The advent of technology has brought about a significant transformation in government services at the state and local level. The aim of transformational government is to make services accessible to citizens wherever they are, by providing them online. Gone are the days when citizens had to physically visit a government office for simple tasks, as many can now be done with a laptop or smartphone.

Chief Information Officers (CIOs) have played a pivotal role in this transformation by breaking down data silos and sharing information across different domains. They have also modernized legacy systems to meet the evolving needs of citizens and improve overall satisfaction with government services. The goal of digital government, as defined by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers in 2001, remains the same today: to provide simple, accessible, and unified services across agencies.

State and local agencies have made significant progress in achieving this goal by embracing transformational government. For example, the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services revamped its unemployment insurance system using Microsoft Azure to better handle the surge in claims during the pandemic. Similarly, the county of Sonoma, Calif., and the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services used technology solutions from IBM, Microsoft, and Amazon Web Services to enhance services for at-risk populations and streamline operations.

These success stories demonstrate that transformational government is a reality, with state and local agencies rising to the occasion to meet the needs of citizens in the digital age. As technology continues to evolve, it is likely that we will see even more advancements in government services in the future.