As we approach the end of the year, we reflect on where we've been and where we are headed next. We look forward with hope, imagining how the magic of the coming year will bring new and lasting change. We resolve to improve, to spend less, to be more productive. Well, many of my resolutions sound like this.
As I reflect on the year in federal IT, I think about how much progress was made in 2014. It has been an important year for laying the foundation to modernize federal IT. This year we ended with 12 FEDRamp fully-certified providers, the release of the U.S. Digital Playbook setting forth the groundwork for digital services, and the launch of the U.S. Digital Service to work with agencies to remove barriers to exception service delivery and help facilitate a friendlier digital experience between citizens and businesses and the government. Each of these achievements is enabling a foundation for change.
Growing numbers of federal agencies are embracing cloud and digital solutions to answer their IT challenges and are acting on it by developing, implementing and reaping major benefits from them. As the successes from new initiatives continue to escalate, a new landscape for federal IT is taking shape—one that is more cost effective, efficient and engaging. As the Accenture Technology Vision 2014 states: "Every business is a digital business." Precisely the same message applies to federal agencies, which must adopt a digital mindset or face being left behind.
As I look forward to 2015 in federal IT, change is in the air. As federal agencies move to accelerate implementation of digital services and cloud technologies, we will begin to see the changing role and focus of the IT organization. These emerging technologies will provide a golden opportunity to redefine and reshape how IT services are delivered, by pulling IT resources closer to the mission. This change can help federal agencies work faster, be more agile and save money; not just in IT, but across everything they do. The result will be public services that are more efficient than ever before, and more connected to the end user. Sounds like a pretty good New Year's resolution to me.
To thrive in this new digital delivery era, there are five major types of changes IT will need to consider to adapt:
1. IT has to evolve its role to secure its own future.
For the IT function to stay relevant, federal agency IT leaders will have to evolve their role in choosing and managing suppliers, managing risk and directing governance over technology. This will mean working closely with end users to understand their needs, and then meeting those needs by sourcing, managing and integrating a wide range of legacy and cloud-based services, sourced internally and externally.
2. Success is in selecting and managing pre-configured components, not building.
Due to shifts in technology, what will really make the difference is being able to bring the appropriate components together to meet the mission needs at a reasonable cost vs. building systems in-house.
3. IT must become the "data custodian" for the agency—and beyond.
With digital technologies, data will often be shared across a number of services, and even with other agencies. Someone has to become "data custodian", looking across the organization to protect data as it moves through systems and processes. The logical candidate for this role is the IT function.
4. IT will act as a service director and integrator.
With the shift from building systems to managing components, the success of IT will be built on identifying, sourcing and bringing together preconfigured solutions that make good business sense. Over time, the IT function may evolve into a broker, supplying its pre-configured services across a number of agencies.
5. IT will need to operate in a different way.
To deliver the first four changes, IT has to change how it works. There will be less emphasis on pure IT expertise and more on business skills, such as managing suppliers and creating a service strategy.
Federal agencies' efforts to leverage cloud computing and realize the full benefits of digital technology have already produced many successes. An example of successful federal agency cloud initiatives include the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), which selected a commercial cloud service offering for its Enterprise Messaging Service, including e-mail, web conferencing, document collaboration and instant messaging. This made the USDA the first cabinet-level agency to move its e-mail and collaboration applications to the cloud. As a pioneer in federal government cloud services, the USDA is also looking to develop over time into a shared services provider of cloud-based solutions to other federal agencies—a route that is allowed under the OMB's directives.
One day a fully functioning, integrated ecosystem of services for federal agencies will emerge, bringing many benefits to the government, society and citizens. To position themselves to embrace this digital future, federal agencies first need to overcome a number of barriers— mostly structural, cultural and organizational rather than technological.
If agencies make this transition to reinvent the way their technology services are delivered, the opportunities are immense. Like my own personal new year's resolutions, change can be challenging. However, armed with a vision of what needs to change and the benefits of what can be achieved, we can make progress towards the final goal. So, we look forward with hope and promise to the New Year – and eagerly await all the positive changes 2015 will bring.
