With the ongoing need for critical infrastructure and development projects across the U.S., many AEC professionals find themselves working on government-related projects. Whether at the local, state, or federal level, projects such as energy, water, transportation, and public facilities require close collaboration between public agencies and private-sector design teams often across multiple locations to meet ambitious deadlines.
Image source: Journey Studio7/stock.adobe.com.
At the same time, these projects must be executed within regulatory and security frameworks that place additional constraints on how project data is stored, accessed, and shared. As a result, AEC teams working on government projects need collaboration tools that support modern, cloud-based workflows while also meeting strict government standards.
To address the needs of these projects, in 2024 Autodesk introduced Autodesk for Government (AFG), a cloud-based platform that enables AEC professionals to collaborate securely and share data in real-time. Consisting of two products — Autodesk Docs for Government and Autodesk BIM Collaborate Pro for Government — AFG supports teams in managing and coordinating project information in a FedRAMP® Moderate-authorized environment.
The Autodesk for Government platform is designed to help users execute projects within regulatory and security frameworks so that workflows meet strict government standards. Image source: Chand Abdurrafy/stock.adobe.com.
FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program) is the U.S. government’s standardized approach for assessing, authorizing, and continuously monitoring cloud services used to store, process, or transmit federal data. A FedRAMP Moderate authorization indicates that a cloud service meets a defined set of security controls appropriate for systems handling Controlled Unclassified Information, which is a category of data common across civil infrastructure, transportation, utilities, defence-adjacent, and public works projects.
FedRAMP Moderate authorization affects how project data is stored, who can access it, how users authenticate, and how audit trails are maintained over the life of a project. Tools that are not FedRAMP-authorized may be prohibited on some government contracts or require agencies and contractors to rely on workarounds, such as isolated networks, file transfers, or parallel systems, which can introduce risk, friction, and delay.
Autodesk for Government is built specifically to operate within this compliance framework, using a dedicated cloud environment that is separate from Autodesk’s commercial platforms and governed by FedRAMP Moderate requirements. This separation is designed to support government security controls while still enabling cloud-based collaboration across design teams.
The two core products of AFG — Autodesk Docs for Government and Autodesk BIM Collaborate Pro for Government — serve different roles within a project. Most users work with one or the other, depending on their responsibilities. Autodesk Docs for Government provides the foundation for secure document management, review, and information sharing, while BIM Collaborate Pro for Government builds on that foundation to support live, multi-author design collaboration in Revit.
Teams typically assign BIM Collaborate Pro to active designers, while other project participants, such as reviewers, managers, and owners, use Docs for Government to access and review project information without directly editing models.
Autodesk Docs for Government is a FedRAMP Moderate-authorized cloud-based document management for government project teams. Regardless of location, users can access project information from one source, helping to reduce errors and improve project outcomes.
Common data environment. Autodesk Docs for Government centralizes drawings, models, specifications, and supporting documentation in a single, controlled location. Folder-level permissions allow project administrators to define exactly who can view, upload, or modify information, by role, organization, or discipline, so teams can manage access to sensitive data while still supporting collaboration across agencies and consultants.
Accountability and traceability. Version control, file locking, and activity tracking help maintain data integrity throughout design and construction. Each change is associated with a user and a timestamp, creating an auditable record of project activity that supports internal reviews, contract compliance, and post-project documentation requirements common on public-sector work.
Distributed teams and SSOT. By providing a SSOT (single source of truth) accessible from multiple locations, Docs for Government supports distributed project teams while reducing the risk of working from outdated or incomplete information. This is particularly valuable on government projects that involve multiple agencies, external consultants, or challenging project timelines.
AFG enables users to compare different versions of a design and highlight changes in BIM Collaborate Pro for Government. Image source: Autodesk.
BIM Collaborate Pro for Government, also a secure FedRAMP Moderate-authorized, cloud-based design collaboration platform, is used by design teams to coordinate and share model-based work across disciplines. It enables designers to communicate updates and exchange coordinated packages of models while operating within a government-compliant cloud environment.
On government projects, collaborative design often spans multiple firms, contract boundaries, and geographic locations, while still requiring tight control over when and how design information is shared. BIM Collaborate Pro for Government is designed to support this environment by enabling real-time collaboration for active model authors without relying on file transfers, isolated servers, or disconnected coordination workflows.
Revit Cloud. Through Revit Cloud Worksharing, as well as Design Collaboration and other modules, it allows multiple designers to work in the same Revit model simultaneously, regardless of location. Models are hosted in the secure government cloud, with changes synchronized incrementally, helping teams reduce coordination delays while maintaining a consistent, current model across the project team.
Managed collaboration and packages. In addition to live model authoring, BIM Collaborate Pro for Government supports managed design collaboration through the use of shared packages. Design teams can group selected models or views and formally share them with other disciplines at defined points in the workflow. This approach allows teams to control when downstream participants see updates, reducing the risk of reacting to incomplete or in-progress design information.
In relation to Docs for Government. While BIM Collaborate Pro for Government is primarily used by designers actively authoring models, it builds on the same document management foundation provided by Autodesk Docs for Government. All project participants can access published models and related documentation through the shared environment, even if they are not directly editing design files.
Autodesk for Government BIM Collaborate Pro enables AEC professionals to collaborate securely and share data in real-time. Image source: Autodesk.
While other cloud-based data sharing tools are suited for commercial design work, government projects introduce additional requirements. On public-sector projects, these constraints affect everyday project work, from access control to design review and long-term documentation. As projects grow in size and complexity, tools not designed for government use can slow coordination and increase risk.
At the same time, government projects continue to grow in complexity. Sustainability goals, environmental regulations, and long project timelines require design teams to evaluate multiple alternatives and coordinate across disciplines and organizations. AFG supports these workflows by combining secure information management with collaborative tools that allow distributed teams to work together efficiently, without compromising compliance requirements.
Taken together, the capabilities of Autodesk for Government support a more structured, transparent approach to managing project information on government work. By combining secure document management with controlled model-based collaboration, AFG allows teams to coordinate design and review activities in a shared environment that aligns with public-sector requirements.
For agencies and their private-sector partners, this approach can reduce reliance on disconnected systems, improve clarity around design decisions, and support more consistent access to project information over long timelines without introducing separate workflows for compliance and collaboration.
Document management capabilities of AFG help teams maintain control over folders, files, and permissions. Image source: ARKANCE.
Implementing a FedRAMP-authorized collaboration environment involves more than deploying new software. Organizations must first verify their eligibility to use the platform, a step that reflects the controlled nature of government-compliant cloud environments. Once approved, teams must consider user access models, data governance, authentication requirements, and how existing design and review workflows align with a government-compliant cloud environment. For teams accustomed to commercial collaboration platforms, these differences can introduce a steep learning curve.
As a result, many public agencies and AEC firms choose to work with experienced implementation partners when adopting Autodesk for Government. Partners familiar with both Autodesk platforms and public-sector project delivery can help organizations assess their workflows, configure permissions appropriately, and avoid common setup issues that can affect usability or compliance.
Technology consultants, such as ARKANCE, which work extensively with government agencies and their private-sector partners, often assist organizations during initial planning, deployment, and training. In practice, this support tends to focus on applying AFG capabilities to real projects rather than generic demonstrations, helping teams integrate the platform into active project workflows.
Training and onboarding approaches can vary depending on organizational needs, project timelines, and team distribution.
In some cases, in-person sessions may be appropriate, while other teams benefit from remote or hybrid training models. Aligning training with actual project deliverables can help teams get up and running quickly.
The Autodesk for Government platform is designed to help users execute projects within regulatory and security frameworks so that workflows meet strict government standards. Image source: anjali/stock.adobe.com.
Autodesk for Government is used across a range of public-sector project types where secure collaboration, controlled access, and long-term data management are required. While specific workflows vary by agency and project scope, the following scenarios illustrate common ways AEC teams and public owners apply AFG to support coordination, review, and information sharing on government work.
Multi-agency infrastructure projects. Transportation, water, and utility projects often involve multiple public agencies and private consultants. AFG provides a shared, secure environment where teams can coordinate designs, reviews, and approvals without duplicated systems or ad hoc file-sharing processes.
Federal facilities and installations. Projects involving secure facilities or controlled data place additional demands on how project information is accessed and tracked. In these environments, AFG’s access controls, auditability, and FedRAMP Moderate authorization help teams collaborate while reducing the need for parallel networks.
Owner-led digital delivery. Public owners adopting model-based delivery approaches can use AFG to maintain long-term access to design and as-built information in a compliant cloud environment. This supports not only design and construction coordination, but also downstream operations, maintenance, and future capital planning.
Working together within the AFG platform offers security for agencies and AEC firms working with government agencies. Image source: Lane Erickson/stock.adobe.com.
As infrastructure needs continue to grow, AEC professionals working on public-sector projects must deliver complex work under tight schedules and evolving regulatory expectations. Technology plays a critical role in meeting these demands, but only when it is aligned with the security, accountability, and collaboration requirements of government project delivery.
Autodesk for Government illustrates how cloud-based collaboration environments can be adapted to operate within these constraints. By supporting secure document management and model-based coordination in a FedRAMP Moderate–authorized environment, AFG allows public agencies and their private-sector partners to work from shared, current information while maintaining appropriate controls over access and data use.
In many cases, agencies and AEC firms rely on experienced Autodesk implementation partners, such as ARKANCE, to help align Autodesk for Government with project workflows and public-sector requirements.
As digital delivery methods continue to mature, the ability to integrate collaboration, compliance, and project execution within a single environment will become increasingly important. For organizations engaged in government work, platforms designed specifically for this context can help support more coordinated, transparent, and resilient project workflows.
Autodesk for Government:
|
***
This article was sponsored by ARKANCE.
Download this article as an eBook today!
Searching for more information about Architecture, Infrastructure, and Construction?
Click here!