Pennsylvanians looking to renew annual vehicle registrations, file tax forms and access other state services online will soon see a more user-friendly interface to do so following the creation of a new office tasked with improving the commonwealth's digital offerings.
On Tuesday, Gov. Josh Shapiro signed an executive order to establish the Commonwealth Office of Digital Experience (CODE PA) as part of a broader administration-wide effort that aims to improve customer service relations for Pennsylvania residents when it comes to filing permits, applications and other forms that Harrisburg requests for certain tasks or approvals.
Shapiro tapped Bryanna Pardoe, a former web and digital experience executive from Philadelphia-area Main Line Health and health care provider Geisinger, to serve as the first executive director of the state's newest office, which Shapiro said will be funded using existing budget allocations. He also said the office is actively looking to fill various tech-related roles before May 10 to aid in these streamlining efforts. A college degree is not required for these roles, Shapiro said.
The state will still continue to offer physical forms and applications as an alternative to online-based equivalents for those who would prefer them, Shapiro said, which factors into his "no wrong door" strategy that looks to offer a choice for Pennsylvanians to pick depending on their preferences when it comes to filling out information.
But these choices continue to be ones that are increasingly being done online, Shapiro said and noted that nearly 500,000 Pennsylvanians filed their state sales tax returns online this year and that more than 250,000 people have made reservations to a state park or forest via that state's digital reservation system since 2022.
"A key part of our job is figuring out how to make things equally easy to access both online and in-person," Shapiro said during a press conference. "CODE PA is cutting edge. This is Pennsylvania's tech startup and we're looking for the best and the brightest to bring these innovations to life."
Another core component of these efforts will be making it easier for Pennsylvanians to apply for state- and federal-equivalent benefits, like those from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, at the same time — an effort that received praise from President Joe Biden's administration.
"I'm excited for what's happening here in Pennsylvania and we extend our congratulations on behalf of President Biden, the White House and the entire civic tech ecosystem," U.S. Digital Service Deputy Administrator Cori Zarek said during the press conference. "We're glad you're joining us to make government better for the public."
Pardoe's in-house team will be tasked with developing these digital products and services over the coming months. She's hiring various leadership heads for the roles of operations and procurement; user experience; front-end development; product management; back-end development; and quality, analytics and infrastructure. The listed salary ranges for these jobs fall between $150,000 to $160,000 annually.
