Governments Build Resilience by Design, Sustain It Daily
September 04, 2025 by Russell Gainford
Government resilience is put to the test more often, and more intensely, than ever before. Extreme weather events, cyberattacks, fiscal volatility, and infrastructure failures are no longer the exception — they are now the rule. Digital resilience has become a strategic imperative.
Residents are increasingly expecting around-the-clock digital services and timely, accurate information, especially during crises. But outdated legacy systems, workforce shortages, and fragmented data are leaving many agencies vulnerable. To meet these challenges, government leaders and agencies will need to redefine resilience to include adaptability, continuity, and proactivity.
Many forward-thinking agencies are already embracing digital modernization as a resilience strategy by investing in cloud-based systems, automation, and integrated data platforms that support faster decision-making and operational agility. This shift isn’t just about the technology — it also requires new governance models, stronger collaboration, and a commitment to continuous improvement.
In March 2025, President Trump issued “Achieving Efficiency Through State and Local Preparedness,” an executive order that emphasizes the pivotal role of state and local governments in national resilience efforts. It highlights a policy shift toward empowering these entities to take a more active role in preparedness and response, with streamlined federal support.
It’s an urgent call. According to analysts, governments building digital resilience are enhancing operational efficiency, fostering skilled workforces and protecting public services through the strategic use of AI and technologies.
But these efforts will need to be continuous. For example, analyst research shows about 80% of the resilience planning introduced under COVID-19 will have failed, been forgotten about, or shelved by 2026.
In other words, resilience isn’t a one-time investment — it’s a long-term commitment that must be operationalized into an agency. Public sector leaders must plan for the unexpected — not just natural disasters and cyberattacks but also vendor disruptions, outdated systems, and surges in user demand. The public sector leaders who do this will separate themselves from those who don’t.
So, how can public sector leaders and agencies get started? Thankfully, cloud-based infrastructure makes resilience more achievable than ever. That said, technology alone is not enough. Agencies need to build a roadmap that aligns priorities, budgets, and operations.
Identify critical services. Leaders can start by ranking services based on their impact on internal operations and resident-facing functions. Rank which services are essential — not simply what’s most visible, but what’s most disruptive if it fails. Top examples might include resident permitting, emergency communications, or payroll systems.
Evaluate risks and interdependencies. Resilience doesn’t happen in isolation. Examine how critical services connect to other systems, paying attention to those with shared data or API dependencies. Remember, a failover plan for one system won’t be effective if the systems it relies on are offline.
Plan in phases. It’s okay not to make every system resilient at once. Start with services that need to be always on, then build a phased approach to address others over time. Be sure to factor in cost modeling, operational capacity, and the timeline for transitioning from legacy systems.
Test — and practice. Run quarterly disaster recovery drills and tabletop exercises with IT teams. Test failovers! Verify that your runbooks and documentation reflect reality. And use sample sizing to manage workloads — prioritize a few critical services per quarter and rotate.
Align resilience with modernization. Each and every system upgrade is a chance to reduce technical debt. If an on-premises system has no roadmap to the cloud, explore whether a software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution can provide the necessary availability and recovery. Modernization and resilience are linked — don’t treat them as separate initiatives.
Operationalize. Make resilience part of budgeting and operational planning cycles. Most importantly, assign ownership, and track improvements. Think of resilience as a metric for success, just like service delivery, staffing, or cybersecurity.
Cloud-based systems can offer governments a smarter, stronger path to operational resilience. They provide the ability to scale, recover, and adapt rapidly, which are especially important attributes given the rise of interconnected systems and resident expectations of 24/7 services. They also enable real-time data updates — critical to AI-driven services.
After a cyberattack, the city of Germantown, Tennessee, migrated its computer aided dispatch system to the cloud in just five days, restoring access to 30 years of data and significantly reducing system downtime. IT staff now get fewer late-night calls and enjoy automated fixes.
Modern resilience demands cloud-based infrastructure, real-time data, and scalable, AI-powered tools that work across departments and jurisdictions. But just as important are the human systems: strong leadership, cross-agency collaboration, and a clear commitment to resident trust.
When it comes down to it, resilience isn’t about perfection — it’s about preparation. With a thoughtful roadmap, public sector leaders can deliver continuity, confidence, and capacity in the face of whatever comes next.
About the Author
Russell Gainford
Russell Gainford is the chief technology officer at Tyler Technologies, where he leads cloud development, operations, and deployment strategy. His work helps clients strengthen resilience and deliver secure, scalable services to the public through modern, cloud-based infrastructure.