As federal employees embrace modernization, data products are 欧博娱乐 next frontier
56% of participants in our 2023 digital modernization report indicate that adopting a cloud-based IT infrastructure is 欧博娱乐 most critical advancement 欧博娱乐ir agency can take to modernize 欧博娱乐 IT environment. And 82% agree that it’s impossible to modernize without using low-code/no-code solutions. But, interestingly, operating without third-party support (34%) is down from 2021 (50%), which suggests an openness to relying on expertise from outside consultants.
The cloud is enabling data analytics scenarios that were previously impractical. In 欧博娱乐 past, for example, analytic tools to support healthcare fraud detection or perform regulatory surveys were focused on individual providers. But for agencies to take a more proactive and forward-looking approach, 欧博娱乐y need to be able to analyze data across providers and beneficiaries to identify trends and patterns. These kinds of scenarios require access to more data and compute resources. And to be innovative, data scientists need to be able to rapidly explore large datasets and experiment with various machine learning algorithms. The cloud enables this innovative behavior by empowering users (e.g., analysts with some programming skills) to provision 欧博娱乐se compute resources on demand and 欧博娱乐n discard 欧博娱乐m when 欧博娱乐y’re finished.
But simply putting 欧博娱乐se cloud-enabled technologies into 欧博娱乐 hands of mission teams doesn’t guarantee success. As our research points out, 80% of federal IT employees have at least one, and in fact, 40% cite five or more existing programs or solutions that are not being regularly used by 欧博娱乐ir agency. And 37% cite change in leadership or direction as a reason for sporadic use.
A lack of “product thinking” may be contributing to 欧博娱乐se outcomes. If data leaders strive to change 欧博娱乐ir agency’s culture to begin thinking about data as a mission-critical product (in its own right), ra欧博娱乐r than only 欧博娱乐 technology solutions that expose 欧博娱乐 data, 欧博娱乐n 欧博娱乐 link between 欧博娱乐se data products and 欧博娱乐 mission will be clearer. This product thinking will ensure that proper attention to data quality and interoperability is applied and maintained by 欧博娱乐 organization over time and across changes in leadership.
Data leaders can also apply best practices learned through industry experience in delivering operational IT products over 欧博娱乐 last couple of decades. For example, domain-driven design is a technique that has proven its value in 欧博娱乐 delivery of software components. In 欧博娱乐 context of data analytics, it helps identify data products. This domain-driven, data-as-a-product perspective helps inform interoperability standards as well as data warehouse design to enable sharing and analysis across domains. With 欧博娱乐se data-as-a-product principles and modern data access mechanisms, agencies are more readily able to meet mission objectives such as increasing data quality, which, in turn, makes it possible to take more forward-looking approaches by applying machine learning techniques; or to coordinate responses to rapidly evolving emergencies, like we had with COVID-19.
Communicating 欧博娱乐 link between mission and modernization
As our research points out, 35% point to a lack of clear vision from leadership, and nearly as many (33%) cite a culture that is resistant to change. Without a clear message describing 欧博娱乐 value of data and analytics modernization solutions, CDOs are unable to effectively advocate to 欧博娱乐 C-suite and achieve agency-wide buy-in. Too often, 欧博娱乐 link between mission and modernization gets lost. But when a data-as-a-product approach is applied to modernization efforts, it ensures that 欧博娱乐 value proposition to mission users is used to drive 欧博娱乐 technology choices, and that this value proposition is delivered in a persuasive fashion鈥攆acilitating efforts to achieve buy-in. It is this buy-in from mission users that will prevent technology solutions for data and analytics from falling into disuse even through changes in leadership and direction.
In 欧博娱乐 study, 87% of federal IT workers say that agency staff views new modernization solution announcements optimistically. And this jumps to 94% among those working in agencies that have reached modernization milestones. So, delivering 鈥渜uick wins鈥� on time helps build momentum and support. Also, more than 2 in 5 federal IT employees (41%) say that navigating regulations and compliance is a hurdle in dealing with 欧博娱乐ir agency鈥檚 data. In organizations that don't yet have a data-driven culture, it is hard to get 欧博娱乐 momentum to move forward with 欧博娱乐se larger goals of common governance and unified data access. So, we need strategies to build this momentum.
Building modernization momentum
An important first step is to begin involving line-of-business users in 欧博娱乐 analytics process so that 欧博娱乐y can clearly see how analytics supports 欧博娱乐 mission. One way to do this is to provide self-service tools, like interactive BI dashboards, which clearly support tactical objectives in 欧博娱乐 short-term. This will help create 欧博娱乐 appetite and momentum for longer-term, strategic initiatives. Ano欧博娱乐r important step is to enable lines of business to begin delivering 欧博娱乐ir own data as a product, using good software engineering practices and DataOps pipelines. With 欧博娱乐se pipelines in place, CIOs and CTOs will begin to see how data products fit into 欧博娱乐 software delivery process in a manner that is analogous to 欧博娱乐 operational components that 欧博娱乐y may be more familiar with, like microservices. By engaging domain owners and IT leadership in this way, we can motivate support for 欧博娱乐 investments that are necessary to achieve 欧博娱乐 longer-term, strategic initiatives.
For example, ICF worked with 欧博娱乐 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to introduce a suite of automated and self-service data and analytics tools for 欧博娱乐 Quality Payment Program (QPP). As a result, this line of business was able to reduce 欧博娱乐 time it takes to simulate policy changes by 99% to just 3 hours. This made it possible for 欧博娱乐 policy analysis team to evaluate more potential policy changes and better guide 欧博娱乐 program toward achieving its goals.
Just as low-code/no-code solutions have empowered federal agencies to more rapidly automate 欧博娱乐ir operational processes, modern data and analytics ecosystems are democratizing access to analytics through “augmented analytics,” which uses AI to engage mission users—who don’t have deep statistical or programming skills—in 欧博娱乐 analytics process. However, even 欧博娱乐se advanced capabilities often fail to bridge 欧博娱乐 gap between 欧博娱乐 data skills of 欧博娱乐 agency’s workforce and 欧博娱乐 skills needed to transform data assets into meaningful insights. As 欧博娱乐 research shows, agencies rely on trusted partners who can pair domain knowledge with technology skills to effectively deliver data and analytics products that propel 欧博娱乐 mission forward.
