if Francisco promotes applications developed by private any unnecessarily limit engagement with third parties using the city’s public data on its mobile partners. Further they should seek out and foster Web gallery, SFGov Mobile.235 partnerships with outside organizations to move information to Californians and promote tools and Rather than endorsing third party tools, state agencies services developed by third parties that further should consider how they, too, might promote them programs’ missions. to further their missions. For example, the California Department of Parks and Recreation might consider how promoting the CaliParks app on its website or elsewhere could help park visitors find places to camp, walk their dogs, relax at a beach and check out photos taken by other visitors. The Web-based park finder app, available in English and Spanish, was built by the Parks Forward Commission and partners to encourage people to visit one of the state’s 280 parks and beaches.236 Similarly, the California Department of Public Health might consider how it could promote WICit, a Web-based application that helps eligible Californians determine if they qualify for WIC, a federally-funded health and nutrition assistance program. If readily available, the 50 www.lhc.ca.gov Recommendations for a Customer-Centric California Government Bridge the technology industry and the public sector. California should connect the state’s technology sector with state government leaders and welcome innovators to help address some of the state’s most pressing “We [as government] have so outsourced our challenges. ability to do [technology] work, that we are While other governments, mostly local, have successfully really not able to be nimble, quick, flexible and engaged civic tech innovators, for the most part, as responsive as we should be. Instead, we’re California state government is not yet on their radar. really reliant on third party vendors and system integrators. And on our best days we’re project Throughout this study, the Commission heard that managers. ...Somehow we’re going to have to outsiders find California state government large and rebuild that within the public side.” confusing – a seemingly impenetrable bureaucracy. Some Will Lightbourne, Director, say California is unapproachable: too large to navigate the California Department of Social Services250 bureaucracy and too difficult to identify people within the system to target for partnerships.239 There’s a perception that the state is a “black box,” with no clear starting point, or “front door,” digital or otherwise to begin discussions. Most rely on experts familiar with government – those help them meet their nutritional needs.243 California’s working with foundations or policy organizations – to tell enrollment rate for the program is among the lowest in them about the challenges facing government.240 Former the nation, director Will Lightbourne told Commission state government officials who now work with venture staff. Like many social services programs, CalFresh is capitalists and technology startups told Commission administered through counties, but overseen by the staff tech leaders in Silicon Valley perceive indifference Department of Social Services. In 2013, Code for America from state government leaders in comparison to other fellowship teams worked successfully with the County of governments that have much tighter integration with the San Francisco to make it easier to sign up and participate technology industry.241 in the program. Now, in an attempt to drive up statewide enrollment numbers, the department is working with “It would be helpful to know what problems exist within Code for America to understand how people find out the various state agencies, as well as who government about the program online and how they eventually find is trying to help and what the desired outcomes are for their way to the program. them,” Eric Liu, Bayes Impact founder, told Commission staff. Bayes Impact is a nonprofit that deploys teams The partnership has helped trigger a different way of data scientists to build data-driven solutions to of thinking within the department about its role, Mr. challenging social issues. Lightbourne said. Rather than serving as a gatekeeper, focusing on how much cash is going out from the Experts also told the Commission that it is incumbent department, its thinking now is more customer-centric, on the state to “build a bridge” to make it easier for focusing on how to communicate benefit opportunities to outsiders to come in.242 Californians, he said.244 At the same time, few in government are familiar with Other agencies have hosted code-a-thon events to invite the state’s civic tech community. However, some of outsiders to use government data to address critical California’s agencies have made inroads. The Department policy issues. In June 2015, the California HealthCare of Social Services, for example, recently partnered with Foundation, in partnership with the California Health Code for America on several projects. One will help the and Human Services Agency, hosted a civic hacking day department look at ways to improve enrollment rates for event asking participants to use the agency’s health data the state’s CalFresh program, which provides financial in new and innovative ways. The aim: to help the public assistance to qualifying households and individuals to Little Hoover Commission 51 A Customer-Centric Upgrade For California Government better understand pressing health issues, inform health choices and help policymakers make more informed health policy decisions. Top prizes went to teams for apps to help Sacramento County residents find WIC services, to make it easier to track, discuss and share progress of the California Department of Public Health’s Let’s Get Healthy California Initiative and to visualize demographic and health data at a community-level.245 As part of the pilot innovation contests created by Assembly Bill 2138 in 2014, the California Government Operations Agency and Department of General Services also have scheduled a code-a-thon event in October 2015. The goal of the “Green Gov Challenge” is to invite new ideas for improving state government sustainability practices and engaging with the public.246 These competitions and other partnerships help overcome some of the cultural and linguistic differences between government and the technology sector. Mike Wilkening, undersecretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, told Commissioners terms like “hack” and “open data” can sound threatening to bureaucrats, conjuring images of data breaches or lost records, without explanation of the intent – a more efficient, transparent organization.247 Additional benefits of these events include exposing technologists to the state’s data sets and giving state government a “face” by connecting programmers, developers and entrepreneurs to program administrators. More events like these can help build bridges into the state’s technology industry and tap into new ways of addressing problems. After identifying the most pressing challenges for their organizations, agency and department leaders should work with industry partners equipped to help develop solutions. Leaders also should conduct targeted outreach to develop relationships with technologists and hold events to connect innovators with state administrators. Such events might include code-a-thons to quickly brainstorm solutions to issue specific challenges, startup days for leaders in the administration and Legislature to learn what’s possible with technology, or conferences to showcase opportunities for outsiders to engage on state issues. 52 www.lhc.ca.gov Appendices Appendices Public Hearing Witnesses January 22, 2015 Mark Baldassare, President and Chief Executive Cyd Harrell, Senior Director of Product, Code for Officer, Public Policy Institute of California America Billy Hamilton, Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Bob Stone, Performance Advisor to Deputy Mayor for Financial Officer, The Texas A&M University System Budget and Innovation, City of Los Angeles March 26, 2015 Robbie Crockett, Chief of Budgets and Fiscal Analysis, Anne Miller, Chief of the Filing Division, Franchise Tax California Department of Motor Vehicles Board Stephanie Dougherty, Chief of Enterprise Planning Chris Rieth, GovStat Program Manager, Socrata; and Performance, California Department of Motor former Director, Office of Maryland Governor Martin Vehicles O’Malley David Fletcher, Chief Technology Officer, Utah Theresa Taylor, President of District Labor Council 786, Department of Technology Services Service Employees International Union Local 1000 Mario Guerrero, Legislative Affairs Director, Service Carol D. Williams, Chief of the Accounts Receivable Employees International Union Local 1000 Management Division, Franchise Tax Board May 28, 2015 Jim Greene, Deputy Director, Center for Health Jay Virbel, Associate Director, Female Offender Statistics and Informatics, California Department of Programs and Services, Division of Adult Institutions, Public Health California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Hillary Hartley, Co-Founder and Deputy Executive Director, 18F Michael Wilkening, Undersecretary, Program and Fiscal Affairs, California Health and Human Services Karl Knapp, Chief, Facilities Management Division, Agency California Department of Parks and Recreation Little Hoover Commission 53 A Customer-Centric Upgrade For California Government Advisory Committee Meeting Participants July 16, 2015, San Francisco, CA Joy Bonaguro, Chief Data Officer, City & County of San Eric Liu, Founder & Head of Operations, Bayes Impact Francisco Tim Nguyen, Intern, California Government Caroline Bruister, Consultant, Innovate Your State Operations Agency Stuart Drown, Deputy Secretary, Innovation & Dan Parham, Co-founder & CEO, Neighborland Accountability, California Government Operations Angie Quirarte, Policy Analyst, California Government Agency Operations Agency Mai-Ling Garcia, Digital Engagement Manager, City of Alyssa Ravasio, Founder & CEO, Hipcamp Oakland Will Semmes, Associate Chair – Design MBA in Civil Megan Garcia, Senior Fellow & Director of Growth, Innovation & Strategic Foresight, California College of California, New America Foundation the Arts Cyd Harrell, Senior Director of Product, Code for Jake Solomon, Product Manager – Health, Code for America America Alexandra Klun, Consultant, Innovate Your State Tamara Srzentic, Outreach & Communications Peter Koht, Co-Founder, OpenCounter Director, California Department of Public Health Andy Krackov, Associate Director, External Mike Wilkening, Undersecretary, Program & Fiscal Engagement, California HealthCare Foundation Affairs, California Health and Human Services Agency 54 www.lhc.ca.gov Notes Notes and Performance, California Department 17 California Secretary of State. of Motor Vehicles. March 26, 2015. February 10, 2015. Odd-Numbered 1 Mark Baldassare, President and CEO, Written testimony to the Commission. Year Report of Registration. Accessed Public Policy Institute of California. October 7, 2015 at http://elections. January 22, 2015. “Building Trust in 9 California Department of Parks cdn.sos.ca.gov/ror/ror-pages/ror-odd- State Government.” Written testimony and Recreation. California State Park year-2015/hist-reg-stats.pdf. System Statistical Report, 2013/14 to the Commission. Fiscal Year. Planning, Recreation and 18 Billy C. Hamilton, Executive Vice 2 Public Policy Institute of California. Support Section Marketing and Business Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer, May 2015. PPIC Statewide Survey: Development Division, California State The Texas A&M University System. Californians and Their Government. Parks. Page 8. Accessed September January 22, 2014. Written testimony to Page 17. Accessed September 2, 2015 2, 2015 at http://www.parks.ca.gov/ the Commission. at http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/ pages/795/files/13-14%20Statistical%20 survey/S_515MBS.pdf Report%20FINAL%20INTERNET.pdf 19 Bob Stone, former project director, National Performance Review. January 3 Jill Tucker. SF Gate. December 15, 10 Aamer Baig, Andre Dua, and 22, 2015. Written testimony to the 2014. “Bureaucracy blocks families Vivian Riefberg. McKinsey Center for Commission. from state’s CalFresh food program.” Government. November 2014. “Putting Accessed August 26, 2015 at http:// Citizens First: How to improve citizens’ 20 Billy C. Hamilton. Refer to endnote 18. www.sfgate.com/news/article/ experience and satisfaction with 21 Billy C. Hamilton. Refer to endnote 18. Bureaucracy-blocks-families-from- government services.” state-s-5958971.php. 22 Billy C. Hamilton. Refer to endnote 18. 11 California Franchise Tax Board. 4 Jon Ortiz. June 16, 2015. The Refer to endnote 8. 23 Morley Winograd, former senior Sacramento Bee. “Audit: California’s policy advisor to Vice President Al Gore Medi-Cal phone lines overwhelmed.” 12 California Department of Motor and director of the National Partnership Accessed August 6, 2015 at http://www. Vehicles. January 1, 2015. Top 10 DMV for Reinventing Government from sacbee.com/news/politics-government/ Facts. Accessed October 6, 2015 at December 1, 1997 until January 20, the-state-worker/article24664324.html. https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/wcm/ 2001. November 26, 2014. Personal connect/bf92a9db-aada-4b16-80e0- communication. Also, Charles 5 Robert Safian. Fast Company b52c904b2f0d/top_10_dmv_facts. Clark. April 26, 2013. “Reinventing Magazine. July/August 2015 issue. pdf?MOD=AJPERES. Government – Two Decades Later.” “President Obama: The Fast Company Interview.” Accessed August 10, 2015 at 13 California Department of Parks and Accessed December 29, 2014 at www. http://www.fastcompany.com/3046757/ Recreation. Refer to endnote 9. govexec.com/management/2013/04/ what-reinvention-wrought/62836/. innovation-agents/president-barack- 14 California Department of Consumer obama-on-what-we-the-people-means- Affairs. July 2015. “Who We Are & What 24 Bob Stone. Refer to endnote 19. in-the-21st-century. We Do.” Page 14. http://www.dca. 25 Bob Stone. Refer to endnote 19. 6 Cyd Harrell, Senior Director of ca.gov/publications/dca_booklet.pdf. Product, Code for America. December 26 Billy C. Hamilton. Refer to endnote 18. 15 California Employment 23, 2014. Personal communication with Development Department. 2015. Quick Commission staff. 27 Bob Stone. Refer to endnote 19. Statistics. Accessed October 7, 2015 at 7 Little Hoover Commission Advisory http://www.edd.ca.gov/About_EDD/ 28 History of the National Partnership Committee Meeting. July 16, 2015. San Quick_Statistics.htm. for Reinventing Government. Accessed Francisco, CA. August 21, 2015 at http://govinfo. 16 United States Department of library.unt.edu/npr/whoweare/ 8 Anne Miller, Chief of the Filing Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. appendixf.html. Division, and Carol Williams, Chief of September 4, 2015. Supplemental the Accounts Receivable Management Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) 29 Charles Clark. Refer to endnote 23. Division, California Franchise Tax Board. – Program Data. Accessed October Also, The Associated Press. USA Today. March 26, 2015. Written testimony 7, 2015 at http://www.fns.usda.gov/ June 16, 2000. “Gore’s reinvention to the Commission. Also, Stephanie pd/supplemental-nutrition-assistance- of government unfinished.” Accessed Dougherty, Chief of Enterprise Planning program-snap. December 30, 2014 at usatoday30. Little Hoover Commission 55 A Customer-Centric Upgrade For California Government usatoday.com/news/e98/e2091.htm. 39 Cyd Harrell, Senior Director of au/files/2013/01/APS_ICT_Strategy. Also, Kathleen Sylvester and Michael Product, Code for America. January pdf. Also, Standard Business Reporting, Umpierre. 2001. “Red Tape, Silver 8, 2015. Written testimony to the an Aurstralian Government Initiative. Hammers & Shattered Ashtrays: what Commission. Accessed at http://www.sbr.gov.au/ States and Communities Can Learn from about-sbr/what-is-sbr . Eight Years of Federal Reinvention.” 40 French government, General Secretariat for the Modernization of 46 New Zealand Government, 30 The Associated Press. Refer to Public Action. Mapping the user’s Companies Office. Ministry of Business, endnote 29. journey to improve service to the public. Innovation & Employment. New Zealand http://www.modernisation.gouv.fr/ Business Number. 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Ideo. “Innovation in Government.” Bloomberg. March 4, 2015. “Envying Accessed on August 12, 2015 at http:// 45 New Zealand Government, Estonia’s Digital Government.” Accessed www.ideo.com/images/uploads/news/ Ministry of Business, Innovation & at http://www.bloombergview.com/ pdfs/InnovationInGovernment.pdf. Employment. Business.govt.nz. Accessed articles/2015-03-04/envying-estonia- at http://www.business.govt.nz/. Also, s-digital-government. Also, https:// 38 Aamer Baig, et. al. Refer to endnote Australian Government, Department of en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estonian_ID_card. 10. Also, Emma Dudley, Diaan-Yi Lin, Finance and Deregulations. Australian Matteo Mancini, and Jonathan Ng, 51 Singaporean Government, Government Information Management McKinsey Center for Government. July Municipal Services Office. January Office. 2012. 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California’s Innovation Economy.” “OneService Is Your One-Stop Shop For Accessed September 1, 2015 at http:// Accessed September 16, 2015 All Singaporean Complaints.” Accessed www.executivegov.com/2015/08/usa- at http://ajed.assembly.ca.gov/ at https://vulcanpost.com/156281/ gov-conducts-journey-mapping-sessions- keyinsightsintoinnovation. oneservice-app-singapore/. to-understand-customer-experiences- with-govt-services/. 66 Cyd Harrell. Refer to endnote 39. 52 Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University. “An 58 Emma Dudley, et. al. Refer to 67 Darrell West. “E-Government Introduction to Design Thinking: endnote 38. and the Transformation of Service Process Guide.” Accessed August 12, Delivery and Citizen Attitudes.” Public 2015 at https://dschool.stanford.edu/ 59 Jacob Soloman, Code for America Administration Review. January/ sandbox/groups/designresources/ Health Team. Code for America Summit, February 2004, Vol. 64, No. 1. wiki/36873/attachments/74b3d/ “Deepening Impact in Health: The Big Also, Eric Welch, Charles Hinnant, ModeGuideBOOTCAMP2010L.pdf?sessio Thing About Small Things.” September M. Jae Moon. “Linking Citizen nID=9a5d0a2a0cd5fb6c26a567b2636b1 23-25, 2014. San Francisco, CA. Satisfaction with E-Government 9513b76d0f4. Accessed October 6, 2015 at http:// and Trust in Government.” Journal www.codeforamerica.org/our-work/ of Public Administration Research 53 Hasso Plattner Institute of Design focus-areas/health/calfresh/. and Theory, Vol. 15, no. 3. 2005. at Stanford University. “The Design Accessed September 3, 2015 at Thinking Process.” Accessed August 12, 60 Little Hoover Commission Advisory http://hbanaszak.mjr.uw.edu. 2015 at http://dschool.stanford.edu/ Committee Meeting. Refer to endnote 7. pl/TempTxt/WelchEtAl_2005_ redesigningtheater/the-design-thinking- LinkingCitizenSatisfactionWithE- 61 Cyd Harrell. Refer to endnote 39. process/. Also, 18F. “Method Cards.” GovernmentAndTrustInGovernment. Accessed August 13, 2015 at https:// 62 Billy C. Hamilton. Refer to endnote 18. pdf. Also, Caroline Tolbert and Karen methods.18f.gov/. Also, IDEO. Human Mossberger. May 24, 2006. “The Centered Design Toolkit: 2nd Edition. 63 Questions adapted from: Steve Effects of E-Government on Trust and Accessed August 18, 2015 at http:// Ressler. January 24, 2013. Government Confidence in Government.” Public www.ideo.com/images/uploads/hcd_ Technology Magazine. “10 Ways that Administration Review. Volume 66, toolkit/IDEO_HCD_ToolKit.pdf. Design Thinking Can Save Government.” Issue 3, May/June 2006. Accessed August 12, 2014 at 54 Jennifer Pahlka, Executive Director, http://www.govtech.com/policy- 68 Eric Welch, et. al. Refer to endnote 67. Code for America. September 30, 2015. management/10-Ways-that-Design- 69 Aamer Baig, et. al. Refer to endnote 10. Code for America Summit, “Opening Thinking-Can-Save-Government.html. Remarks.” Oakland, CA. 70 Broadband Now. Broadband 64 Dana Chisnell, User Researcher, 55 Fred Dust and Hilary Hoeber. June United States Digital Service. October in California. 2014-15. http:// 2011. “IDEO Takes on the Government: 2, 2015. Code for America Summit, broadbandnow.com/California. The nimble consultancy brings design “Why Public Servants are Designers.” 71 Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom. thinking to political structures in Oakland, CA. February 13, 2015. San Francisco, desperate need of reinvention.” Metropolis magazine. 65 Courtney Miller, Nerd Wallet. CA. Personal communication with February 9, 2015. “America’s Most Commission staff. 56 Aamer Baig, et. al. Refer to endnote 10. Innovative Tech Hubs.” Accessed 72 United Kingdom. Government Digital September 16, 2015 at http://www. 57 Michelle Chronister and Mary Service. Government Service Design nerdwallet.com/blog/uncategorized/ Ann Monroe. “Journey Mapping the Manual. “Start building digital by default americas-most-innovative-tech-hubs/. Customer Experience: A USA.gov Case services.” Accessed September 9, 2015 Also, Bloomberg Rankings. December Study.” August 12, 2015. DigitalGov. at https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/ 18, 2013. “Top 20 Most Innovative Accessed September 1, 2015 at http:// start. Also, about the Government States.” Accessed September 16, www.digitalgov.gov/2015/08/12/ Digital Service. Accessed December 2015 at http://www.bloomberg. journey-mapping-the-customer- 31, 2014 at gds.blog.gov.uk/about/. com/slideshow/2013-12-18/top-20- experience-a-usa-gov-case-study/. Also, Also, Stephen Kelly, Government Digital most-innovative-states.html. Also, Jane Edwards. August 20, 2015. “USA. Service. February 1, 2013. Accessed California State Assembly Committee Little Hoover Commission 57 A Customer-Centric Upgrade For California Government September 9, 2015 at https://www. the-press-office/2011/04/27/executive- 89 Hillary Hartley. Refer to endnote 84. youtube.com/watch?v=X1A8cg__LpM. order-13571-streamlining-service- delivery-and-improving-custom. 90 The White House, Office of the 73 Mike Bracken quote sourced from: Press Secretary. Refer to endnote 87. Ben Rooney. The Wall Street Journal. 82 The President’s Budget. Fiscal September 19, 2012. “The U.K.’s Year 2015. “Creating a 21st Century 91 The White House, Office of the Digital Plan to Innovate Government.” Government.” Accessed September 13, Press Secretary. Refer to endnote 87. Accessed September 9, 2015 at http:// 2015 at https://www.whitehouse.gov/ 92 Hillary Hartley, Deputy Executive www.wsj.com/articles/SB100008723963 sites/default/files/omb/budget/fy2015/ Director, 18F. May 28, 2015. Written 90444032404578006322570387996. assets/21st_century.pdf. testimony to the Commission. 74 Shaun Donovan, Director of the 83 Robert Safian. Refer to endnote 5. 93 Stephanie Rivera, Director of Business White House Office of Management and Budget, and Megan Smith, U.S. 84 Hillary Hartley, Deputy Executive Strategy, 18F. July 16, 2015. Personal Chief Technology Officer, White House Director, 18F. July 16, 2015. Personal communication with Commissioners and Office of Science and Technology Policy. communication with Commissioners staff. San Francisco, CA. January 16, 2015. The White House and staff. San Francisco, CA. Also, 94 Andrew McMahon, Regional Blog. “U.S.-U.K. Digital Government Mikey Dickerson, Administrator, U.S. Administrator, General Services Partnership.” Accessed September Digital Service. “The U.S. Digital Service: Administration. July 16, 2015. Personal 9, 2015 at https://www.whitehouse. An Improbably Public Interest Start communication with Commissioners gov/blog/2015/01/16/us-uk-digital- Up.” Accessed April 21, 2015 at https:// and staff. San Francisco, CA. government-partnership. medium.com/@USDigitalService/an- improbable-public-interest-start-up- 95 Hillary Hartley. Refer to endnote 92. 75 Mike Bracken. Blog. January 6, 6f9a54712411. 2013. “On Strategy: The strategy is 96 Hillary Hartley. Refer to endnote 92. delivery. Again.” Accessed August 7, 85 Hillary Hartley, co-founder and 2015 at http://mikebracken.com/blog/ deputy executive director, 18F. March 97 Andrew McMahon, Regional the-strategy-is-delivery-again/. 6, 2015. Personal conversation with Administrator, General Services Commission staff. Administration, and Hillary Hartley, 76 Mike Bracken. Refer to endnote 75. Deputy Executive Director, 18F. July 16, 86 James Weinberg, CEO, FUSE Corps. 2015. Personal communication with 77 Government Digital Service. Design July 14, 2015. Personal communication Commissioners and staff. San Francisco, Principles. Accessed September 9, 2015 with Commission staff. CA. at https://www.gov.uk/design-principles. 87 The White House, Office of the 98 The United States White House. 78 Mike Bracken. Refer to endnote 75. Press Secretary. August 17, 2015. “Fact Executive Office of the President of the Sheet: President Obama Signs Executive United States. Office of Management 79 London Design Museum. Design Order Making Presidential Innovation and Budget. “Fiscal Year 2016 Budget of the Year, 2013. Accessed December Fellows Program Permanent.” Accessed of the U.S. Government.” Accessed 31, 2014 at designmuseum.org/design/ September 4, 2015 at https:// September 14, 2015 at https://www. designs-of-the-year. www.whitehouse.gov/the-press- whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/ 80 Pete Herlihy, Product Manager, office/2015/08/17/fact-sheet-president- omb/budget/fy2016/assets/budget. Government Digital Services. August obama-signs-executive-order-making- pdf . presidential. 26, 2015. Government Digital Service 99 Jeffrey Young. October 1, 2013. Blog: “Gov, where’s my stuff?” Accessed 88 Note: 27 of the 91 Presidential Huffington Post. “Obamacare Launch September 9, 2015 at https://gds.blog. Innovation Fellows who have served Day Plagued by Website Glitches.” gov.uk/2015/08/26/gov-wheres-my- between 2012 and 2015 are from Accessed April 21, 2015 at http:// stuff/. California. www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/01/ 81 The White House Office of the Press Source: Presidential Innovation Fellows. obamacare-glitches_n_4023159.html. Secretary. April 27, 2011. “Executive “Meet the Fellows: All Fellows.” 100 Kelly Kennedy. November 30, Order 13571 – Streamlining Service Accessed August 12, 2015 at https:// 2013. USA Today. “Deadline’s here: Is Delivery and Improving Customer presidentialinnovationfellows.gov/ Healthcare.gov fixed? Sort of.” Accessed Service.” Accessed September 13, fellows/. April 21, 2015 at http://www.usatoday. 2015 at https://www.whitehouse.gov/ 58 www.lhc.ca.gov Notes com/story/news/politics/2013/11/30/ Appropriations. July 23, 2015. “Senate February 25, 2015 at http://le.utah. health-care-website-obama-obamacare- Committee Agrees to FY 2016 Financial gov/~2005/bills/hbillenr/HB0109. cantor/3782607/. Services Appropriations Bill.” Accessed pdf. Also, David Fletcher, Utah Chief September 14, 2015 at http://www. Technology Officer. March 26, 2015. 101 The White House. The United appropriations.senate.gov/news/ Written testimony to the Commission. States Digital Service. “Make a senate-committee-agrees-fy2016- Difference: Join a Digital Service Team.” financial-services-appropriations-bill. 115 Utah Interactive. “Agency Accessed September 18, 2015 at Also, Jack Moore. July 29, 2015. Nextgov Partners.” Accessed February 25, 2015 at https://www.whitehouse.gov/digital/ Magazine. “Will Digital Service Funding https://secure.utah.gov/utahinteractive/ united-states-digital-service. Survive Congressional Penny Pinching?” agency-partners.html. Also, Utah Accessed September 14, 2015 at http:// Interactive. “About Us: Our History.” 102 Dana Chisnell, User Researcher, www.nextgov.com/cio-briefing/2015/07/ Accessed February 25, 2015 at https:// United States Digital Service. February will-digital-service-funding-survive- secure.utah.gov/utahinteractive/about- 6, 2015. Conversation with Commission congressional-penny-pinching/118696/. history.html. staff. Also, Ben Balter, government evangelist, GitHub. April 22, 2015. 107 Robert Safian. Refer to endnote 5. 116 Center for Public Policy & Nextgov. “Geeks vs. Suits: What’s the Administration, the University of Utah. Real Difference Between 18F and USDS?” 108 Utah Government Digital Library. Fall 2012. “Smarter eGovernment: Accessed April 23, 2015 at http:// Governor Leavitt. November 8, 1993. The Economics of Online Services in www.nextgov.com/technology-news/ Address to the Electronic Highway Utah.” Accessed September 13, 2015 tech-insider/2015/04/geeks-vs-suits- Summit. Accessed February 24, 2015 at http://cppa.utah.edu/_documents/ whats-real-difference-between-18f-and- at utah.ptfs.com/awweb/pdfopener?sid publications/e-gov/Smarter%20 usds/110818/?oref=nextgov_today_nl. =AA74A15427E48343BBC19A8A7124D5 eGovernment%20Economics%20Final.pdf. 5E&did=54324&fl=%2Fpublications%2F Also, Sara Watts, General Manager, Utah 103 Mikey Dickerson, Administrator rm000911.pdf#toolbar=0. Interactive. January 20, 2015. Personal U.S. Digital Service. As quoted by: Aaron communication with Commission staff. Boyd, Federal Times. April 13, 2015. 109 State of Utah. “Awards.” Accessed “Obama hopes tech talent can hot- February 24, 2015 at www.utah.gov/ 117 Center for Public Policy & wire federal IT.” Accessed September awards. Administration, the University of Utah. 11, 2015 at http://www.federaltimes. Refer to endnote 116. com/story/government/it/2015/04/13/ 110 State of Utah. “Services.” Accessed obama-hopes-tech-talent-can-hot-wire- February 24, 2015 at www.utah.gov/ 118 David Fletcher. Refer to endnote 114. federal/25592829/. services/. 119 The Center for Public Policy and 104 The U.S. Digital Service. “U.S. 111 State of Utah. “Mobile Apps.” Administration, the University of Utah. Digital Services Playbook.” Accessed Accessed February 24, 2015 at http:// April 2015. “Utah.gov: Connecting September 13, 2015 at https://playbook. www.utah.gov/connect/mobile.html#. Residents and Government.” Accessed cio.gov/. Also, The TechFAR Handbook. September 3, 2015 at http://gardner.utah. Accessed September 13, 2015 at https:// 112 State of Utah. “Utah Data.” edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Utah- playbook.cio.gov/techfar/. Accessed February 24, 2015 at http:// gov-Citizen-Report-Final-4-27-2015.pdf. www.utah.gov/data/. Also, “Transparent 105 U.S. Web Design Standards. Utah”. http://www.utah.gov/ 120 Center for Public Policy & Accessed October 5, 2015 at https:// transparency/index.html. Also, “Open Administration, the University of Utah. playbook.cio.gov/designstandards/. Records Portal.” http://openrecords. Spring 2013. “Smarter eGovernment: Also, Mollie Ruskin, Carolyn Dew, utah.gov/. Also, Legislature Bill Browse.” The Benefits of Online Services for Utah Maya Benari and Colin MacArthur. http://le.utah.gov/asp/billsintro/index. Businesses.” Accessed February 23, 2015 “Introducing the U.S. Web Design asp. Also, “Administrative rules.” http:// at http://cppa.utah.edu/_documents/ Standards. September 28, 2015. www.rules.utah.gov/. publications/e-gov/Smarter%20 Accessed October 5, 2015 at https://18f. eGovernment%20Business%20Final.pdf. 113 J. Stephen Fletcher, Chief gsa.gov/2015/09/28/web-design- Information Officer, State of Utah. 121 Center for Public Policy & standards/. Sacramento, CA. February 25, 2009. Administration, the University of Utah. 106 The United States White Testimony to the Commission. Refer to endnote 116. House. Refer to endnote 98. Also, 114 State of Utah, House Bill 109 (David 122 Jennifer Robinson, Director, Center United States Senate. Committee on Clark). 2005 General Session. Accessed for Public Policy and Administration, Little Hoover Commission 59 A Customer-Centric Upgrade For California Government University of Utah. February 23, 133 Janet Grenslitt. Refer to endnote 131. agency-should-have-a-chief-customer- 2015. Personal communication with officer/. Also, LinkedIn. Commission staff. 134 California Secretary of State. 2013. California Online Voter Registration. 143 Jason Shueh. Governing Magazine. 123 Little Hoover Commission meeting Accessed September 17, 2015 at http:// April 1, 2015. “GSA Innovates Services with Cal-in-Sac students. July 8, 2015. registertovote.ca.gov/. with Chief Customer Officer.” Accessed Sacramento, CA. August 26, 2015 at http://www.govtech. 135 Janet Grenslitt. Refer to endnote 131. com/federal/GSA-Innovates-Services- 124 Stephanie Dougherty. Refer to with-Chief-Customer-Officer.html. Also, endnote 8. 136 Employee Development Bianca Spinosa. FCW: The Business of Department. “UI OnlineSM.” Accessed Federal Technology. August 11, 2015. 125 Kish Rajan, Chief Evangelist, September 28, 2015 at http://www.edd. “Can Phaedra Chrousos move the needle CALinnovates. July 23, 2015. Personal ca.gov/unemployment/UI_Online.htm. at GSA?” Accessed August 26, 2015 at communication with Commission staff. http://fcw.com/Articles/2015/08/11/ 137 California State Controller’s Office. Phaedra-Chrousos-profile.aspx?p=1. 126 Billy C. Hamilton. Refer to endnote 18. Government Financial Reports. “About This Site.” Accessed April 28, 2015 at 144 Jason Shueh. Government 127 California Franchise Tax Board. https://bythenumbers.sco.ca.gov/ Technology. June 15, 2015. “Looking Refer to endnote 8. Also, Franchise Tax about/. Within: GSA Leaders Focus on Board. May 2015. “EDR in the News: Efficiency, Emphasize the Customer EDR will Release MyFTB on September 138 Center for Digital Government. Experience.” Accessed on June 16, 2015 1, 2015.” Accessed September 8, September 3, 2015. “Best of the Web at http://www.govtech.com/federal/ 2015 at https://www.ftb.ca.gov/ & Digital Government Achievement Looking-Within-GSA-Leaders-Focus- professionals/taxnews/2015/May/ Awards 2015 – Winners Announced.” on-Efficiency-Emphasize-the-Customer- EDR_in_the_News.shtml. Accessed September 8, 2015 at Experience.html. http://www.govtech.com/cdg/digital- 128 California State Board of government-achievement/Best-of-the- 145 Billy C. Hamilton. Refer to endnote 18. Equalization. “Open BOE.” Accessed at Web--Digital-Government-Achievement- http://www.boe.ca.gov/dataportal/. Awards-2015-Winners-Announced.html. 146 Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. March 30, 2012. “Government 129 Janet Grenslitt, Director of 139 Michael Wilkening, Reorganization Plan.” Surveys and Awards, Center for Digital Undersecretary, Program and Fiscal Government. “Best of California Awards Affairs, California Health and Human 147 Little Hoover Commission Advisory 2015 – Winners Announced.” Accessed Services Agency. May 28, 2015. Written Committee Meeting. Refer to endnote 7. September 8, 2015 at http://www. testimony to the Commission. Also, govtech.com/cdg/best-of-california/ California Health and Human Services 148 PricewaterhouseCoopers, Public Best-of-California-2015.html. Open Data Portal. Accessed September Sector Research Centre. 2007. “The 8, 2015 at https://chhs.data.ca.gov/. road ahead for public service delivery.” 130 Jay Virbel, Associate Director, Female Offender Programs and Services, 140 Jason Montiel, Deputy 149 Ariel Kennan, Director of Innovation Division of Adult Institutions, California Communications Director for Online and Design, New York City Mayor’s Office Department of Corrections and Media, California State Treasurer’s of Operations. October 1, 2015. Code Rehabilitation. May 28, 2015. Written Office. September 8, 2015. Personal for America Summit, “The Government testimony to the Commission. communication to Commission staff. Talent Pipeline.” Oakland, CA. 131 Janet Grenslitt, Director of 141 Chief Customer Officer Council. 150 Code for America. “The Surveys and Awards, Center for Digital 2014 Chief Customer Officer Study. Fellowship.” Accessed September 16, Government. “Winners Announced Accessed August 26, 2015 at http:// 2015 at http://www.codeforamerica. – Best of California Awards 2013.” www.ccocouncil.org/site/cco-study.aspx. org/about/fellowship/. Also, FUSE Accessed September 8, 2015 at http:// Corps. “Become a Fellow.” Accessed www.govtech.com/cdg/best-of- 142 Rick Parrish. May 6, 2015. September 16, 2015 at http://www. california/Best-of-California-2013.html. Govloop. “Why every federal agency fusecorps.org/become-a-fellow/. should have a chief customer officer.” 132 Stephanie Dougherty. Refer to Accessed August 26, 2015 at https:// 151 James Weinberg. Refer to endnote 86. endnote 8. www.govloop.com/why-every-federal- 60 www.lhc.ca.gov Notes 152 Hillary Hartley. Refer to endnote 92. Improving_Business_Climate/GG22. 169 Ralph Diaz, Deputy Director Also, Hillary Hartley, Deputy Executive html. of the Division of Adult Institutions, Director, 18F, Andrew McMahon, California Department of Corrections Regional Administrator, General Services 158 Little Hoover Commission. March and Rehabilitation. April 29, 2015. Administration, and Stephanie Rivera, 2015. Report #226, Level the Playing Communication with Commission Director of Business Strategy, 18F. July Field: Put California’s Underground staff. Sacramento, CA. Also, California 16, 2015. Personal communication with Economy Out of Business. Department of Corrections and Commissioners and staff. San Francisco, Rehabilitation. “Visiting a Friend or Loved 159 Franchise Tax Board. Strategic CA. Also, The United States White One in Prison.” Accessed August 26, 2015 Plan 2012-16. Accessed March 2, 2015 House. Refer to endnote 98. at http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/visitors/docs/ at https://www.ftb.ca.gov/aboutFTB/ inmatevisitingguidelines.pdf. 153 FUSE Corps. Application: stratgic/strategic_plan_2012_2016. Establishing a Statewide Health shtml?WT.mc_id=Strategic_Plan. 170 Little Hoover Commission Advisory Innovation Office, California Health Committee Meeting. Refer to endnote 160 Anne Miller, Chief of Filing and Human Services Agency. Accessed 7. Also, Little Hoover Commission Division, Franchise Tax Board. March September 16, 2015 at http://fuse. meeting with Cal-in-Sac students. Refer 27, 2015. Personal communication with force.com/Careers/ts2__JobDetails to endnote 123. Commission staff. ?jobId=a19j0000000o9zlAAA&tSou rce=. Also, Andy Krackov, Associate 171 Stephanie Dougherty, Chief of 161 Franchise Tax Board. Refer to Director for External Engagement, Enterprise Planning and Performance, endnote 159. California HealthCare Foundation. July California Department of Motor 24, 2015. Personal communication with Vehicles. August 25, 2015. Personal 162 Selvi Stanislaus, Executive Officer, Commission staff. communication to Commission staff. Anne Miller, Chief of the Filing Division, Also, Assembly Bill 60, Chapter 524, Carol Williams, Chief of the Accounts 154 James Weinberg. Refer to endnote 86. Statutes of 2013. Also, Department of Receivable Management Division, Jozel Motor Vehicles. “AB 60 Driver License.” Brunett, Chief Counsel, Marlene White, 155 Maury Blackman. March 24, 2015. Accessed August 26, 2015 at http://dmv. Director of Tax System Modernization TechWire. “Why California Government ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/ab60/index. Bureau, Michael Meehan, Web Services Needs a U.S. Digital Service.” Accessed Section. California Franchise Tax April 21, 2015 at http://www.techwire. 172 Aamer Baig, et. al. Refer to Board. February 25, 2015. Personal net/why-california-government- endnote 10. communication with Commission staff. needs-a-u-s-digital-service/. Also, Will Semmes. March 31, 2015. Government Sacramento, CA. 173 Justin Herman. “Five-Star Customer Technology. “The Time is Right for Civic Experience in Public Service with Yelp.” 163 California Franchise Tax Board. Innovation.” Accessed April 21, 2015 August 7, 2015. DigitalGov. Accessed Refer to endnotes 8 and 162. at http://www.govtech.com/opinion/ September 1, 2015 at http://www. The-Time-is-Right-for-Civic-Innovation- digitalgov.gov/2015/08/07/five-star- 164 California Franchise Tax Board. Opinion.html. customer-experience-in-public-service- Refer to endnotes 8 and 162. with-yelp/. Also, Lisa Rein. August 156 California Business Portal. 18, 2015. “The federal government 165 California Franchise Tax Board. Accessed September 4, 2015 at http:// wants you to review it on Yelp.” The Refer to endnote 162. businessportal.ca.gov/. Washington Post. Accessed September 166 California Franchise Tax Board. 1, 2015 at http://www.washingtonpost. 157 P.K. Agarwal, Advisory Board Refer to endnotes 8 and 162. com/blogs/federal-eye/wp/2015/08/18/ Member, Sierra Venture and former the-federal-government-wants-you-to- Chief Technology Officer, State of 167 Mario Guerrero, Legislative review-it-on-yelp/. California. April 7, 2015. Personal Affairs Director, Service Employees communication with Commission International Union Local 1000. March 174 U.S. Department of Homeland staff. Also, California Performance 26, 2015. Written testimony to the Security, The Beacon Blog. August Review. “GG22 - Create a One-Stop Commission. 27, 2015. “#AskUSCIS During our Business License Center for California First Twitter Office Hours.” Accessed Businesses.” Accessed September 4, 168 Little Hoover Commission Advisory September 2, 2015 at http://blog.uscis. 2015 at http://cpr.ca.gov/cpr_report/ Committee Meeting. Refer to endnote 7. gov/2015/08/askuscis-during-our- Issues_and_Recommendations/ first-twitter.html. Also, Andy Medici, Chapter_1_General_Government/ Staff Writer. May 17, 2015. Federal Little Hoover Commission 61 A Customer-Centric Upgrade For California Government Times. “Can the government fix citizen 187 Hillary Hartley. Refer to endnote 198 Stephanie Dougherty. Refer to services?” Accessed September 2, 2015 84. Also, Little Hoover Commission endnote 8. at http://www.federaltimes.com/story/ Advisory Committee Meeting. Refer to government/management/2015/05/17/ endnote 7. 199 Stephanie Dougherty. Refer to can-government-fix-citizen- endnote 8. services/27258113/. Also, Twitter. 188 Emily Wright Moore, Interaction Federal Student Aid, @FAFSA and U.S. Designer, U.S. Department of Veterans 200 Stephanie Dougherty. Refer to Citizenship and Immigration Services, @ Affairs. September 30, 2015. Code endnote 8. USCIS. Accessed September 2, 2015 at for America Summit, “Behind the 201 Stephanie Dougherty. Refer to https://twitter.com/FAFSA and https:// Wireframes: 5 Case Studies in Civic endnote 8. twitter.com/uscis. Design.” Oakland, CA. 202 Note: Little Hoover Commission 175 Dan Parham, Co-Founder, 189 Karen Boyd, Director of staff conducted a review of all of the Neighborland. August 24, 2015. Communications, City of Oakland. Code state’s 179 DMV offices on Yelp. Of the Personal communication with for America Summit: Defining a “21st 179 offices, 148 were reviewed by at least Commission staff. Also, Neighborland. Century Government.” October 2, 2015. one person on Yelp. Of these, 128, or 72 “UN Plaza.” Accessed August 25, 2015 Oakland, CA. percent of all DMV offices, were reviewed at https://neighborland.com/unplaza. 190 Stephanie Rivera. Refer to endnote 93. by at least 5 people and together received an average score of 3.08. 176 Little Hoover Commission Advisory 191 California Department of Public Committee Meeting. Refer to endnote 7. Health. “Obtaining Certified Copies Sources: Department of Motor Vehicles. 177 CityVoice. Accessed October 6, of Birth & Death Records.” Accessed “Public Offices By Location.” Accessed 2015 at http://www.cityvoiceapp.com/. August 21, 2015 at http://www.cdph. on August 6, 2015 at http://apps.dmv. Also, Code for America. “CityVoice.” ca.gov/certlic/birthdeathmar/Pages/ ca.gov/fo/offices/toc_fo.htm. Also, Yelp. Accessed October 6, 2015 at https:// CertifiedCopiesofBirthDeathRecords. Using “Find” search term “Department www.codeforamerica.org/apps/ aspx. of Motor Vehicles” and “Near” search term various cities’ names. Accessed on cityvoice/#voiceTop. 192 California Department of August 6, 2015 at www.yelp.com. 178 California Franchise Tax Board. Technology. California Mobile Gallery: 203 Cyd Harrell. Refer ot endnote 39. Refer to endnote 162. Air Resources Board. Accessed August 21, 2015 at https://mobilegallery. 204 Carlos Ramos, Director, California 179 Brandi Wolf, Policy Director, SEIU ca.gov/detail.aspx?ApplicationId=10. Department of Technology. California ULTCW. June 26, 2015. Memo to the Information Technology Strategic Little Hoover Commission regarding 193 Little Hoover Commission meeting Plan: Delivering Results. 2015 Update. IHSS provider timesheets. with Cal-in-Sac Students. Refer to Accessed September 8, 2015 at http:// endnote 123. www.cio.ca.gov/pdf/2015-Strategic- 180 Andrew McMahon. Refer to endnote 94. 194 Government Code, Chapter 3.3 Plan.pdf. Governmental Linguistics, Section 205 Aaron Smith. Pew Research 181 Robert Safian. Refer to endnote 5. 6219. Accessed August 21, 2015 at Center. April 1, 2015. “U.S. Smartphone http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/dis Use in 2015.” Accessed September 182 Jacob Solomon. Refer to endnote 54. playcode?section=gov&group=06001- 14, 2015 at http://www.pewinternet. 07000&file=6219. 183 Jason Shueh. Refer to endnote 144. org/2015/04/01/us-smartphone-use- in-2015/. 195 Cyd Harrell. Refer to endnote 39. 184 Andrew McMahon. Refer to endnote 94. 196 PricewaterhouseCoopers, Public 206 Gartner. December 8, 2014. Press Release. “Gartner Says By 2018, More Sector Research Centre. Refer to 185 Hillary Hartley. Refer to endnote 84. than 50 Percent of Users Will Use endnote 148. a Tablet or Smartphone First for All 186 Hillary Hartley. Refer to endnote 84. 197 Little Hoover Commission meeting Online Activities.” Accessed September with Cal-in-Sac students. Refer to 14, 2015 at http://www.gartner.com/ endnote 123. newsroom/id/2939217. 62 www.lhc.ca.gov Notes 207 Hillary Hartley. Refer to endnote 84. 217 TechLeader.tv. Interview with 226 Beth Blauer, former director of California State Auditor Elaine Howle. StateStat, Maryland. December 18, 208 Sarah Perez. Tech Crunch. June September 15, 2015. Accessed 2014. Personal communication with 22, 2015. “Consumers Spend 85% of September 17, 2015 at http://www. Commission staff. Time on Smartphones In Apps, But techleader.tv/?p=5951. Only 5 Apps See Heavy Use.” Accessed 227 Little Hoover Commission Advisory October 6, 2015 at http://techcrunch. 218 California Department of Health Committee Meeting. Refer to endnote 7. com/2015/06/22/consumers-spend- Care Services. “Denti-Cal Provider 85-of-time-on-smartphones-in-apps- Enrollment Tips for Success: How to 228 California State Controller’s Office. but-only-5-apps-see-heavy-use/#. Submit a Complete Denti-Cal Provider Refer to endnote 219. fxlk7z:5bJy. Application Package.” Accessed October 229 California State Controller’s Office. 6, 2015 at https://www.denti-cal. 209 Andrew McMahon. Refer to Controller Betty T. Yee. Government ca.gov/provsrvcs/assistance/Denti-Cal_ endnote 94. Compensation in California. Accessed Tips_For_Success.pdf. September 8, 2015 at http://publicpay. 210 Hillary Hartley. Refer to endnote 84. 219 California State Controller’s Office. ca.gov/. Controller Betty T. Yee. ByTheNumbers, 211 California State Parks. California 230 California State Controller’s Office. Government Financial Reports. State Parks Store, Park Passes. Accessed Controller Betty T. Yee. Track Prop. 30. Accessed at https://bythenumbers. August 26, 2015 at http://store.parks. Accessed September 8, 2015 at http:// sco.ca.gov/. Also, California Health ca.gov/park-passes/. Also, California trackprop30.ca.gov/. and Human Services Agency. Refer to Department of Fish and Wildlife. Online endnote 139. Licenses Sales and Service. Accessed 231 Code for America – West August 26, 2015 at https://www. Sacramento. 2015. Accessed October 220 Michael Wilkening. Refer to ca.wildlifelicense.com/InternetSales/. 6, 2015 at http://www.codeforamerica. endnote 139. org/governments/westsacramento/. 212 Stephanie Rivera. Refer to endnote 93. 221 Jason Montiel. Refer to Also, Code for America – Vallejo. 2015. 213 SeamlessDocs. Accessed on October endnote 140. Also, Stuart Drown, Accessed October 6, 2015 at http:// 6, 2015 at http://seamlessgov.com/. Deputy Secretary for Innovation and www.codeforamerica.org/governments/ Accountability, California Government vallejo/. 214 Cathy McMorris Rodgers, House Operations Agency. September 22, Republican Conference Chair. Personal 2015. Personal communication with 232 California Department of Parks Democracy Forum, New York City. June Commission staff. and Recreation. April 20, 2015. 5, 2015. “Imagining the Congress of the Transformation Action Plan – Draft. Future.” Accessed September 7, 2015 222 Little Hoover Commission Advisory Accessed at http://www.parks. at http://www.gop.gov/imagining-the- Committee Meeting. Refer to endnote 7. ca.gov/pages/24689/files/Draft_ congress-of-the-future/. Transformation_Plan.pdf. 223 Senate Bill 573, Pan, 2015. Also, 215 Governor’s Office of Business Assembly Bill 1215, Ting, 2015. 233 Jeremy Stoppelman, Yelp CEO. and Economic Development. 2014 January 17, 2013. “Now on Yelp: and 2015 Training Cohorts. Accessed 224 Stuart Drown, Deputy Secretary Restaurant Inspection Scores.” Accessed on October 7, 2015 at http://www. for Innovation and Accountability, August 26, 2015 at http://officialblog. business.ca.gov/Portals/0/Permit/Doc/ California Government Operations yelp.com/2013/01/introducing-lives. Lean6/Lean%206-Sigma%20Project%20 Agency. September 28, 2015. Personal html. Also, http://www.yelp.com/ Summary.pdf and http://www.business. communication with Commission staff. healthscores. ca.gov/Portals/0/Permit/Doc/Lean6/ 225 Chris Rieth, former Director, Office 234 Poncie Rutsch, National Lean6SigmaGraduationCeremony.pdf. of Governor Martin O’Malley. February Public Radio. March 27, 2015. “Did 216 Governor’s Office of Business 17, 2015. Personal communication with that restaurant pass its health and Economic Development. Lean Commission staff. Also, March 26, 2015. inspection? Now Yelp will tell 6-Sigma Program. Accessed October Written testimony to the Commission. you.” Accessed August 26, 2015 7, 2015 at http://www.business. Also, Maryland.gov. About StateStat. at http://www.npr.org/sections/ ca.gov/Portals/0/Permit/Doc/Lean6/ Accessed January 7, 2015 at www. thesalt/2015/03/27/395622262/ Lean6SigmaProgramSummary.pdf. statestat.maryland.gov/about.html. did-that-restaurant-pass-its-health- inspection-now-yelp-will-tell-you. Little Hoover Commission 63 A Customer-Centric Upgrade For California Government 235 City and County of San Francisco, communication with Commission staff. SFGov Mobile. “Other Apps.” Accessed Sacramento, CA. August 26, 2015 at http://www6.sfgov. org/index.aspx?page=168#sec3. 245 Health 2.0 Developer Challenge. “Helping Consumers and Policymakers 236 CaliParks.org. Also, Parks Forward Marshal the State of California’s Data Commission. “About the Parks Forward Code-A-Thon.” Accessed September Initiative.” Accessed August 26, 2015 14, 2015. http://www.health2con.com/ at http://parksforward.com/about-us. devchallenge/helping-consumers-and- Also, California Department of Parks policymakers-marshal-the-state-of- and Recreation. “Search: CaliParks.” californias-health-data-code-a-thon/. Accessed August 26, 2015 at http:// search.parks.ca.gov/search?q=%22Cali 246 California Department of General Parks%22&btnG=Search&entqr=0&ou Services. Green Gov Challenge. Accessed tput=xml_no_dtd&sort=date%3AD%3 September 15, 2015. http://www.dgs. AL%3Ad1&submit.x=23&client=parks_ ca.gov/dgs/Home/GreenGovChallenge. frontend&submit.y=17&ud=1&oe=UTF- Also, Assembly Bill 2138 (Gatto). Chapter 8&ie=UTF-8&proxystylesheet=parks_ 678, Statutes of 2014. frontend&site=. 247 Michael Wilkening, Undersecretary, 237 Code4Sac. “Wicit.” Accessed on Program and Fiscal Affairs, California October 6, 2015 at https://github.com/ Health and Human Services Agency. code4sac/wicit. Also, WICit. Accessed Little Hoover Commission Advisory October 6, 2015 at http://findwic. Committee Meeting. July 16, 2015. San com/#/map. Francisco, CA. 238 Little Hoover Commission Advisory 248 Jacob Solomon, Product Manager Committee Meeting. Refer to endnote 7. – Health, Code for America. September 30, 2015. Code for America Summit, 239 Megan Garcia, Senior Fellow “Defining a 21st Century Government.” and California Director of Growth, Oakland, CA. New America Foundation. June 29, 2015. Personal communication with 249 Dan Parham, Co-Founder, Commission staff. Neighborland. Little Hoover Commission Advisory Committee Meeting. July 16, 240 Little Hoover Commission Advisory 2015. San Francisco, CA. Committee Meeting. Refer to endnote 7. Also, Eric Liu, Founder and Chief 250 Will Lightbourne. Director, Operating Officer, Bayes Impact. June California Department of Social 18, 2015. Personal communication with Services. October 1, 2015. Code for Commission staff. America Summit, “Why This Work Matters.” Oakland, CA. 241 P.K. Agarwal. Refer to endnote 157. Also, Kish Rajan. Refer to endnote 125. 242 Megan Garcia. Refer to endnote 239. 243 California Department of Social Services. “CalFresh Program.” Accessed September 18, 2015 at http://www. calfresh.ca.gov/. 244 Will Lightbourne, Director, California Department of Social Services. September 16, 2015. Personal 64 www.lhc.ca.gov Little Hoover Commission Members Chairman Pedro Nava (D-Santa Barbara) Appointed to the Commission by Speaker of the Assembly John Pérez in April 2013. Advisor to telecommunications industry on environmental and regulatory issues and to nonprofit organizations. Former state Assemblymember. Former civil litigator, deputy district attorney and member of the state Coastal Commission. Elected chair of the Commission in March 2014. Vice Chairman Loren Kaye (R-Sacramento) Appointed to the Commission in March 2006 and reappointed in December 2010 by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. President of the California Foundation for Commerce and Education. Former partner at KP Public Affairs. Served in senior policy positions for Governors Pete Wilson and George Deukmejian, including cabinet secretary to the Governor and undersecretary for the California Trade and Commerce Agency. David Beier (D-San Francisco) Appointed to the Commission by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. in June 2014. Managing director of Bay City Capital. Former senior officer of Genetech and Amgen. Former counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary. Serves on the board of directors for the Constitution Project. Senator Anthony Cannella (R-Ceres) Appointed to the Commission by the Senate Rules Committee in January 2014. Elected in November 2010 an re-elected in 2014 to the 12th Senate District. Represents Merced and San Benito counties and a portion of Fresno, Madera, Monterey and Stanislaus counties. Jack Flanigan (R-Granite Bay) Appointed to the Commission by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. in April 2012. A member of the Flanigan Law Firm. Co-founded California Strategies, a public affairs consulting firm, in 1997. Assemblymember Chad Mayes (R-Yucca Valley) Appointed to the Commission by Speaker of the Assembly Toni Atkins in September 2015. Elected in November 2014 to the 42nd Assembly District. Represents Beaumont, Hemet, La Quinta, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, San Jacinto, Twentynine Palms, Yucaipa, Yucca Valley and surrounding areas. Don Perata (D-Orinda) Appointed to the Commission in February 2014 and reappointed in January 2015 by the Senate Rules Committee. Political consultant. Former president pro tempore of the state Senate, from 2004 to 2008. Former Assemblymember, Alameda County supervisor and high school teacher. Assemblymember Sebastian Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) Appointed to the Commission by Speaker of the Assembly Toni Atkins in January 2015. Elected in December 2013 to represent the 54th Assembly District. Represents Century City, Culver City, Westwood, Mar Vista, Palms, Baldwin Hills, Windsor Hills, Ladera Heights, View Park, Crenshaw, Leimert Park, Mid City, and West Los Angeles. Senator Richard Roth (D-Riverside) Appointed to the Commission by the Senate Rules Committee in February 2013. Elected in November 2012 to the 31st Senate District. Represents Corona, Coronita, Eastvale, El Cerrito, Highgrove, Home Gardens, Jurupa Valley, March Air Reserve Base, Mead Valley, Moreno Valley, Norco, Perris and Riverside. David A. Schwarz (R-Beverly Hills) Appointed to the Commission in October 2007 and reappointed in December 2010 by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Partner in the Los Angeles office of Irell & Manella LLP and a member of the firm’s litigation workgroup. Former U.S. delegate to the United Nations Human Rights Commission. Jonathan Shapiro (D-Beverly Hills) Appointed to the Commission in April 2010 and reappointed in January 2014 by the Senate Rules Committee. Writer and producer for FX, HBO and Warner Brothers. Of counsel to Kirkland & Ellis. Former chief of staff to Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante, counsel for the law firm of O’Melveny & Myers, federal prosecutor for the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division in Washington, D.C., and the Central District of California. Sumi Sousa (D-San Francisco) Appointed to the Commission by Speaker of the Assembly John Pérez in April 2013. Officer of policy development for San Francisco Health Plan. Former advisor to Speaker Pérez. Former executive director of the California Health Facilities Financing Authority. Full biographies available on the Commission’s website at www.lhc.ca.gov. “Democracy itself is a process of change, and satisfaction and complacency are enemies of good government.” Governor Edmund G. “Pat” Brown, addressing the inaugural meeting of the Little Hoover Commission, April 24, 1962, Sacramento, California