DigitalGov

Does your federal agency use a pop-up, modal, or overlay to present its IT warning banner (system use notifications) to users?

Office of Management and Budget Memo M-23-22 discourages the use of pop-ups and modals. See how GSA IT updated security policies so that IT warning banners are presented less intrusively to users.

IT warning banners: How GSA is working to stop unnecessarily frightening users OMB Memo M-23-22 discourages the use of pop-ups and modals. GSA IT updated security policies so that IT warning banners are presented less intrusively to users.

GSA’s Technology Transformation Services launched over 40 initiatives with ARP funds to enhance your access to government services. Our focus extends beyond immediate recovery to transforming how services are delivered in a digital age.

These initiatives empower agencies to innovate, simplify your interactions with the government, and ensure everyone can benefit. Together, we're shaping a more accessible and responsive government.

Supporting innovation through the American Rescue Plan GSA uses American Rescue Plan funding for over 40 initiatives to foster community, improve user experiences, and empower underserved populations.

Evaluating your agency’s accessibility just got a whole lot easier through OpenACR, GSA’s new Accessibility Conformance Report tool. See how this will make accessibility for everyone easier:

Evaluating your agency’s accessibility just got a whole lot easier with GSA’s OpenACR Editor To help agencies evaluate the accessibility of their digital products, GSA is making it easier to create Accessibility Conformance Reports through its new OpenACR Editor.

This new guide, "Building by the rules: A crash course for federal technologists," introduces government web and digital practitioners to public policy, which influences technology projects as a force both for and against change. It was created for DigitalGov by Fellows in the U.S. Digital Corps, an early‑career fellowship designed for the country’s top technology talent to serve in the federal government.

"Building by the rules" guides you through:

- Six types of policy
- Exploring the policy framing for FindSupport.gov as a case study
- Key federal statutes around information collection, accessibility, privacy, and security; the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Privacy Act of 1974, and the Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA).

https://digital.gov/guides/public-policy

Building by the rules: A crash course for federal technologists A guide for web and digital practitioners on why public policy matters.

Computers these days aren’t just smaller and faster, they’re also portable and can be taken almost anywhere. But back in the day, that wasn’t the case – some computers were the size of a whole room.

Case in point: In 1950, NIST developed the nation’s first internally programmed digital computer called the Standards Eastern Automatic Computer or SEAC (shown here is the inside wiring of the computer).

It was the first of its kind and was used for 13 solid years calculating wave functions for helium and lithium, stresses in aircraft structures and even producing the world’s first digital image. Which happened to be a black and white image of a NIST researcher’s three-month-old son.

Today we celebrate the 74th anniversary of when SEAC was first created!

Learn more about the computer: https://www.nist.gov/director/nbsnist-culture-excellence/nbs-builds-computer

Are you ready to discover how the United States Navy's Program Executive Office for Digital and Enterprise Services (PEO Digital) is transforming the landscape of IT within the Department of Defense? In a recent update, Department of the Navy CIO, Jane Rathbun, highlighted PEO Digital's groundbreaking efforts and focus on the user.

PEO Digital is working to make IT so seamless that you don’t think about it. Find out about their modern service delivery strategy, cultural shift, and the alignment of strategy to ex*****on, all aimed at delivering modern, secure, and effective enterprise IT. Explore the full article to uncover the secrets behind PEO Digital's success in delivering innovative solutions and revolutionizing IT within the Department of Defense.

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.

Often, you have only one brief chance to engage your organization’s leadership. Think of this as your “elevator pitch" moment. You need to hit the high points, make your recommendations, and solicit leadership’s buy-in and approval — usually in a few minutes — when they are likely distracted and multitasking.

Here are five tips to help you do just that.

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.

👩🏽‍💻 Now available: Trusted Tester for Web Certification courses, version 5.1.3

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has updated its Trusted Tester Program courses. It features six improvements, including accessible plain language, adjusted exam requirements, and enhances course design. The updated curriculum aligns with the latest Trusted Tester Conformation Test Process for Web, offering a more efficient learning experience.

Enrollment is open via the Training Program Portal, and inquiries can be directed to the DHS Helpdesk for assistance.

→ Learn more about the update: https://www.section508.gov/blog/trusted-tester-update-april2024

💡 Discover the future of government services in the digital age

Each year, millions rely on federal agencies for vital information and services. The Biden-Harris administration is revolutionizing how agencies serve their customers online with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) groundbreaking ten-year roadmap for a modern digital experience.

Many agencies have already made significant strides towards this vision. Find out how agencies like the IRS, CDC, NASA, and FEMA are transforming digital government services to better serve the public. Learn how OMB will continue to partner with agencies to improve the modern digital experience for all users.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/briefing-room/2024/04/17/progress-towards-delivering-a-digital-first-public-experience/

Let’s embrace the future together. Follow Digital.gov to stay up-to-date on the exciting developments shaping the digital landscape of government services.

Progress Towards Delivering a Digital-First Public Experience | OMB | The White House By Federal Chief Information Officer Clare Martorana President Biden and Vice President Harris believe government agencies should deliver excellent outcomes for the American people, whether we are rebuilding America’s infrastructure or providing access to critical information, services, or benefit...

Our monthly newsletter is a round-up of innovative work, news, and ideas from people and teams across the government. It also includes upcoming community events & training aimed at elevating your digital expertise.

Subscribe today!

Subscribe to Digital.gov Stay connected with the innovative work, news, events and ideas from people and teams across government

💻 Collaborate and share resources with others across the U.S. government who are focused on building better digital experiences for the public!

Join today with your government-issued work email address (usually a .gov or .mil account): https://digital.gov/communities

* Web Managers — Create a better online experience for the public alongside government web content managers.

* Communicators — Improve written and verbal communication to make government more effective.

* Multilingual — Expand and improve digital content in languages other than English.

* Plain Language — Promote the use of plain language to provide better service to the public.

* Social Media — Improve social media outreach and performance.

* User Experience — Create better user-centered products for the public.

* Web Analytics — Make better decisions using web analytics and other optimization strategies.

Digital.gov Communities of Practice Collaborate and share resources with others across government.

April is National Stress Awareness Month. The government services we build are often most critical in times of stress, so it’s a good time to talk about the serious effect that stress has on how the public engages with our federal sites and services.

To discuss best practices for designing websites with user stress in mind, join the USWDS team at https://github.com/uswds/uswds/discussions/5869 and share your thoughts on topics like:

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 What can teams do to help users who feel stressed?
🔎 What questions should we ask ourselves when building digital services that assist folks in times of stress?
💡 Are there effective usability testing techniques that can address stress while also respecting the vulnerability of those experiencing stress?

Learn more about Stress Awareness Month from the National Institutes of Health: https://hr.nih.gov/working-nih/civil/national-stress-awareness-month

Designing to address stress · uswds uswds · Discussion #5869 April is Stress Awareness Month, and it’s a good time to talk about the serious effect that stress has on how folks use our sites and services. Stress can take many forms. It can be an aspect of a ...

🧭 Make government websites easy for all to navigate. Learn how the General Services Administration is creating seamless customer journeys that put user needs first. Get 4 tips to make your agency's online services more intuitive.

Delivering seamless customer journeys GSA shares a 4-step process used to measure and analyze related websites, and additional plans to improve customers’ digital experience.

A case study on how General Services Administration measures and analyzes related websites to create a more seamless customer journey.

Delivering seamless customer journeys A case study on how GSA measures and analyzes related websites to create a more seamless customer journey.

The U.S. General Services Administration has developed a composite indicator to visualize key components of website success.

It includes: customer centricity, accessibility, performance, SEO, required links, user behavior, and U.S. Web Design System adoption.

Determining the true value of a website: A GSA case study GSA has developed a composite indicator to visualize six key components of website success.

👩🏽‍💻 Did you miss the March monthly call with USWDS on how to build new components?

We've added the tutorial video and presentation slides:

USWDS Monthly Call - March 2024 Join the U.S. Web Design System team for a lesson on customizing and extending the design system.

Thank you to those who joined us at the Spring Community Summit on March 13: https://digital.gov/event/2024/03/13/spring-2024-community-summit/?utm_source=summit&utm_medium=facebook

Federal Chief Information Officer, Clare Martorana, infused the summit with energy in her opening keynote, reiterating the importance of foundational approaches when delivering a digital-first public experience.

"You are the people we need to actually commit this government to delivering a digital-first public experience. Your work is essential […] to serve the American people. It’s an honor to join you as you kick off this Digital.gov community summit. It's an incredible way to collaborate with others."

Join our communities of practice and let’s keep the great conversations from the summit going:
https://digital.gov/communities/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=facebook

Digital.gov Communities of Practice Collaborate and share resources with others across government.

Do you know a federal, state, or local government employee who has made a positive impact as a public servant? Share their story!

Participate in PerformanceGov’s campaign during Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW) from May 5 - May 11! 🎉 celebrates the extraordinary contributions of employees who make a difference every day. Explore the GovPossible toolkit, which makes it easy to share stories and participate in this important (and fun!) .

Govpossible Celebrating the work of public servants

Attn: Federal Government Agencies! Need help redesigning your federal workplace? The General Services Administration’s Workplace Innovation Lab can help with office design, furniture, and technology ideas to meet the needs of your workforce.

➡️ https://ow.ly/HjwM50QZxE8

🎉 Happy 10th anniversary to General Services Administration's 18F! Since 2014, this digital consulting office within Technology Transformation Services has transformed government tech with over 450 projects that support better user-centered design for govt websites and more. Here's to a decade of impactful partnerships and groundbreaking projects!

➡️ https://ow.ly/7NrL50QX1QL

📅 Save the date for the upcoming M-23-22 Industry Day: Delivering a Digital-First Public Experience.

This virtual summit will take place on May 14, 2024 (1 pm - 3:45 pm, Eastern) and begin a dialogue on enhancing the digital interactions between the government and the American public!

🔎 Search.gov year in review: 2023 report

Learn what types of information people searched for on federal websites in 2023, see emerging trends the team is exploring to improve customers’ search experience in 2024, and check out three new updates.

The data tab provides insightful summaries for 13 popular topic areas—and lists the public’s top 25 search terms, in their own words, for each.

2023 in review Year-end report on what people were searching for on federal government websites during 2023.

What does it mean to improve the management of federal programs and projects? OMB’s policy guidance in M-18-19 requires agencies to use three key strategies as part of a 5-year strategic plan for implementing the Program Management Improvement Accountability Act (PMIAA).

Strategy 1. Coordinated governance
Strategy 2. Regular engagement and reviews with OMB and agencies
Strategy 3. Strengthening program management capacity to build a capable workforce

Learn more: https://digital.gov/resources/requirements-for-improving-the-management-of-federal-programs-and-projects

Exciting news! The Digital Analytics Program (DAP) has rolled out new features to enhance federal agency web data analysis and decision-making processes. Check out the governmentwide real-time web traffic data at https://analytics.usa.gov!

analytics.usa.gov | The US government's web traffic. Official data on web traffic to thousands of US federal government websites. Published by the Digital Analytics Program.

From mentee to mentor: We're truly inspired by how DigitalGov's Ammie Farraj Feijoo found joy in mentoring while battling breast cancer. Currently, she's a mentor & internal coach at the General Services Administration, and she also mentors breast cancer survivors in her local community.

📆 Tomorrow, March 13, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, ET

Need help addressing the 100+ requirements from the recent OMB memo, M-23-22? We got you covered! Join us for a day of inspiration and collaboration as leading voices across government agencies share stories of innovation and excellence in delivering a digital first public experience.

There is still time to register for DigitalGov’s Spring 2024 Community Summit: Delivering a digital-first public experience.

Federal Chief Information Officer Clare Martorana will kick off the day with a keynote. Then, panels of federal practitioners and civic tech enthusiasts will dive deep into the project lifecycle of websites and digital services.

Register now to attend the event: https://digital.gov/event/2024/03/13/spring-2024-community-summit/?utm_source=summit&utm_medium=facebook

Spring 2024 Community Summit Digital service experts across the federal government will share case studies and best practices on delivering a digital-first public experience.

📆 March 13, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, ET
Join us for a day of inspiration and collaboration as leading voices across government agencies share stories of innovation and excellence in every phase of the digital project journey.

Register now for Digital.gov’s Spring 2024 Community Summit on March 13. The theme for this virtual summit is: Delivering a digital-first public experience.

Federal Chief Information Officer will kick off the day with a keynote. Then, panels of federal practitioners and civic tech enthusiasts will dive deep into the project lifecycle of websites and digital services.

Register now to attend the event!

Spring 2024 Community Summit Digital service experts across the federal government will share case studies and best practices on delivering a digital-first public experience.

Agencies rely on surveys to collect critical feedback about how their services and products are working for the public. Some services across the government have been designated as "high-impact" because they have an extensive customer base or a profound impact on the individuals they serve.

This article gives us a look at bridging the gap between structured and unstructured , transforming unstructured data into actionable insights, rethinking survey design -- and a U.S. Department of Labor case study on enhancing services through comprehensive customer analysis.

Amplifying customer voices Understand how to use natural language processing and advanced analytics to gain insights on high-impact service performance and survey design.

In the government, accessibility means that agencies must give disabled employees and members of the public access to information comparable to the access available to others.

Accessibility must be considered throughout design, development, content creation, and maintenance of digital assets. It’s much easier to build accessibility in from the start, than to remediate something after it’s already built.

This introduction to accessibility walks us through:

- What is accessibility?
- Why is accessibility important?
- What can I do next?

An introduction to accessibility An overview of how to design and deliver accessible digital products and services in the federal government