Meet your Digital Experience Council
We’d like to introduce you to the Digital Experience Council, a new subcommittee of the Federal Chief Information Officer’s Council that partners with agency practitioners to deliver a digital-first public experience.
The Digital Experience Council was required by a recent OMB memo, M-23-22, Delivering a Digital-First Public Experience. The Council held its kickoff meeting in February 2024 — setting a vision for the work ahead and celebrating the accomplishments of the former Federal Web Council, which sunset in January 2024.
Why now?
There are many moving parts to implementing federal web policies, and the Digital Experience Council will play a critical role in coordinating government-wide efforts and assisting agencies in delivering digital experiences that meet the public’s needs and expectations.
A strong digital experience is crucial for federal agencies to fulfill their missions and best serve the public. The public expects and deserves a simple, seamless and secure experience when interacting with government websites and digital services. Improving these interactions is a significant opportunity to make it easier to access the information and services that millions use and count on each and every day. Achieving this requires coordination across federal agencies, programs, and the various functions involved in delivering digital experiences.
Collaboration is a staple of good government, and it empowers all of us to embrace and make progress in achieving the vision and goals outlined in the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (21st Century IDEA) and M-23-22.
Understand the policy framework
The 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act, otherwise known as 21st Century IDEA, was a bipartisan act signed into law in December 2018.
In September 2023, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued M-23-22, Delivering a Digital-First Public Experience. In part, this memo provides further policy guidance to help agencies fully implement 21st Century IDEA. The law and policy guidance collectively establish a framework and the requirements for a digital-first public experience.
Read more on the policy resource page, Requirements for delivering a digital-first public experience.
How can I stay informed?
The Council is working closely with the Digital.gov team to provide a venue for digital leaders and the broader community to collaborate on best practices, lessons learned, and common approaches to digital experience challenges.
Council members will regularly engage with members of digital-related communities of practice. Input from communities of practice will inform the Council’s priorities, and community members will be considered for participation in Council working groups.
Each month, we send highlights from the Council meeting to all members of the Web Managers community of practice so those responsible for building federal websites and digital services can understand and align efforts with the Council’s top priorities.
Who can join?
The Web Managers Community of Practice is a group of government employees and contractors who manage government websites and digital services. They work to create a trusted, seamless online experience for all. Join the Web Managers Community.As Federal CIO Clare Mortorana said in her opening remarks at Digital.gov’s 2024 Spring Community Summit, “Together, we are here to drive progress for the American public. Technology enables the government to deliver on its mission, and working collaboratively is the only way I have seen change happen in government.”
