5 steps towards a government “Citizen Information Officer” — Step 4
Step 4: Make an (agile) IT roadmap
(remark: this article is part of a series, click here to go back to the introduction section)
Now that the CIO has signed up for a Citizen Services Innovation Program and will adopt a platform approach, it is time to plan the delivery of the IT services on the platform as described before.
It is easy to think that classical long-term oriented IT roadmaps are not useful anymore, because of the fast-changing innovation pace of technology. Therefore, some argue that agile strategy is the only way to go, including designing an architecture as you go. But that brings risks of tactical decisions.
It is hereby argued that, regardless how fast technology is changing, making an IT Roadmap is still a good option. But it is to be acknowledged that IT Roadmaps are not carved in stone for the next 3–5 years anymore, they must allow room for adjustments as new insights become available. To make the platform model real, classical, and agile planning methods are to be merged to form the IT Roadmap.
To make the platform model real, forward looking, and agile planning methods are to be merged to form the IT Roadmap, as depicted below:
Apart from interacting closely with the agency leadership, I advocate using an open approach on building the platform roadmap or strategy. This means including information from trusted advisors and selected service providers or partners. Making roadmaps behind closed doors is a prescription for failure when disruptions are coming from all directions[1].
First, any roadmap should build on the citizen outcomes that we have defined in step 2. It is recommended to confirm the goals and convert to technology. The CIO will need to answer a couple of fundamental IT questions, like:
- What is the digital architecture vision and strategy to define the platform model?
- What is the best way to leverage existing strategic IT assets?
- What are the gaps in technology required for enabling digital capabilities?
- What should the application, API, data, and infrastructure architecture look like?
- How will we include or integrate services from the ecosystem?
- How to release data or APIs to the ecosystem in a secure and controlled way?
Finally, we will come down to a plan that answers the following basic questions:
- What business and IT initiatives and projects are needed to implement the platform model?
- What is the sequence in which these should be delivered and provide the most value?
The agile approach needs to ensure that results are achieved in a short timeframe. Many CIOs have installed DEVOPS tools. Unfortunately, DEVOPS projects are still failing at it is too much technology focused. DEVOPS success must be grounded in citizen value and collaboration[2]. This is another reason for the business and IT to become one team.
The CIO and business leadership are suggested to adopt a joined development approach can release functionality in small little steps. This goes beyond technology like DEVOPS, but also addresses the organizational challenges and foremost addressing the concerns of the citizens with the current way of working.
A possible interlocked agile cycle in action might look like this:
As the first redesigned citizen service is being scaled out, the team can start addressing the second one. To streamline this, we suggest institutionalizing the above in a best practices digital playbook. This will be the subject step 5 in our overview. Click on the link below to continue reading:
Step 5 — Use a playbook approach to deliver on transformation projects
Links and references:
[1]Seehttps://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/open-up-your-strategy/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=rights%20ways%20at%20the%20right%20times&utm_campaign=Enews%20Gen%201/5/2021
[2] Based on “The Secret to DevOps Success” by Gartner. See https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/the-secret-to-devops-success
