We’ve written several times over the past few months about the CARES Act. First we looked into how CARES Act funding could be used to digitize your records and then we gave a reminder about the limited timeframe to use the funds.
For a lot of government organizations, receiving the money has meant keeping the lights on while still engaging in cost cutting exercises. For others, it’s been speedy implementation technology purchases which can come with expense reductions in their own right.
A new study, reported on by Government Technology, shows that nearly 40% of local governments surveyed were using CARES Act funding to enhance technology to either better serve the community or improve staff productivity. Another 22% of respondents said that they were exploring the option, which means it could be a busy December for local government technology shopping.
Meanwhile, governments haven’t been complacent in relying on congressional cash infusions to stay afloat as revenues fall short. More than half of local governments have delayed big capital purchases and put freezes on hiring, travel or training.
The CARES Act funding does provide some much needed stimulus, but local governments are anticipating that these shortfalls will outlast this money and are adjusting their plans accordingly. In all, 92% of respondents are planning on making financial adjustments due to the revenue shortfall.
For the organizations that have been spending money on technology, the CARES Act comes with the caveat that the funds must be used for necessary expenditures related to the pandemic. This may mean the teleworking capabilities that they need to keep running as an organization, or even projects that reduce employee workloads while at the same time increasing public records access, like records digitization.
The key to using money like what’s come from the CARES Act effectively is to not miss the forest for the trees. There are certainly plenty of immediate fires to put out in terms of local government funding, but given that the effects of the pandemic are likely to be felt through the entirety of 2021, focusing on projects that can have long-term cost containment potential is ideal.
This may include things like payment portals so residents don’t have to mail checks or drop them off in person, deeper access to information that a resident would normally get at a walk up window, or cutting office lease costs with remote staff.
At Extract, we try to design our software products with long term efficiency in mind. That’s why we make software that automates processes, finding key information to extract or redact within your documents without having to manually search and key it in. The software also improves as it’s used. Using machine learning to become more familiar with your documents and their contents each time they’re seen. If you’d like to learn more about how we do this, please reach out.
About the Author: Chris Mack
Chris is a Marketing Manager at Extract with experience in product development, data analysis, and both traditional and digital marketing. Chris received his bachelor’s degree in English from Bucknell University and has an MBA from the University of Notre Dame. A passionate marketer, Chris strives to make complex ideas more accessible to those around him in a compelling way.