State of Local Government Survey of U.S. Cities and Counties Reveals Trends Around COVID, Remote Work, and Digital Infrastructure Investments
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Nov. 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today OpenGov, the leader in modern cloud ERP software for our nation's cities, counties, and state agencies, launched the annual "State of Local Government Survey".
Questions cover a broad range of pandemic-era topics, from revenue impact to technology and training needs. The 501 respondents include 113 elected officials and administrators, 238 public finance leaders, and 149 public finance staff.
Results show how governments are making needed investments in the face of significant revenue impact. A third anticipate a 4-8% decrease in revenue and another third foresee an over 8% hit. In response, over 60% are using grants (e.g., CARES Act funding) or considering this approach to upgrade their technology and better serve their community and workforce.
Over half of respondents are modernizing processes and technology to enable remote work and virtual meetings. A third are also adopting cloud-based workflows in areas like permitting, licensing, code enforcement, and grant management to protect revenue streams and keep their local economies open for business. Despite all this activity, gaps persist between local government needs and initiatives.
Analysis of responses to the report's 44 questions show that while demand is strong for technology that enables access to data, process automation, and integrations to enable cross-functional collaboration, few are looking to close these gaps with investments in digital infrastructure. Additionally, the survey reveals significant training and recruitment gaps required to upskill and backfill key talent.
Based on feedback from local government leaders on the success of the survey, OpenGov plans to launch this report annually. The report can be downloaded here: https://opengov.com/the-state-of-local-government-survey-2020/
"OpenGov customers have taught me about the kinship among public servants in local government. Their work is critical to residents across the U.S., but also unique to their profession. We're humbled and honored to publish this report in hopes of fostering candid conversation and even greater strategic alignment within local governments about how best to navigate the challenges of our communities," says Matt Singer, OpenGov CMO.
Methodology: On behalf of OpenGov, independent polling and research firm Zogby Analytics conducted an online survey of 501 local government finance leaders across the US. Titles ranged from elected officials, administrators, and managers to finance directors, managers and accountants. Each answered 44 questions about their needs, as well as their government's initiatives and investments.
About OpenGov
OpenGov is the leader in modern cloud ERP software for our nation's cities, counties, and state agencies. On a mission to power more effective and accountable government, OpenGov serves more than 1,000 agencies across the U.S. Built exclusively for the unique budgeting, financial management, and citizen services needs of the public sector, the OpenGov ERP Cloud makes organizations more collaborative, digitizes mission-critical processes, and enables best-in-class communication with stakeholders.
SOURCE OpenGov
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