GOVTalks Spring 2024

On May 14, we hosted GOVTalks Spring 2024. Our annual virtual conference featured topics ranging from generative AI to design and social media.

Climbing the Digital Excellence Summit

Nikhil Deshpande, Chief Digital and AI Officer 

Outlining 2024 priorities for state Chief Information Officers, including cybersecurity, digital services, and artificial intelligence (AI), and highlighting the progress required in these critical areas, Nikhil Deshpande drew a vivid analogy to mountain climbing, emphasizing the need for a clear, informed strategy similar to a climber assessing terrain before a climb.

Raising the AI Literacy of State Government

Deborah Sykes, Training and Documentation Specialist

Deborah Sykes delved into the transformative potential of AI in the public sector, highlighting the critical need for AI literacy, its profound impact on government operations, and the steps being taken to ensure responsible AI governance. She also introduced GTA's upcoming AI literacy certification programs designed to equip government employees with essential AI skills and underscores GTA's commitment to ethical AI practices, focusing on fairness, transparency, accountability, and privacy. 

Making Your Website Content AI-Friendly

Mary Liebowitz, Lead Content Strategist

Mary Liebowitz spoke about the impact of AI in content management for state agencies, emphasizing the importance of balancing AI-friendly and user-accessible content, showcasing how tools like natural language processing and machine learning enhance search functionality and improve user experiences on government websites. She shared insights on how structured data and metadata can boost AI readability, making content more discoverable and relevant, while also offering practical strategies for content audits and implementation.

Design Systems: Empowering Teams, Elevating Experiences

Julie Fay, User Experience Analyst

Julie Fay offered a comprehensive overview of the importance and practical application of design systems. Focusing on Orchard, Georgia’s official design system, she showed how agencies can leverage this resource to enhance their online presence. She also provided a detailed tour of Orchard’s features, including the style guide, component library, and documentation, demonstrating how to access and use an agency’s color palette.

High Impact, Low Effort: Simple Steps to Improving Your GAP Score

Amanda de Zayas, Lead Content Strategist

Amanda DeZayas shared practical strategies for improving agencies' Georgia Analytics Program (GAP) scores, the metric that quantifies the performance of state agency websites in terms of content quality, accessibility, and SEO. She provided a clear roadmap for improvement, from tackling low-hanging fruit like broken links and outdated documents to deeper initiatives such as content audits and user flow analysis. She also emphasized a holistic approach to content management, focusing not just on numbers but also on user experience and content relevance.

GovHub, a Year in Review and Look Ahead

Donna Sumner, Operations and Delivery Manager
Jasmyne Epps, Director of GovHub

Donna Sumner and Jasmyne Epps shared updates on the achievements and future plans for GovHub. They highlighted the platform's growth, showcased a few of the latest agencies to join GovHub, and shared a roadmap of the features in development.

Taking the Temperature of Social Media in 2024

Will Alford, Director of Content
Ariana Donley, Web and Social Media Specialist for Government Social Media

Will Alford and Ariana Donley explored the evolving landscape of social media for government organizations. Their conversation covered critical trends, challenges, and innovative strategies for engaging the public. Ariana shared insights from the Government Social Media Conference, emphasizing the importance of networking and professional development. She also showcased successful social media strategies from various government agencies, including humanizing content, timely engagement, and leveraging trends.

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• GOVTalks