Harrisburg, PA – In the early months of his new Administration, Governor Josh Shapiro took bold action to create the Commonwealth Office of Digital Experience (CODE PA), making Pennsylvania one of only a few states in the nation with a dedicated, in-house team of digital experts working to improve websites and online services for residents and employees. Halfway through his first term, CODE PA has established itself as a recognized leader by reshaping online experiences for millions of Pennsylvanians to be simple, seamless, and secure. By building high-quality digital products and services in-house, CODE PA has saved the Commonwealth at least $8 million in less than 2 years.
“CODE PA is revolutionizing how the Commonwealth designs and builds digital services with human-centered approaches that prioritize the needs of people who actually use the service and deliver solutions that meet them where they are,” said Secretary of Administration Neil Weaver. “Everywhere I go, I hear from Pennsylvanians who appreciate that we are listening to what they have to say and incorporating their insights into the digital services we provide.”
“Collaboration is at the heart of CODE PA’s work to improve online experiences for Pennsylvanians,” said Bry Pardoe, Executive Director of CODE PA. “We are incredibly thankful for the support we’ve received from leadership in the Shapiro Administration and the broader civic technology community as we’ve grown CODE PA from an idea into a vision and team to transform the Commonwealth’s digital services.”
CODE PA’s Beginnings
In April 2023, Governor Shapiro established CODE PA to make the Commonwealth’s digital services more responsive, easy to use, and accessible to every Pennsylvanian, and appointed Bry Pardoe as Executive Director to build the office from the ground up. The Commonwealth conducted nationwide recruitment efforts to fill key leadership positions within CODE PA and increase internal capacity. The CODE PA team brings private sector talent recruited from across the country and best practices to build digital products and services in-house and reduce reliance on expensive contracts with external consultants and vendors. CODE PA is delivering digital solutions quickly and cost effectively, at a cost that averages 70% less compared to outsourcing these efforts to a vendor.
First Product Launch: PAyback.pa.gov
In November 2023, CODE PA and the Office of Transformation and Opportunity (OTO) launched PAyback.pa.gov, part of the Governor’s priority to improve permitting, licensing, and certifications processes in all state agencies. PAyback is a money-back guarantee system that allows residents, businesses, charities, and schools to check their eligibility for a refund of their permit, license, or certification application fee and request a refund if they believe they are eligible. PAyback delivers on Governor Shapiro’s promise to establish standard response times for licenses, permits, and certifications and create a money-back guarantee for applications that exceed these timeframes. Since the launch of PAyback, state agencies including the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Department of State have made significant progress to reduce their processing times and eliminate backlogs. As a result, applicants are experiencing greater certainty and fewer delays when they do business with the Commonwealth under the Shapiro Administration.
2024: Building Momentum
CODE PA collaborated with state agencies to launch new websites and online services in 2024, while continuing to make progress on strategic initiatives such as DEP permitting modernization and enabling residents to access all Commonwealth services through a single, secure account and login credentials.
- Healthcare Claim Appeals. In January 2024, CODE PA and the Pennsylvania Insurance Department unveiled a new website and online form to request a review of denied health insurance claims. Pennsylvanians can go to the site and request to have independent medical experts review their case and make a final, binding determination about whether a medical service, treatment, or other item should be covered. As a result of that work, hundreds of Pennsylvanians have successfully appealed denied health service claims – in fact, more than 50% of denials were overturned, resulting in more Pennsylvanians getting the health care they need and deserve. By developing this critical website and form internally rather than hiring an outside vendor, CODE PA saved the Commonwealth more than $400,000.
- Property Tax/Rent Rebate. In February 2024, CODE PA and the Department of Revenue launched a new lookup tool to help Pennsylvanians find local in-person assistance with their applications for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate (PTRR) program. The tool provides an easy way for older Pennsylvanians and people with disabilities who benefit from the PTRR program to enter their ZIP code and find verified resources to help them file their rebate application. In 2024, more than 100,000 Pennsylvanians received a Property Tax/Rent Rebate for the first time.
- Forms that Suck Less. In April 2024, CODE PA announced the new “Forms that Suck Less” internship for undergraduates interested in careers in user experience (UX) design. Completing a form is often the first step to engage with many programs and services offered by state agencies, such as applying for benefits, making them a critical touch point for online interactions. The interns evaluated specific forms and gathered input through interviews and focus groups to make them more accessible and user-friendly. This work was highlighted by Code for America and The Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation at Georgetown University at the second annual “FormFest 2024” event to share best practices and tools to create better government forms. CODE PA will host a new cohort of interns in summer 2025.
- PA.gov. In May 2024, CODE PA and the Governor’s Office embarked on the creation of a new PA.gov that is more streamlined, accessible, and easy to use. Completed a month ahead of schedule in December 2024, the new PA.gov transformed 64 separate Commonwealth websites into a single, cohesive online experience that puts Pennsylvania’s residents first in all aspects of its design. The new PA.gov provides a “no wrong door” experience by making it easier for Pennsylvanians to find what they need. For example, the Services Directory on PA.gov provides comprehensive access to information from state agencies through simple and intuitive filters and search options.
- Lori Listens. CODE PA and First Lady Lori Shapiro collaborated to host focus groups with Pennsylvanians to gather input on the Commonwealth’s work to improve digital services. The most recent sessions focused on accessibility, with visually impaired Pennsylvanians who provided actionable insights on how to ensure Commonwealth websites are designed with accessibility in mind. Other sessions invited businesses and non-profits to learn about their experiences finding and applying for grants from state agencies.
- Grants Discovery. In November 2024, CODE PA implemented a new one-stop grants search tool that puts information about over 300 grant programs in one place for residents, businesses, schools, non-profits, and local governments to search, filter, and browse. CODE PA is next focusing on improvements to the existing Electronic Single Application (ESA), a shared platform used by multiple state agencies to manage the application and administration of grants.
- PA Permit Fast Track. Also in November, CODE PA and the Office of Transformation and Opportunity launched the PA Permit Fast Track dashboard, an online tool that shows progress on permit applications for high-impact economic development and infrastructure projects to boost transparency, cut timelines, and ensure government delivers results efficiently.
- National Recognition. CODE PA’s work to improve government digital services and deliver results that make a real difference in the lives of Pennsylvania’s residents was recognized with multiple awards in 2024. They include the StateScoop 50 Award for State IT Innovation of the Year, Code for America Government Changemaker Award, and National Association of State Chief Administrators (NASCA) Innovation in State Government Award for Transformation.
2025: Supercharging Progress
- Permitting Transparency Online Tool. In January, CODE PA and DEP launched an enhanced online tool to track the status of permits and contact the department with questions about permit applications to align with the vision of SPEED legislation that was passed in July 2024. CODE PA and DEP also rewrote email communications about permit applications to be user friendly and easier to understand. The changes are based on research with DEP customers and employees that yielded valuable insights into what they need and value during the application process.
- Much More to Come. The Shapiro Administration will continue to support CODE PA to make Pennsylvania’s digital services the best in the country. Learn more about CODE PA’s work to make Pennsylvania’s digital services more human-centered, user-friendly, and accessible at CODE.pa.gov.
# # #