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Rashae Williams
04/03/2022
Dr. Porumbescu
Technology and the Public Sector: Benefits and Challenges
In just the last decade, the public sector has seen an extreme increase in technological
advancement and expansion. Much of this development has created more opportunities for
implementing big data, new software, new programs, and has encouraged discussion and
awareness of open government, transparency, and citizen involvement. There are many benefits
to new technology, and continued growth has increased access to information and opportunities
for citizens more than ever before. However, technology has also created difficulties in service
provision to the general public, and there are still populations that don’t have access to
technology, creating a digital divide. These two conflicting ideas, that new technology either
improves or divides the public sector is complex and has created new theories and discussions in
the academic world surrounding government roles. In this paper, I will discuss various theories
surrounding how technology is reducing inequality in some areas of the public sector, while also
reinforcing existing social divides in others, and use my own experiences as evidence.
Leighton Andrews’ (2017) article entitled “Public administration, public leadership and
the construction of public value in the age of the algorithm and big data”, explains a theory of the
recent rise of technology and its potential for a more agile and holistic government. An increase
of technology has allowed some organizations in the public sector opportunities for citizens to
become more involved in internet platforms that increase communication with their local
governments. New phone apps, social media, networks, and websites have increased
transparency and public trust in some cases and have provided access to services that previously
were not acceptable (p. 296-297).
An example of this theory proven true is Rise Services Inc., a nonprofit organization I
used to work for that is focused on helping families that have children with disabilities and
special needs get not just the financial assistance they need from government funding, but full
support in the public education systems available. New websites and social media access have
allowed parents without transportation or sufficient finances for child support to become
connected with this organization that becomes a liaison with the government. Social workers at
Rise Services Inc. are able to provide a complete set of services that weren’t previously available
without technology, and the communication system between government services and the
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general public has allowed the organization to grow and expand to have wider outreach. New
technologies, in this case have proven Andrew’s article true, technology, in some cases, reduces
inequality.
On the other hand, wider access to technology can also increase misinformation and
reinforce social divides that already exist. In recent years, governments have seen an increased
focus on transparency and open government from citizenry. The article by Michael Baker et al.,
(2020) called “The Politics of Open Government Data: Understanding Organizational Responses
to Pressure for More Transparency”, discusses this issue, that while citizens are tending to focus
on transparency, government entities in many places are leaning to resist open government
strategies and such technologies that encourage this. The article itself focuses on France and the
Netherlands, but such theories are also applicable in the US. Government resistance decreases
public trust and many of this resistance results in organizations either withholding information
from the public, or only providing information that promotes their agenda or fulfills ulterior
motives. This spread of misinformation throughout the media may not reinforce physical
technological divides, but it does create divides between those who are deliberate about their
government education and involvement, and those who are not. It increases divides between the
educated and uneducated, those who are familiar with government lingo and information, and
those who are not.
It is difficult to navigate the quantity of information provided by government
organizations, and for citizens who have a desire to be politically involved or informed, much of
the information they find is either biased or misconstrued without any clarity offered. I have been
victim of such information. It is also common that technology is used as a replacement to direct
communication, which is another form of misinformation. For example, since the start of the
COVID-19 pandemic, many government services have transferred or altered their services to be
more available online, out of necessity but also convenience. Citizens are able to renew drivers’
licenses, get a passport, and do various types of essential document work from the comfort of
their own homes, which has certainly reduced inequality. But for individuals who struggle with
technology use, whether it be because of age, education, using English as a second language,
etc., getting access to additional help has not been resolved by technology, and continues to
create a divide that proves frustrating for many. Waiting times for government or private sector
services on telephones are longer than they’ve ever been as of 2019, as stated in an article in the
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Washington Post (2020) and appointments to meet government officials in-person are often
booked months in advance. An increase in technology services and at-home solutions have only
caused a greater divide between individuals who seek one-on-one help, and those that can
communicate information directly.
Dr. Greg Porumbescu discusses other potential issues with increased technology in the
public sector, saying “Often times there is a difference between what government sees as
important and what citizens see as important” (p. 7, 2022). Sometimes, in efforts to provide more
information, governments create new programs or initiatives that are focused on resolving
problems for their organization, when the solutions themselves are not created with the public in
mind. Governments and citizens care about different things. This is also true when considering
those that do and do not have access to technology, as the article about the digital divide by
Emily Vogels (2021) states. It explains the fact that even though many more low-income
households have access to smartphones than they did in previous years, the digital divide is still
extreme, and has only become more apparent since 2019 when much of work and education were
transferred to online venues. Even those that have smartphones that didn’t before, don’t
necessarily have the broadband internet at home to use their devices when needed. Creating
easier access to information and open government portals doesn’t improve access to technology
to individuals that didn’t have access before. More information does not equate to more
technological access.
New and advanced technology in the government and public sector is a complex issue.
While it can often provide better service provision and information available to the public,
including more collaboration and feedback from citizens as we’ve seen since the pandemic, it
can also reinforce existing social divides. Divides between government and the general public
discourage trust and likelihood of community involvement at any level. The digital divide, while
slowly decreasing in recent years, continues to persist as a problem for thousands of Americans
and thus ought to generate new discussions on best practices for government service provision in
the future. I believe that creating new ways to provide access to technology for all citizens is
what governments can continue to do while building public trust and improving systems of
communication that already exist and with those that do have access now. Expanding on
successful techniques that have improved organizations like Rise Services Inc. and working to
better collaboration on individual levels will increase transparency and decrease social divides.
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References
Andrews, L. (2017). “Public administration, public leadership and the construction of public
value in the age of the algorithm and ‘big data’”. Public Administration Wiley.
file:///C:/Users/Rashae%20Moody/Downloads/Andrews%20(1).pdf
Baker, M., Detienne, F., Groff, J., Meijer, A., Ruijer, E. (2020). “The Politics of Open
Government Data: Understanding Organizational Responses to Pressure for More
Transparency.” American Review for Public Administration.
https://journals.sagepub.com/home/arp
file:///C:/Users/Rashae%20Moody/Downloads/Ruijer%20et%20al..pdf
Porumbescu, G (2022). “Open Government”. Powerpoint Presentation. Week 11.
Rise Services Inc. (n.d). “Creating Opportunities for and with People”. Rise Services Inc.
https://riseservicesinc.org/
Vogels, E (2021). “Digital divide persists even as Americans with lower incomes make gains in
tech adoption”. Pew Research Center.
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/06/22/digital-divide-persists-even-as-
americans-with-lower-incomes-make-gains-in-tech-adoption/
Kelly, H (2020). “Press 1 for frustration: Customers run into record phone waits as companies
grapple with worker safety”. The Washington Post.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/04/14/customer-service-coronavirus/