The sheer number of backlogs and delays across the public sector are unsettling for an industry designed to serve constituents. Making the news last summer was the four-month wait period to receive passports, up substantially from the pre-pandemic norm of 6-8 weeks turnaround time. Most recently, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced it entered the 2022 tax season with 15 times the usual amount of filing backlogs, alongside its plan for moving forward.
These frequently publicized backlogs don’t exist due to a lack of effort. The sector has made strides with technological advancements over the last decade. Yet, legacy technology and outdated processes still plague some of our nation’s most prominent departments. Today’s agencies must adopt digital transformation efforts designed to reduce data backlogs, improve citizen response times and drive better agency outcomes.