De-wonked: Products and Product Management Approach

In Arizona government, product management has been gaining some visibility, but how does that actually work and what does it mean??

Some of the best product management opportunities exist when we apply it to the software tools used in government to get work done daily. Stuff that citizens never see for the most part. When we turn the focus to internal tools like this (platform products) then we have the ability to make the government work easier or better. Which can increase human capacity to do more good and we can enable our systems to grow with the work.

What's a Product??

In child welfare, we have a federally regulated Comprehensive Child Welfare Information System (45 CFR 1355.50 for those playing along). That mandates a modular software system to meet various child welfare functions, among other components.

Most of the child welfare employees will know these systems by whatever branding chosen by their department. Arizona used “Guardian” as the brand and started working in 2017, long before I got involved, but the reality is most of the employees and stakeholders won't ever care about the federal mandates for these systems, they will just know they have to use them to get their work done, for better or worse.

Before CCWIS, there was a different regulation called the Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System. And those systems mostly designed in the 90s were proudly built and maintained for decades, while tacking on additional screens here and there.?

Both of these systems are products. They primarily serve the needs of internal employees as the customers, and they can enable external use. The SACWIS systems are currently dying a slow and painful death. They are made of “legacy” technologies and the number of humans that know how to maintain them is dwindling.?

The same fate awaits for the new CCWIS systems that are coming out, but it doesn't have to.?

Why is a Product Management Approach Needed?

Don't be fooled into thinking there are no customers for products like these. I'm going to stick with the CCWIS example, but if you're in government feel free to replace that with your systems.?

The employees are your customers. They have pain points, needs, and wants with your systems. Citizens impacted by the department's work are your customers, maybe directly or indirectly. The general public are your customers, they want responsible use of their money and to have a good investment.

If you are a leader like me that is responsible for these products, you will be keenly aware of the underlying capabilities and problems with your systems. It is your job after all, no one else's, but it would be easy to ignore that and just line up all the requests from your customers like a shopping list, and only deliver exactly what they wrote in the request. And when things get unmanageable - just tell the customers they got what they asked for.?

Then do that cat and mouse game for a few years, and you'll be finding yourself eyeing down another large scale replacement effort. Maybe there will even be a new set of federal regulations called Integrated Child Welfare Information System and we would all make jokes about Ick-Wis or something.

But that would be a severe bummer. To be responsible and find ways to ensure this modular and extremely complex system is going to survive, you need an operating model that matches that desired outcome. This is where product management comes in.?

What is a Product Management Approach?

The gist is to constantly research the market, understand the trends and gaps, sunset components that aren't working well and replace them with better ones. Also, strategically plan small experiments that will keep you ahead and keep you nimble as new technologies come into existence. But at the core of the approach, prioritize solutions that add tangible value or improve outcomes, and praise the improvements in outcomes or increases in human capacity.?

The approach also holds a steadfast respect for the people impacted by the systems. These people will be great at telling you their pain points, or how the real work is done outside of the computers. They likely won't know all of the underlying technologies or that some things they have taken for granted as “just how the system works” were probably just some other person's design, and can actually be changed for the better.?

Here are some of the main actions to start with to enable a product management approach within an organization:

• Identify Your Products: Clearly define the systems and tools that you consider to be products, and understand their purpose and users.
• Build a Product Team: Assemble a cross-functional team with expertise in technology, user experience, and program operations.
• Conduct User Research: Engage with your users to understand their needs, challenges, and expectations.
• Develop a Product Roadmap: Create a strategic plan outlining the vision, goals, and priorities for your product.
• Iterate and Improve: Continuously gather feedback, experiment with new features, and measure the impact of your efforts.
• Communicate and Collaborate: Keep stakeholders informed about progress and ensure alignment across teams.

I know, reading 6 bullet points will make one think there isn’t really that much to this, but don’t think this will happen overnight, making this change in a system that is used to operating differently is a large lift.

Embracing Change

Transitioning to a product management approach in government will require a shift in mindset and culture. It's about fostering a sense of ownership of solutions that solve real problems, not just making widgets, empowering teams to make decisions, and embracing experimentation and learning.

The rewards will be worth the effort. By treating your internal systems as products and adopting a user-centric approach, you can create a more efficient, effective, and responsive government that serves the needs of both employees and the public. You’ll avoid kicking the can down the road by sunsetting old tech and replacing it with better functioning tech. And that will enable you to maintain a functioning product well into the future. And with tech advancements happening as fast as they do, “old” happens in a matter of years, not decades.?

To say this another way, don’t be the guy who ran a program into the ground and waited for someone else to deal with it. Be the guy who sets up the next person for success, you stakeholders and citizens will thank you 5 years from now.?