Why Government Agencies Should Care About the Power Platform Center of Excellence (CoE)
Introduction: The Hidden Gap in Government Low‑Code Adoption
Government agencies are rapidly adopting Microsoft Power Platform to modernize workflows, reduce backlog, and empower mission teams. But while app creation is accelerating, governance often lags behind.
The result?
Shadow IT, inconsistent security practices, and limited visibility into what’s being built.
The Power Platform Center of Excellence (CoE) Starter Kit solves these problems — yet many agencies don’t use it. And the reason isn’t what most people think.
🛡️ The CoE Isn’t a Product — And That’s Exactly Why Agencies Can Use It
One of the biggest misconceptions in government IT is that the CoE requires its own ATO or FedRAMP authorization.
It doesn’t.
The CoE is:
- a solution package, not a SaaS product
- deployed inside the agency’s existing FedRAMP‑authorized tenant
- governed by the agency’s existing ATO boundary
- using the agency’s own Dataverse environment
This makes it no different from:
- a custom Canvas app
- a custom Model‑Driven app
- a set of Power Automate flows
If an agency can build apps, it can deploy the CoE.
🔍 Why the CoE Matters for Zero Trust
Executive Order 14028 and OMB M‑22‑09 push agencies toward Zero Trust.
The CoE directly supports that shift by providing:
Visibility
- Who is building apps
- What connectors they’re using
- Where data is flowing
- Which apps pose risk
Control
- Enforce DLP policies
- Identify risky connectors
- Monitor admin privileges
- Detect environment drift
Auditability
- Logs
- Usage reports
- Maker activity
- Inventory of all assets
This is the foundation of Zero Trust: assume nothing, verify everything.
⚙️ What the CoE Actually Gives Government Teams
Most agencies underestimate how much value the CoE provides out of the box.
Governance Dashboards
Real‑time visibility into:
- apps
- flows
- makers
- connectors
- environments
Automation
- Cleanup of unused apps
- Orphaned flow detection
- Environment lifecycle management
Maker Enablement
- Onboarding workflows
- Training modules
- Templates
- Best practices
Operational Efficiency
- Reduces manual admin work
- Standardizes processes
- Improves quality of citizen development
⚠️ Why Agencies Avoid It — And Why They Shouldn’t
Agencies often hesitate because of misconceptions:
- “It’s not FedRAMP, so we can’t use it.”
- → Reality: It runs inside your FedRAMP environment.
- “It needs its own ATO.”
- → Reality: It’s part of your existing Power Platform ATO.
- “It’s unsupported.”
- → Reality: It’s community‑supported, and agencies can mitigate risk by:
- Testing updates in dev
- Documenting it in the SSP
- Using ALM pipelines
- Restricting admin permissions
- “It’s too complex.”
- → Reality: It’s modular — agencies can start small and scale.
🧩 How Agencies Can Deploy It Safely
A simple, compliant approach:
- Deploy in a GCC/GCC High/DoD environment
- Ensures FedRAMP High or IL4/IL5 compliance.
- Document it in the SSP
- Treat it like any internal configuration.
- Use least‑privilege service accounts
- Aligns with Zero Trust.
- Disable risky automation at first
- Start with visibility, then add automation later.
- Use ALM for updates
- Meets NIST 800‑53 CM controls.
🎯 Conclusion: The CoE Is the Missing Piece in Government Low‑Code Governance
Government agencies don’t struggle with Power Platform because of the technology — they struggle because they lack visibility, governance, and standardization.
The CoE Starter Kit solves all of that.
It:
- strengthens Zero Trust
- improves compliance
- reduces risk
- empowers makers
- supports mission outcomes
And best of all:
It’s already allowed within your existing ATO and FedRAMP boundary.
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