5 Best Practices for Adopting Collaboration Platforms for State Governments

1. Conduct a Strategic Plan and Needs Assessment

When it comes to adopting a team collaboration platform, state and local governments must follow a strategic plan that defines a common picture for all stakeholders so they understand what they can achieve with messaging and file-sharing tools. The plan should identify needs as well as roles and responsibilities. A good plan will also highlight potential challenges and how to overcome them in the face of adversity.

A needs assessment helps state governments determine how a collaboration platform can assist government employees in doing their jobs. The assessment should identify resources and capabilities, and capitalize on lessons learned.

2. Prioritize Security and Compliance

State and local governments deal in sensitive information; thus, they must prioritize security and adhere to compliance regulations to protect their data. When adopting a collaboration platform, agencies must institute data protection measures. Ideally, they may keep sensitive information on-premises and share it only in authorized channels, as outlined in a data privacy framework. 

Once a collaboration platform is operational, government IT officials must conduct regular risk assessments to ensure its appropriate use. They should carefully control access and set appropriate permissions for authorized users of the platform. Security policies should detail how to best use collaboration tools. 

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3. Don't Forget About User Experience and Accessibility

Of course, a good collaboration platform should be user-friendly, easing government employees into new or revised capabilities with a smooth interface. Officials should avoid adopting tools that appear to meet government needs without first testing their use through an employee pilot program. Tools that are too clunky or complicated may not help productivity despite their stated goals to increase efficiency. An ideal collaboration platform provides employees with an excellent digital experience. 

Whichever platform an agency adopts, IT leaders should provide comprehensive training and support so that staff can use the new tools to do their best work. Ensure that collaboration platforms comply with accessibility standards so that all workers can do their jobs seamlessly.

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4. Consider Interagency Collaboration Capabilities 

Government agencies never work in a vacuum, so government IT administrators must facilitate collaboration among their parent and sister agencies. It may be wise to determine which collaboration platforms are already widely used among government colleagues. A strategic plan should reflect the importance of messaging and file-sharing across organizational boundaries and what processes and controls best support those tasks.

Government officials may have requirements to effectively communicate with other agencies as part of their day-to-day business. As such, they will need collaboration platforms to support that. Work through established IT governance leadership to tackle shared challenges and develop plans that fulfill requirements for all parties involved. 

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5. Factor In Integration With Existing Systems

When modernizing IT systems, government officials must weigh the usefulness of legacy systems and how they might continue to use them. Collaboration platforms should integrate easily with legacy systems, not only to maximize investments in those technologies but also to pave the way for government employees to collaborate across legacy systems. Agency staff must be able to share information that is readily available in their existing environment. Doing so will ensure they can continue to serve the public without roadblocks. Automation may help.