In the ever-evolving landscape of cloud computing and government service modernization, the integration of Infrastructure as Code (IaC) has become a cornerstone for efficient and scalable cloud deployment. Empowered by the Digital Experience Act (21st Century IDEA) and Executive Order 14058 on Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government, solution architects can use user research to help optimize cost-effective choices for enterprise implementations based on experiential needs. While the focus on establishing a robust landing zone with elements like Identity and Access Management (IaM), security, system monitoring, tagging rules, and governance are essential to a solid foundation, it’s essential to delve deeper into the intricate relationship between the solution and the often-overlooked human layers. In this blog post, we explore the significance of bridging the gap between automated infrastructure and generating value from the stakeholders, particularly in the realm of the system/application layer.

Infrastructure as Code: Keys to the Kingdom

Infrastructure as Code is more than just a buzzword; it’s a paradigm shift in how we conceptualize and manage our system hosting environments.

The core concept revolves around treating infrastructure as industry treats bespoke software – highly mutable and subject the needs of the users. Using infrastructure as code (IaC) enables automated provisioning, deployment, and management of resources. This methodology significantly enhances repeatability, security, consistency, and scalability while vastly improving the rate of innovation and product modifications and reducing the risk of manual errors.

However, the power of IaC is not limited to the technical intricacies of setting up a landing zone. Its true potential lies in its ability to facilitate collaboration between developers, operations teams, and other stakeholders by providing a common language for infrastructure.

Customer Experience

How do we know what provides value to the users of a system if we exclude them from the design? Developing and working with empathy with the users of the system, while providing them with a positive interaction with your product, an interaction that improves public opinion of an Agency brand. Many U.S. Federal Agencies are putting Customer Experience at the forefront – the Internal Revenue Service adopted a Taxpayer First mentality, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) instilled the Veteran-first mindset, and Customer Experience has a prime spot-on Office of Personnel Management’s strategic plan, to name a few. Customer Experience means understanding all system users, their needs, their mandates, and how they feel about a system. Techniques in human-centered design (HCD) rely on the interaction with product designers and real-world users of the product or system.

System Design

The intersection of these two is where the magic happens. When user needs are understood and met, adoption rates increase and satisfaction improves. Work backlogs are better managed and become predictable. Employee retention and user satisfaction improve. Not only this, but systems leverage the right infrastructure to meet the needs! Systems engineering becomes right-sized and costs are managed appropriately. Research and a high-touch customer feedback loop means that innovation happens at a rate never seen before. And most importantly, not only are legislatively mandated system created – but they are adopted and the users, be they a Veteran seeking to use a benefit, a Citizen applying for an income tax extension, or a Government Employee who is providing these services, are engaged and productive. They feel better about their experience and are more likely to recommend it to a colleague or friend.

So What? Why Is This Important?

Just ask any former government CIO about modernization efforts that didn’t make it out of development or were only partially adopted. While there are a number of reasons for efforts to fail, a lack of user engagement and creation of the right product are certainly on that list. Even when the modernized products do succeed, they are over-engineered costing taxpayers millions of dollars, or under-engineered where a much-anticipated service experiences outages and cannot meet the demand of the people it is intended to serve. The Healthcare.gov launch is likely the most famous failure – evoking nearly as much of a reaction as Jaws did in movie theaters in 1975 – but more recently, the roll-out glitches with the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Form have made news. On the other hand, PBG Consulting implemented a research and feedback loop into the creation of the GSA Presidential Transition IT Design, Service and Support creating a mature, secure, hybrid cloud environment implementing zero-trust principles in record speed, applying CX Principles and Best Practices and leveraging data to provide an understanding of diverse user needs.

If we take a step back, zooming out for a broader perspective, the financial implications to the Federal CIO are substantial. Right-sizing solutions is a critical component of reducing a bloated cloud expense for the government. The investment in a cloud infrastructure does not inherently deliver value by shoe-horning all architectures into a common architecture, as a FinOps practitioner will attest. For example, a bulk “lift and shift” legacy solution is arguably the least efficient method of migration and is rarely a satisfactory end state. Even modern architectures, such as an event-driven architecture, may inefficiently use resources or introduce unnecessary complexity. An event-driven is an excellent architecture for systems requiring near real-time response between systems-to-system or system-to-user interaction. In contrast, batch resources may take advantage of competitive pricing, such as AWS spot instances, when the user need is for less frequent updates, such as quarterly data updates thus providing a simpler, lower cost solution. The well-architected practices coupled with best-practices in cloud management, such as tagging and monitoring, make cloud management at scale, leveraging FinOps, a value add to the Agency.

Main Takeaways

  • A solid foundation is critical, including a platform to deliver product updates in a secure, predictable fashion
  • All users expect security – cybersecurity must be a main ingredient of any foundation
  • Using infrastructure as code allows platform deployments much faster, delivering value to market
  • Understanding what all system users need results in systems that are adopted
  • Value is generated by the consumers of a system, not be the creators

In summary, classical models of information technology are known to be faulty. Systems are often under, or over-engineered. The design is left to a few “smart people” or Government officials who know the mandated needs for the system. A technology-first approach often does not meet the needs of the user. Leveraging a research-based approach, understanding the user journey, and building right-sized systems that meet their needs is essential. Modern approaches like human-centered design and infrastructure as code are essential ingredients in meeting those user needs.

At PBG, we apply the human touch to everything we do. We take into account our user’s expectations, pain points, and ambitions. We translate these into an actionable backlog and apply just the right touch, whether it’s a solution, technology or service, to ensure those expectations are met.

About PBG

PBG Consulting is a women-owned, mission-obsessed Digital Consultancy supporting federal agencies with Strategy and Design and Digital Transformation. With a relentless commitment to quality and an innovation-first mindset, PBG serves government missions with passion, boldness, and grit. For more information, us at www.PBGconsult.com.

Tags Cloud CX Digital Transformation Human-Centered IT Innovation