Adobe congratulates award-winning changemakers

As necessary as it is, change is difficult. However, embracing change so fully as to become a champion of it, is extraordinary. This was the case for two of Adobe’s public sector partners recently, both resulting in well-deserved recognition for their efforts.

Individuals from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Los Angeles Department of Public Social Services (LA DPSS) each won a 2021 Service to the Citizen Award, which recognizes public servants who impact citizens with their excellence in service delivery. The Census Bureau was also awarded the 2021 Adobe Experience Maker Award, “The Illuminator”, for their resiliency in the face of unprecedented circumstances and turning a challenging situation into exceptional customer experiences to complete the 2020 Census.

The U.S. Census Bureau defies all odds

The Census Bureau already knew they were facing a tough challenge for the 2020 Census as they reinvented their census processes to reflect a decade of societal changes. They were in the process of delivering the first online Census in the Bureau’s history when the pandemic hit.

With the help of Adobe Experience Cloud, the online Census became a reality. The Bureau also made vast improvements to the website for their millions of users, including ease of use and secure interaction for mobile users, who account for a majority of the traffic. These investments also resulted in significant cost savings. The Bureau estimated it would save at least $55 million for every 1 percent above its projected self-response rate and according to a recent report, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimates that the Bureau saved $1.4B thanks in part to technological innovations. Plus, census canvassers and citizens were able to remain in the safety of their own homes during the height of the pandemic.

The LA DPSS will stop at nothing

The County of Los Angeles’ Department of Public Social Services, an Adobe government partner, also excelled despite the sudden need to fast-track digital initiatives over the past year. With the largest social services agency in the nation, whose clients include one out of every three L.A. County residents, the LA DPSS development team moved ahead with a massive, planned project to update the agency’s website despite the pressures of a shortened project lifecycle and the team having to adapt to working remotely due to the pandemic. Led by Elizabeth Becerra, division chief of the Bureau of Special Operations, the team’s effort resulted in a 66 percent improvement in content efficiency, improved compliance workflow, and expanded citizen reach, including a Spanish-language version of the site.

Congratulations

I want to extend congratulations to Elizabeth Becerra and her team and to Stephen Buckner, who will both be presented with the 2021 Service to the Citizen Award in September for their leadership.

I would also like to congratulate the entire U.S. Census Bureau team behind their massive effort, including Christina Stoehr, Zack Schwartz, Michele Bartram, Lisa Wolfisch, and Kristin Galemore, and for the leadership of Stephen Buckner who created the vision and championed his team throughout the long process to a successful launch. Congratulations also go to Adobe Partners, including team Accenture, team Reingold, Inc., team Young & Rubicam and AWS.

Adobe now partners with government agencies at every level and across all 50 states, and we are thrilled when we have an opportunity to celebrate the successes of our partners in conquering the challenges of the last year.