State Capacity to Deliver Modern Solutions (with Jennifer Pahlka)

Let's Think Digital

Can government do the things that it says it is going to do? One of the hardest things that public servants have to do is implement and it gets to the heart of a state's capacity to deliver. In the digital era, that means being able to deliver digitally. And when we think about state capacity in this context, it often seems that we find our institutions coming up short.

State capacity is something that this week's guest has thought a lot about. Jennifer Pahlka is a leading figure in the digital government movement in the United States, and recently authored a new book, "Recoding America: Why Government is Failing in the Digital Age and How We Can Do Better."

(See below on how to enter a draw for a free copy!)

Jennifer served as Deputy Chief Technology Officer for the US Government under President Obama’s Administration where she helped to create the United States Digital Service. She is also the founder and former executive director of Code for America which she led for 10 years. More recently she co-founded and is Chair of the Board of Directors for the United States Digital Response, which was a new organization that was set up to help governments respond to the COVID-19 crisis through mobilizing volunteer tech talent.

She spoke to Ryan at the FWD50 Conference in November about why governments seem to find themselves in a crisis of implementation and delivery regardless of partisan stripe. They also talk about ways to get unstuck, and stay motivated, including a really heartwarming end to the interview where Jennifer talks about what to do when we are feeling demoralized and that change is never going to come.

Enter a draw to win a free copy of Recoding America!

If you'd like to get a copy of Recoding America, sign up to the Think Digital newsletter by December 22, 2023 at 11:59pm ET and you'll be entered into a draw to receive a free copy! Anyone who is signed up to the newsletter by the deadline is eligible.

Go to letsthinkdigital.ca to sign up!

Watch the Episode on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuTzJ7LtiiY

Chapters

00:04 Introduction and Welcome

03:15 Interview with Jennifer Pahlka

05:20 The Importance of State Capacity in Government

06:24 Policy vs. Implementation

09:38 Key Takeaways from Recoding America

15:36 The Role of Political Leadership

24:20 Are Our Systems of Democratic Governance Still Fit for Purpose?

28:23 Commonalities Across Jurisdictions

32:19 The Role of Civic Tech in Government

37:41 Don't Give Up

38:55 Closing Remarks and Book Giveaway Announcement