The agency has always been able to move quickly and confidently on tech-driven opportunities, working closely with KPMG as their technical adviser for multiple initiatives.
AI presented brand-new challenges and risks in areas like data security, privacy, appropriate use, organizational capabilities and awareness, and potential exposure from vendor solutions. While the agency traditionally had strong technology governance and policies in place, that governance framework was rooted in the more familiar rhythms of traditional, deterministic software lifecycle requirements.
AI, on the other hand, is a technology that is moving with levels of speed and complexity that can introduce unique new risks to the organization if it is not closely governed. Even the agency, a proven technology leader, recognized the need to recalibrate its governance model and identify leading practices to deliver AI’s considerable opportunities—while also navigating the considerable risks.
A fast-moving technology raises governance challenges
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With AI projects included in the agency’s pipeline, agency leadership asked KPMG to step in and help them assess current AI workflows, guidelines, and capabilities.
In less than a year, this new approach has helped the agency move with both speed and confidence while prioritizing impactful AI initiatives. Through our work, the agency has now established:
A GenAI governance committee and associated core principles of Trusted AI development to ensure every use case is assessed in line with the agency’s core values and commitments.
Detailed AI policies and procedures, with specific new guardrails in areas like cybersecurity and acceptable use.
AI project governance, including oversight committees and clearly defined roles to manage both internal projects and external vendors.
Organizational change management, backed by robust learning and development resources.
AI test management and oversight, anchored by a centralized governance entity that provides independent project statuses and assessments.
An enhanced new framework to unlock AI’s potential
The agency is now ready and better equipped to face what the future of AI brings: Full speed ahead on technology innovation, with additional AI initiatives on the horizon.
As the agency builds out its overall AI capabilities, one area of focus is to become a leader in utilizing GenAI solutions. Proven AI applications like machine learning, data mining, and process automations have already generated significant innovations. AI promises to take those capabilities a step further by creating, for example, advanced insights and reports from complex data sets that match human-level outputs.
Indeed, GenAI’s highly relatable use cases helped create much of the agency’s initial awareness and urgency around AI’s transformative potential on many fronts—opportunities that our client is now firmly positioned to deliver.
Ready to generate impactful new applications
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