The DevOps revolution continues to add value to private entities, helping companies build and release software quickly and efficiently.

Traditionally, a new software development model isn’t something the public sector pays a lot of attention to, as a trial-and-error approach to update processes and tools carries significant risks. However, with a DevOps strategy, this isn’t the case. Government agencies and public entities are actively embracing the philosophy, even coining the moniker “Federal DevOps” for the new discipline.

The DevOps Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) model is no longer a fringe set of technologies, processes, and automations. Over the last decade, DevOps has become a comprehensive set of strategies that improve the public sector’s build stability, release frequency, team collaboration, as well as end-user satisfaction and system security.

Why DevOps and How to Pitch It to the Bureaucracy

The agility that comes from a DevOps workflow is what makes it so attractive to modern companies. Similarly, with government systems and services, the public expects the same standard of delivery that technology-first organizations provide. If your agency implements DevOps processes correctly, you can expect greater processing accuracy without compromising on the compliance with the regulatory frameworks involved.

Many challenges exist within the public sector that doesn’t necessarily hamper private companies in the same way. Funding new initiatives and ensuring changes to the process doesn’t expose agencies to data-security vulnerabilities are some of the primary risks among them. The flexibility and improved oversight that the DevOps Lifecycle provides can easily overcome these challenges. When approaching the departmental heads, it’s important to highlight that DevOps is a culture that establishes Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) pipelines.

DevOps as a Government Agency Culture

Every pipeline requires a team that’s responsible for the build, test, package, release, and monitoring of every update performed in the system. With shared responsibilities, the team needs to collaborate extensively, automate as much of the processes as possible, and build effective closeout and feedback loops for every issue or feature request solved. Security needs to provide input to the teams early and ensure every release complies with the related information security policies. Naturally, this culture of continuous development and collaboration should start with support from the top. If the agency and department heads do not buy into this culture, the adoption would likely not succeed.

The Benefits of Adopting a DevOps Strategy Within a Government Agency Include:

• Improved oversight of the entire lifecycle from requirement solicitation to deployment and system monitoring.
• Reduced resource overhead with automation and standardization tools.
• Demonstrable compliance with internal and external information management policies.
• Continuous improvement of code reliability while speeding up the cycles of new feature releases.
• A more satisfied and engaged audience

With a DevOps culture, agencies can modernize the legacy technologies using microservice architecture, containerized application deployment, and serverless programming strategies. Part of the process requires centralizing data and communications, leading to the entire agency benefitting and not just the technology or IT departments that implemented the methodology.

Moving to a DevOps Lifecycle Model Within a Public Entity

For agencies who are looking to improve on their delivery, and modernize or digitize services, engaging with a solution provider and experienced DevOps consultancy remains the best option. This reduces the training and skills transfer overheads, provides access to real-world expertise, and ensures the adoption of best practices from the outset of the project.

ReleaseTEAM can assist with developing an implementation strategy that includes the necessary change management and mapping the best technology stack to the agency’s processes. With staff augmentation, tool training and support, as well as system implementation services, ReleaseTEAM will ensure every aspect of the initiative serves the entity’s primary mandate.

To improve the service delivery of your agency and start modernizing your technology stacks, contact one of ReleaseTEAM’s agents toll-free on (866) 887-0489 or at either info@releaseteam.com or gsa@releaseteam.com today.