"I'm new to the scene so I'm taking a lot in," she told GT at the NASCIO Annual Conference earlier this week, noting a shift that's occurred in recent years for IT teams in the Pennsylvania workforce. While technical staff used to focus heavily on delivering technology to the commonwealth's 20,000 employees, they've now added a much larger responsibility that's more outward-facing.
“The role of IT has transformed over the last several decades," she said. "It was about equipping our workforce with new tools, and it continues to be that, but it’s extended to the customer and to the constituent.”
That evolution has ushered in a new focus on user-centered design, the principles of which are familiar to Capellán, given her private-sector roles, most recently as a vice president with Comcast.
Pennsylvania's digital service delivery initiatives are supported by the Commonwealth Office of Digital Experience (CODE PA), formed earlier this year by executive order. Capellán described that team as a "center of excellence" for human-centered design, where staff can hone those skills, using technology to further agency goals.
