Government Technology and the Center for Digital Government* recently shared the annual list of Digital Counties winners, which included seven Florida counties. Today’s story is the second of six, highlighting each county’s achievements. Stay tuned to Industry Insider — Florida for the other counties coming in the next week.
Continuing this year’s list is Orange County, which took sixth place in the 1 million or more population category.
One of the biggest successes in Orange County, which includes Orlando, is its work to combat the opioid crisis, and a big part of the effort has involved technology. The county has used data to prioritize its strategies to combat opioid overdoses. The Orange County Drug-Free Community Office also created four digital campaigns while putting many resources on the county’s website. In addition, the county is using GIS technology to target areas most affected by the crisis, which culminated in an eight-month media campaign that registered 30 million impressions and earned praise from the Drug Enforcement Administration. There is also a human-centered design element, with the county conducting test pilots for messaging and then studying feedback to determine the best feedback methods. All told, Orange County saw a roughly 25 percent reduction in opioid overdoses year over year.
The IT shop in Orange County also made strides toward better embracing emerging technology, including artificial intelligence. While the county has used AI for years in its cybersecurity program, recently it piloted an internal AI system that can help users access years of county meeting agendas, annual budgets, regulations and more. That test was a success, and it has now given rise to several more pilots in a similar vein. In addition, the county’s 311 system is partnering with Google to implement AI as the first response mechanism to citizens seeking information.
Looking ahead, a major focus point for Orange County IT is staff retention. To address this challenge, the county has done things like issue an across-the-board pay increase, streamline its hiring processes and allow employees to submit remote work requests to managers.
*Government Technology and the Center for Digital Government are sister publications of Industry Insider — Florida, and their parent company is e.Republic.
Florida Digital Counties Winners: Orange County
This year, seven Florida counties, including Orange County, were recognized for their innovative efforts and technology projects, impacting residents communitywide.
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