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ATO processes work differently at different federal agencies. As a technology and design consultancy inside the United States government, 18F has worked on ATOs at many of them. We are still learning and experimenting, but there are definite patterns we have seen work well across multiple agencies.

Today the GSA Inspector General (IG) issued a report that identified areas for improvement, and we are thankful for their oversight. We have made many improvements over the last few months to address the issues outlined in this report and will take all additional actions necessary.

Yesterday, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released their review of 18F and the U.S. Digital Service and our work to transform federal digital services. We appreciate GAO’s review of 18F’s important work and mission.

18F Consulting recommends agile development for several reasons, including agile’s emphasis on user needs, continuous integration, and rapid adaptation to changed circumstances. But there is another important reason we recommend agile: its focus on transparency.