The Burden Reduction Initiative (BRI) implemented by DHS was designed to enhance the public's experience with government services by alleviating administrative burdens. DHS had historically placed an enormous 190 million-hour paperwork burden on the public each year. In response to President Biden's executive order, the BRI set out to eliminate 20 million burden hours and improve customer satisfaction.

 

To achieve this goal, DHS components implemented a range of strategies. They simplified forms, introduced online submissions and electronic signatures, optimized for mobile devices, conducted usability testing, prepopulated forms, utilized plain language, reduced data collection frequency, and eliminated redundancies. Tangible improvements were observed across different DHS agencies. For example, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) facilitated online renewals for transportation workers, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reduced form completion time, and United States Citizens and Immigration Services (USCIS) streamlined the I-9 Employment Verification form.

 

The impact of the BRI extends beyond reducing burdens; it also focuses on promoting equity and addressing the disproportionate challenges faced by underserved communities. Through a human-centered design approach, barriers to services were eliminated, enhancing accessibility and inclusivity. The success of the BRI can be measured through increased service availability, reduced backlogs, and a decrease in burden hours.

 

The public has directly benefited from these efforts, as evident in TSA's surpassing of burden reduction goals, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) successfully reducing form completion time, and ICE enhancing the overall customer experience. The success of the BRI has inspired other federal agencies to prioritize improvements in customer experience.