Original Broadcast Date: 10/25/2026
Sponsored by Maximus
On this episode of Fed Gov Today, leaders from the National Design Studio, Maximus, and the Pentagon discuss how collaboration, modernization, and real-world feedback are shaping the next generation of government capabilities.
Mary Bati, Chief Information Officer at the National Design Studio, discusses the launch of America.gov and the collaboration required to create a unified digital front door for federal services. With the first phase launched September 29, Bati explains how agencies can contribute data and services to the platform, what users can expect from future enhancements, and why secure login integration is central to the vision.
Evan Davis, Executive Managing Director at Maximus, explains how federal agencies can use data to transform customer experience. Davis outlines three stages of modernization: reactive, interactive, and proactive service delivery. He describes how agencies can learn from commercial organizations that anticipate customer needs rather than waiting for problems to arise.
Maj. Justin Shine, Military Deputy in the Pentagon’s Office of Operational Energy Innovation, discusses how the department identifies, tests, and develops emerging energy technologies. Shine explains why warfighter feedback is essential to innovation and highlights the Expeditionary Power Kit as an example of technology designed to improve operational capabilities.
The federal government is taking another step toward making services easier for Americans to access through America.gov, and Mary Bati says collaboration is essential to making that vision a reality.
Mary Bati, Chief Information Officer at the National Design Studio, joins Fed Gov Today to discuss the platform's September 29 launch and the work underway to expand its capabilities.
Bati says the General Services Administration plays a critical role in supporting America.gov's infrastructure, while federal agencies are increasingly engaging with the National Design Studio to explore how their services can become part of the platform.
One priority is helping agencies make their data and application programming interfaces available so America.gov can provide a more intuitive customer experience without replacing the agencies responsible for delivering those services.
Looking ahead, Bati identifies secure login integration as a major component of the next phase. The goal is to give Americans one entry point for accessing services across government.
She also highlights plans for online passport services and additional improvements arriving before 2027.
For Bati, success ultimately means saving Americans time and transforming how they interact with the federal government.
Federal agencies are exploring new ways to improve customer experience, but Evan Davis says the biggest opportunity comes from using data to anticipate what people need before they ask.
Davis, Executive Managing Director at Maximus, joins Fed Gov Today to explain how government organizations can move beyond responding to customer questions and begin delivering more proactive services.
Davis describes three stages of customer experience modernization: reactive, interactive, and proactive care.
Reactive services focus on answering questions accurately. Interactive services help people complete tasks such as filing forms, checking benefit
Proactive services go further by using available data to identify what customers may need next.
Davis points to federal health insurance applications as an example. Information already provided during the application process could help agencies identify additional benefits for which an individual may qualify.
He also highlights the airline industry as a model for proactive customer communication.
Airlines regularly notify travelers about gate changes, delays, and identification requirements before those issues become problems.
Davis says federal agencies can learn from those commercial practices while adapting them to meet government security and compliance requirements.
Major Justin Shine, Military Deputy in the Pentagon's Office of Operational Energy Innovation, joins Fed Gov Today to explain how his organization identifies, tests, and develops technologies for military operations.
Shine says the office evaluates innovations based on whether they improve survivability, operational endurance, or mission effectiveness.
The development process varies depending on the technology's maturity. Early-stage projects can require approximately three years of scientific and engineering work, while more developed prototypes may move through one to two years of additional testing.
Warfighter feedback plays a central role throughout that process.
Shine explains how service members from different military branches evaluate technologies based on their operational needs, providing feedback on everything from weight and size to usability and performance.
He highlights the Expeditionary Power Kit as an example of operational energy innovation.
The technology allows military vehicles to provide power for operational cells, living support, and other field requirements.
Shine says gathering and documenting feedback directly from soldiers helps ensure emerging technologies deliver meaningful improvements.