Federal transitions
Federal transitions
Building the tech leadership infrastructure that makes government work from day one
The moment
Building government technology capacity in the first 100 days of a presidential transition requires preparation that starts long before Election Day, and leadership that knows how to navigate both the technical and political terrain.
In 2020, Tech Talent Project built that roadmap for a presidential transition’s first 200 days. The result was multiple agencies making significant strides in delivery for the American people. Looking ahead, the Tech Talent Project will focus that work on the first 100 days, applying what we learned about where early decisions have the most lasting impact. The preparation starts now.
The problem made visible
Every presidential transition brings thousands of new political appointees into agencies that are already mid-stride. The technology systems those agencies run do not pause for a transition.
What you achieve
Federal agencies that benefit from Tech Talent Project’s transition work arrive in their first 100 days with tech best practices and lessons learned, the senior technical leaders to execute it, and a network of peers who have navigated the same challenges.
The 2020 work supported federal technology leaders stepping into critical roles at the start of the administration. Ann Lewis went on to lead Technology Transformation Services at the General Services Administration. Marcela Escobar-Alava served as Chief Information Officer of the Social Security Administration.
What we provide
The memos that reach a transition team are the product of an 18-month development process involving contributors across party lines, moving from a core nucleus of tech policy veterans through subject matter expert working groups, practitioner review, transition coalition validation, and launch. For 2028, Tech Talent Project is in the coalition-building phase now. Research and writing begin in 2027. Transition teams will have what they need before Election Day.
Convene across party lines.
Engage a core group of tech and policy veterans from Democratic and Republican administrations to build the framework. Best practices compiled across party lines are practices an incoming administration can use regardless of who wins.
Create the conditions for government leaders to act.
The memos, along with discovery sprints and deep dives with government organizations, help government leaders see the gap between where agencies are and where they can be, and provide the experience that public service focused technical leadership can help.
Prepare the talent.
Through active recruiting, training via the Tech Executive Leadership Initiative, and one-on-one coaching and support, Tech Talent Project prepares technologists to step into government roles and succeed from day one. The bench is built before the federal government hires.
Execute the match at the moment it matters.
The memos without the people are just lists of best practices. The people without the memos are just resumes. Tech Talent Project does both, and connects them, at the moment it matters.
Track record
Tech Talent Project has supported technology leadership in federal transitions since 2020.
The 2020 Federal Memos for a Tech Transition engaged more than 80 expert stakeholders. Co-chaired by Nicole Wong, former Deputy U.S. Chief Technology Officer, and John Bailey, former Special Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy under President George W. Bush, the work brought together contributors across party lines including Lanhee Chen, former Senior Counselor to the Deputy Secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services; Garrett Johnson, former Professional Staff to the Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee; DJ Patil, former U.S. Chief Data Scientist; and Robert Shea, former Associate Director of the Office of Management and Budget. The memos covered nine agencies. The methodology was validated at scale and across party lines.
The American Enterprise Institute, the Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation at Georgetown University, and New America were partners on the federal work and continue as partners on past and current 2026 State Memos for a Tech Transition.
200+ tech leaders matched with government | 80+ experts in the 2020 federal process | 30 states supported overall
Interested in learning more?
Federal government leaders & transition teams
If you are a technologist thinking about joining the federal government, the time to engage is now. Contact us to start a conversation with the team.
Funders and partners
Tech Talent Project has a validated methodology for building federal technology transition capacity, and we are beginning to build the coalition for 2028. If you are investing in government capacity or the future of federal technology leadership, we would welcome a conversation.