Engaging the workforce to develop AI governance

The Partnership for Public Service AI Center for Government™ champions pragmatic, people-centered approaches to building AI governance structures — and believes government agencies can design AI strategies to serve the public, satisfy employee need and enable smart, safe innovation.

1. Start with the mission

Agencies that treat AI as an operational, mission-delivery tool can focus their efforts to use AI to solve real problems and boost efficiency. When mission comes first, AI can effectively and appropriately support leadership, employees and the public.

2. Agency partnerships: Collaborate to innovate!

Government agencies with a broad range of internal offices and departmental missions can develop successful enterprise-wide AI governance practices by prioritizing engagement and participation. Through leadership convenings, workforce forums and communities of interest, for example, agencies can involve staff to ensure AI governance is fit-for-purpose across the organization.

3. AI literacy

AI training is key not only to deployment of AI, but also to AI strategy development. Agencies can deepen staff expertise by taking advantage of government-based AI courses, free AI Government Leadership Programs and custom internally-developed trainings. Employees can better contribute to strategy and implementation by understanding the tools.

4. Clear communication

During the AI governance (re)design process, agency leadership and AI strategy development teams can reduce friction and confusion by prioritizing clear, ongoing communication. Creating opportunity for employees to ask questions, surface concerns and share what doesn’t make sense will create a feedback loop that strengthens internal policy now and deployment later.

5. Manage change and make it stick

AI governance should be designed for impact and made to stick; it should be made to be part of the everyday workflow and implemented with change management principles in mind. Successful AI governance strategies are responsive and flexible enough to evolve with changing leadership, priorities or technology. Well-implemented plans keep the whole human and the whole organization in mind.

6. We can do this!

Through our touchpoints with governments across the country, we’ve seen that with the right balance of structure and flexibility, even large, complex agencies can build systems that are responsive, responsible and built to last.

It’s not about tech for tech’s sake. It’s about making government work better for everyone.

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