Increasing Citizen Engagement Through Digital Platforms and Improving Customer Experiences Tabbed as Public Sector Trends to Watch in 2022

TransUnion report identifies key behavioral changes and new opportunities as millions of Americans go online for critical government services and benefits

Recent Government Services Administration (GSA) data found there were nearly five billion visits to government websites in a recent 90-day period. Yet, a new TransUnion report found that only one-third of consumers (35%) said they had an “easy” experience when using such websites.

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Enhancing customer experiences by improving the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery through these websites is one of four key trends for 2022 that TransUnion’s public sector business released today. The report highlights how the government must ensure citizens are receiving qualified and entitled benefits while increasing the ease of accessing services online.

“President Executive Order 14058 states that the government must be held accountable for designing and delivering services with a focus on the actual experience of the people whom it’s meant to serve,” said Jonathan McDonald, executive vice president and head of TransUnion’s public sector business. “Many of the trends highlighted in our report focus on this topic as it is paramount that government agencies do all they can to make their services easily accessible to constituents.”

The report focused on other key trends, including ensuring equity for underserved populations by reducing barriers to enrolling for and accessing public benefits, protecting constituents’ identities and increasing citizen engagement. Per TransUnion’s TruAudience® estimates, 98% of Americans can now be reached online. Also, according to the report, as many as 82% of Americans used digital payment technology during 2021.

“Times have changed in America. With easier access to consumers, we believe more government agencies will seek ways to accelerate their ability to more directly engage and include citizens in identifying, designing and delivering customized services. They’ll also look for ways to reach and involve underserved populations that may not traditionally participate,” added McDonald.

Reaching underserved constituents will be a continuing trend in 2022 as there is a need to better identify these populations and deliver services more effectively and efficiently. The report noted that 41% of low-income households recently stated they’ll be unable to pay a bill in full thus reaching this segment is ever important.

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TransUnion’s Public Sector business provides fraud solutions, benefit eligibility verification, continuous evaluation services, identity authentication, data breach response, investigation services, and other key solutions to federal, state and local government agencies in the U.S. TransUnion’s solutions help both private and public sector organizations manage risk and reduce costs.