Today, I’m excited to announce a new civic startup, ProudCity, founded by me and three others, committed to making it easier for cities to stand up and manage government digital services.
Increasingly, as more and more of us access government via the web, our perceptions and expectations will be determined by the digital government experience. In fact, a 2015 Accenture report found that 86% of respondents “want to maintain or increase their digital interaction with government.”
According to the report, when citizens were asked “Which of the following would change positively if government improved digital services?,” they responded:
- “My belief that government is forward looking” (73%)
- “My overall satisfaction with government” (72%)
- “My willingness to engage with government” (72%)
- “My belief that government is efficient and effective” (70%)
- “My confidence and trust in government” (62%)
Accenture’s findings also emphasized the importance of the “basic” website:
“Citizens place the highest priority on ‘the basics’ of a quality digital experience: definitive answers to questions, assurance of privacy and security, and functionality typical of commercial websites”
The city website is more than just a digital interface. It’s the public face of increasing confidence, trust and satisfaction in government, and we look forward to playing a key role in helping with this and scaling municipal innovation, one city at a time.
Read our launch blog post on why we started ProudCity, our principles and find your city demo to learn how you can launch your free beta test site. If you have questions, or want to discuss how ProudCity can help your city, please feel free to email me at luke@proudcity.com.