Government offices are burdened with paper that is expensive to store and manage and slow to process. Paper-based processes slow you down and make it challenging to deliver services on time and with minimal in-person involvement.

Before 2020, some governments were already digitizing their legacy records, but the pandemic made it a necessity. Lockdowns and remote work mandates demanded citizen services to be available online or electronically instead of in-person.

It's becoming evident that digital or online services will persist even as the pandemic recedes.

What is the ARPA grant? How does it help revive government services post-pandemic

As we learn to live with COVID-19, it's time to recover from the crisis and achieve growth while adopting practices that ensure service continuity in case of further viral outbreaks.

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 is a $1.9 trillion package intended to address the continued public health and economic impacts caused by COVID-19. 

Local and municipal governments will have long-term benefits from ARPA funding.

Metropolitan cities will receive $45.57 billion. Cities with populations below 50,000 will receive $19.53 billion. Counties will receive $65.1 billion, with funds allocated based on population size.

IT infrastructure is one of the areas identified to receive funding as part of the rescue plan. Many ARPA provisions are IT-related, including record digitization, record management software purchases, process automation and other digital transformation-related software and services.

How state and local governments can use ARPA grant funds

ARPA grants can help your state, municipal or county government with digital transformation initiatives to modernize your community's administrative operations.

Government agencies can use their ARPA grant allocation to modernize their IT systems to provide better service access and faster service delivery to citizens.

For example, Shelby County utilized their ARPA grant funds to pay for digitizing county records at a project cost of approximately $148,000. As a result, Shelby citizens will have electronic access to a document repository of county records at their fingertips. Historical books will be digitized and coded using document indexing and search logic to create a simple public online search process. Remote access will be available through a link on the county's website.

As County Recorder Geralyn Greer said: "Today, the public, professional title searchers, surveyors, genealogists and others must come to the County Recorder's office in a confined space to physically touch and look through books." She explained that an online searchable database could reduce office traffic, which is especially convenient and safe during a pandemic.

Government entities that have already adopted digitization during the pandemic can use ARPA grants to modernize their systems further and improve the citizens' experience.

Invest in technology with your ARPA grant

Experts agree that government bodies can utilize their ARPA grant funds to modernize government offices and adopt new IT systems.

Leverage the benefits of digitizing your record management, using ARPA funds to modernize your systems for maximum process efficiency and risk mitigation.

Here's how:

• Digitize all paper records to create a fully-searchable digital repository accessible to all authorized personnel from any location and any device. Online file storage and document sharing play a considerable role in improving productivity and team collaboration.

• Invest in remote work technologies such as teleconferencing software, e-forms, electronic content management systems (ECM), and other automation tools. Take a look at OpenText AppEnhancer—our integrated content management system enables your employees to find and access documents remotely and work on them collaboratively.

• Consolidate newly digitized files with existing backend systems such as an ERP, HR or accounting system to streamline operational processes. Our business process management consultants are also at hand to digitize workflows, eliminate manual tasks, and enhance productivity in day-to-day operations.

• Provide citizens with secure public access to government resources with minimal intervention from staff and allow documents to be available for public searches online.

• Migrating your digital content to the Cloud makes frequent backups convenient and affordable and helps government bodies comply with disaster recovery planning requirements.

• Digitized documents in an ECM have the added benefits of better security for sensitive information, easier audits, and simplified compliance.

Give citizens a superior service experience with digital services

Citizens expect the same online, user-friendly interfaces and processes they experience in the private sector to carry over into public sector services. Delivering on these expectations often means re-thinking your IT infrastructure. ARPA funding allows government offices to jumpstart modernization and prepare themselves for the digital era.

• Remote work technology reduces the risk of infections.

• Automation reduces the burden on government staff, delivers faster service, reduces errors, and improves decision-making.

• Digital infrastructure increases access and allows citizens to send requests securely online instead of relying on in-person services.

• Digital transformation keeps vital services running during an unexpected crisis, even with a remote workforce.

RDS: The ideal digitizing partner for government entities

To make the most of your ARPA grant, work with a professional document scanning company that can provide you with a content management system to manage the files once they're digital.

RDS is your ideal digitization partner; we have secure scanning facilities to transform your office into a paperless operation. To continue to stay paperless, we continue to scan your records on demand and implement a digital mailroom service to eliminate paper at its source.

Contact RDS for document scanning, document management and automation solutions for municipal, county and state governments.