Introduction

Most states are facing modernization initiatives. Constituents increasingly expect clear, accessible, and reliable services, and leaders expect accountability. The expectations of state digital teams to deliver, often across dozens or hundreds of agency websites, are high.

How that work gets organized varies by state. Some operate with centralized control. Others are fully federated, with agencies making independent decisions. Most fall somewhere in between, balancing shared services with agency autonomy.

Modernization isn’t about changing your governance model. It’s about making the model work.

For centralized teams, that means having systems they can scale without becoming bottlenecks. For federated environments, it means creating alignment without sacrificing agency autonomy. For hybrid models, it means bringing consistency to a mix of approaches.

This playbook outlines seven steps to modernize your digital ecosystem, regardless of your current structure. From understanding your current state to building governance into the system itself, each step is grounded in how state governments actually operate.