Applying Lessons Learned in COVID-19 to Support the President's Management Agenda

In response, the Partnership for Public Service and the Boston Consulting Group, in their 2020 analysis of the Best Places to Work in the Federal Government, added an eighth category to their Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey: "How effectively agencies supported employees and navigated COVID-19." The PMA highlights a study of 32 industries that ranks the federal government last in customer satisfaction in 2020.7 A recurrent theme for decades, customer service is one reason trust in the federal government languishes in the 20-24% range.8 Two challenges during COVID-19 exemplify the struggle in government to provide services in a complex environment. The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (1RS) had to identify and locate eligible recipients to expeditiously distribute three rounds of EIPs.9 Eligibility and payment amounts were tied to income levels and number of eligible household members. Federal systems could then share account records to identify eligible recipients and seamlessly disburse EIPs. Because some tax filers do not provide bank account information to make a direct deposit, and others changed banks or moved after filing their most recent tax return, the 1RS implemented a "Get My Payment" portal for people to