Is your agency AI-ready? Turn insight into action with a proven model

AI readiness: A strategic imperative 

AI isn’t on the horizon—it's already here, and it’s reshaping how government agencies operate. In the U.S., the White House and the Office of Management and Budget issued executive guidance in April 2025 requiring all federal agencies to assess their current state of AI maturity and develop a strategy to remove barriers to responsible AI use within 180 days. 

This isn’t about checking a box. It's about reimagining how government works. It’s about transformation. AI presents a paradigm shift for federal agencies—demanding new processes, mindsets, and models of execution. Our AI Readiness Maturity Model offers a structured, three-step approach to help agencies assess where they are, define where they’re going, and build a roadmap to get there. 

Step 1: Assess AI maturity 

Before you can lead with AI, you need to know where you stand. Our AI maturity assessment evaluates seven core dimensions—AI strategy, use cases, governance, data management, talent, technology & operations, and culture—across more than 50 sub-dimensions. 

Each is scored on a five-level scale, from “Not ready” to “Advanced/AI-driven.” This multidimensional model helps agencies identify strengths, uncover gaps, and prioritize areas for investment. 

Guidehouse AI Readiness Maturity Model 

For example, you may discover that your compute resources for AI workloads are at an “Initial/Ad Hoc” level—lacking dedicated infrastructure and standardized processes. That insight becomes your launchpad to fuel smarter investments in technology and operations. 

The assessment also supports compliance with executive order requirements by helping you evaluate readiness across such critical areasas data governance, IT infrastructure, interoperability, and privacy. 

Step 2: Build a mission-aligned AI strategy

After identifying maturity gaps, you must take deliberate action to close them. Developing a strong AI strategy is essential—not just to set goals, but to connect those goals directly to mission outcomes. 

Building the right strategy means listening, refining, and aligning across your organization. It involves gathering input through workshops and surveys, refining your strategy to reflect internal culture, and socializing it with key stakeholders. The result is a living blueprint—one that drives decisions, builds momentum, and ensures that AI adoption is intentional, not accidental. 

Too often, agencies recognize the need for AI but fall short of realizing its benefits due to misaligned or underdeveloped strategies. A well-crafted strategy bridges that gap, enabling enterprise-scale adoption that’s both responsible and resilient. 

Keys to developing the strategy

1. Plan and vision: Based on findings from the AI maturity assessment and your organization’s strategic plan, establish the vision, mission, guiding principles, business drivers, and corresponding goals and objectives that will enable your organization to bridge gaps in maturity and accelerate AI adoption. 
   
   
2. Refine and prioritize: Gather feedback from relevant parties within your organization through surveys and workshops to refine the strategy, incorporating key changes to ensure that the strategy is reflective of your organization’s culture and priorities. 
   
   
3. Finalize and deliver: Cement the final draft of the AI strategy document, socializing it with crucial internal and external parties to serve as a strategic blueprint to define, communicate, and drive organizational AI objectives. 

This approach is already delivering results.  

One federal executive department partnered with Guidehouse to address fragmented AI efforts and workforce gaps. After conducting an AI maturity assessment, our team worked with the agency to develop a mission-aligned AI strategy and roadmap focused on strengthening governance, upskilling talent, and embedding ethical oversight. The result: a scalable, enterprisewide approach that has mitigated risk, fulfilled federal mandates, and positioned the agency to integrate AI responsibly and effectively across its operations. 

Step 3: Operationalize your AI strategy 

Strategy sets the course. The roadmap gets you moving. 

An AI roadmap translates strategic goals into actionable steps—projects, timelines, owners, and metrics. It helps you prioritize initiatives, allocate resources, and track progress. It also ensures that investments are aligned with identified maturity gaps. 

For example, if your AI talent dimension is lagging, your roadmap might include targeted upskilling programs, recruitment strategies, and partnerships with academic institutions. If governance is underdeveloped, the roadmap could prioritize the creation of an AI oversight board or the implementation of ethical review protocols. 

Keys to roadmap implementation 

1. Determine components: Create an initial list of projects, tasks, dependencies, and milestones for your organization to complete. Ensure that each item is actionable, relevant to the gaps outlined in the AI maturity assessment, and aligned with a goal established in the AI strategy. 
   
   
2. Set timelines: Verify projects with leadership and determine the sequencing, duration, and level of effort of all action items. Prioritize key roadmap components and help your organization plan its approach to meeting its strategic goals. 
   
   
3. Finalize and deliver: Gather and incorporate participant feedback to solidify a detailed, actionable roadmap with timelines, project owners, and metrics to track completion of the roadmap and to facilitate on-time completion of the initiatives.  

The roadmap is where ambition meets action. It’s how you move from aspiration to execution, striving to make AI adoption efficient, scalable, secure, and aligned with your long-term goals. 

Case in point: A county Bureau of Technology leads the way 

When a major U.S. county’s Bureau of Technology sought to responsibly scale AI, it turned to Guidehouse. Our initial AI maturity assessment revealed that most dimensions were at the “Initial/Ad Hoc” level—highlighting significant barriers to adoption. 

Working together, we helped Bureau leaders develop a public-facing AI strategy that articulated a clear mission, vision, and six strategic goals—from formalizing governance to building a skilled workforce. A detailed roadmap followed, outlining projects, timelines, and ownership to bring the strategy to life. 

The result?  A scalable AI framework that made the Bureau a public-sector standout, proving that responsible innovation can lead the way. 

From readiness to results 

Technology is moving fast—and you need to move faster, with purpose. Guidehouse’s AI Readiness Maturity Model offers a structured, actionable approach to help agencies meet the demands of the 2025 executive orders while building long-term capability. 

This model is rooted in the practical, proven experience of our AI and data practitioners and reflects the principles outlined in The Tech Guide—where speed, clarity, and mission alignment are essential to success. 

Ready to get started? 
Download our AI Acceleration Framework for government agencies.