7 Steps to Identify AI-Ready Tasks in Small Local Government

It isn't as difficult as you think!

Artificial intelligence (AI) feels like a high-tech luxury reserved for the big cities and counties, and many smaller local governments think they can’t get onto the AI playing field at all. In reality, AI is an everyday tool, and you don’t need a dedicated IT team, a big-city budget, or a Silicon Valley zip code to use it. You only need one thing: a clear way to spot tasks where AI can actually help.

In small towns and rural counties, the road to AI doesn’t start with software. It starts with people, processes, and tasks. People who are busy, stretched thin, and still curious enough to ask, “Is there a better way to do this?”

Today, we’ll cover a quick seven-step method to identify what I call AI ready tasks. No deep dive technical skills are needed to get you or your staff started on your AI journey. Whether you or your staff wear five hats or just one, this guide will help you all take that first step.

Step 1: List Out Your Daily Tasks

Grab a notepad or spreadsheet. Write down 10 to 15 tasks your team does every day or every week. Focus on routine jobs, not big projects. You’re looking for the building blocks of your operations.

Examples:

• Answering resident questions

• Drafting council agendas

• Updating the town website

• Scheduling inspections

• Writing meeting minutes

• Returning phone calls

No task is too small to write down. The point is to capture your actual workflow, not your ideal one.

Step 2: Highlight Repetitive or Boring Tasks

Now circle the tasks that make you say, “Didn’t I just do this yesterday?” These are often the easiest wins for AI tools.

Signs a task is repetitive:

• You’re copying the same text multiple times

• You respond to similar questions over and over

• You follow the same process with no real variation

Repetitive tasks are ideal for automation or AI support because they follow a pattern that a tool can learn or replicate.

Step 3: Ask the “Could a Computer Help?” Question

This is your simple filter. For each circled task, ask:

• Could AI write, summarize, or reword this document?

• Could it organize and/or categorize this information?

• Could it answer a common question?

• Could it transcribe audio or a voicemail?

If the answer is yes to any of these, mark it as AI ready. You are not deciding what tool to use yet. You’re just sorting the “possible” from the “not likely.”

Step 4: Watch for Legal and Privacy Red Flags

Before jumping into solutions, stop and consider privacy. Many local government tasks involve sensitive or protected information.

Ask:

• Does this task include Social Security numbers, banking accounts, medical records, or school information?

• Do I need to follow state-specific laws like HIPAA or FERPA?

Stick with public-facing or administrative tasks at first. AI is great for tasks like summarizing public meetings or improving letters to residents. Avoid feeding it confidential data until your policies catch up.

Step 5: Estimate the Time You’d Save

If AI can save you 30 minutes a week, it’s worth trying. That may not sound like much, but across a department, that adds up to hours each month.

Ask yourself:

• How long does this task take today?

• How often do I repeat it?

• What would I do with that time if I had it back?

When your team sees real savings, they are more likely to support and adopt the tool.

Step 6: Choose One Tool, One Task, One Trial

Do not launch five tools across three departments. Start simple and pick one tool to help with one task.

Test the tool yourself or with one trusted staff member. Then review the result. Did it help? Was it easy to use? Would you do it again?

Step 7: Test, Tweak, and Share

Once you find a task that works, share what you learned. Create a short report or demo. Show a side-by-side comparison of before and after.

Start with:

• One person

• One task

• One change

Then build from there. This low-risk approach builds trust and credibility, especially with elected officials or cautious department heads.

Common AI Ready Tasks in Local Government

Here are real examples from towns like yours:

The trick is not in the software. It’s in how clearly you define the task.

Concluding Thoughts: AI Is a Digital Assistant, Not a Magic Wand

If you are a town clerk, county manager, or department lead, AI is not something you wait on any longer. It’s something you can use today, but you have to make time to put the planning and implementation process in place.

You don’t need new staff. You don’t need a grant. You need a list of tasks, a sense of curiosity, and the patience to test one thing at a time.

Start small, show results, and build from there!