2024 Highlights: Public Sector Modernization Strategies
Tyler Tech Podcast Episode 110, Transcript
The Tyler Tech Podcast explores a wide range of complex, timely, and important issues facing communities and the public sector. Expect approachable tech talk mixed with insights from subject matter experts and a bit of fun. Each episode highlights the people, places, and technology making a difference. Give the podcast a listen today and subscribe.
Show Notes:
In this episode of the Tyler Tech Podcast, we revisit highlights from some of our most engaging 2024 conversations, focusing on strategies for public sector modernization. From cloud adoption and cybersecurity to AI-driven decision-making and improving accessibility, these discussions explore how digital transformation is shaping the future of public sector innovation.
Russell Gainford, Tyler’s chief cloud officer, discusses the importance of cloud adoption and avoiding the risks of technical debt in outdated systems. He shares how strategic planning and leadership alignment can ensure modernization success.
Sascha Ohler, vice president of outdoor recreation at Tyler, reveals how technology is enhancing state parks, delivering seamless visitor experiences, and making the outdoors more inclusive for all.
Rita Reynolds, CIO of the National Association of Counties (NACo), addresses the challenges counties face in workforce recruitment, cybersecurity, and aligning IT strategies to meet modern demands.
Vivek Mehta, vice president and general manager of Tyler’s Platform Solutions Division, explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is enabling governments to boost productivity, enhance decision-making, and improve service delivery while navigating adoption barriers.
This episode also celebrates inspiring stories from public sector organizations making a tangible difference in their communities through impactful technology. These examples of innovation highlight the possibilities when purpose-driven solutions meet government needs. For Tyler clients, applications are now open for the Tyler Excellence Awards, which honor organizations driving meaningful change with forward-thinking approaches. Submit your application here. You can also read more about excellence in the public sector below:
And learn more about the topics discussed in this episode with these resources:
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Transcript:
Vivek Mehta: So, to me, it all comes down to, hey, let’s break down this world of AI and, first and foremost, admit to ourselves that it’s not here to replace anybody.
Josh Henderson: From Tyler Technologies, it’s the Tyler Tech Podcast, where we explore the trends, technologies, and people shaping public sector innovation today. I’m your host, Josh Henderson, part of the corporate marketing team here at Tyler. We’re glad to have you with us. Each episode, we bring you thought-provoking conversations on the tools and strategies driving our communities forward.
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In this episode, we’re exploring the theme of digital infrastructure and modernization by revisiting highlights from some of our most engaging conversations from 2024. These discussions feature four experts who bring unique insights into the challenges and opportunities in this space.
We’ll hear from Russell Gainford, Tyler’s chief cloud officer, who examines the importance of cloud adoption and the risks of maintaining outdated systems.
Sascha Ohler, vice president of outdoor recreation at Tyler, shares how technology is enhancing accessibility and delivering seamless visitor experiences in state parks.
Rita Reynolds, CIO of the National Association of Counties (NACo), discusses workforce recruitment, cybersecurity, and aligning IT strategies with county priorities.
And finally, Vivek Mehta, vice president and general manager of Tyler’s Platform Solutions Division, explains how AI is helping governments enhance decision-making, boost productivity, and improve service delivery.
These conversations offer a comprehensive look at how modernization is driving transformation across the public sector. Let’s begin with Russell Gainford, Tyler’s chief cloud officer. You can catch the full conversation with Russell in episode 92 of the podcast. We hope you enjoy this episode.
What are the implications of delaying technology modernization for government agencies, in terms of technical debt specifically?
Russell Gainford: I would say that if you are putting yourself in a situation where you have an older system and you just keep doing minor investments to add the small thing on or to have some technology added as kind of a bolt-on, you end up in this series of technical debt where you’re building up an ecosystem of your digital solutions—your environment—that then has to be decomposed at some point in the future, and it becomes more expensive to do so. It’s harder to continue to add items to it. So, budget constraints and things like that sometimes get people to make smaller patches on top of what they already have.
And that technical debt will be something that you have to pay off. You will then want to go to the latest solution to provide a better constituent experience. Maybe you want that one view of the single wallet for all of your citizens to be able to pay in one place and reuse and everything else.
But because you’ve bolted on three or four aging ways of doing that, it’s significantly harder for you to do so. So, technical debt is something that we say a lot on our software engineering side as far as something we continually need to work on and remove so that we can continue to add features faster and manage faster. And it’s the same way you should look at about at your digital solutions and your infrastructure is that if you are continually planning out for the future and making those investments, you will always be able to move faster, provide the next service better. If you build up too much technical debt, it is so much harder to remove it.
Technical debt is something that we say a lot on our software engineering side as far as something we continually need to work on and remove so that we can continue to add features faster and manage faster. And it’s the same way you should look at your digital solutions and your infrastructure is that if you are continually planning out for the future and making those investments, you will always be able to move faster, provide the next service better. If you build up too much technical debt, it is so much harder to remove it.
Russell Gainford
Chief Cloud Officer, Tyler Technologies
What you can’t have happen is you can’t say, I’m going to go decide, I think we should move everything to the cloud and not have a strategy for how you’re going to get there. And that’s where communicating with leadership comes in because it’s more than I want to move my one solution to the cloud. And now, oh, by the way, I didn’t realize that was integrated to two of my other solutions. You have to have a plan that you’re going to get everything to where you want it to be, but you’re going to do it in a way that’s not going to disrupt the citizen and your staff on the daily job that they’re doing.
And once you kind of have that strategy, you need everybody to be part of it. People are going to be much more successful if everybody’s aligned and everybody believes in where you’re going, and they understand how you’re going to get there. And that’s where communication, communication, communication is key. So, going back and working with all the team members and making sure you have a community of practice and a group that’s working together to outline it.
These are not easy topics either. It’s not just about, oh, you’re going to now open up your website, and it’s going to be over here. It’s no, hey, we’re moving this over here, and now we’re getting a new user experience over here.
And so, people want to understand what’s the plan to continue to improve as a team and as a workforce. And so, I think you start with your strategy, get buy in on your strategy, and then communicate that throughout the organization and continue to refine it, if needed, until you get to your end state.
Josh Henderson: As Russell highlights, strategic planning and leadership alignment are crucial for successful modernization. But modernization isn’t just about internal systems. It’s also about creating seamless and accessible experiences for the public.
To see how technology is transforming public experiences, we head outdoors with Sascha Ohler, Tyler’s vice president of outdoor recreation.
In this excerpt from episode 96, Sascha explores how digital tools are revolutionizing state parks, making them more inclusive, efficient, and enjoyable for visitors.
Sascha Ohler: Over the last several years, what we have seen is that state parks agencies specifically are really starting to look at how do we create a much more holistic experience for a visitor. So, these could be things like, as part of the booking process, I start to make recommendations as to, hey, I see that you’re really interested in hiking, for example.
There are some really cool trails that you haven’t, you know, hiked from what we know. You might want to try us out, or maybe I want to include my firewood that I want to use when I do my s’mores with my kids, right, when I show up at the campsite. I want to include that in my checkout process so that it’s already ready when I show up at my campsite.
And it’s really sort of taking these it’s not that we’re creating new interactions. It’s just we’re taking the interactions that have happened, and we’re starting to really connect the dots between them. So, whether it’s the call center that you’re utilizing or the website or you’re talking to a ranger at the park or you’re using a mobile device, it’s a similar experience as if you’re interacting with any other large brand.
If you didn’t grow up going into the outdoors and interacting with the outdoors, the likelihood that all of a sudden that you just wake up one morning and you decide you’re going to go camping is fairly slim. And so, it’s sort of how do we use technology to help people bridge the gap between their background and where they’ve grown up and actually then taking that first step? And then at the same time, is helping this park staff to look at data to really see what’s the demographics that are coming through the doors of my park? And what does that mean for what type of experiences I need to be able to provide?
Josh Henderson: Stay tuned. We’ll be right back with more of the Tyler Tech Podcast.
Jade Champion: Hey, Tyler Tech Podcast listeners. I’m Jade Champion, and I’m here with your host, Josh Henderson, to share some truly inspiring stories from the public sector.
Josh Henderson: That’s right, Jade. We’re celebrating remarkable public sector organizations, transforming their communities with impactful technology and forward thinking solutions.
Jade Champion: These organizations are achieving extraordinary results from improving operational efficiency and enhancing resident engagement to ensuring equitable access to essential services.
Josh Henderson: The stories we see each year are incredible, like agencies turning data into actionable insights or fostering trust through simpler, more transparent processes.
Jade Champion: And let’s not forget the organizations leveraging cloud technology to expand access, boost security, and deliver better digital services to residents and businesses.
Josh Henderson: The spirit of innovation and excellence is what drives the Tyler Excellence Awards, which honor organizations making an impact through technology.
Jade Champion: For the Tyler clients out there who are creating positive change, applications are now open to be recognized at Connect 2025 in San Antonio next May.
Josh Henderson: And whether you’re a Tyler client or not, be sure to check out our episode show notes for resources that celebrate inspiring stories from across the public sector.
Jade Champion: These stories are proof of what’s possible when technology meets purpose.
Josh Henderson: That’s the kind of excellence worth celebrating.
Jade Champion: Now let’s get back to the Tyler Tech Podcast.
Josh Henderson: Sascha’s insights demonstrate how technology can enhance public experiences and improve operational efficiency. But for counties managing modernization efforts on a broader scale, the challenges can be even greater.
Next, in this excerpt from episode 91, Rita Reynolds, CIO of the National Association of Counties (NACo), shares how counties are tackling workforce recruitment, cybersecurity, and IT alignment to meet the demands of modern governance.
How should county governments be approaching modernization and digital transformation initiatives?
Rita Reynolds: This is so critical now from a cybersecurity and continuity perspective, as well as what our residents’ expectations are these days.
We know, from looking at the antiquated systems that counties are still using, that the security prevention is much harder and in some cases near to impossible to put in place. And so that is an imperative in order to protect and strengthen the guardrails around your systems, you need to modernize.
All of that aside, residents are expecting 24/7 services and online services. I’m just as guilty of that and not guilty in a bad way but expect that just like anyone else. And it’s not necessarily during the daytime when the county offices are open. It’s evenings, it’s weekends, it’s kind of when someone can’t sleep at night, oh, I’ve got to go take care of this. What does the county provide? And having that online is extremely critical in the digital world that we’re in and we’re not going back. And so county government really needs to approach that with a vengeance, but from a prioritization perspective.
And keep in mind, by showing a response in that area, becoming more digitally available to the county residents, your brand or county brand is going to improve.
We don’t often think of brand of a county, and residents don’t always know what the county provides. But by putting these services online, your brand awareness is going to go up.
Josh Henderson: How would you say local governments should be encouraging workforce participation and community collaboration in efforts to innovate or modernize?
Rita Reynolds: Two words, change management. And when there is collaboration within the county with the departments being affected or the departments that are driving the change with IT, as well as residents, and whether it’s residents that are coming through the human services agencies or criminal justice. When you are working together and saying we want to make a change here and we would like you to be, you know, integral to it. What are your thoughts? Here’s what we’re presenting as the change.
That solution is going to be more successful.
Another component of that from a collaborative perspective is that you must have senior leader buy-in. Not only senior leader leader buy-in, but senior leader leadership to say, we are going to move this forward. And then the next tier has to agree with that and has to feel a part of the solution.
The final piece from a priority perspective is, we need to keep in mind that change does come hard to quite a few individuals, all of us as a matter of fact. And if someone has been doing their job for 20 years the same way every day, they may find every reason not to make the change. I’ve seen where there’s been success with individuals because they were included, and then I’ve seen areas where even though they were included, you’re never going to get everyone to collaborate. And so, what you have to do is look to the higher good, focus on the senior leadership that is available, and also reinforcing, the direction you want to go. So, it is very important for the success of just about any project.
Josh Henderson: As Rita underscores, effective modernization requires a balance between strategic planning, workforce development, and cybersecurity.
Adding another layer to this transformation, in this excerpt from episode 93, Vivek Mehta, vice president and general manager of Tyler’s Platform Solutions Division, discusses how AI is helping government agencies enhance decision-making, boost productivity, and better serve their communities.
What are the primary concerns or barriers hindering the adoption of AI technologies within government? Or how should we be demystifying AI, which is still such a misunderstood but, you know, much discussed part of modern tech?
Vivek Mehta: In my opinion, honestly, I think it starts with a simple realization that AI is not there to replace us in any fashion. Rather, AI needs to be thought of as the enabler to get rid of the monotonous, the tedious, repeatable tasks.
How can that AI can take that off our plate so we can focus on more complex and more impactful task?
And I’ll take that even a step further. How can AI provide me the intelligence and insights I need to execute those complex tasks more efficiently?
Once the agency has that realization, AI is no longer a black box. You’re much more open to exploring, how can I help Bob here not retain all that knowledge in his brain, but utilize AI models to augment his intelligence when he is out in the field? So, to me, it all comes down to, hey, let’s break down this world of AI and first and foremost admit to ourselves that it’s not here to replace anybody.
The word AI and machine learning gets thrown around a lot nowadays.
But if you just look at it as AI is too broad to make any impact because that’s where people get lost. So, we at Tyler are looking at AI, how AI can help government in three major focus areas.
The first and foremost being productivity.
Is it increasing productivity? Which, in turn, addresses the challenge of doing more with less and less?
The second key area we are focusing on is decision-making—being proactive rather than reactive.
Also, that decision-making can serve as a replacement of the loss of institutional knowledge, that most of the agencies are experiencing.
So, how can AI help in an automating, giving them insights that they otherwise wouldn’t have?
And the third one, and quite frankly, the most important one to most of our clients is the service delivery. How do you continue to provide better and better digital services to their constituents?
Those are the three areas we think that the AI technology can help in the public sector.
Josh Henderson: I hope you enjoy these conversations with Russell Gainford, Sascha Ohler, Rita Reynolds, and Vivek Mehta. If you’d like to hear the full interviews, you can find links for those episodes as well as additional resources in the show notes.
Modernizing public sector technology goes beyond upgrading systems. It’s about creating opportunities to enhance efficiency, accessibility, and service delivery for communities.
At Tyler Technologies, we’re committed to partnering with organizations on this journey, working together to achieve meaningful transformation that makes a lasting impact. If you’d like to dive deeper into any of the topics we covered today, feel free to reach out to us at podcast@tylertech.com. Our subject matter experts are here to connect with you on solutions that empower the public sector.
We’d also love to hear your feedback on how we can make the Tyler Tech Podcast even better. Please take a moment to fill out our audience survey linked in the show notes, and don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast.
For Tyler Technologies, I’m Josh Henderson. Happy New Year, and thanks for tuning in to the Tyler Tech Podcast.