Using emerging tech to meet rising customer expectations while navigating complex policy demands with limited resources is a critical challenge for local and regional governments. Many struggle to align investments with objectives, resulting in siloed initiatives and suboptimal experiences. Our data shows that half of public sector AI decision-makers plan to use generative AI (genAI) to enhance customer experiences (CX) — but they must take a structured approach or risk disconnecting these investments from their needs. Forrester’s reference model framework addresses this challenge to help governments align cutting-edge tech with customer needs and their own goals to revolutionize digital transformation.