Appoint an owner

Overview overview link

To ensure the success of products and services, governments must identify and empower a single product owner as leader.

Problem problem link

As governments approach products and services, they often get stuck or deliver a product that doesn’t meet the needs of the people they intend to serve. This can happen when the product doesn’t have an owner. The team may be unsure of its next step, lack a vision, or not know where to go for help.

Solution solution link

Governments need to appoint a product owner: one person who is ultimately responsible for carrying out the vision of a product or service.

Governments must empower the product owner to:

• Inform and engage stakeholders
• Keep user needs at the forefront
• Make difficult decisions
• Connect with users often
• Build team momentum
• Lead with empathy
• Be flexible

An empowered product owner will make sure a public service is successful.

Context context link

Product owner leadership product owner leadership link

A product owner is different from other leadership roles in government because it entails more than just supervision or management. Not everyone in leadership roles is good at deploying digital products and services.

Instead, government should embrace the concept of a product owner: a person who is responsible for carrying out the vision of a project.

A product owner works with others to champion a product or service from beginning to end. They are ultimately responsible for the success of the product or service. The product owner must be empowered to lead in a new way.

An empowered product owner should:

• Be focused
• Understand the government agency and the users’ needs
• Use that understanding to set a vision — and stick to it
• Communicate with stakeholders to identify problems and options to solve those problems
• Maintain communication with stakeholders throughout the life cycle of the product or service
• Advocate to make sure the product or service solves user needs
• Know when it’s time to retire a product or service

Product vs. project product vs project link

Know the difference between project manager and product owner.

Project project link

A project is a one-time undertaking with the goal of creating a product. It has a finite beginning and end, as well as a defined outcome.

Product product link

A product is a service, process, report, policy, web application, or website that satisfies the needs of users. It goes through a life cycle, being developed and introduced, grown, and improved upon, and retired once it’s no longer needed.

A product owner owns the digital product or service a product owner owns the digital product or service link

The project manager is a task master who makes sure that tasks and assignments are completed on time.

The product owner’s role encompasses the absolute ownership of the product or service — and extends beyond launch. The product owner’s role follows the life of the product or service.

Lead with a product mindset lead with a product mindset link

For product owners to lead effectively, they must be fully empowered by leadership. This means those in decision-making positions within the agency explicitly identify and empower one individual as a product owner.

The empowered product owner:

• Sets the vision and communicates it to the team
• Communicates why change is needed and the path to success
• Focuses on user needs
• Practices openness and facilitates open communication
• Makes informed decisions based upon a continuous feedback loop with stakeholders
• Is flexible and available
• Has subject matter expertise and uses it to solve problems
• Builds momentum by engaging and inspiring others
• Advocates for support within the government agency
• Is ultimately responsible for the success of the product or service

As 18F’s Hannah Kane writes:

“An empowered product owner is someone who understands your organization, the problem we’re solving, and can advocate for the product we ultimately build together. They’ll be responsible for establishing and carrying out the long-term vision of the project, implementing a strategy, and guiding its progress.”

Mantras mantras link

• Appoint an owner

Checklist checklist link

• Identify a product owner.
• Empower the product owner to have the authority to make decisions.
• Ensure the product owner has dedicated time to work on the product or service.
• Ensure the product owner has subject matter expertise about the product or service and its users.
• Have the product owner serve as an advocate for the product or service.

Questions to ask questions to ask link

• Who is the product owner?
• What organizational changes will ensure the product owner has authority over the product or service?
• How is the product owner putting user needs at the forefront?

Learn more learn more link

• What is a product owner?, Department of Civic Things35
• The empowered government product owner, ProudCity36
• Successful Agile in government: Supporting the product owner, Deloitte37
• So, you’re a Product Owner…, 18F38
• Digital Services Playbook Play 6: Assign one leader and hold that person accountable, U.S. Digital Service39
• Extreme ownership for local government, International City/County Management Association40