Digital Transformation

Glowing U.S. Capitol dome on an isometric circuit-board cityscape, representing federal IT modernization

The various approaches, milestones and phases of federal IT modernization projects

Survey by the EY Center for Government Modernization finds 48% of federal decision makers say IT modernization projects take a year-plus to move from pilot to production by Intelliworx It can take a federal agency a year or longer to take an IT modernization project from the pilot phase to production, according to 48% of federal decision makers polled by EY. That’s not a surprise given the size, complexity and critical nature of the government’s IT infrastructure. The consulting firm polled 131 federal decision makers about modernization and AI for its 2026 EY Federal Trends Report. We’ve previously covered some of the findings about the state of AI implementation in the federal government and the shortage of tech talent. In this third and final post stemming from this survey, we are looking at the findings focused on modernization. Stay in touch by subscribing to our email newsletter. We will […]

Digital candidate files flow from a recruitment archive toward rows of vacant desks, illustrating the government tech talent shortage and hiring gap

Tech talent shortage is the government’s “most significant modernization barrier”

Close to half (44%) of federal decision makers surveyed by EY cite “workforce skill gaps” as the top challenge to modernizing the federal IT infrastructure by Intelliworx “One of the most critical bottlenecks to federal goals for modernization, efficiency and scaling AI is not a technological gap but a human capital gap.” That’s according to the 2026 EY Federal Trends Report, based on a survey of 131 federal decision makers. When asked about the top barriers to modernizing government technology, respondents identified the following: 44% cite workforce skill gaps; 32% say slow procurement processes; 32% say escalating cybersecurity threats; 30% say regulatory requirements; and 30% say inadequate data storage. (Click for larger image) Solving the talent shortage While the survey identified the top barrier, it also identified some ways the government is going about resolving it. 1. Upskilling existing staff Most respondents surveyed give their agency high marks for […]

7 statistics that offer a glimpse into the state of federal AI implementation

Despite overwhelming support for AI-driven modernization, an EY survey of federal decision makers finds persistent hurdles in scaling AI from pilots to production by Intelliworx Finding ways to use AI to reduce cost and drive efficiency is the top tech priority for the federal government. To date, there are more than 2,000 possible AI use cases that have been identified. The question that remains is: are these use cases making their way toward production environments? The EY Center for Government Modernization recently announced a survey it commissioned of 131 “federal government decision-makers in finance, IT and HR/workforce” that provides some answers. We reviewed the study and have curated some of the statistics that stood out to us below. Stay in touch by subscribing to our email newsletter. We will never share or sell your email address. 1. Enthusiasm for AI runs high “An overwhelming majority of federal “decision-makers “view AI as […]

Neon incident response workflow ending in lessons learned, a model for turning government IT project failure into learning

Perceiving “failure” as lessons learned: 5 truths for modernizing government tech

Government tech leaders can break the cycle of risk aversion by reframing project setbacks as essential learning opportunities that drive iterative modernization and cultural change by Intelliworx Few topics attract attention in technology circles like a failed IT project. In government circles, the fear of failure with technology projects is real. High-visibility government technology projects that fall short of promises earn negative news, commentaries, GAO reports and potentially congressional hearings. The risk of failure is fairly high, too. By the government’s own accounting, its track record leaves a lot to be desired. As a result, it’s reasonable for a civil servant to believe that being part of a high-visibility IT project that fails will adversely impact their career progression. This incentivizes the status quo and resistance to change. Silicon Valley recognized this problem – phrases like “fail fast” and “embrace failure” changed the perception of that word. Instead of viewing […]

Drone view of a tractor spraying a green field, illustrating USDA's SCION government IT modernization project

How the USDA modernized its tech infrastructure for crop inspections

The SCION project digitized paper-based processes, replaced legacy systems, and is projected to save $1.7M annually without disrupting business operations One of the key challenges the government faces in modernizing its IT infrastructure is the disruption of operations. The government, generally, can’t stop doing its business to upgrade its technology systems. Applications still need to be accepted, permits must be issued and safety net program checks can’t stop being cut. So, how are different agencies approaching modernization projects – while maintaining continuity of business operations? To answer that question, we aim to take a look at some of the modernization projects that have been cited in the public record as successful. In this piece, we will break down one such project: how the USDA modernized its Specialty Crops Inspection Operating Network (SCION) system. While Intelliworx was not a part of this project, it involved digitizing paper-based processes, which is an […]

The top skills the government needs to implement AI effectively

Data analysis, project management for AI, and infrastructure management are among the top skills agency leaders say they need to develop to move AI pilot projects to production There’s a lot that’s been said about prepping government data for AI. One of the top ways leaders are working to achieve that goal is “expanding workforce training on data management and AI.” That’s according to a survey of 200 government leaders conducted by ICF and Wakefield Research. The survey found 70% of respondents “acknowledged that they will need to upskill existing staff and/or hire new talent to implement AI effectively.” What’s more, “58% say they either have – or can develop – the skills necessary for AI implementation without hiring additional staff.” That 58% figure is a combination of two findings: 31% said their agency has the skills needed now; and 27% said, “yes, if we upskill our current team.” The […]

How government agencies are prepping data for the AI transformation

Governance frameworks, workforce training and partnering with external organizations top the list of strategies to get data AI-ready There’s one recurring theme in published commentaries about the government’s effort to implement AI: data readiness. “The major challenge facing federal agencies is data readiness,” wrote Daniel Kent, an assistant vice president for systems engineering, federal, at Everpure, in a commentary published by FedScoop. That’s just one example. We cited three others previously in this piece: Should data integration be elevated as a federal tech priority? There are probably many more. The message seems to be resonating, according to a survey of federal leaders working on AI initiatives by ICF and Wakefield Research. While the survey found 83% of respondents said government data “isn’t quite there yet,” about two-thirds (66%) are “confident that their data will be AI-ready in two years or less.” 9 ways agencies are getting data AI-ready So, […]

3 survey findings about the government’s efforts to implement AI in agencies

A report on the findings identifies the top challenges for implementing AI, the technical and non-technical barriers to scale and the benefits of pressing forward “Federal agencies are embracing AI at an accelerating pace…the key now is to scale AI efficiently and cost-effectively, transitioning from experimentation to execution, and ultimately to sustained usage.” That’s according to a survey commissioned by ICF and conducted by Wakefield Research: The AI Advantage: Moving from exploration to impact. The survey polled 200 U.S. federal program and mission leaders with the following qualifying titles: program manager, mission owner, division lead, branch/area chief, CXO, CIO, VP or equivalent.” While recent news reports indicate the official tally of government AI use cases compiled by OPM has doubled since a year ago, many of these are experiments. The ICF survey found 41% of respondents indicated they “are running small-scale pilots.” Another 16% “are actively scaling AI efforts,” and […]

Why is integration so hard for the federal government?

Siloed development and inconsistent data standards create integration barriers at scale, making fed tech interoperability as much a governance and cultural challenge as a technical one by Intelliworx One of the biggest challenges in modernizing its technology is integration. GAO reports have cited interoperability as a key challenge that has hindered several high-profile technology projects. Why is integration such a challenge? “[Government] Systems don’t talk to each other. They weren’t designed with that goal in mind, so it creates a big, big gap in what’s needed right now versus what’s available,” the EPA’s CIO Carter Farmer told FedScoop in a piece exploring the proliferation of technical debt. Many of the legacy systems the government relies on are decades old. In a sense, systems integration is a bit like trying to plug a modern smartphone into an old landline telephone jack and expecting the contacts to synchronize and the apps to […]

CIOs, CAIOs, and CDOs: survey says these federal roles need more clarity

“Despite modest improvements in overall role clarity, the expanding and overlapping nature of data and technology leadership roles create ongoing confusion.” Sometimes a job grows too large for any one leader to effectively manage. Managing technology is a prime example. Where technology was once the sole purview of the CIO, the integration of technology into daily work has made it too big a job for any one leader. There have been a number of new technology-related leadership titles cropping up in the last decade or so: chief technology officer (CTO) chief information security officer (CISO) chief privacy officer (CPO) or the senior agency official for privacy (SAOP); and chief data officer (CDO). The role of the CDO was fueled by the Evidence Act, which was signed into law in early January 2019. It required government agencies to create a CDO position, whose goal was to ensure government data was accessible […]

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