Prioritize Citizen Self-Service with the Technology Modernization Fund

Local governments should adopt community development software now

It has recently been announced that $100 million out of the Technology Modernization Fund (an initiative under the American Rescue Plan) will be used to help streamline and improve digital services for American citizens. The Office of Management and Budget and the General Services Administration have prioritized citizen experience with this move, and now is the time for local governments across the nation to do the same by taking advantage of this funding.

Citizen self-service benefits local governments and the communities they serve since citizens can:  

• Submit applications online
• Access organized digital information
• Communicate in one place
• Remote travel to the office
• Receive automatic status updates
• Obtain issued building permits faster
• Understand applications better

Submit Applications Online

Online community development software allows citizens to remotely and conveniently submit building permit applications, planning applications, and complaints online – 24/7.

Access Organized Digital Information

Citizens can access their information remotely when it exists online. They do not need to keep track of different papers and files on their desk but can instead have everything organized for them in their Cloudpermit account.

Communicate in One Place

Citizens can ask questions and have conversations with their local government within Cloudpermit instead of on the phone, via email, or at the front counter. Everyone can send direct and group time-stamped messages which helps keep all parties involved, organized, and informed.

Remove Travel to the Office

Travel to the office is no longer needed when every part of the building permit process can be done online. Citizens do not need to worry about the cost and time it takes to travel to the government office to participate in community development.

Receive Automatic Status Updates

It is easy to keep citizens in the loop when they receive automatic status updates on their building permits and inspections. This eliminates the need for them to call or email to find out where their permit stands since they can either log into Cloudpermit to check or wait to be notified when their permit has moved onto the next stage.

Obtain Issued Building Permits Faster

Online community development software significantly speeds up how long it takes for a building permit to be issued. Cloudpermit speeds up building permit issuance by 80%, compared to paper-based systems.

Understand Applications Better

Citizens often submit incomplete applications to their local government with traditional systems. Online software can force applicants to fill in all mandatory data entry fields to ensure all applications that are submitted to government staff are complete for an easy and user-friendly self-service experience.