One Nation, One Mission: Embracing “Digital Government Leadership by 2030” as a National Imperative

by Brian Chidester, Head of Global Strategy & Innovation, Public Sector at Adobe

Establishing a clear, time-bound goal—Digital Government by 2030—offers a way to cut through this complexity.

While the business of government continues, agency leaders are currently being asked to justify their current priorities against the overall expectations of executive leadership. With this demand, the call for modernization has never been louder—or more urgent. Yet, without a clear and compelling vision, transformation risks becoming fragmented—driven by short-term objectives, disparate departmental goals, and uneven levels of digital maturity. 

What government needs now more than ever is a North Star—a unifying mission that aligns leaders, energizes public servants, and inspires trust and engagement among the public.

That North Star could be best defined as: Global Digital Government Leadership by 2030.

A Common Purpose for a Complex System

Governments are among the most complex organizations in the world. They operate across a diverse range of services—healthcare, social support, infrastructure, defense, education—often managed by separate departments, agencies, and levels of government. While this specialization is essential, it can lead to siloed transformation efforts that lack cohesion and fail to scale.

“We need to convince ourselves this isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a must. Our citizens expect it. We’re the best at so many things—why not this?” - Dominic Sale, Code & Theory

Establishing a clear, time-bound goal—Digital Government by 2030—offers a way to cut through this complexity. It provides a common destination that transcends individual agency goals and encourages cross-government collaboration, shared infrastructure investments, and a more unified approach to change.

A mission like Digital Government by 2030 accomplishes several critical objectives:

1. Sets a Timely, Achievable Deadline The year 2030 is near enough to instill urgency but far enough to allow for deliberate, inclusive, and sustainable change. It aligns with global timelines for other major efforts like the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, making it a natural rallying point.

   
   

2. Centers on the People Digital transformation is not just about technology. It’s about reimagining services around the people who use them. A 2030 mission signals a shift to user-centricity, where accessibility, inclusiveness, and equity are built into every digital interaction with government.

   
   

3. Anchors Investments and Innovation Agencies often struggle to justify long-term investments without a shared vision. A unified 2030 goal provides the strategic justification to modernize legacy systems, adopt new tools, and invest in workforce upskilling—while encouraging experimentation and responsible use of AI, data, and emerging tech.

   
   

4. Enables Accountability and Measurement A defined mission enables progress tracking. Governments can establish transparent benchmarks and KPIs tied to citizen outcomes, not just digital outputs. This accountability builds public trust and provides clarity on what success looks like.

   
   

5. Inspires Cultural Change Perhaps most importantly, a mission like this acts as a cultural catalyst. It gives civil servants a sense of shared purpose. It transforms “digital” from a tech-focused buzzword into a people-driven movement.

Lessons from the Private Sector and Global Peers

Private sector organizations routinely operate with vision-based transformation goals—“net zero by 2040,” “AI-first company by 2025,” and so on. These help galvanize teams, focus priorities, and tell a story the market and customers can understand.

Similarly, countries like Estonia, Singapore, and the United Kingdom have embraced ambitious digital government goals—and are reaping the benefits in efficiency, transparency, and citizen satisfaction.

The United States, Canada, and others are making strides, but a stronger, unified narrative could accelerate progress.

However, declaring a mission is not enough. It requires:

• Political Leadership: Senior leaders must champion the vision publicly and consistently, aligning policy and funding accordingly.

• Public Engagement: Citizens should be engaged in co-creating the vision. After all, government services exist to serve them.

• Workforce Enablement: Empowering the public service with training, tools, and freedom to innovate is critical to execution.

• Modern Infrastructure: Legacy modernization, cloud adoption, and secure digital identity systems form the backbone of transformation.

• Continuous Learning: The 2030 mission must be adaptive. Governments must measure, iterate, and learn along the way.

Toward a Government Worthy of the 21st Century

Government transformation is not just about digitizing services—it’s about reimagining how government serves. Digital Government by 2030 offers a compelling and actionable North Star. One that fosters unity across agencies, accountability to the public, and a relentless focus on impact.

With bold leadership and a clear mission, governments can rise to the challenge—and shape a future where public services are not only digital, but delightful, dignified, and designed for all.

Brian Chidester is the Head of Global Strategy & Innovation for Public Sector at Adobe and the host of "The Government Huddle with Brian Chidester" podcast from GovExec. Mr. Chidester holds a B.S. in Communications Studies from Liberty University, is an Advisory Board Member for Digital Government Central, an advisor to the G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance at the World Economic Forum, and a member of the Forbes Technology Council.