Practitioner Picks: Product Management Issue
Practitioner Picks is a quarterly series designed to add fresh resources to the Digital Government Hub’s library, helping people improve government digital service delivery. Each issue spotlights resources chosen by practitioners in a specific service delivery area along with their insights on why these picks are valuable additions to the Hub.
Product management deploys practices like user research, agile development, and clear ownership to design, build, and continuously improve digital services that actually meet people’s needs. In this edition of Practitioner Picks, our contributor rounds up resources to help teams adopt product thinking and deliver more effective, user-centered government services.
Say hello to this issue’s contributor!
Amani Farooque
Product Director, New Jersey Innovation Authority
LinkedIn
Amani Farooque is a product director at the New Jersey Innovation Authority. She supports product managers across the Resident Experience and Business Experience initiatives to hone their product craft and lead efforts that better the lives of New Jerseyans. She supported the launch of the Direct File tax program in New Jersey, launched the first version of the New Jersey AI Assistant, and is currently supporting the State’s efforts in implementing HR-1 requirements for Medicaid members.
Prior to joining the Innovation Authority, Amani worked for a federal contractor supporting a search platform that helps federal websites deliver information to the American public. She has also worked across healthcare, financial services, retail, and food service enterprise clients to improve their search presence externally and internally.
Check out the resources Amani added to the Hub…
New Jersey’s Six Principles of Product Development
This blog outlines six guiding principles used by New Jersey’s Office of Innovation to develop impactful, user-centered civic technology products.
New Jersey’s Generative AI How-to Guides
A collection of practical, step-by-step guides help public sector professionals apply generative AI tools to real government workflows.
What she said:
“These principles reflect the product approach each of our product managers take with the New Jersey Innovation Authority, and help guide our work. These tenets help us communicate with agency partners to make sure we are prioritizing and delivering the right things for our users.”
What she said:
“In almost every conversation with agency partners, the potential of using GenAI to solve all our problems comes up. These guides give general framing of how to build GenAI tools and tactical advice for applications like call centers. As a product manager, this gives me the tools to evaluate whether GenAI is an appropriate solution given the problem space I’m tackling, and the core principles to keep in mind if we do pursue it.”
Check out the existing Hub resources Amani consults in her work…
How Login.gov uses roadmapping to build trust with its partners and the public
Login.gov created a first-of-its-kind, publicly-visible program roadmap and shares tips on how other programs can build their own roadmaps to improve transparency.
A Civic Technologist’s Practice Guide
This guide by Cyd Harrell serves as a comprehensive manual for technologists aiming to engage effectively in public sector projects, offering practical advice on navigating government partnerships and driving impactful change.
What she said:
“Creating transparent roadmaps for shared platforms is a practice I’ve found so valuable in building trust with many stakeholders. Even if we can’t deliver everything all at once, it helps to let agency partners know we are listening and do use their feedback to inform the future direction of our products. Login.gov’s approach informs my own when thinking about bringing stakeholders in to co-create product vision and roadmaps.”
What she said:
“I read this book when I first transitioned from private to public sector product management. It helped me understand the nuances of delivering impact in government, and tactics to do so effectively.”
Submit your product management resources to the Hub!
Are you helping your government team focus on product-oriented thinking? Add your own resources to the Hub.
Are you our next Picker?
Interested in being a guest picker for a future issue of Practitioner Picks? Share your focus area with us and why you’d be a great fit for this series.
