about a story that we have all been conditioned to believe

今天我在這裡要向大家講述

is not possible.

一個我們習以為常認為不可能的事。

It's a story about a living, breathing start-up

這是關於一間新創公司

flourishing in an unlikely environment:

在不可能的環境 -- 即美國政府裡，

the United States government.

走向繁榮的故事。

Now, this start-up is fundamentally beginning to disrupt

這個初創團隊正從根本上

the way government does business from the inside out.

由內而外徹底改變政府的運作方式，

But before I get there, let's start with the problem.

在此之前，讓我們從談問題開始。

For me, the problem begins with a number: 137.

對我來說，問題始於 137 這個數字。

137 is the average number of days

137 是每位退伍軍人

a veteran has to wait to have benefits processed by the VA.

向退伍軍人協會申請福利 所需要等待的平均天數，

137 days.

137 天。

Now, in order to file that application in the first place,

為了提交申請，

she has to navigate over 1,000 different websites

首先需要瀏覽超過一千個不同的網站

and over 900 different call-in numbers,

及九百多個不同的電話號碼，

all owned and operated by the United States government.

全部都是由美國政府擁有及運作。

Now, we live in times of incredible change.

我們生活在瞬息萬變的時代，

The private sector is constantly changing

私人機構不斷變化，

and improving itself all the time.

不斷自我改進，

For that matter, it's removing every single inconvenience in my life

因此改善了生活中

that I could possibly think of.

任何我想得到的不便之處。

I could be sitting on my couch in my apartment,

我能坐在家裡的沙發上 用手機訂購熱騰騰無麩質的餐點，

and from my phone, I can order a warm, gluten-free meal

十分鐘內就能送到我家門口，

that can arrive at my door in less than 10 minutes.

但與此同時，一個需依靠食物券

But meanwhile, a working mother who depends on food stamps

養家活口的上班族媽媽，

to support her family

卻要填寫艱深複雜的申請表格，

has to complete an arduous, complicated application

甚至可能無法上網填寫。

which she might not even be able to do online.

她無法在家中沙發上申請，

And the inability of her to do that same work from her couch means

意味著她得請假幾個小時甚至幾天，

that she might be having to take days or hours off of work

而她負擔不起請假不工作。

that she can't spare.

今天介於科技革命的受益者

And this growing dichotomy

和無法受益者之間日益加深的鴻溝，

between the beneficiaries of the tech revolution

是我們這時代所面對 最挑戰的課題之一。

and those it's left behind

（掌聲）

is one of the greatest challenges of our time --

因政府未能提供可行的數位化服務，

(Applause)

嚴重影響了非常需要被服務的人民；

Because government's failure to deliver digital services that work

影響到申請大學的學生、

is disproportionately impacting the very people who need it most.

申請醫療保健的單親媽媽、

It's impacting the students trying to go to college,

和從戰場回家的退伍軍人；

the single mothers trying to get health care,

他們無法獲得亟需的幫助。

the veterans coming home from battle.

對這些美國人而言，

They can't get what they need when they need it.

政府不僅僅是四年一次的總統選舉，

And for these Americans,

而是能服務他們的生命線。

government is more than just a presidential election every four years.

他們需要、依賴和應得這些服務。

Government is a lifeline that provides services they need

坦白說，

and depend on and deserve.

這是政府需要「糞」起直追的原因。

Which is, quite frankly,

就是這樣。

why government needs to get its shit together and catch up.

（掌聲）

Just saying.

以前這並不是一個 我非常熱切關心的問題，

(Applause)

2008 年，我加入 歐巴馬總統的競選活動，

Now, this wasn't always a problem I was passionate about.

當時我們把科技產業 最佳的實務經驗帶到政治中，

When I joined President Obama's campaign in 2008,

我們募到更多的經費，

we brought the tech industry's best practices into politics.

吸引到更多的參與志工，

We earned more money,

而且贏得史上最多的選票。

we engaged more volunteers

我們是一家尖端的新創公司， 就此改變了政治的遊戲規則。

and we earned more votes than any political campaign in history.

所以當總統要求我們這小組人

We were a cutting-edge start-up that changed the game of politics forever.

把同樣的創新方法直接帶進政府，

So when the President asked a small group of us

我知道這不會是件容易的工作，

to bring that very same disruption directly into government,

但我熱切渴望能立即上工。

I knew it wasn't going to be easy work,

我到華盛頓的第一天，

but I was eager and showed up ready to get to work.

為政府工作的首日，

Now, on my first day in DC,

走進辦公室，

my first day in government,

他們遞給我一台筆記型電腦，

I walked into the office and they handed me a laptop.

一台依舊使用 Windows 98 作業系統的電腦。

And the laptop was running Windows 98.

（笑聲）

(Laughter)

自政府更新那台電腦至 Win 98 作業系統後，

I mean, three entire presidential elections had come and gone

我們已歷經了三次的總統選舉，

since the government had updated the operating system on that computer.

三次總統選舉！

Three elections!

當時我們就意識到

Which is when we realized

問題遠遠超出我們的想像。

this problem was a whole lot bigger than we ever could have imagined.

讓我描述一下情況。

Let me paint the picture for you.

聯邦政府是世界上最大的機構，

The federal government is the largest institution in the world.

一年花費超過 860 億美元， 「860 億美元」

It spends over 86 billion dollars a year -- 86 billion --

在聯邦政府的 IT 專案上。

on federal IT projects.

周邊景況是：

For context:

比整個創投業

that is more than the entire venture capital industry spends

全年的總開支還要多。

annually -- on everything.

錢花了，但問題是

Now, the problem here

我們納稅人未能得到 相對應有的服務，

is that we the taxpayers are not getting what we pay for,

因為 94% 的聯邦政府 IT 項目

because 94 percent of federal IT projects

不是預算超支，就是進度落後，

are over budget or behind schedule.

94%！

94 percent!

對你們當中很會計分的人而言，

For those of you keeping score,

94 非常接近 100。

yes, the number 94 is very close to 100.

（笑聲）

(Laughter)

還有另一個問題，

There's another problem:

40% 的電腦從未見到天日，

40 percent of those never end up seeing the light of day.

不是被報廢，就是被遺棄。

They are completely scrapped or abandoned.

對任何組織而言是非常痛苦的時刻，

Now, this is a very existentially painful moment for any organization,

因為這意味著若政府繼續走著老路，

because it means as government continues to operate

失敗幾乎無可避免。

as it's programmed to do,

當維持現狀是最危險的選擇時，

failure is nearly inevitable.

意味著除了徹底汰舊換新， 沒有其他的選擇了。

And when the status quo is the riskiest option,

那麼我們該怎麼做呢？

that means there is simply no other choice

我們要怎樣解決這個問題？

than radical disruption.

最諷刺的是

So, what do we do about it?

我們只需在自家後院尋找即可，

How do we fix this?

因為美國擁有 最具創意、最厲害的人才；

Well, the irony of all of this

這些人在過去 20 年裡

is that we actually don't have to look any further than our backyard,

已經徹底改變了世界。

because right here in America are the very ideas, the very people,

想像一下，如果申請學生的貸款、 處理退伍軍人的福利

who have swept our world into a radically different place

跟訂購貓糧宅配到府一樣容易， 會是什麼景象呢?

than it was two decades ago.

想像一下，如果有一個簡單的途徑，

So what would it look like

請來那些曾經顛覆過 科技產業的創業家、發明家

if it was actually as easy to get student loans or veterans' benefits

一起來重整政府的行政系統 會是怎樣的情況呢？

as it is to order cat food to my house?

各位朋友，我們接下來聊聊

What would it look like

令人振奮、改變政府的全新方式。

if there was an easy pathway for the very entrepreneurs and innovators

進入「美國數位化服務」。

who have disrupted our tech sector

美國數位化服務是

to come and disrupt their government?

新創公司的新網絡，

Well, my friends, here's where we get to talk

由不同團隊組成的小組

about some of the exciting new formulas we've discovered

在政府內跨部會組織起來，

for creating change in government.

從根本激進地改變政府。

Enter the United States Digital Service.

美國數位化服務的使命是要幫助政府

The United States Digital Service is a new network of start-ups,

為學生、移民、兒童、長者及所有人

a team of teams,

提供成本低而世界級的數位化服務。

organizing themselves across government to create radical change.

基本上我們正試著建立 更棒的民治、民享的政府，

The mission of the United States Digital Service is to help government

我們不在乎...（掌聲）謝謝。

deliver world-class digital services

(掌聲)

for students, immigrants, children, the elderly -- everybody --

誰不希望政府更棒，對不對?

at dramatically lower costs.

我們不在乎政治，

We are essentially trying to build a more awesome government,

我們關心的是怎樣使政府做得更好，

for the people, by the people, today.

因為我們只有這個政府。

We don't care -- (Applause) Thank you.

（掌聲）

(Applause)

可以把我們小組想像為 --

Who doesn't want a more awesome government, right?

很有趣，我們小組有點像是

We don't care about politics.

和平志工團加上國防高等研究計劃署 再加上海豹突擊隊第六隊，

We care about making government work better,

我們就像書呆子的和平志工團，

because it's the only one we've got.

但是不前往瘋狂、有趣、遙遠之地，

(Applause)

而是花很多時間在室內用電腦

Now, you can think of our team -- well, it's pretty funny --

幫助恢復我們民主的架構。

you can think of our team a little bit like

（笑聲）

the Peace Corps meets DARPA meets SEAL Team 6.

我們小組 -- 美國數位化服務的腳本

We're like the Peace Corps for nerds,

非常簡單。

but instead of traveling to crazy, interesting, far-off places,

首先，招募我國最優秀的人才，

you spend a lot of time indoors, behind computers,

招募他們來為政府短期服務。

helping restore the fabric of our democracy.

這些研發產品及建立公司的人

(Laughter)

使我國的創新和科技領先全球。

Now, this team -- our playbook for the United States Digital Service

其次，我們把這些科技人才

is pretty simple.

與政府裡專職熱忱的公僕配對

The first play is we recruit the very best talent

來創造改變。

our country has to offer,

第三，戰略地將他們部署到

and recruit them for short tours of duty inside government.

政府所提供最關鍵、 攸關民生的重要服務。

These are the very people who have helped build the products and companies

最後，給予他們

that have made our tech sector amongst the most innovative in the world.

從機構內部領導人 上至總統的大力支持，

Second, we pair these incredible people from the tech core

來轉變、改善這些服務。

with the dedicated civil servants already inside government

如今小組已著手翻轉

on the ground creating change.

政府自裡到外的慣行作法。

Third, we strategically deploy them in a targeted formation

經典的顛覆模式裡

at the most mission-critical, life-changing, important services

有個常見而簡單的模式，

that government offers.

是把某個行業裡的標準常規，

And finally, we give them massive air cover,

應用到另一行業

from the leadership inside the agencies

而徹底顛覆現狀。

all the way up to the President himself,

試想一下 Airbnb 改變了 旅館業原有的常態，

to transform these services for the better.

也徹底改變了我的寓所。

Now, this team is beginning to disrupt

美國數位化服務正在這樣做。

how government does business from the inside out.

我們汲取矽谷及民營企業的大量經驗；

If you study classic patterns of disruption,

他們建立全球規模的數位化服務，

one very common pattern is rather simple.

以低成本提供怡人的服務；

It's to take something that has become routine and standard in one industry

而我們將它應用到政府部門，

and apply it to another where it's a radical departure

徹底背離了既有現狀。

from the status quo.

好消息是：

Think about what Airbnb took that was normal from hospitality

已開始有了成果。

and revolutionized my apartment.

我們明白看到一些早期計畫的成果，

The United States Digital Service is doing exactly that.

例如援救 Healthcare.gov 原先偏離的工作。

We are taking what Silicon Valley and the private sector has learned

我們第一期就修復了 Healthcare.gov，

through a ton of hard work

如今正大規模擴展到

about how to build planetary-scale digital services

多個提供人民主要服務的政府部門。

that delight users at lower cost,

讓我花點時間誇耀我們的小組 --

and we're applying that to government,

這是個集中了超酷狠角色，

where it is a radical departure from the status quo.

我所能想像得到的夢幻組合。

Now, the good news is:

我們有來自谷歌、臉書、亞馬遜、

it's starting to work.

推特及其他公司的頂尖人才在職，

We know this because we can already see the results

全都自願加入政府工作。

from some of our early projects, like the rescue effort of Healthcare.gov,

令人難以置信的是

when that went off the rails.

每個人都熱忱、善良又聰明。

Fixing Healthcare.gov was the first place that we ran this play,

再補充一點， 我們當中超過一半是女性。

and today we are taking that same play

（掌聲）

and scaling it across a large number

要理解這策略的最好方法是

of government's most important citizen-facing services.

透過兩個實際的例子，

Now, if I can take a moment

看看它怎樣在現實領域裡運作。

and brag about the team for a second --

很快舉兩個例子。

it is the highest concentration of badasses

第一個例子與移民有關。

I could have ever dreamed of.

朋友們，這是個典型的申請移民程序。

We have top talent from Google, Facebook, Amazon, Twitter and the likes,

你猜對了 --

all on staff today,

幾乎全用紙本。

all choosing to join their government.

在最理想的情況下，

And what's incredible is,

整個處理程序約需六至八個月；

everybody is as eager and kind as they are intelligent.

把紙張運送到千里之外，千里啊，

And I might add, by the way, over half of us are women.

往返六間以上的處理中心。

(Applause)

說個小故事：

The best way to understand this strategy

大約十年前，

is actually to walk through a couple of examples

政府認為若把整個系統放上網路，

of how it's working out in the wild.

可替納稅人省錢且提供更好的服務，

I'm going to give you two examples quickly.

的確是個好主意。

The first one is about immigration.

典型的政府作業流程運作就此展開。

This, my friends, is your typical immigration application.

在花費了六年及十二億美元後，

Yes, you guessed it --

產品未能如期交付 --

it's almost entirely paper-based.

請注意十二億美元的「億」字。

In the best case,

在此之際，負責的部門，

the application takes about six to eight months to process.

也就是美國公民及移民服務局，

It is physically shipped thousands of miles -- thousands of miles! --

原可停止挹注大量資金 到這個失敗的專案裡，

between no less than six processing centers.

遺憾的是，事情經常如此， （註：仍然挹注大量金錢）

Now, little story:

那就是既有現狀，

about a decade ago,

政府並未停止給錢。

the government thought that if it brought this system online,

局裡具有專業熱忱的公務人員

it could save taxpayer dollars and provide a better service,

決定站出來呼籲改革。

which was a great idea.

我們部署了一個六人小組；

So, the typical government process began.

不為多數人所知的是

Six years and 1.2 billion dollars later,

這小組與拯救 Healthcare.gov 的 團隊同樣小，只有六個人。

no working product was delivered --

他們跳進來肩並肩

1.2 billion with a "B."

幫移民局把這數位化專案

Now at this point, the agency responsible,

轉為更現代的商業模式， 部署更現代的實踐步驟。

US Citizenship and Immigration Services,

用白話說

could have kept pouring money into the failing program.

就是把跨越多年、巨大的專案，

Sadly, that's what often happens.

分拆成一個個小計畫；

That's the status quo today.

如此不但可以降低風險，

But they didn't.

還能每隔幾週就見到實際成效，

The dedicated civil servants inside the agency

而不是在黑箱中一等就等好幾年。

decided to stand up and call for change.

結果，我們小組在 不到三個月的時間內

We deployed a small team of just six people,

已經推出第一個成品：

and what many people don't know is

I-90 表格，

that's the same size as the rescue effort of Healthcare.gov --

是用來申請補發綠卡的。

just six people.

對於拿移民簽證的申請者來說，

And that team jumped in, side-by-side,

補發綠卡是件大事；

to support the agency in transitioning this project

綠卡是身分證明文件、

into more modern business practices, more modern development practices.

工作許可證，

Now, in non-tech speak,

證明你可以合法留在美國。

what that basically means is taking big, multi-year projects

因此，要等政府花六個月補發綠卡

and breaking them up into bite-sized chunks,

一點也不酷。

so that way we can reduce the risk

今天我很高興能夠告訴各位，

and actually start to see results every couple of weeks,

如今首次可在網路上

instead of waiting in a black box for years.

完成申請補發綠卡的手續， 且毋需任何紙本，

So within less than three months of our team being on the ground,

過程較快、成本更低；

we were already able to push our first products to production.

對申請人來說是更好的用戶體驗，

The first one, this is the form I-90.

對公務人員來說也一樣。

This is used to file for your replacement green card.

（掌聲）

Now, for immigrant visa holders,

很快舉另一個例子：