Government pilots promise low-risk evaluation but often become procurement graveyards.
The logic seems sound: try a solution at small scale, prove value, then expand. But government pilots face unique dynamics that commercial pilots don't encounter. Budget structures, procurement regulations, and political cycles can trap successful pilots in permanent pilot status.
Understanding how government pilots actually work helps you structure them for conversion rather than perpetual evaluation.
Why Government Pilots Differ
Government pilots face structural challenges that commercial pilots avoid.
Budget discontinuity. Pilots funded from discretionary budget often can't scale because production funding requires different appropriation. Successful pilots can starve while waiting for proper funding.
Procurement complexity. Pilot contracts may be structured differently than production contracts. Conversion might require new competition that pilot success doesn't guarantee winning.
Authority gaps. The office that runs pilots may lack authority to approve production deployment. Success in pilot doesn't automatically trigger organizational commitment.
Political timing. Pilots that span political transitions face uncertainty. New leadership may have different priorities regardless of pilot results.
Structuring for Conversion
How you structure pilots affects whether they convert or languish.
Secure conversion path upfront. Before starting, understand what happens if the pilot succeeds. What procurement mechanism enables full deployment? What funding is available? Undefined paths lead to stuck pilots.
Appropriate sponsorship. Pilots sponsored by people with authority to approve continuation are more likely to convert. Pilots in innovation offices without budget authority often struggle to transition.
Success criteria definition. Define what success looks like before starting. Measurable criteria that both sides agree on prevent post-pilot debates about whether it worked.
Timeline constraints. Bounded pilot periods create decision forcing functions. Open-ended pilots become permanent. Define end dates that require decision.
Proving Value During Pilots
Pilot success requires demonstrating value that justifies expansion commitment.
Visible outcomes. Pilot results need to be visible beyond pilot participants. Executive awareness of success creates organizational momentum. Invisible pilots don't drive decision-making.
Quantified results. Government responds to data. Quantified improvements provide justification that qualitative satisfaction doesn't. Measure everything measurable.
User testimonials. Pilot users who advocate vocally for expansion provide political support. Their enthusiasm becomes evidence that abstract metrics can't provide.
Comparison to alternatives. How does pilot performance compare to status quo? To other options considered? Relative comparison provides context that isolated results lack.
Navigating Pilot Politics
Pilots exist within political environments that affect their fate.
Stakeholder mapping. Who needs to support conversion? What are their priorities and concerns? Address stakeholder needs before pilot ends, not after.
Building coalition. Multiple advocates for expansion are more powerful than single sponsor. Use pilot period to build coalition that supports production commitment.
Executive visibility. Ensure decision-makers know about pilot success. Results that stay at working level don't drive organizational commitment.
Competitive dynamics. Competitors may position against your pilot. Understanding competitive landscape helps protect position during conversion decisions.
Common Pilot Traps
Certain patterns trap pilots in perpetual evaluation. Recognize and avoid them.
Success without champion. Technically successful pilots without organizational champion to drive conversion drift indefinitely. Success isn't self-executing.
Wrong funding source. Pilots funded from sources that can't scale create dead ends. Understanding funding from the start prevents this trap.
Scope too small. Pilots too limited to demonstrate real value provide insufficient evidence for production commitment. Scale must be enough to prove impact.
Moving goalposts. Success criteria that change during pilot make conversion impossible. Pin down criteria at start and resist expansion.
From Pilot to Production
Converting pilot success into production deployment requires deliberate action.
Transition planning. Start transition planning before pilot ends. Procurement lead times mean production contracts need to start during pilot, not after.
Budget positioning. Get production funding into budget requests during pilot period. Waiting until pilot ends means waiting for next budget cycle.
Stakeholder preparation. Brief decision-makers on pilot results before formal decision points. Surprises in decision meetings rarely help.
Competitive protection. If full deployment requires new competition, structure pilot evidence to support your competitive position. Documentation of pilot success becomes proposal evidence.
Government pilots can be valuable proving grounds or procurement traps depending on how they're structured and executed. Understanding government-specific dynamics, structuring for conversion from the start, and actively managing the path from pilot to production turns pilots into business development tools rather than evaluation exercises that never end.