Frictionless Government: The Service Delivery Vision Behind New CX Mandates

Original broadcast 4/27/25

Presented by Maximus

MaryAnn Monroe, Vice President of the Customer Experience Accelerator at Maximus, discussed the sweeping implications of the Government Service Delivery Improvement Act during her appearance on Fed Gov Today with Francis Rose. The legislation, signed into law in January, represents a significant milestone in how federal agencies deliver services to the public. It requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to appoint a government-wide service delivery lead, while also mandating that each agency designate a customer experience (CX) lead. According to Monroe, these roles are essential to driving a unified, measurable, and technology-enabled transformation across government.

A Government-Wide Mandate

Monroe emphasized that this legislation builds upon both the Biden and Trump administrations’ Presidents’ Management Agendas, which prioritized improving customer experience. What sets this Act apart, she noted, is its structural enforcement. Agencies will not only be required to create service delivery execution plans, but also to publicly track progress using a consistent set of metrics. The law aims to move CX efforts beyond vision statements and pilot projects into sustainable, repeatable frameworks that can deliver tangible results.

She underscored the importance of appointing empowered CX leads within each agency—people with the authority to implement changes, adopt innovations, and make decisions that will positively impact service delivery. These leaders will need to adapt to a rapidly changing landscape and report transparently on how they are achieving improvements.

Toward a Frictionless Experience

One of Monroe’s central themes was the idea of frictionless government. In this context, that means delivering services that are:

• Simple: Citizens should easily understand and access government programs.

• Seamless: Services should work smoothly across multiple channels—whether online, over the phone, or in person.

• Personalized: Agencies should tailor communications and services to meet individual needs.

• Secure: Trust is foundational; citizens must be confident their data and interactions are protected.

These principles align closely with private sector trends, but Monroe acknowledged that achieving them in government is a more complex task due to scale, regulation, and mission diversity.

The Role of Emerging Technology

Technology, Monroe said, is the great enabler of this transformation. She pointed to AI and automation as critical tools for speeding up government processes, reducing manual work, and increasing accuracy in service delivery. These technologies can be embedded into everything from benefit application systems to public communication platforms.

However, Monroe cautioned that technology alone is not a silver bullet. It must be integrated strategically and responsibly, ensuring that agencies don’t adopt tools just for the sake of modernization but rather in ways that meaningfully improve outcomes for the public.

Don’t Forget the Workforce

A unique and important point Monroe brought up was the dual focus on external and internal users. While much of the CX conversation focuses on the citizen experience, she emphasized the need to support government employees who deliver those services.

This includes:

• Training frontline staff to effectively use new AI-enabled tools.

• Simplifying back-end processes to reduce administrative burdens.

• Ensuring employees are part of the transformation process, not passive recipients of change.

In Monroe’s view, employee engagement and enablement are key to delivering on the promise of better customer experience. "We can’t forget the people who are using these systems to serve others," she said.

Looking Ahead

Monroe concluded the conversation with optimism, noting that the convergence of legislation, executive support, and technological innovation offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform how government serves the American public. The Government Service Delivery Improvement Act lays the groundwork—but it will be up to agency leaders, their CX teams, and supporting partners like Maximus to bring the vision to life.

As Monroe put it, this is not just a mandate—it's a mission.