Texas government has been moving steadily toward a digital future.  Now, spurred by the COVID-19 global pandemic, the pace of that digital transformation has accelerated.  Responding to the immediate challenges of the 2020 pandemic was a unique driver for organizations to transition to a remote workforce and leverage digital technologies to ensure mission-critical activities.  But what is next?

Section 2054.069 of the Government Code requires the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) to prepare a digital transformation guide for assisting agencies with modernizing agency operations and services to incorporate electronic data and convert existing agency information into electronic data.

Digital transformation is a strategic approach to the adoption of digital technologies to create new or improve existing processes, services, and customer experiences.

This guide is designed to help Texas government advance digital transformation and improve the customer experience, regardless of where the organization is on its digital journey.  It recognizes key considerations for digital transformation, outlines a five-step process for advancing the next generation of digitization in Texas government, and identifies state resources for public sector organizations to facilitate the digital transformation.

Texas digital government has arrived. It is improving the way agencies provide services to all Texans. It allows employees to collaborate and be productive whether working in an office or from home. It is creating efficiencies and facilitating a transition to digital services that will modernize Texas government in a post-pandemic world.

During this next biennium, agency leaders should continue focusing on enabling their employees and their organization to use emerging technologies to better serve Texans. They can strengthen policies and governance that improve digital government while prioritizing processes and services for transition to a more digital environment.

Leaders can build on the momentum created by the COVID-19 pandemic to capitalize on the accelerated pace of cloud adoption, interest in AI, and utilization of emerging technologies. At a time when budgets are tight, technology projects must reduce costs and improve business decisions. This is a time when public sector can focus on the policies needed for positioning government agencies for a robust digital ecosystem with greater connectivity, more seamless integration, and an improved customer experience for tomorrow.