Utah County Leads the First Government Adoption of the Blockchain Maturity Model (BMM)

Utah County is the first government entity in the world to adopt the Blockchain Maturity Model (BMM) to assess their blockchain-based solution and use it to continually improve the reliability and trustworthiness of their blockchain-based government services.

From the mid 1800’s Utah County has drawn pioneers to its territory. That indominable spirit of overcoming challenges and finding new paths forward has not waned. When Covid shut down government offices, Utah County had already begun the transition to online platforms.

Clerk/Auditor Amelia Gardner, had led the charge into that territory in 2019 and Utah County became a national and international success story. Amelia’s foresight in using blockchain to replace some in person government services including elections and issuing vital records was accelerated significantly due to covid. But this whole new paradigm shift of delivering government services had to be transitioned responsibly.

There is a significant amount of fear, uncertainty, and doubt when introducing new technologies in government. The many failures of blockchain projects in recent year compounded those concerns. Consequently, Utah County needed an unbiased, objective, and impartial assessment of their blockchain-based solutions.

Gardner says “We have an enormous opportunity to lead transformational change in this laboratory of democracy called local government. However, we also have a commitment to our citizens to make sure that we lead transformation responsibly”. That is why the Utah County Commissioner turned to the Blockchain Maturity Model (BMM) as a benchmark to evaluate how the county was embracing this new technology.

The Blockchain Maturity Model (BMM) was developed by the Government Blockchain Association (GBA) and is showcased at the United Nations (UN) Internet Governance Forum (IGF) by the Dynamic Coalition on Blockchain Assurance & Standardization. It is being used by organizations in many industries as a roadmap for responsible blockchain development as well as a verification that blockchain solutions can be trusted.

While Utah County is at the beginning of this journey, there is no doubt of their commitment to lead and pioneer to new horizons. The impact of Commissioner Gardeners’ successful blockchain projects extends well beyond her county. Commissioner Gardner has been appointed to the Governors’ Utah Blockchain and Digital Innovation Task Force. She has received awards and recognition at the United States Capitol and has had an impact on governments around the world. Her selection of the BMM is indicative of Utah County’s commitment to responsible digital transformation.

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