Page 30 - April 2018 Disruption Report Flip Book

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
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efficiently operate while also restricting the ability for that system to interact with others, both internally and externally across government. Finally, an organization that does not already have established procedures for identifying new technologies, assessing them, determining which to adopt, and then successfully integrating them will almost certainly fail to move to a blockchain ecosystem. Moreover, even if a blockchain system were adopted, it would likely not succeed long-term if the organization was unable to evolve with it. Blockchain is still a very early technology and will require a healthy amount of flexibility and adaptability for any early adopters. And as more government organizations transition to blockchain-enabled systems, the need and demand for those various systems to interact will only increase. However, these challenges are not unique to government and every organization exploring blockchain will have to address these interoperability issues.
While blockchain has challenges, they are not insurmountable. The adoption of any new technology will always carry an inherent risk, but the public sector has a history of successfully, if slowly and cautiously, navigating those risks. The most recent example is the adoption of government-wide cloud computing. This paradigm shift has been transformational for both the government and those affected, moving individual organizations from hosting their own data, applications, and enterprises to newly established centers of excellence leveraging the best industry standards that incorporate state and/or federal requirements for security, redundancy, transparency, etc.
Blockchain represents the next major paradigm shift in how the government does business, interacts with its citizens and partners around the world, and holds itself accountable. (Enabling Blockchain Innovation in the U.S. Federal Government: A Blockchain Primer, American Council for Technology – Industry Advisory Council, 10/16/17)
On April 4, the American Council for Technology and Industry Advisory Council (ACT-IAC) published Blockchain Playbook Online for the Federal U.S. Government (Playbook) to help agencies determine if blockchain technology is right for their organizations and if they are ready to implement it. The Playbook, developed by 102 academic, industry and government professionals, lays out the three initial steps—including assessment, readiness and selection—that agencies can take evaluate the technology and its usefulness for their mission.
“This Playbook is a living document that will be updated as needed and at the discretion of the blockchain working group,” wrote ACT-IAC. “Further distribution or publication of its content is expressly prohibited by ACT-IAC policy.”
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