The U.S. Air Force is providing “sherpas” to guide service members through the difficult terrain of application development. Instead of spending time and resources figuring out every step of building out or standing up new application, personnel will be guided by experts who already know the path from start to finish.
During a Federal News Network webinar on April 1, George Forbes, deputy chief of staff of the Data and IT Operations Division for the Air Force, said the Sherpa program originated from efforts at other federal agencies that provide guides to personnel to improve mission readiness.
Forbes is now the chief information officer at the Bureau of Industry and Security for the U.S. Department of Commerce.
“We, without any shame, stole that idea and we called it a Sherpa,” Forbes said. “Somebody who may only trek that road, make application once, doesn’t have to become an expert from end to end, but can rely on somebody who can help them get there and then sustain their application.”
The process starts by figuring out if a new application is actually needed. To do that, the Air Force built an artificial intelligence supported tool that walks users through a series of questions to clarify their goals, data needs, security requirements, and possible solutions. In many cases, he said, users do not need a new application but instead can modify an existing tool or improve a process.
“Many users ultimately find they can rely on existing applications or process changes rather than building new tools,” Forbes said, and as a result, “the number of new applications developed annually remains relatively small.”
Sherpas guide new application development
If a new application is required, that’s where the Sherpas come in, Forbes explained.
One early example involves a fuel receipt reimbursement application.
According to Forbes, for reimbursement purposes, personnel previously relied on paper receipts for fuel purchases, which could be damaged or lost, during flights. Drawing on a commercial model that lets users photograph receipts, the Air Force adapted the concept for its own systems.
With a software development kit and a Sherpa’s guidance, developers produced a working prototype in six days.
Forbes said the rapid turnaround was possible because teams had access to prebuilt compliance tools, data structures, and development environments.
The program currently includes about a dozen personnel, roughly half of whom serve as Sherpas, Forbes said.