How unified platforms and AI help agencies modernize constituent engagement

Government agencies face increasing pressure to deliver personalized, proactive digital experiences that mirror the seamless interactions citizens encounter daily in the private sector. Despite significant strides in modernization, many agencies still grapple with the complexities of legacy systems, stringent regulatory requirements, and budget constraints. Emerging technologies, particularly AI and cloud platforms, offer immense potential to streamline these efforts, yet hurdles remain.

Mia Jordan, a former Federal CIO at the USDA and the Department of Education, and now an Industry Advisor for Public Sector Transformation at Salesforce, highlights the core challenge in a new FedScoop podcast. “Ultimately, I think the challenge isn’t about will. I think it’s about wiring,” Jordan explains. “Agencies may be digital…but while they’re digital, they’re not always connected.” This fragmentation, she adds, often leads to “swivel chair chaos” and disjointed public experiences, which can be perceived as disorganization.

Addressing today’s digital engagement challenges requires a deliberate strategy and technology foundation. Jordan underscores the need for constituent engagement platforms that are “secure, unified and ultimately built for how government really operates.” While security is non-negotiable, she points to Salesforce Agentforce and Marketing Cloud’s recent FedRAMP High authorization as a pivotal advancement, making it possible to deliver personalized, secure engagement even for high-sensitivity programs.

Equally essential is seamless integration. “Too often, engagement lives in silos — an email tool here, a website there, a separate CRM,” says Jordan. “That’s why agencies need a single, connected engagement platform.” Such unification enables agencies to move beyond fragmented tools and deliver consistent, data-driven outreach. Another critical goal is personalization at scale.

AI agents — not to be confused with traditional chatbots — represent a significant leap forward in this effort. “They learn, they act, and they assist proactively,” says Jordan. These agents can draft messages, tailor content to specific audiences and operate directly within the systems staff already use.

Jordan illustrates the transformative potential with a vivid before-and-after comparison. In 2017, she helped lead the rollout of a USDA rural broadband initiative that relied on disconnected systems for web content, application intake, outreach and policy coordination. “No one had a full view,” she says. “Leadership wanted metrics…the program team needed insight…and constituents were left confused on where to start.” Now, she says, that same initiative could be managed through a unified platform, giving every stakeholder access to real-time shared data. AI agents would streamline operations by triaging questions, routing inquiries, and even flagging incomplete applications.

The “aha moment” for agencies, Jordan suggests, comes when they realize they no longer have to settle for generic applications. With platforms like Salesforce Marketing Cloud, they can achieve the same precision and timeliness in communication as leading private-sector companies. AI agents can also assist in curating audience lists and drafting campaign content, effectively “accelerating human judgment in a fraction of the time.”

Ultimately, unified tools like Salesforce Marketing Cloud reduce the constituent frustration that comes from vague messaging or unclear next steps. “Now you can really guide people through their journey, I think, with clarity and confidence,” says Jordan, “and that ultimately is going to help really improve the trust factor with government.”

Listen to the full podcast conversation here. And learn more about the newly FedRAMP High-authorized capabilities from Salesforce, such as Agentforce and Marketing Cloud.