The Public Sector Podcast: Bridging the Gap - Strengthening Collaboration Across Technology, Program, and Leadership

Episode Overview

In this episode, Sara Soto Taylor, Deputy Secretary of Strategic Development, and Chris Given, Deputy Secretary for Technology and Innovation at California’s Government Operations Agency (GovOps), share an inside look at how the state is preparing for the next era of digital government.

Drawing on federal and multi-state experience — including leadership on IRS Direct File — Chris and Sara explore what it truly takes to modernise government services. From building internal capacity and managing change, to rethinking procurement and embedding design into tech teams, this conversation unpacks how government can evolve to deliver smarter, more resilient public services.

Key Themes

This episode centres on one core idea: modern government is not just about technology — it’s about people, capacity, and the ability to manage change.

Sara and Chris discuss how GovOps is reshaping how departments approach emerging technologies like generative AI, how policy and procurement must evolve alongside innovation, and why cross-functional collaboration is critical to long-term success.

What You’ll Learn

1) What a Modern Tech Team Really Looks Like

Why today’s technology teams go far beyond engineers — incorporating designers, product managers, data scientists, legal experts and policy leaders to deliver truly user-centred services.

2) Capacity as a Strategic Priority

How building and retaining talent inside government is essential to innovation — and why empowering teams to experiment and collaborate drives better outcomes than rigid structures.

3) Managing Change as a Core Competency

Why senior engineers — and government leaders — must become experts in managing change, building systems that evolve over time rather than requiring constant “modernisation.”

4) Small Wins That Scale

How starting with manageable, high-impact improvements — such as simple automation tools or user-focused enhancements — can unlock momentum and build organisational buy-in for larger transformation efforts.

5) Rethinking Risk, Procurement & Oversight

How California is evolving its approach to project approval and product delivery, balancing risk mitigation with agility to ensure emerging technologies are implemented responsibly.

6) Embedding Legal & Policy Early

Why bringing legal teams into product development from day one — rather than at final review — leads to clearer communication, better design, and fewer late-stage roadblocks.

Key Takeaways

• Every government leader is now a technology leader

• Capacity building is foundational to sustainable innovation

• Managing change is both a technical and organisational skill

• Small, practical improvements can unlock large-scale transformation

• Cross-functional collaboration — especially between tech, program, policy and legal — is essential

Why You Should Listen

This episode offers practical insight for public sector leaders, CIOs, digital teams and policy professionals navigating emerging technologies. It provides a grounded perspective on how to modernise responsibly — not through sweeping mandates, but through thoughtful capacity-building, collaboration and continuous evolution.

Memorable Line of Thinking

Modernisation is no longer about replacing old systems — it’s about building teams and technology that can continuously adapt to change.