Overcome the Top 10 Challenges Facing Federal Teams to Embrace AI

Cameron Gilbert , Market Research Analyst & Samuel Y. Wang , Director of Data Management

Amivero is passionate about supporting our Federal Customers and we’re doing our part to support them through modernization of their IT. We understand that trust in the federal government is declining, and citizens are increasingly frustrated with the services they receive. We can share that this is not due to a lack of effort inside agencies. Our technologists have been working alongside our customers in various agencies analyzing their operations, and while government teams are dedicated to delivering good work, the environment they operate in makes meaningful progress an uphill battle. It’s important to keep in mind the scale of the US Government.

• Technology often changes faster than large-scale initiatives can be delivered.
• Budget appetites shift with political winds, leading to inconsistent funding and abandoned projects.
• Appointed leaders rotate in and out, often within a two-year timeframe, which means they may not have the longevity needed to implement substantial reforms.

These dynamics set the stage for short-term solutions that keep operations running, but don’t address underlying issues: band-aids. While these fixes are necessary, they aren’t the transformative change that’s needed. Compliance demands and procurement obstacles only add to the complexity, making it harder to innovate and implement lasting improvements.

Let’s look at our top 10 list of challenges and then review how we can solution.

The Top 10 Challenges Federal Teams Face

1.     Outdated Infrastructure: In our analysis of agency operations, we often encounter legacy systems that not only hinder efficiency but also prevent innovative changes, forcing agencies to rely on temporary solutions.

2.     Skills and Capacity Gaps: Agencies frequently face critical skill shortages, particularly in areas like cybersecurity and modern customer experience initiatives, which are essential for tackling current and emerging challenges.

3.     Budget Constraints: Limited budgets often restrict agencies to prioritize immediate needs, which sustains outdated systems and hampers long-term strategic investments.

4.     Low Appetite for Continued Investment: The lack of ongoing investment in modernization leads to a focus on short-term results at the expense of comprehensive, transformative benefits.

5.     Lack of a Compelling Strategy: Without a unified strategy, efforts become disjointed, leading to inefficiencies and missed opportunities for innovation across departments.

6.     Decentralized Information and Effort: Data silos and decentralized management hinder effective communication and coordination, posing barriers to unified government actions.

7.     Inconsistent Standards: Varying data standards and formats can disrupt processes, degrade information reliability, and complicate decision-making processes.

8.     Complex Regulatory Processes: Navigating through intricate regulatory environments often leads agencies to adhere to familiar compliance paths rather than exploring innovative solutions.

9.     Resistance to Change: Organizational inertia and fear of increased workloads or job insecurity frequently obstruct the adoption of new technologies and processes.

10.  Limited Collaboration and Sharing: Uncertainties around data-sharing policies and privacy issues often lead to a conservative stance on information exchange, undermining collaborative efforts.

Overcoming the Challenges and Embracing AI

These challenges are not mere obstacles; they actively prevent federal agencies from reaching their full potential. As technology evolves, particularly with the advent of AI, the need to integrate and leverage new technologies becomes increasingly critical. For example, outdated infrastructures can limit AI deployment, while skill gaps may restrict its effective utilization.

However, AI presents a unique opportunity to address these challenges directly. It can streamline processes, enhance decision-making, and even help mitigate skills gaps by automating complex operations. To fully harness AI’s capabilities, agencies must overcome the barriers that have historically impeded progress.

How to Take the First Steps

Amivero is made up of people who have spent their careers navigating the unique challenges facing government agencies. Restoring trust in government services requires more than just quick fixes—it requires strategic solutions that address the root causes of inefficiency and lay the groundwork for sustainable progress. Our human-centered, data-driven approach to everything is uniquely perfect for this:

●      Human-Centered Approach: We start by understanding the people and processes at the heart of each agency, creating solutions that are both practical and impactful.

●      System Modernization: We help agencies upgrade their outdated systems, enhancing both efficiency and security with modern technology.

●      Andiamo: We apply our Andiamo methodology to supercharge Agile DevSecOps practices that enable rapid delivery of applications and platform infrastructure.

●      Forte: We fortify our identity management offering with an AI/ML based identity fraud prevention and detection.

●      Aiuto: We deploy our streamlined AI Development Lifecycle framework to help agencies develop their AI applications and at the same time, our Aiuto offering enables agencies to manage the AI strategy, governance, risk, security, and inventory ahead of uncontrolled application of AI.

Success Stories: AI Pilots

We’ve redacted three recent success stories (“we could tell you but then we’d have to kill you”) in a way that protects sensitive information while maintaining the integrity of the use cases.

At a key federal agency, we partnered to automate and accelerate a critical process using AI. This transformation reduced processing times and improved accuracy, freeing up resources for other higher-level, strategic tasks.

At another, we proved we could keep generative AI on premise, securely, and maintain the LLM by training it with all new case studies received, making it the most efficient (no scheduling, teachers, registrations, materials updates required), most cost-effective (low resource needs), and most importantly – up to date – tool for training both new hires and providing continued education to existing employees.

AI is a game-changer for government operations. It has the potential to significantly enhance efficiency and decision-making, but it also requires careful implementation. Government teams will need the right support to fully leverage AI’s capabilities and avoid common pitfalls.

We Can Absolutely Do This – the Future of Government Is Bright

The landscape of government operations is changing, driven by emerging technologies like AI. Success will depend on how well these tools are integrated into agency workflows. Amiverians don’t just respond to change—we’re leaning in to help shape it. We’re ready to ensure your government teams are equipped to leverage AI and other technologies to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. The future is changing, and with the right approach, agencies can not only adapt but thrive in this new era. Reach out!