Government as a Platform: Where to start?

A Letter to the Massachusetts Commonwealth CIO:
I want to thank you for trusting me to take on this vast and incredibly powerful project. In addressing your questions about service-driven government, I’ve outlined my thoughts on how I believe we need to proceed in order to radically improve and change the citizen-government relationship. This opportunity requires moving government from the capital and into the fabric of everyday life. In order to do that, we need to build Government in the same way that many private companies build solutions for their users (our citizens).

I’d also like to recognize that there have already been efforts to make this a reality (MassData, External API’s), but as a citizen, I have not see the benefits trickle down and thus will outline my approach as if from the start.

First, I want to emphasize a few points from our citizens perspective, to better solidify why this transition is important in the first place:

  1. Private B2C companies build products with user-value top of mind, and the most successful companies become more valuable to their users the more those users engage with their offerings (habit forming).
    • Government typically build services that first satisfy internal requirements, and second provide a service to citizens.
  2. The image below depicts the rise of modern social technology. Anyone who was born after 1995 has grown up thinking that the pockets on their pants were designed for their smartphones to sit in in order to provide access to these tools.
    • Government doesn’t yet have a presence in this arena, but can (and should).
  3. The citizens mentioned in #2 currently make up over 30% of our population, and that number is growing everyday.
  4. The way these citizens expect and consume everyday services is aligned to the frictionless, immediate, and habitual nature of the technologies they grew up with.
  5. There is no technical reason why Government shouldn’t or can't offer services in this way.




GaaP
In order to be at relationship parody with these social services, we can and should continue to transform government into a service driven platform, known as Government as a Platform (GaaP). GaaP is a structure where government services are built and maintained on top of shared resources (namely shared databases and IT infrastructure) commonly used across many government functions.

As the owner of the project, I’ll stress the importance that you and your office must have my back and provide political leverage when needed in order to properly implement this plan.

Current
The diagram below crudely outlines the general structure of IT systems for governmental departments. Each department runs their own IT in silos, with no collaboration, shared resources, or managed efficiencies. The possibility of transferring or sharing data doesn’t exist in a scalable way, and the ability to share cost is also negligible.




Phase 1: Internal GaaP & API's

The next diagram shows what a potential version of GaaP could look like. Notice that there is a high degree of sharing amongst departments, mainly at the Database and Technology layers. The Database layer is the most critical here, and forms the foundation for all other sharing. Having accurate and up-to-date data creates a strong foundation for any department to build on top of it. Furthermore, having a shared data layer that is consistently maintained across all departments makes it easier for a single department to change the technology & methods used on top of that data.

The sharing at the Technology layer is facilitated by either API’s providing access to services a single department has built, or via cross-department contracts with 3rd parties who provide services needed by both departments.

Also note that the departments who can do the most collaboration higher up in the technology stack are those that have the most in common on the data layer (ie: Transit System departments and Waste Management departments both rely on accurate GIS data). These departments therefore have a higher ability to create efficiencies.

Unlike the first diagram, departments can now share the expense for their shared services. A once $500M project per department can be split across 3, 5 or even 8 departments. This then also shifts the leverage in the Government-vendor relationship, and enables government to either negotiate more flexible deals or work with smaller more nimble technology offerings that they can mix, match and share with other departments.




Where to Start:

Ultimately, this change requires the willingness to implement something brand new, and against the cultural grain of full ownership. It is as much, if not more, a cultural change as is it a technical change. Once a platform approach is taken between departments, the vertical control previously assumed by that department is lessened, so finding the right people who are willing to forego this control will be key. I’ll reiterate the importance of having your full support when implementing these new solutions…as political issues will arise, and my ability to forge through those issues will be key in implementing a solution.

The first step I'd take is to compile a list of departments whose people I (and you) have a good relationship with, and know that I can trust them for backing and continued support. With that list, I’ll start to identify which departments can be used as a beta tests for GaaP.

From my understanding of Massachusetts infrastructure, government, and daily life, there are a few departmental services that I’d investigate as potential first adopters (I’d do further research on departmental processes and technology requirements before definitively moving forward, however):

Main criterion: Supportive staff, Common underlying data & Tech requirements, and impact on daily citizen life.

Departments:
  • Group A: Departments that rely on GIS data.
    • Transportation & Public Works
    • Public Safety & Security
    • Energy & Environment
  • Group B: Departments that rely on immigration & international data
    • Education
    • Health & Human Services

The departments within these groups have a high level of overlap in the types of underlying data that they rely on to run their services. In additional, they both represent services that people interact with or think about on a daily basis (whose importance will become apparent in Phase 2).

Once there is agreement amongst these departments to implement a shared data structure, my department will begin facilitating movement towards a flexible shared data-architecture, which will set the stage for inclusion of other departments in the future. We will also conduct an audit of each departments Technology layer, to determine the best opportunities for shared contracts or API deployment.

Phase 2 External GaaP:

Once a shared data-layer has been established and sufficiently amongst government departments, we can start looking outward. Some of the best innovation comes from technologist and innovators that are not directly related to the source. We need to open the government, up to opportunities for this type of innovation! We do this by creating public API’s that allow people & businesses to build new services on top of the current offerings. By starting our processes in Phase 1 with services that most intimately impact daily life, we can almost ensure that the services built in Phase 2 by external stakeholders will provide enhanced services to our citizens most common tasks.

As more and more companies build successful businesses using our API’s, we will start seeing the true value of GaaP come to fruition:
  • Our departments will be incentivized to continue to maintain and support the technology that these companies build on
  • The best services created by the private sector will float to the top while the bad fizzle away
  • Our citizens will start using these services in a similar fashion to the social services we mentioned earlier (because they’re good!)

Governance in GaaP

In order to facilitate a successful GaaP deployment, the governance structure needs to ensure proper maintenance and compliance with a set of standards that align to GaaP’s mission. I propose the following standards to be met by each department as GaaP is formed.

  1. Submit a full audit of their data & tech layer (homegrown or vendor) along with their current data structure
  2. Jointly signed agreement with at least 2 other departments to develop a shared-data layer* by the 6-month deadline
  3. Appoint an inter and intra-department data manager to ensure shared data is implemented
  4. Any new systems that a) sit at the data layer, b) will not be shared by more than 3 departments or c) cost more than $500k to implement must be pitched and reviewed by the CIO and my office.
  5. After a department has implemented a shared data layer, they must open all home-grown services to other departments using the CKAN api protocol
  6. Each department who operates an open API must host & fund a meaningful effort to ensure public adoption of the API.**

While this process is taking place, I will also be building out a measurement framework that will be implemented and required across all products built on top of our API’s (less those that provide a life or death service), to ensure proper and accurate proof of value.

The goal of the above standards is to create strong internal and external incentive structures that require and empower each department to manage their services in a way that is in turn, beneficial to intra-departmental and external stakeholders. After the initial implementation, my department will attempt to take a backseat, and act as a safety net to ensure departments don’t accidentally move back towards a silo-ed approach to government.


Thank you, and I look forward to your feedback.

* The format & structure of the data-layer will be determined by my office, with the intent to ensure the easy of merging all departmental data in the future.
** A meaningful effort can include the hosting of hackathons, partnership with ideation labs or innovation consultants, or the hosting of technologist with the intent of public product growth.
Cite: Inspiration for the diagrams from: https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/What-is-government-as-a-platform-and-how-do-we-achieve-it