NASCA Press Release: Colorado STRATUS Announced as 2026 Innovation in State Government: Digital Services, Data Management, Analytics & Visualization Award Recipient

For Immediate Release
October 9, 2026

Contact: Elizabeth Whitehouse, Executive Director, executivedirector@nasca.org

NASCA Press Release: Colorado STRATUS: A Scalable AI Platform for Navigating State Government Policy and Guidance Announced as 2026 Innovation in State Government: Digital Services, Data Management, Analytics & Visualization Award Recipient

Denver, CO. – The National Association of State Chief Administrators is proud to announce Colorado STRATUS: A Scalable AI Platform for Navigating State Government Policy and Guidance as the 2026 NASCA Innovation in State Government: Digital Services, Data Management, Analytics & Visualization Award recipient.

The Innovation in State Government Awards recognize state administration department programs, projects, and initiatives that exemplify leading practices in the industry.

The Colorado Department of Personnel & Administration developed STRATUS, an artificial intelligence system that brings authoritative state information together into a single, accessible resource so employees can find and understand complex requirements faster and make better-informed decisions.

STRATUS is the product of more than a year of development, testing, subject matter expert collaboration, training, and outreach. Launched in 2025, it focuses on human resources policy, a domain where information is notoriously fragmented, and today draws on 285 HR data sources to give agency teams one place to research policy questions. Extensive testing evaluated the system's accuracy and usefulness with continuous feedback from users and subject matter experts shaping its development. The team paired the technology rollout with training and outreach to all employees who were granted access to the system, a total of 158 employees across 12 agencies so they understand not just how to use STRATUS, but how to apply professional judgment when working with AI-generated information.

STRATUS has already delivered measurable operational value to teams responsible for interpreting and administering complex state requirements, resulting in nearly 700 queries per month. 285 HR sources were incorporated at initial launch, and the team is expanding the functionality across other critical functions by incorporating 576 total sources across HR, fiscal/procurement, and IT security. 

Employees spend less time searching across disconnected documents and more time efficiently applying information directly to their work. By surfacing a more complete view of a subject area in one place, STRATUS helps users identify related requirements they might otherwise have missed under a fragmented, document-by-document search process. Structured training and outreach ensured employees were not just aware of STRATUS but equipped to use it responsibly, applying professional judgment alongside AI-generated information.

STRATUS demonstrates how state governments can apply artificial intelligence thoughtfully and practically to a longstanding operational challenge, pairing innovative technology with authoritative source material, rigorous testing, subject matter expertise, and sustained employee training and outreach. It offers other states a practical, replicable model for improving access to government knowledge, strengthening policy consistency, and helping public employees work more effectively.

NASCA celebrates their selection, and we look forward to their continued work advancing excellence in state government operations. 

Founded in 1976, NASCA is the nation’s only nonpartisan, nonprofit organization serving chief administrative officers or CAOs. NASCA provides a forum for state chief administrative officers to exchange information and learn new ideas from each other and private sector partners. NASCA engages states in transforming government operations through shared knowledge, operational excellence, and thought leadership.

For more information on NASCA, please visit NASCA.org.