Imagine Nation ELC: Enhancing EX, Secure by Design CX, and the Safe Use of AI

In late October, the ACT-IAC hosted Imagine Nation ELC, which brought together the government technology community to discuss key IT challenges facing the government, and the path forward for developing innovative solutions.

With a focus on evolving IT, igniting workforces, emerging technology, cybersecurity and agile design, the event featured keynote addresses from the top government CIOs, industry leaders, as well as three-time Olympian gymnast Dominique Dawes. 

The Makpar team attended the event, and came back with the following insights: 

Dominique Dawes Keynote Address

Success is more than reaching a single goal; it’s a journey of continuous growth and learning, which was the key theme of Dominique Dawes presentation. At the heart of this journey are three essential values: determination, dedication, and desire, which fuel progress and resilience. Embracing challenges is not just about overcoming obstacles but discovering passion along the way.

Venice Goodwine, CIO, US Dept of Air Force

To thrive in times of disruption, leaders must ACT: adapt, collaborate, and be transparent, according to Goodwine. Maintaining calmness during challenges is crucial, as it prevents anxiety and fosters confidence among team members.

By cultivating a “Zen” work environment with policies that reduce distractions, boredom, and burnout, leaders can promote focus and resilience. A solid framework is essential for strategy adaptability and mission readiness, ensuring teams can navigate change effectively while staying grounded and productive.

Delivering Results that Matter: Leadership Actions for a New Administration

This panel focused on how effective leadership thrives on open communication, integrity, and innovation. Encouraging feedback on blind spots, paired with actionable solutions, helps address challenges proactively. Setting clear intentions by aligning actions with words fosters trust and reinforces integrity.

Creating a safe space where team members feel empowered to speak truth to power—sharing ideas, questioning processes, and offering feedback—cultivates transparency and collaboration. By promoting creativity and freedom within the team, leaders can inspire innovative thinking, driving both individual and collective success. 

Unleashing Workforce Potential: Enhancing Employee Experience (EX) for Mission Success

To create a thriving workplace, aligning employee experience (EX) metrics with the agency’s mission is essential, which was a key theme of this panel. Combating burnout through flexibility and opportunities for recharging, paired with a focus on personal interaction—simply “just talk to people”—can foster a supportive environment.

Regular feedback collection, utilizing customer experience (CX) teams, ensures employee insights shape agendas and improvements. Tailoring communication strategies to skill sets can also enhance HR and administrative support. Key factors like autonomy, flexibility, and wellness initiatives, such as mental health and exercise breaks, play a vital role in employee happiness. By prioritizing these elements, organizations can deliver greater value in employee experience while driving engagement and mission success.

CX—Secure by Design

A robust approach to cybersecurity starts with embracing CISA’s Secure by Design principles, which was a key theme for this panel. Reviewing resources like the Secure by Design webpage and the Bad Practices Guide can provide critical insights.

Leadership also plays a crucial role in this effort by empowering employees to address security issues proactively while taking full ownership to facilitate swift remediation.

A structured approach to cybersecurity should include clear, accessible solutions tailored for non-technical audiences. Embedding security into every developer’s workflow and leveraging customer journeys and stories to communicate security needs and benefits effectively ensures a seamless integration of these principles into the organization’s culture and operations.

Digital First: Good CX Makes Good Cents

Modernization is an ongoing journey where customer experience (CX) must remain foundational, meeting individuals where they are and tailoring solutions to their needs, as highlighted in this panel. Positive disruption through policy is a powerful driver of change, supported by a structured CX methodology to address challenges systematically and design solutions with and for the American people, incorporating user feedback at every stage.

The 4Ps framework—Policy, Practitioners, Public, and Power/Potential—guides technology development to meet evolving user needs while balancing technical principles, budget, and policy. This approach ensures modernization efforts are impactful and user centric.

Data-driven CX demonstrates value through real-world use cases, integrating insights with employee experience (EX). Transparent communication of CX’s benefits builds trust and highlights its practical impact for internal and external stakeholders, fostering continuous improvement.

Other Imagine Nation ELC Takeaways

In addition to the key topics highlighted above, the event also featured insights into how some federal agencies are embracing artificial intelligence (AI). For example, Paul Blahusch, CISO at the Department of Labor, discussed how his agency is using AI for chatbots, as well as for coding (i.e., first cut of coding) and for summarizing larger documents.  

Mitch Winans, Head of Industry Partnerships for the FDIC’s Acquisition Services Branch, also discussed how during his time at the IRS, he implemented an automation solution to help the procurement team review the large amount of data they must review for proposal submissions.

The Makpar team fully supports the federal government’s approach to EX, CX and Secure By Design approaches. Contact Makpar here for more information on how we can help boost your agency’s digital transformation efforts.