Stop Keeping the Lights On, Start Launching Rockets: Innovation in IT O&M

by Dr. Julie DeSot—Program Manager (ITRC), Unissant, Inc.

In today's rapidly evolving mission and technological landscape, federal agencies face a constant challenge: balancing the need for reliable, secure IT operations with the desire to innovate and deliver next-generation services. Often, the burden of maintaining legacy systems can overshadow the potential of advanced features and emerging technologies.

However, what if we reframed IT operations and maintenance (O&M) as the launchpad for innovation?

From maintaining to launching: a culture of innovation

Innovation is often perceived as risky and expensive. However, I suggest that innovation should be ingrained in how agile teams plan each increment. Within O&M, delivering value transcends the simple act of "keeping the lights on." Incorporating experimentation and creative problem-solving within O&M unlocks a new frontier: more efficient, cost-effective, secure, user-friendly, and mission-responsive systems. By fostering a culture of innovation—supported by processes, frameworks, and data-driven decision-making tools—teams can prioritize those innovations with the greatest impact.

Prioritizing innovation for maximum impact

Teams need a structured approach to determining which innovative ideas to pursue first. Agile models such as the MoSCoW method help operationalize this vision for value-driven innovation. MoSCoW—an acronym for Must-Have, Should-Have, Could-Have, Won't Have (this time)—is a powerful tool for agile teams to categorize tasks and features based on their importance and urgency – which rockets will fly furthest.

Now, value should not be defined by the loudest voice in the room. Rather, teams must adopt a data-driven approach to defining value, including not only cost and risk but also mission impact. Teams should also consider the impact of “not” adopting an innovation.

Defining value: the cost of missed opportunities

Agile teams can evaluate value within the MoSCoW model by considering the potential negative impacts of postponing a particular technical, architectural, security, or process innovation:

• What are the potential consequences of delaying or deferring a "Could-Have" innovation?
• Could it lead to decreased productivity, confusing user experience, or security vulnerabilities down the line?

While risk, cost, and productivity are undeniably important factors, the potential for missed opportunities must also be weighed. Evaluating "missed opportunity" requires considering the implications of not capitalizing on an innovative idea, including the impacts on mission success and end users.

While it’s important to quantify missed opportunity, teams should not get bogged down in precise calculations. Agile practices favor estimation. Assign a relative value to the potential impact using the MoSCoW categories.

• Must-Haves: High impact of missing the opportunity - These are critical functions, and delays have severe consequences. Imagine the impact of a delayed launch on a critical mission!
• Should-Haves: Medium impact of missing the opportunity - Delays in these features can create inefficiencies. Think of a minor launch delay due to a less critical system update.
• Could-Haves: Low to medium impact of missing the opportunity - Delays may have some impact, but overall functionality remains acceptable. This could be a non-essential feature that can wait for the next launch cycle.

When evaluating features within a MoSCoW category (e.g., prioritizing Should-Haves), consider the impact of the missed opportunity alongside other factors like urgency and cost. A Should-Have with a high impact of missing the opportunity might be prioritized over another Should-Have with a lower impact.

Making innovation ordinary in O&M

By embracing a culture of experimentation and prioritizing innovations that deliver the highest value, agile teams can transform the IT O&M function into a strategic engine for continuous improvement. The MoSCoW framework, coupled with a data-driven focus on opportunity and impact, empowers teams to make informed decisions about which innovations to pursue first. Adopting sound approaches for value-focused prioritization enables teams to evolve their approach to O&M from ordinary to innovative.  Applying a value-driven and structured approach to innovation in O&M drives continuous improvement, enhances security, and delivers next-generation services that fuel agency missions and reach new heights.