The Time Is Now: Invest in Technology Modernization
Source: Gov Tech Published:June 15, 2020
No one could have predicted the impact of a pandemic on people, the economy, and governments of all sizes. The people impact is well-documented with COVID-19 infection numbers and worst of all, deaths being reported daily. Time will reveal the impact of shelter in place and social distancing practices on our mental and physical health. Economic impacts are also well documented as unemployment reached record highs in the shortest amount of time in our history. Time will also tell how the structural underpinnings of the economy are affected and changed forever. As for governments, the impacts of COVID-19 happened quickly but are also developing over time. The initial impacts of moving quickly to remote work, stressing government services, and exposing technology deficiencies will soon manifest into long-term structural budget issues that will not fade away anytime soon. Governments that need to modernize technology infrastructure and applications to be ready for the next pandemic will require a significant investment of public dollars. Will governments be ready to invest as their resources tighten and competition for dollars becomes even more fierce?
Some people scoff at governments for being slow to move or having archaic fiscal policies. But these perceptions could not be further from the truth. Governments work diligently to ensure that their finances are carefully managed by having open, transparent budgeting processes that in many cases involve their constituents. They plan for months to prepare an annual or multi-year budget that meets the needs of their strategic plans and includes necessary programs for their people. No budget could have foretold what has happened under the pandemic. Competition for financial resources is nothing new but as governments emerge from COVID-19, that competition will ramp up tremendously. Technology has also taken on an enhanced role due to the pandemic requiring that governments modernize their technical capabilities in a hurry. We believe that governments were given somewhat of a “pass” for their technology struggles during this pandemic because it all happened so quickly. Emerging from COVID-19 will take innovation backed by strong investments. If or when this all happens again, governments will not get the same “pass.” The people will rightly ask why government didn't learn from COVID-19 and come into the next crisis better prepared?