Skip to main content

Article:

Executive Order Aims to Make Government Services and Experiences Better for the People Who Need Them

Older couple working on a laptop computer together in their kitchen

Looking to better serve the public in 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration issued an Executive Order entitled, “Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government.” The goal is to serve customers better by putting people at the center of everything the Government does.

What Does the New Executive Order Mandate?

United States’ Government agencies serve millions of people during some of the most impactful moments in their lives. Milestones such as starting a small business, getting healthcare benefits, and retiring begin by interacting with a government website or service. This new Executive Order (EO) mandates agencies to produce modernized digital experiences and technologies that are “simple to use, accessible, equitable, protective, transparent, and responsive for all people of the United States.”

What government agencies will have to make changes to their digital products?

Thirty-five High-Impact Service Providers that deliver large volumes of services to Americans are called upon to develop products and services that are customer-centric. One way to ensure a customer’s needs are met is by practicing Human-Centered Design (HCD). HCD is the practice of developing a product or service around the needs of the customer. It involves listening to the human perspective through a variety of methods to make the end product as useful and usable as possible while saving the stakeholder time, money, and effort. By looking through the lens of Human-Centered Design (HCD) and infusing these principles into their offerings, Government agencies will be better equipped to solve real-world problems that matter the most to the people they serve.

The Actions Outlined in the Executive Order Include:

  • Modernizing programs,
  • Minimizing administrative obstacles, and
  • Piloting new online technologies to provide useful and usable experiences for customers.

What is the goal of this Executive Order?

The goal is to serve customers better by putting people at the center of everything the Government does.

It is an exciting time to rebuild and renovate, starting from the top down - especially in a pandemic-era where so many services had to transform to a digital experience. The central hub for Government information, USA.gov will undergo a website redesign where all benefits, services, and programs can be accessed in just 1 to 3 clicks or commands. This will be designed by listening to customers through Human-Centered Design practices including user research, usability testing, accessible technology, and more.

Human-Centered Design will Revolutionize Our Lives.

As specialists and advocates for Human-Centered Design, our team at Anthro-Tech is excited to be part of the impactful change this Executive Order will have on the way people receive and obtain information, products, and services from Government at important milestones or transitions in their lives. Human-Centered Design is not just a philosophy. When implemented with thoughtfulness it will revolutionize our daily lives by making tasks easy, accessible, and useful.

Additional Reading

Time to Rebuild Trust in Government by Putting People First