If you are looking for a practical way to understand where you stand today and where you can go next, Ondaro’s AI Visible Value discovery assessment is designed to help agencies modernize with clarity and confidence. 
This article was originally published on LinkedIn by Angi Williams.
Scaling AI Transformation in Government: How Agencies Can Modernize with Confidence
Government agencies are entering a new phase of digital transformation. AI is no longer a future ambition. It is becoming an operational necessity.
What makes this moment different from prior waves of modernization is not the technology itself. It is the environment agencies must operate within. Unlike commercial organizations, public sector teams face tight budgets, rigorous oversight, shifting mandates, and a much lower tolerance for risk.
I believe the success or failure of AI in government will depend far less on technical capability and far more on maturity, governance, and strategic alignment.
Why Government AI Adoption Is Uniquely Complex
AI holds enormous promise across the public sector, but adoption is constrained by realities that private industry simply does not face.
Governance and risk tolerance
Agencies are stewards of taxpayer dollars. Every initiative must be defensible, transparent, and tied to mission outcomes. I often see well-intentioned teams try to save money by cutting corners, especially around governance. Unfortunately, skipping those foundational practices almost always slows progress later and limits long-term digital maturity.
Rigid funding cycles paired with sudden pivots
Budgets are planned far in advance and carefully aligned to strategic plans. At the same time, agencies must respond to unexpected congressional mandates that can redirect funding overnight. When that happens, modernization efforts are often paused or deprioritized, even if they were delivering value.
Leadership turnover that resets priorities
Administrative changes bring new leadership and new strategies. Agencies must modernize while continually recalibrating priorities, sometimes midstream.
Taken together, these realities mean AI cannot be adopted impulsively in government. It must be introduced deliberately, with clear guardrails, reduced risk, and a direct line to mission value.
Discovery Assessments: A Practical Starting Point
When budgets are tight or transformation feels overwhelming, I consistently recommend starting with a discovery assessment. It is one of the lowest-risk, highest-value ways for an agency to understand where it truly stands.
A well-executed discovery assessment provides clarity on:
- Current digital and AI maturity
- Strengths to build on and gaps that need attention
- Actionable recommendations and user stories
- A clear roadmap that ties technology initiatives back to the agency’s strategic plan
Most importantly, it allows leaders to make informed decisions before committing significant budget. In my experience, once stakeholders clearly understand their current state and the path forward, their confidence in investing in AI increases dramatically.
Aligning AI Investments to Measurable Outcomes
Agencies are under growing pressure to justify AI investments with tangible, measurable value. I once worked with a federal leader who was frustrated by a project labeled “successful,” yet no one could clearly explain why. That disconnect is more common than it should be.
True success with AI requires discipline from the start:
- Defining what success actually looks like
- Establishing metrics to measure it
- Tracking value throughout and after implementation
- Ensuring every initiative directly supports strategic goals
Without alignment between strategy and execution, agencies risk funding projects that cannot demonstrate their worth, especially when budgets tighten or leadership changes.
The Path Forward
AI transformation in government is accelerating, but sustainable success will not come from rapid adoption alone. It will come from maturity-aligned steps, strong governance, and outcome-focused planning.
Agencies that invest in discovery assessments, proof-of-concepts, governance frameworks, and measurable outcomes will be best positioned to scale AI with confidence, even within the constraints of public sector realities.
If you are looking for a practical way to understand where you stand today and where you can go next, Ondaro’s AI Visible Value discovery assessment is designed to help agencies modernize with clarity and confidence. 