Working with local government IT: lessons from five states

Local government IT is its own discipline. Same fundamentals as private sector, very different rhythm.

Procurement is part of the work

RFPs, sole-source justifications, cooperative purchasing agreements, and budget cycles dominate the calendar.

The in-house team is the customer, often

Many municipalities have one or two IT people doing everything. We are most useful when we extend their reach, not when we replace them.

Documentation is a deliverable

Our deliverables almost always include a written runbook, an architecture diagram, and a list of every credential we issued and where it lives.

Public meetings shape engagements

If a project depends on a council vote, we plan around it. We help our public-sector clients walk into those meetings with answers, not questions.