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Our work · federal, financial services, higher education, commercial

Modernizing the systems people rely on, with AI where it helps.

Selected engagements, in brief. We name civilian customers and describe defense work by mission. Full past-performance write-ups and references are available to contracting officers and teaming partners.

How we deliverAcross these engagements, designers and engineers work from one backlog with the client's product owner, release in short increments through automated pipelines, and test for accessibility and security as they go.
Sector
Our foundation

Six practices we build on

Each engagement draws on the practices its mission needs. The tags on each project show which ones we applied.

How we apply them
  • Human-centered design
  • Domain-driven design
  • Continuous Agile delivery
  • Cloud and DevSecOps
  • Security and compliance
  • Data architecture
Featured · Federal civilian

Modernizing the Forest Service workforce management tool

USDA Forest Service · Fire and Aviation Management
Starting point

Fire and Aviation Management ran firefighter workforce management and recruiting on a 15-year-old Microsoft Access tool.

We rebuilt it as a web application with microservices, now used across the agency. We started with research across several departments, built a design system on the U.S. Web Design System, and tested prototypes with users before development. We also prototyped a generative AI assistant that lets staff ask questions of workforce data in plain language.

Outcome

A 15-year-old Access tool replaced by a web application used across the agency.

CPARS: Exceptional in every area
Practices
Human-centered designDomain-driven designData architectureCloud and DevSecOps
Defense

AI-driven modernization of federal workflows, with a focus on governance

Federal defense agencySubcontractor
Starting point

A compliance-heavy federal workflow ran on documents and spreadsheets, so gaps and weak audit trails surfaced late and added risk.

As development subcontractor to the prime, we helped bring AI assistance and governance into its workflow platform. Staff now work in one place, with AI help on drafting and review.

Outcome

AI-assisted review where AI drafts and people decide.

Practices
Human-centered designContinuous Agile deliveryCloud and DevSecOps
Federal health

Running the learning platform for the National Training Program

CMS · National Training ProgramVia Kotech Digital JV
Starting point

The National Training Program teaches partners, state staff, and the public about Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and the Health Insurance Marketplace.

We built and maintained the systems that delivered it: a Moodle learning management system, a Drupal content system, a webinar platform, and a virtual workshop site.

Outcome

One learning platform for workshops, webinars, self-paced courses, and virtual conferences, with one interface for learners.

CPARS: Exceptional
Practices
Continuous Agile deliveryCloud and DevSecOpsHuman-centered designSecurity and compliance
Federal health

SAFe coaching and an Agile Release Train launch

CMS · HIPAA Eligibility Transaction SystemSubcontractor
Starting point

HETS gives health care providers and clearinghouses Medicare beneficiary eligibility information through standard X12 270/271 transactions.

Under CMS's Enterprise Agile Transformation Services program, we provided the Agile Program Coach who guided HETS through its adoption of the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) and the launch of its Agile Release Train.

Outcome

HETS launched its Agile Release Train and completed its first two PI Planning events.

Practices
Continuous Agile delivery
Federal health

Assessing a major IT investment for the HHS Office of the CIO

HHS · Office of the Chief Information OfficerSubcontractor
Starting point

The HHS Office of the CIO commissioned an independent assessment of one of the department's major IT investments.

Our subject matter expert supported the assessment team, contributing to the document review, stakeholder interviews, baseline validation, and governance recommendations.

Outcome

Assessment recommendations briefed to HHS leadership, and operating division portfolios assessed and prioritized.

Practices
Continuous Agile deliveryData architecture
Federal civilian

Program design for a new federal incentives program

NIST · Department of CommercePrime
Starting point

A federal program office had to stand up a large financial incentives program from the ground up.

As prime, our team supported program design across financial and economic policy, investment process design, financial modeling, and market intelligence. We helped shape the program's financial products and policies and designed the framework for reviewing applications.

Outcome

A finalized investment process and application review framework.

CPARS: Exceptional
Practices
Human-centered design
Federal civilian

Consolidating eight acquisition systems into one platform

GSA · Integrated Award EnvironmentSubcontractor
Starting point

GSA was consolidating eight Integrated Award Environment systems into a single platform, SAM.gov.

For almost four years, our senior developers and test engineers worked on the agile team that modernized three of them: Federal Business Opportunities, the Electronic Subcontracting Reporting System, and the FFATA Subaward Reporting System.

Outcome

Three government-wide award systems modernized, with our engineers named key personnel on the team.

Practices
Cloud and DevSecOpsContinuous Agile deliverySecurity and compliance
Federal civilian

Independent security assessment of a cloud system

NOAA · Office of the CIOVia Kotech Digital JV
Starting point

Before re-authorizing one of its cloud systems, NOAA needed an independent assessment of how well the system's controls worked.

Through Kotech Digital, the joint venture we manage, our team performed the assessment end to end under the NIST Risk Management Framework.

Outcome

The Security Assessment Report and authorization package delivered, and the Authorizing Official briefed, ahead of the authorization decision.

Practices
Cloud and DevSecOpsSecurity and compliance
Financial services

Bringing an experience design practice to Multifamily product teams

Fannie Mae · Multifamily
Starting point

Multifamily's product teams needed someone to lead the UX perspective and turn business needs into designs developers could build.

Our UX designer worked across several Multifamily product teams in a hybrid role that combined experience design with business analysis. Along the way we introduced personas, journey maps, task flows, and prototypes.

Outcome

A design-thinking UX process the Multifamily teams didn't have before, and a loan-monitoring dashboard built from the spreadsheet people already used.

Practices
Human-centered design
Financial services

Release Train Engineer and Agile coaching

Fannie Mae · Multifamily
Starting point

Multifamily's web-based products ran on an Agile Release Train staffed by several RTE contractors.

As Release Train Engineer, we led the train and coordinated the other RTE contractors. We facilitated PI Planning, Scrum of Scrums, ART syncs, and team demos, and published PI objectives so Product Owners and leadership could see execution against the roadmap.

Outcome

One release train with shared planning and published PI objectives across Multifamily's web-based products.

Practices
Continuous Agile delivery
Higher education

Rebrand, website, and learning portal for a national student success institute

NISS at Georgia State University
Starting point

The National Institute for Student Success helps colleges and universities remove institutional barriers to equity and completion.

As its digital agency of record, we rebranded the institute, redesigned its website, and built the Accelerator, an online learning portal and open-access content library, with analytics on site and user engagement.

Outcome

A new brand, a redesigned website, and the Accelerator learning portal and open-access content library, all launched.

Practices
Human-centered designDomain-driven designContinuous Agile deliveryCloud and DevSecOpsSecurity and compliance
Commercial

A SaaS platform that automates federal workflows

Commercial SaaS client
Starting point

A core workflow at the client's agency customers ran largely by hand.

For a commercial software company, we designed, built, and operated a SaaS platform from its first release that moved that work online, end to end. Access controls, audit trails, and approval workflows were part of the product from the start.

Outcome

Grew from its first release to thousands of users across several federal agencies.

Practices
Human-centered designDomain-driven designContinuous Agile deliveryCloud and DevSecOpsData architectureSecurity and compliance
Federal civilian and health

Architecture, advisory, and business process support

USAID · NIH NHLBI · DOL OSHASubcontractor
Starting point

Our senior specialists took on focused architecture and advisory roles at three agencies.

At USAID's Office of the CIO, we set out the approach for completing the agency's enterprise architecture framework and target architecture. At the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, our Principal IT Specialist gave technical and architectural guidance on the long-term vision for its MyNHLBI intranet portal.

Outcome

An enterprise architecture approach for USAID, a long-term portal vision for NHLBI, and technical direction for OSHA's enterprise system.

Practices
Continuous Agile deliveryData architecture

Need the full write-ups?

Past-performance packages with contract details, CPARS, and references are available on request.

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