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Five: Build alignment without authority
You can build the best platform in state government, but if agencies don't want to be on it, they won't be.
Understand the political landscape:
- History matters more than logic. Agency resistance is often rooted in past failures.
- Competing priorities are real. Agencies have real constraints. When they say "we can't do this right now," they mean it.
- Leadership signals are often the deciding factor. The strongest predictor of agency engagement is when leadership signals that this initiative matters.
Form a steering committee before making key decisions
Include both supporters and skeptics. When agencies help shape the system, they’re far more likely to support it.
A strong committee sets priorities together, surfaces concerns early, and shifts ownership to the agencies themselves.