The Alliance for Digital Innovation (ADI), a technology trade group that aims to help shape government innovation, is asking the Biden administration to increase both funding to the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) and collaboration with industry stakeholders to best execute the vision outlined in President Biden’s customer experience (CX) executive order (EO).
In a letter to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Shalanda Young, ADI voiced its support for the administration’s EO focusing on CX. However, ADI also called on the administration to work with Congress on several recommendations to help facilitate the order’s aims.
Jason Miller, deputy director for management at OMB, has previously said all of the actions called for in the EO can be completed with existing resources, but ADI disagreed, saying an increase in funding is needed for a sustained customer-centric digital experience.
“The current investments in the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) and the Federal Citizen Services Fund (FCSF) are being allocated to a mix of enterprise upgrades and citizen facing technology needs. With the identification of key services provided by 35 High-Impact Services Providers, the current funding levels will not be enough to provide an on-going, modern, and customer-centric digital experience,” ADI wrote.
“The administration must work with Congress to provide significant resources, through funds like the TMF and FCSF, to effectively upgrade and continually improve these important digital life experiences,” the group said.
ADI also called on the administration to collaborate with private industry stakeholders on a regular basis to achieve the actions outlined in the EO, as well as identify already available innovative commercial solutions.
“As the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the General Services Administration (GSA), and the other designated agencies execute against the directives in the EO, they should partner with industry to bring in the best technology and services available to drive these digital experiences,” the letter says. “Leveraging commercial solutions and best practices will help agencies achieve their goals of providing low-friction and secure digital experiences that have been validated by countless customer interactions across industry verticals like banking and health care.”
Additionally, ADI called on OMB and the administration to supplement the EO by providing guidance on how to implement the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (IDEA), passed in 2018.
Finally, ADI reminded OMB that investments in cybersecurity and security development practices will be crucial to any digital modernization. ADI also said agencies should invest in the education of the Federal workforce “to enable the use of modern digital services.”
