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  3. From assessment to automation: a blueprint for public program modernization

From assessment to automation: a blueprint for public program modernization

Pat Aguilar

Pat Aguilar

September 10, 2025

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When exploring new tech, be sure to weigh how it affects your staff, workflows, and tasks.

Woman in striped shirt working on tablet displaying colorful graphs and data analysis in a business environment.

Modernization, automation, and optimization remain strong driving forces behind the evolution of public programs. Across the country, human services program leaders are seeking modernized workforce models, automated processes, and optimized technology to address inefficiencies and drive continuous improvement.

As you explore new technology and other opportunities for innovation for your program, continue to be mindful of the impact on and integration with your staff, workflows, and assignments. Your program will benefit most from technology investments — whether modernizing or replacing systems — when its processes are streamlined, and this requires a complete understanding of your infrastructure and operations.

Break the rework cycle to achieve first-contact resolution

Program processes are interconnected — one delay can halt or limit the effectiveness of an entire decision loop. If an initial process is not completed promptly, your staff will be burdened by workarounds, spending critical time reworking processes that should have already been completed. An incomplete or delayed initial process also leaves the public waiting for information, services, or benefits. For example, customers may make repeated inquiries to learn the status of an application, creating additional tasks and further diverting your staff from other work activities.

To become more efficient and effective, it’s critical to minimize rework by creating streamlined business and technical processes focused on first-contact resolution.
Pat Aguilar Managing Director, Program Modernization Services

Gain a full picture of how your program functions

Completing a program assessment allows you to identify and document the ineffective components of your program’s current business and technical processes. These components create bottlenecks, necessitate manual workarounds, and/or generate additional work. They may include multiple manual steps or require data entry numerous times.

As you plan your program assessment, consider bringing in an independent and experienced partner with expertise in public policy, government program operations, and process optimization to guide you through these four key steps:

  1. Collect data. Use focus groups, surveys, and observation to understand how much work exists, how long tasks take, and how your staff experiences their work. Knowing exactly how long it takes to complete a work activity strengthens your analysis.
  2. Map processes. Identify the data flows and note the business process handoffs and bottlenecks.  
  3. Analyze results. Identify repetitive tasks and other root causes that present opportunities to create efficiencies. Assess where skills and staffing support efficiency — and where they don’t.
  4. Make decisions. Reengineer processes, revise policies, develop leaders, implement best practices, align staff roles with skills, and invest in smart technology to drive efficient operations.

Select a partner for staffing analysis support

Institutional knowledge is essential when you operate complex programs, and staff attrition can disrupt continuity and performance. A staffing analysis that includes work assignments and skills, workflows, maturity in adopting best practices, and task-supporting systems can reveal the proper training, reassignments, or contracted support needed to regain that balance.

When completing a staffing analysis, select a partner that prioritizes building trust with your team before segmenting workflows and analyzing staff roles. Those who have previously served as government employees in similar programs understand and appreciate the hard work they observe from your staff. Their empathetic viewpoint helps them better understand the time and expertise necessary to perform each specific business process within your program. 

Apply smart automation to routine tasks

Once you understand your operations and address root issues, you can start identifying how and where to apply smart automation for targeted improvements. By matching operational challenges with new technologies, you can boost work output, increase staff effectiveness, and deliver services faster to program participants.

This approach has already shown positive results for states in practice, including the ability to bring intelligent document processing to the program mailroom.

For example, Maximus supports a state program where handling returned mail with forwarding addresses was a persistent pain point. The routine task of handling thousands of pieces of mail used precious staff time and delayed the process. Our pilot program applied AI-powered intelligent document processing with 97 percent accuracy and minimal manual work. This reduced data entry by nearly 20 percent, allowing the state to redeploy staff to higher-value tasks.

The future of modernization

Calls for government efficiency are not new. With careful planning and execution that considers both technology and staffing, your investments can be optimized. Partnering with vendors experienced in business process reengineering can help states deliver a modern approach that improves program operations.

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