Digital Services
Definition
Government services delivered online rather than requiring in-person visits or phone calls, such as permit applications, bill payment, service requests, benefit applications, and records searches. Well-designed digital services are available 24/7, mobile-friendly, and accessible to people with disabilities. Digital services improve convenience for residents and reduce government costs, but must be paired with in-person options for those without internet access or digital literacy.
Louisville Context
Louisville Metro offers some digital services through louisvilleky.gov including online bill payment, 311 service requests, and certain permit applications. However, many services still require in-person visits or phone calls. Metro’s website is difficult to navigate and many online forms are poorly designed. Louisville lags peer cities in digital service delivery, forcing unnecessary trips to government offices and long phone wait times.
Why It Matters
Poor digital services waste residents’ time and increase government costs. When you must take time off work to visit Metro Hall for something that could be done online, that’s a failure of government service design. Digital services done well increase efficiency and equity, but poorly designed digital services exclude people without internet access or digital skills.
Dave’s Proposal
Dave will create a Digital Services Team within Metro IT (5 staff, funded within $1.025 billion budget) dedicated to redesigning government services for online delivery with user-friendly design, mobile compatibility, and accessibility. Priority services include permitting, license renewal, benefit applications, and service requests. All digital services will include clear paths to human assistance for those needing help.