Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced that the state has finished its overhaul of PA.gov, which serves as the state’s “digital front door.”
For the last seven months, the governor’s team has worked to overhaul the website to make it more user-friendly and accessible. As part of that effort, the governor’s team brought 64 separate state websites into a single, cohesive online experience. The governor’s office said it believes the overhaul “puts Pennsylvania’s residents first and makes it easier to access online services through intuitive, user-focused design.”
The overhaul was led by the Commonwealth Office of Digital Experience (CODE PA) and relied on feedback from Pennsylvania residents, subject matter experts, and senior agency leadership to construct the new website.
The website is in part based on the state’s “no wrong door” approach. The governor’s office focused on ensuring an easier experience for Pennsylvanians to find what they need, even if they do not know which agencies to contact or all the programs available to them. On the new website, the Services Directory tool provides comprehensive access to information about services offered by every state agency through simple and intuitive filter and search options.
“For the first time, Pennsylvanians have a website that prioritizes their needs and what their state government can offer them,” said Secretary of Administration Neil Weaver. “Most people come to PA.gov because they need something. Whether it’s a worker looking for a job, an entrepreneur wanting to start a new business, or a family that wants to camp in one of our state parks — it’s all there and more on the new PA.gov.”
Website visitors can now browse through nearly 1,000 government services based on life events such as facing a financial shock, having a child, or finding a job, as well as by audience, category, or keyword search. Results pages explain each service in a simple and consistent format, with links to additional resources and contact information.
“The Services Directory demonstrates how we are reimagining the way people interact online with the Commonwealth to be simple, seamless, and secure,” said Bry Pardoe, Executive Director of CODE PA. “The new PA.gov gives the Commonwealth a solid digital foundation to build upon, and I look forward to seeing how we continue to improve through research and talking to Pennsylvanians about their experiences using the website.”
