Digital: Designing a Human Centered Solution for a Leading Health Agency

Problem:

A leading Federal Health Agency faced the challenge of maintaining and improving their external and internal websites and applications, which encompassed a wide array of technologies and cloud-based services. To address this complex task, they sought a trusted partner capable of providing comprehensive DevSecOps support.

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Solution:

CTAC, a leading technology solutions provider, emerged as the ideal partner to support the agency. CTAC’s expertise spanned all of the following 5 competency areas, making us well-equipped to address the diverse needs of the Agency’s digital ecosystem.

Digital:

  • CTAC’s digital development team adopted a mobile-first approach to enhance and optimize the Agency’s websites. We integrated critical data, social media channels, and tailored information for specific target audiences. CTAC embraced the US Web Design Standard templates and maintained a user-centric focus, aligning with the Agency’s mission to inform tobacco users about the dangers of tobacco use, with particular attention to preventing tobacco use among teenagers.

Cyber:

  • CTAC assumed responsibility for the administration of the Agency’s websites and applications, ensuring data availability and security. We played a pivotal role in guiding the agency through three successful Authorization to Operate (ATO) cycles, including some of the earliest ATOs achieved on the AWS Cloud. This established a robust foundation for data and information confidence for the Agency’s digital assets.

Data:

  • CTAC empowered our client with advanced tools and expertise to collect, analyze, and utilize data for informed decision-making. Our team designed and implemented GA4, following their prior management of Universal Analytics for their websites and applications. This data-driven approach allowed the agency to enhance its impact and further its mission.

Cloud:

  • CTAC designed, constructed, and maintained our clients applications on the AWS cloud. Our team of AWS Cloud professionals ensured innovative, secure, and cost-effective solutions to support our client while expanding their digital presence, aligning closely with the Agency’s mission.

DevOps:

  • The Agency’s websites and applications benefited from CTAC’s adoption of Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) principles. Additionally, many applications leveraged low-code development principles, streamlining development processes and fostering agility.
Illustration of a computer with blocks and bits flying off of the screen

Outcome:

Through its partnership with CTAC, the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products successfully addressed the challenges posed by its diverse digital ecosystem. CTAC’s comprehensive support in digital development, cybersecurity, data management, cloud solutions, and DevOps practices enabled our client to achieve its mission more effectively. The Agency’s external websites have reached over 2.3 million users over the last several years.  Analytics has proven users continue to leverage their websites and applications at higher rates than previous years, since CTAC’s User Experience Digital transformation and cloud services support were completed.  This collaboration not only enhanced the Agency’s digital presence but also fortified its ability to inform and protect the public from the dangers of tobacco use.