A Civic Technologist's Practice Guide

When we researched digital transformation at 18F in 2016, we discovered that a key factor in the sustainment of innovation initiatives was the active support of well-connected, mid-tenured career staff. These are people who have been at an agency for maybe ten or fifteen years and hold ranks like program manager, senior analyst, or manager. They are uniquely positioned to project credibility to everyone in the organization, both “up” and “down” the hierarchy, and they have a wealth of information about history. Frontline staff feel comfortable sharing concerns with them, and executives check in with them to see how new ideas will play or find out what the staff really think. Those who combine this position with strong social skills and interest can often be found serving on committees, taking “detail” assignments where they temporarily embed with another department or agency, and generally making friends. If you can get one or two people of this sort as active partners, everything becomes possible.