As the nation navigates geopolitical competition, budget uncertainties and technology transformation, there is an urgent need for cross-agency data sharing among U.S. federal agencies. A robust multi-modal data-sharing framework can drive mission success and more effective outcomes by correlating inputs across domains like weather, healthcare and law enforcement.
Selecting the right technology: AI as a catalyst for change
Technology plays a pivotal role in enabling data sharing and driving innovation, but it’s important that investments are made efficiently and with hyper-focus on solving agency challenges. Technology should align with mission outcomes, always.
AI stands out as a transformative tool to automate processes, enhance data security, and provide real-time insights across agencies which are crucial for mission success.
Take the VA PACT Act claims processing, for example. Veterans filed 4.4 million disability claims in the past two years, including 1.77 million under the PACT Act. Each claim averages 900 pages of medical history and military service records that must be meticulously reviewed to determine eligibility and calculate compensation properly. To expedite this process, AI algorithms have been deployed to highlight the most relevant information within these claims, significantly reducing the time required for review and enabling faster processing of potentially life-saving benefits for veterans.
To get the most out of data sharing outcomes, though, agencies must adopt AI and other innovations carefully, with a particular emphasis on security and privacy protections.
In law enforcement, AI has the potential to revolutionize operations — e.g., lead identification, cross-station communications, etc. — by analyzing and organizing vast amounts of data and even improving situational awareness and decision making in the field. Yet, this must be balanced with the need for stringent oversight to protect civil liberties and build public trust. It is crucial to implement transparency measures, conduct regular audits and establish ethical frameworks to ensure AI is used responsibly and decisions are made with fairness and accountability. This thoughtful and balanced approach maximizes the benefits of AI while addressing security, privacy and ethical concerns.
Strategic implementation of innovation not only fast-tracks outcomes but does so efficiently and in a way that safeguards American citizens and their data.
Prioritizing results to drive efficiency
For U.S. federal agencies delivering mission-critical outcomes to civilians, an outcome-based contracting model is designed to address inefficiencies while maintaining stringent security, legal and regulatory protocols. An outcome-based strategy prioritizes measurable results rather than inputs and labor hours, ensuring an agency invests in and collaborates with models, systems, providers and talent that directly contribute toward its mission outcomes.
Transforming IT and managing challenges like raising legacy IT costs, shrinking budgets and integrating emerging technology will require agile, scalable processes to facilitate seamless data sharing.
A prime example is Recreation.gov — the government’s centralized travel planning platform for finding, booking and managing reservations for camping, hunting, backpacking and other recreational activities on public lands and waters. A coalition of 14 participating federal agencies — including the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the National Park Service — partnered with Booz Allen as the technology provider to develop and continuously improve Recreation.gov with new offerings and required security protocols.
Leveraging an outcome-based contracting model supports more efficient processes for data sharing and collaboration, without additional internal IT investment, improving responsiveness and adaptability for all stakeholders.
Moving forward: A call to action
As the U.S. faces continued domestic and global pressures, federal agencies must improve their ability to share data effectively to help America succeed. By implementing the right technology, prioritizing results and facilitating workforce modernization, civilian agencies can more effectively collaborate to drive outcomes that lead to greater efficiency, resilience and public trust.
Kuan Collins is a Vice President at Booz Allen Hamilton, where she leads digital transformation initiatives that help federal agencies harness emerging technologies.
