Customer Experience (CX) describes what it feels like to move through a service journey—whether applying for benefits, paying taxes, or renewing a license. In public life, CX often determines if a process feels seamless or fragmented, dignified or frustrating. Well-designed CX aligns eligibility, communication, and delivery so that residents trust the system to work as promised.

Policy is the promise; delivery is the proof. Too often, ambitious policies leave delivery teams scrambling and residents underserved. For CIOs, CTOs, and municipal leaders, designing policy that doesn’t break delivery means aligning technical priorities with equity and care—turning bold goals into systems people can trust.

The first Summer Fridays session explored a provocative question: What if implementation was the most creative part of public work? Participants shared stories, challenges, and sparks of possibility—reframing implementation as a space for collaboration, experimentation, and care. Read the full recap and see what’s next in the series.

When policies don’t match people’s lived realities, the implementation gap is often to blame. This post explores what causes it, and how we can bridge it.