Recoding America

1. Government's digital incompetence stems from outdated practices and policies

"Software is made by people and for people," my colleagues on the Defense Innovation Board wrote in one of those innumerable reports that have recommended changes in government's approach to technology.

Outdated mindset: Government's struggle with technology stems from treating it as a commodity to be purchased rather than a core competency to be developed. This mindset, rooted in the 1960s Brooks Act and subsequent policies, has led to:

• Overreliance on outsourcing
• Lack of in-house technical expertise
• Disconnect between policymakers and implementers

Consequences: The result is a government ill-equipped to deliver services in the digital age, leading to:

• Failed projects like healthcare.gov
• Inefficient systems that struggle to scale during crises (e.g., unemployment insurance during the pandemic)
• Erosion of public trust in government's ability to deliver on its promises

2. Outsourcing technology has weakened government's core competencies

Government can, and should, buy commodity software products from companies to handle its basic internal needs, which are not all that different from the needs of the private sector: communication tools, HR and payroll systems, and so on.

Kodak Curse: The author draws parallels between government's outsourcing of IT and Eastman Kodak's decision to outsource its IT department in 1989. This "Kodak Curse" has led to:

• Loss of internal technical expertise
• Difficulty in managing and overseeing vendors effectively
• Inability to adapt quickly to changing needs and technologies

Core vs. commodity: While it's appropriate to outsource commodity functions, mission-critical software should be treated as a core competency. This requires:

• Developing internal technical expertise
• Maintaining ownership and control of critical systems
• Balancing the use of contractors with in-house capabilities

3. Waterfall development hinders effective government service delivery

Clay Shirky once quipped that "waterfall amounts to a pledge by all parties not to learn anything while doing the actual work."

Waterfall pitfalls: The traditional waterfall approach to software development in government leads to:

• Rigidity and inability to adapt to changing needs
• Long development cycles that result in outdated systems
• Focus on meeting requirements rather than delivering value

Agile alternative: Adopting agile methodologies can help government:

• Respond more quickly to user needs
• Deliver working software incrementally
• Learn and iterate throughout the development process

However, shifting to agile requires more than just adopting new methodologies; it requires a cultural change in how government approaches technology projects.

4. Excessive bureaucracy and risk aversion stifle innovation in government

While the government-limiting tactics that have largely backfired are mostly associated with conservatives, when it comes to burdening government, liberals deserve their fair share of the blame.

Bureaucratic burden: Both conservative and liberal policies have contributed to excessive bureaucracy:

• Conservative attempts to limit government power have paradoxically led to more complex processes
• Liberal policies aimed at ensuring equity and fairness have often resulted in burdensome procedures

Consequences of risk aversion:

• Slow decision-making processes
• Reluctance to try new approaches
• Tendency to over-specify requirements, leading to inflexible systems

To foster innovation, government needs to strike a balance between necessary oversight and the flexibility to experiment and learn from failure.

5. User-centered design is critical for improving government services

If you want to limit the power of government, making a small decision about a food product take twelve years and hundreds of thousands of hours of staff time might sound attractive, because it would limit the number of issues that agencies could take on.

User needs first: Government services often prioritize internal processes over user needs, resulting in:

• Confusing and burdensome application processes
• Low adoption rates for critical services
• Erosion of public trust in government

Benefits of user-centered design:

• Increased accessibility and ease of use
• Higher adoption rates for government services
• Improved public perception of government effectiveness

Examples like the streamlined COVID-19 test ordering website (covidtests.gov) demonstrate the potential impact of user-centered design in government services.

6. Product management skills are essential for successful government projects

Project managers are all over government. Their sheer numbers became clear to me when I was working at the White House in the months after the launch of healthcare.gov.

Project vs. product management: Government has an abundance of project managers but lacks product managers:

• Project managers focus on executing predefined plans
• Product managers decide what to build and why, based on user needs and policy goals

Impact of product management:

• Ability to prioritize features and make tradeoffs
• Focus on outcomes rather than just meeting requirements
• Continuous improvement based on user feedback and data

Introducing product management roles and skills in government can lead to more effective and user-friendly services.

7. Public servants like Yadira Sánchez drive meaningful change from within

Yadira's success also suggests that the policy class has less desire to be taken literally than many in the bureaucracy assume.

Internal change agents: Career public servants like Yadira Sánchez demonstrate that:

• Long-term experience in government can be leveraged for positive change
• Understanding both policy intent and implementation challenges is crucial
• Empowered public servants can drive meaningful improvements

Keys to success:

• Building trust and relationships across departments
• Balancing policy compliance with practical implementation
• Focusing on outcomes rather than strict adherence to process

These internal change agents are critical for sustaining improvements in government service delivery.

8. Policymakers must consider implementation when crafting legislation

"When you get in the weeds with Jazmyn's team and see how this actually works, you learn that you need to think about the technical implementation of a law when you write it."

Policy-implementation gap: Lawmakers often craft policies without considering the practical challenges of implementation, leading to:

• Unintended consequences
• Difficulty in achieving policy goals
• Wasted resources on unworkable solutions

Bridging the gap:

• Involve technologists and implementers in the policy-making process
• Consider technical feasibility and implementation challenges when drafting legislation
• Create feedback loops between policymakers and those responsible for implementation

Examples like California's marijuana record expungement process demonstrate the importance of considering implementation during policy creation.

9. Building digital competency in government requires cultural shift and investment

You cannot legislate competence. It is an issue of people—getting more of the ones we need and allowing them to do what we need done.

Cultural transformation: Building digital competency in government requires:

• Changing attitudes toward technology from a commodity to a core competency
• Empowering technologists to make decisions and influence policy
• Creating career paths for technical talent within government

Investment strategies:

• Training existing public servants in digital skills
• Hiring new talent with technology expertise
• Creating roles focused on digital strategy and product management

This transformation is essential for government to effectively deliver services in the digital age.

10. Improving government delivery is crucial for restoring public trust

If we want to escape that fate, on climate or any other existential issue we face, implementation can no longer be policy's poor cousin. It can't be beneath the attention of our most powerful institutions, and it can't be beneath our attention as a public.

Trust erosion: Poor service delivery erodes public trust in government, leading to:

• Decreased civic engagement
• Difficulty in addressing major societal challenges
• Weakening of democratic institutions

Path to restoration:

• Focus on delivering tangible improvements in government services
• Demonstrate government's ability to adapt to changing technologies and user needs
• Create positive experiences that rebuild faith in government's competence

Improving government delivery is not just about efficiency; it's about maintaining the legitimacy and effectiveness of democratic governance in the digital age.

Last updated: January 22, 2025