News and Updates

Digital front door: Expanding access to VA

More Veterans are turning to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for healthcare and benefits, accessing these services online through tools like the VA Health and Benefits mobile app and VA.gov. With over 2.28 million app downloads and 17.8 million monthly visitors on VA.gov, these digital tools provide faster, easier, and more inclusive access to VA services. Learn more about how these technologies are often Veterans’ first interaction with VA by watching their latest video, Digital Front Door: Expanding Access to VA.— via U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Jun 26, 2024

Unsolicited data: A valuable resource for digital customer experience enhancement

Optimizing federal service touchpoints involves analyzing both actively-sought and spontaneous feedback, introducing new metrics and data points.

Isabel (Izzy) Metzger

Jun 25, 2024

The U.S. Web Design System team will give an update on their work developing web components for the design system.

Back to basics in the age of AI

The federal government is actively discussing the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI). It has the potential to transform our digital service delivery, automate tasks, and enhance data analysis. However, AI also presents challenges and risks such as bias and ethical concerns. The team at 18F provides a quick overview of AI, its place in government today, and the techniques and frameworks they are currently using to navigate this complex new landscape.— via 18F

Jun 18, 2024

How the U.S. Department of the Navy is delivering IT that just works

The U.S. Navy’s Program Executive Office for Digital and Enterprise Services is working to revolutionize how information technology is acquired.

Amanda Hawkins

Jun 10, 2024

Federal customer experience: OMB has taken actions to implement cross-agency priority goals

In 2021, the President’s Management Agenda identified federal customer experience as a priority area for improvement. To implement this priority area, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) set two long-term, cross-agency priority (CAP) goals. In this study, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reviews OMB and selected federal agencies’ efforts towards these CAP goals. Learn about actions taken by OMB and selected High Impact Service Providers (HISPs), how OMB has facilitated interagency collaboration, and the extent to which OMB has overseen and assessed progress on these CAP goals.— via Government Accountability Office

Jun 06, 2024

Equity study reaches 4,000 participants

Launched last fall, the General Services Administration equity study on remote identity proofing aims to determine if biases exist in the algorithms used for online identity verification. The study has now reached its goal of recruiting 4,000 participants from diverse communities, and experts are ready to begin analysis of the data. Learn how the team at GSA plans to conduct this data analysis, and how their findings will lead to improved equitable services delivery in technology across the government.— via General Services Administration

Jun 05, 2024

Three tips for using meta descriptions

At USA.gov and USAGov en Español, the goal is to make content more useful to the public, and meta descriptions are one way to help people quickly find the government information they’re looking for. These brief summaries of webpage content appear in search engine results to entice users to click through, attracting visitors to agency websites. Regularly updating these descriptions based on user data can enhance their effectiveness. Read in more detail about their three tips to create effective meta descriptions: identify commonly searched keywords, write engaging and actionable descriptions, and ensure each one is unique.— via USA.gov

Jun 04, 2024

FedRAMP governance

The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) has recently updated its governance structure to better serve its customers. Learn about their recently-formed FedRAMP Board, composed of federal executives; the FedRAMP Technical Advisory Group (TAG), composed of technology experts; and updates made to the Federal Security Cloud Advisory Committee (FSCAC). These groups collectively aim to strengthen and expand FedRAMP’s cloud service capabilities.— via FedRAMP

Jun 04, 2024

Why some technologists choose public service

The General Services Administration (GSA) employs nearly 12,000 people who provide services to federal agencies and the public, and has been recognized as one of the top federal agencies to work for, emphasizing a people-first culture. Through the Tech to Gov initiative, GSA’s Technology Transformation Services (TTS) has successfully recruited top tech talent to enhance digital government services. Get to know some of GSA’s newest technologists.— via General Services Administration

May 22, 2024

A five-step plan for communicating with leadership

How to engage leadership personally, adapt communication styles, and choose appropriate timing for effective interactions and feedback.

Frances Carden

May 20, 2024

The U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) team will chat with Center for Civic Design co-founder Whitney Quesenbery about designing accessible civic spaces.

10x Fiscal Year 2023 Impact Report

In FY23, 10x doubled down on its commitment to creating solutions that serve the American public by investing in projects that aligned with the themes: Digital Foundations and Equity in Delivery. The team celebrated key wins with projects like Automated Security Authorization Processing (ASAP), and are very hopeful that newer projects, such as Digital Access to Justice, will make a difference. Explore what they did, where they’re going next — and what was learned along the way.— via 10x

May 15, 2024

One year with the new USAGov

It has been a year since USA.gov and USAGov en Español were relaunched using human-centered design principles. Using task backlog, the USAGov team has addressed content gaps, improved discoverability, and implemented technical updates. Through usability tests, visitor comments, and click behavior the team was able to unravel and respond to user feedback and unmet needs, leading to noticeable increases in visitor satisfaction and task accomplishment. Moving forward, the focus will shift to enhancing public engagement with the government, improving the search for benefits-related content, and exploring interactive and personalized user experiences.— via USA.gov

May 14, 2024

FEMA National Summit on Risk Communications, Crisis Communications, and Community Engagement

The Federal Emergency Management Agency Office of External Affairs is convening risk and crisis communicators and community leaders who are on the front-line of the climate and emerging hazard crises. Attend the free, June 10, 2024, summit virtually, or in Washington, DC. The agenda includes: the sharing invaluable tools and insights, how to implement culturally competent and accessible communications, how to integrate behavior change strategies, and more. An ASL interpreter will be provided.— via Federal Emergency Management Agency

Apr 25, 2024

Creating a blueprint for quality: How the PX Contact Center helps agents grow their skills

Every day, live agents at USA.gov’s Public Experience (PX) Contact Center answer questions from the public about government benefits and services. Learn how the PX Contact Center develops a workforce of excellent agents, using immersive onboarding, tailored and continuous training, feedback loops, and calibration meetings to empower their agents to deliver accurate information. USA.gov’s system for employee and contact center management ensures that every customer interaction leaves a lasting impact.— via USA.gov

Apr 23, 2024

Google Analytics 4: Transition strategies for federal websites

Learn how the Open Data, Design, and Development (ODDD) team at the Department of the Interior (DOI) transitioned from Google Analytics - Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4! Discover how the ODDD team coordinated with the Digital Analytics Program, developed explorations (instead of custom reports), and set up their own DOI agency property.— via Office of Natural Resources Revenue

Apr 22, 2024

The U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) team will go over some basics of Web Components and how they apply to the design system.

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Progress towards delivering a digital-first public experience

Each year, more than 400 million individuals, families, businesses, organizations, and local governments get information and services from about 430 federal agencies and sub-agencies. The Biden-Harris administration is driving a bold vision for how government agencies serve their customers digitally with OMB’s ten-year roadmap for a modern digital experience. Agencies have already made significant strides. Learn about recent successes by the IRS, CDC, NASA, and FEMA, and how OMB will continue to collaborate with agencies to ensure ongoing improvement in digital government services.— via The White House