UAS Governance & Program Design Advisory
Build UAS programs that align authority, operations, and technology from the outset.
The Challenge
Aircraft Are Not a Program
Unmanned aircraft systems can support emergency response, infrastructure assessment, public safety, environmental monitoring, and other critical missions. But acquiring aircraft is easier than building the organizational capability required to operate them responsibly.
When procurement begins before leaders define decision authority, approved uses, operating procedures, data requirements, and oversight responsibilities, programs become fragmented. Pilots stall, ownership remains unclear, and operational risk grows.
The challenge is not simply determining whether an aircraft can fly. It is establishing the authority, structure, and discipline that determine when, why, and how it should be used.
What This Work Is
UAS Governance & Program Design is a structured advisory service that helps organizations build lawful, coordinated, and sustainable UAS capability.
We begin with the mission, operating environment, intended uses, and decisions the program must support. We then align governance, authority, policy, stakeholders, operational requirements, and technology around those needs.
The objective is not simply to launch aircraft. It is to build a program that can operate responsibly, withstand scrutiny, and evolve with the mission.
“A successful UAS program is not defined by the aircraft it buys. It is defined by the authority, structure, and operational discipline that allow it to fly.”
What This Work Includes
Depending on your organization’s needs, the work may include:
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Defining executive ownership, program authority, decision rights, oversight responsibilities, and escalation pathways..
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Working with legal, regulatory, and operational stakeholders to translate applicable requirements into policies, approval processes, and operating constraints.
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Identifying and prioritizing the missions UAS should support, the conditions under which they add value, and the circumstances in which they should not be used.
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Establishing how participating agencies, departments, partners, and external stakeholders will coordinate before, during, and after operations.
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Developing the operating model, program requirements, procedures, training expectations, procurement criteria, and implementation pathway.
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Defining measures for safety, reliability, mission value, compliance, readiness, and continuous program improvement.
Our Approach
From Structure to Operational Capability
A sustainable UAS program requires more than aircraft, operators, and technical procedures. The PRIME Method builds the governance and operational capability in the right order.
Position
Assess the organization’s mission, current capabilities, operating environment, authorities, stakeholders, risks, and readiness.
Reframe
Define what the UAS program must accomplish, establish priority use cases, and shift the conversation from acquiring aircraft to building mission capability.
Integrate
Align governance, legal requirements, policies, decision authority, operations, workforce, information, technology, and participating stakeholders.
Mobilize
Translate the program design into operating procedures, training requirements, procurement criteria, coordination mechanisms, and an actionable implementation pathway..
Evolve
Measure safety, performance, compliance, readiness, and mission value. Apply lessons, strengthen the program, and expand operations only when the evidence supports it.
Where Most Organizations Start
UAS Governance & Program Design is designed for organizations that need more than aircraft and technical training.
This includes:
State, local, and regional agencies establishing their first UAS program
Public safety and emergency management organizations expanding beyond a limited pilot
Multi-agency environments requiring coordinated authority and operating procedures
Organizations experiencing fragmented use or unclear program ownership
Leaders preparing for procurement who need defensible requirements first
Regulated or high-risk organizations that must demonstrate responsible oversight
Engagement Pathway and Investment
Most engagements begin with a focused assessment of the organization’s mission, current posture, authorities, stakeholders, risks, and program objectives. Each tier builds on the last, allowing organizations to move from initial assessment to sustainable operational capability with clarity and discipline. Final scope and investment are determined by program complexity, organizational scale, stakeholder requirements, and the level of implementation support needed.
Tier 1: UAS Governance Readiness Sprint
Assess the organization’s mission, current capabilities, authorities, stakeholders, risks, and program objectives. Identify critical gaps, priority decisions, and recommended next actions.
Investment: $15,000–$30,000
Tier 2: Governance & Program Design
Develop the governance structure, operating model, policies, decision rights, program requirements, coordination mechanisms, and implementation pathway.
Investment: $75,000–$200,000+
Tier 3: Implementation & Operational Enablement
Support program implementation, including operating procedures, stakeholder coordination, procurement requirements, training expectations, deployment planning, and workforce preparation.
Investment: Scoped according to program scale and complexity
Tier 4: Ongoing Advisory
Provide continued guidance as the organization addresses emerging issues, evaluates performance, strengthens governance, and expands operational capability.
Investment: Starting at $10,000 per month
Why Digital Prime Strategies
Strategic guidance for organizations establishing or maturing lawful, trusted UAS programs.
Governance Built in the Public Sector
Digital Prime Strategies is led by Annah Akasa, who served as the District of Columbia’s UAS Program Administrator. Her work focused on building the governance structures required for safe, compliant, and coordinated operations across agencies and stakeholders.
That experience included:
Establishing governance structures for public-sector UAS operations
Defining roles, responsibilities, ownership, and decision authority
Aligning legal, regulatory, policy, and operational requirements
Coordinating real-world deployment across agencies and stakeholders
Developing operational and administrative guidance
Connecting technology decisions to mission needs and public accountability
This experience shapes how Digital Prime approaches UAS programs. Aircraft, policies, operators, information, and authority must function as one coordinated system.
What Changes
When this work is done well:
Program ownership and decision authority are clear
Mission requirements drive acquisition and deployment
Policies and operating procedures reflect real-world conditions
Agencies and stakeholders understand how they will coordinate
Procurement decisions follow defensible requirements
Leaders can evaluate safety, performance, risk, and mission value
The program can grow without outpacing its governance
The result is not simply permission to fly. It is a sustainable organizational capability built to serve the mission responsibly.
Build the Program Before You Expand the Fleet
If your organization is establishing a UAS program, moving beyond a pilot, or preparing for a major investment, begin by defining the structure that will govern it.
Let’s build the authority, operating model, and program foundation required for responsible deployment.