When your pandemic aid is stuck in a bureaucratic logjam

For many people, March 2020 turned out to be a terrible time to start a new venture. But for one organization, its coincidental launch at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic was right on time. U.S. Digital Response (USDR) is a civic tech nonprofit that deploys pro bono aid and expertise to governments and NGOs. Over the past two years, governments have made huge strides in adopting new technology to expand access to government while also coming to grips with the fact that systemic inequities have created barriers that prevent some people from accessing those very services. Fixing these kinds of problems is what USDR is all about and since March 2020, it has worked with 230 governments and nonprofit partners and deployed more than 800 volunteers. 

This week, I caught up with interim CEO Jessica Cole to talk about public interest technology, the pandemic and how USDR has evolved. The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.

LF: Has your work changed at all since the beginning of the pandemic? Any lessons learned so far?

JC: USDR started as a true crisis response organization. We were in this moment when the needs of the public overwhelmed the ability of public services to deliver for them, and we had these really talented technologists able to jump in and offer help. [Since then], that relationship has gone from not just the pandemic needs but to making sure the public sector has the resilience and capacity to respond to the future. Rapid response work is still a lot of what we do, but we are using the lessons we’ve learned in those situations to start looking for how we [can] perform better without waiting for a crisis to hit.

LF: You recently announced a $6 million investment from the Ballmer Group to fund three years of your Economic Stability program. How is the program putting those lessons learned into practice? 

JC: Economic stability in this case is whether specifically allocated funds—like rental assistance–make it to the people it was intended to help. AND is it on time and equitable? During the pandemic we had tens of governments coming to us…because there were some real gaps there. 

For example, we worked with nine states on unemployment insurance benefit delivery and watched their needs evolve from immediate triage and system stability in the early pandemic to starting to think about modernization and procurement of systems, along with equity and access. We just wrapped up work in one state with a lot of Spanish language speakers where we tested the Spanish language content in their system to see if it had the desired effect.. …. As it turns out there was a gap between the intended language they had out there and the perceived next step applicants thought they had to take. So we made some recommendations for content changes they’re now implementing.

LF: These stories behind user-centered design so often uncover these logjams from very human—or at least low-tech—causes. What did you find with rental assistance? 

JC: Memphis/Shelby County was being overwhelmed with applications so we developed an automated intake process to help them more rapidly process applications and feel more comfortable sending those funds out earlier. As we were building it, the Department of Treasury conferred with us and ultimately changed and clarified its guidance for rental assistance funds because of what they learned from our partners on the ground.

LF: These stories are motivating. But the pandemic has also been incredibly hard on government workers and many places are now dealing with a hiring and retention crisis. What’s your message to those who feel like they just won’t have the staff to deal with tackling systemic changes?

JC: First, that’s why USDR is here—no one wants to feel like they are the lone person trying to solve a problem and we can help get them the resources they need. 

Second, start small—but start somewhere. We have to assume we will learn as we go. We can not treat delivery of digital services like building a bridge—it can’t take five years to plan and then another five to deliver. There’s no opportunity to adapt and evolve in that format. Instead of waiting to build the ‘perfect’ system, start with one need. Get something out the door and then build on those basic functions.

That’s what we did when we partnered with Harris County, Texas, on a tool for placing election poll workers. It’s one of the largest counties in the country and the most acute need was just getting workers to the polls, so that’s what we designed for first. After that, the next need was being able to take applications for poll workers so we added that function. Then it was the ability to check in with workers during election day.

LF: Last question. Equity is a big focus in the American Rescue Plan and in the infrastructure bill. What are you hearing about that?

JC: More than anything else, what we are hearing is that this is a generational moment of investment. If we leave capacity building within the governments themselves off the table, or if we leave out various communities that haven’t traditionally been able to benefit, we’re leaving out an entire generation.

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This post has been updated to reflect the number of USDR volunteers.