{"id":23822,"date":"2025-11-05T15:16:31","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T15:16:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interface.media\/?post_type=executiveinsights&p=23822"},"modified":"2025-11-05T15:16:33","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T15:16:33","slug":"usda-a-fresh-perspective-on-digital-service","status":"publish","type":"executiveinsights","link":"https:\/\/interface.media\/blog\/executiveinsights\/usda-a-fresh-perspective-on-digital-service\/","title":{"rendered":"USDA: A Fresh Perspective on Digital Service"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

At Interface Magazine, we talk a lot about humanising technology. In our previous discussions with IT experts at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)<\/a>, it\u2019s become clear that this is an organisation that values the American people it serves, and how technology can help them. As part of USDA\u2019s 2024-2026 AI Strategy, leadership and task force teams led by OCIO\u2019s Enterprise Data Management Center, F\u00e1tima Terry, USDA\u2019s former Digital Service Deputy Director, experienced first hand how AI was massively transforming the federal government and the future of servicing the American people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Terry began her career as an Industrial Organisational (IO) Psychologist. At its core, this is someone who simply understands people in the workplace and seeks to improve the effectiveness, health, and well-being of employees and organisations. As a first generation immigrant, Terry was very much in charge of carving out her own path. This made the decision of what direction to move in a challenging one, leading her to talk more with mentors across the psychology and academic community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eventually, this led her to pursue a Master\u2019s in IO psychology. \u201cIt was all about understanding business, people, and how they combine in a healthy way to grow, enhance, and positively influence an organisation\u2019s impact,\u201d she explains. \u201cThat requires connecting with and valuing people to be able to help them, which has always been my passion.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Creating the USDA Digital Service Team<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When we spoke to Arianne Gallagher-Welcher, the conversation was around the USDA OCIO (Office of the CIO), of which the USDA DS is a segment. The USDA DS is based on a 2021-2022 project led by USDA Senior Advisors for Delivery. This work included a great deal of data-driven and human-centred design practices, which resulted in better technology, efficiency, and programmatic outcomes. In 2022, the OCIO proposed an expansion of this concept that would incorporate goals and strategies outlined in the USDA IT Strategic Plan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, the USDA DS was authorised towards the end of 2022. Gallagher-Welcher joined the OCIO around this time and mapped out the design and processes for the DS office, bringing in top tech talent in order to systematically remove organisational roadblocks and progress technological transformation within USDA. In Spring 2023, the USDA DS was tasked with taking over the IT Workforce Program portfolio, which is an essential enabler to advance the strategic direction and priorities under USDA\u2019s IT Strategy and Workforce Strategy. The result was adding new people to the team, including Terry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur mission \u2013 alongside the execution, implementation, and advancement of digitisation within the government \u2013 was to hire the best of the best in technology experts,\u201d Terry explains. \u201cPeople who can come in, advise, and guide us. When it comes to changing cultures and mindsets, we have to be mindful to get it right. At the end of the day, whoever these experts impact in terms of their leaders, supervisors, teams, projects \u2013 it\u2019s really a part of an effort to help advance and support everyone at the Department and the American people we serve. They could be completely disbanding a legacy system or platform, implementing a new one, or figuring out how to connect one with others,\u201d Terry explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sharing a Vision<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For Terry and the team, the focus was on cross-pollinating knowledge while executing a shared vision. Having a steady rotation of experts coming in to expose how the Digital Services team does things, sees things, and implements things has allowed everyone to have a clearer idea of their own direction and goals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe could then mirror or create new things based on that infrastructure, there were beams we\u2019re setting into the floor so that folks can create on top of them,\u201d says Terry. \u201cI found it really exciting, because we didn\u2019t know what we\u2019re going to get until we\u2019re building.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of this speaks to something we discussed in-depth with Gallagher-Welcher back in February 2024 \u2013 that the OCIO (and, by extension, the USDA DS) is driving innovation across the entirety of the USDA. It\u2019s a necessary evolution for the organisation, and one that\u2019s in the best possible hands. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read the full story here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fa\u0301tima Terry, former Digital Service Deputy Director, on humanising technology to deliver services at the United States Department of Agriculture<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":427,"featured_media":23819,"template":"","categories":[3,192],"tags":[56,54,25,103],"class_list":["post-23822","executiveinsights","type-executiveinsights","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-interface","category-u","tag-cybersecurity","tag-digital-disruption","tag-digital-transformation","tag-technology"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nUSDA: A Fresh Perspective on Digital Service - Interface<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Fa\u0301tima Terry, former Digital Service Deputy Director, on humanising technology to deliver services at the USDA\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"USDA: A Fresh Perspective on Digital Service\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Fa\u0301tima Terry, former Digital Service Deputy Director, on humanising technology to deliver services at the USDA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/interface.media\/blog\/executiveinsights\/usda-a-fresh-perspective-on-digital-service\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Interface\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-11-05T15:16:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/interface.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/6895915516_c5d91051e4_o-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"682\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"1 minute\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/interface.media\/blog\/executiveinsights\/usda-a-fresh-perspective-on-digital-service\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/interface.media\/blog\/executiveinsights\/usda-a-fresh-perspective-on-digital-service\/\",\"name\":\"USDA: A Fresh Perspective on Digital Service - 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