On a daily basis we see ads for new phones, new devices, new features, higher speeds, and greater reach with social networks. “4G vs 3G” and “There is an app for that” are just two of the common expressions we frequently hear. (I have a retired friend who prefers “I have a nap for that.”) The business and commercial world in general works hard to keep up with these changes and developments and stay in step with their customers as their survival depends on it. Many parts of the government, though, seem to lag behind.
Paper records and manual record keeping are still the standard in many areas of government. Information sharing across agencies and programs is the exception, even though various agencies are serving the same person or family. As you look at the history of programs, agencies, legislation and funding, especially in health and human services, it is not hard to understand why the separate silos were created, why information is not readily shared, and why paper is still the norm in many cases. In spite of all the technology available to us today, there is still great duplication, redundancy, inefficiency and ineffectiveness.
Paper records and manual record keeping are still the standard in many areas of government. Information sharing across agencies and programs is the exception, even though various agencies are serving the same person or family. As you look at the history of programs, agencies, legislation and funding, especially in health and human services, it is not hard to understand why the separate silos were created, why information is not readily shared, and why paper is still the norm in many cases. In spite of all the technology available to us today, there is still great duplication, redundancy, inefficiency and ineffectiveness.
So the question that comes to mind is: Are there enough technology solution to meet the needs of government? l
Our experience working with many states and county governments has revealed that there are a growing number of examples of improvement in sharing information and overall interoperability. A customer-centric focus and changes in business process to share information across programs open the door for great gains that technology can provide. Enterprise-wide architectures, readily available technology solutions, and information sharing models such as the National Information Exchange Model (NIEM) become great enablers to greater program efficiency and effectiveness.
What are your experiences? Do you agree?