Phase 01
Digitization
Capture analog records, paper workflows, and offline data in digital formats.
- Scan legacy documents and forms
- Introduce basic digital intake for high-volume services
- Make forms viewable through online portals
Frameworks for Government Transformation
Transformation isn't deploying better technology. It emerges through fundamental shifts in how government operates and is experienced. Where most approaches stop at optimizing existing processes, we address the system conditions that make better outcomes inevitable, not exceptional.
5 Phases
Five phases of public sector digital transformation
Digital Transformation has been diluted by marketing and rarely comes close to true transformation. Built from over a decade bridging the gov + tech intersection, these five phases decode the hype, position real progress, and spot when automation is exactly what's needed versus when it's time to push toward genuine transformation.
Phase 02
Utilization
Leverage data and solutions for insights and decision-making
- Create dashboards to visualize operations
- Use 3rd-party platforms for permits, payments, or case management
- Publish open data for cross-department sharing and transparency
Phase 03
Optimization
Integrate digital tools and approaches into streamlined services and processes. aka Digitalization
- Redesign resident-facing services for usability
- Pre-fill forms with data governments already have
- Proactively notify users of application status and next steps
Phase 04
Automation
Remove manual steps through automation, freeing humans for higher-value judgment.
- Instantly approve permit applications meeting clear criteria
- Auto-generate required analyses from existing datasets
- Automate data handoffs and reporting across departments
Phase 05
Transformation
Realign mission, structure, and incentives so that technology, policy, and market forces work together toward public outcomes.
- Shift agency missions from processing to enabling outcomes
- Create shared infrastructure for cross-sector innovation
- Measure resident results instead of departmental activity
Navigate the 5 Phases with Expert Guidance
These services help you decode where you really are and design where to go next.
Transformation Translation
Decode vendor promises and bureaucratic speak
Transformation Translation
Decode vendor promises and bureaucratic speak
- Cut through vendor "digital transformation" claims to identify capabilities
- Translate government requirements into real transformation opportunities (or lack thereof)
- Identify when automation is premature versus overdue
Transformation Mapping
Position initiatives across the five phases and identify real opportunities
Transformation Mapping
Position initiatives across the five phases and identify real opportunities
- Assess where solutions sit on the digitization-to-transformation spectrum
- Match phases to institutional readiness and political realities
- Sequence initiatives to build capabilities for future phases
- Spot where current automation efforts enable later transformation
Transformation Types
Six transformation typologies
There are several flavors of government transformation. Each typology represents a different theory of change: from redefining government's mission to creating new market dynamics. Success requires picking the right type for your institutional & political moment, and aligning the resources and stakeholders to achieve it.
strategic mission
Mission Transformation
A deliberate systemwide reset of purpose and mandate around a clear public outcome, with governance, structure, funding, and procurement aligned to deliver it.
01
strategic mission
Mission Transformation
A deliberate systemwide reset of purpose and mandate around a clear public outcome, with governance, structure, funding, and procurement aligned to deliver it.
- Center the public outcome and sunset lower-priority work
- Align authorities, budgets, teams, and accountability
- Secure durability through statute, funding, and agreements
emergent mission
Emergent Transformation
An expansion of jurisdiction or agency scope in response to new capabilities or shocks (tech, data, legal authority, crisis), formalized in policy, budget, and roles.
02
emergent mission
Emergent Transformation
An expansion of jurisdiction or agency scope in response to new capabilities or shocks (tech, data, legal authority, crisis), formalized in policy, budget, and roles.
- Clarify trigger, necessary scope, and key stakeholders
- Research peers for patterns, guardrails, criteria
- Stand up mechanisms, mandates, and adoption paths
platform
Platform Transformation
New shared infrastructure constructed that facilitates ecosystem innovation across agencies and sectors.
03
platform
Platform Transformation
New shared infrastructure constructed that facilitates ecosystem innovation across agencies and sectors.
- Set standards, SLAs, and governance for integration
- Map potential ecosystem drivers, users, and networks
- Implement mechanisms for accelerating adoption
market shaping
Market Shaping Transformation
New market structures that use rules, push and pull incentives, and standards so private actors deliver public outcomes.
04
market shaping
Market Shaping Transformation
New market structures that use rules, push and pull incentives, and standards so private actors deliver public outcomes.
- Define intended behavior changes to catalyze
- Target push & pull mechanisms and advance commitments
- Measure responsiveness and as-needed adjust
metric
Metric Transformation
Redefining what is measured and how it is collected, reported, and used to drive better outcomes and accountability.
05
metric
Metric Transformation
Redefining what is measured and how it is collected, reported, and used to drive better outcomes and accountability.
- Pinpoint target metrics and rationale for change
- Scan market and tech capabilities and align measurement
- Define transparency, reporting cadence, and budget decision linkages
experimentation
Experimentation Transformation
Capabilities to trial technologies, solutions, and policies through sandboxes and staged rollouts, with clear criteria to scale or stop.
06
experimentation
Experimentation Transformation
Capabilities to trial technologies, solutions, and policies through sandboxes and staged rollouts, with clear criteria to scale or stop.
- Formulate appropriate trial setting
- Define guardrails and approval path
- Set scale and stop criteria and ownership assignment
Navigate the 5 Phases with Expert Guidance
Transformation Pathway Design
Choose the right transformation type and chart the path to achieve it
Transformation Pathway Design
Choose the right transformation type and chart the path to achieve it
- Match transformation types to your mandate, resources, and political moment
- Set milestones that prove you're transforming, not just incrementing
- Chart the institutional changes required to achieve transformation goals
Ready to separate transformation from hype?
We'll decode what vendors are really selling, position where you truly are, and design a pathway that works with your institutional realities—not against them.