News and Updates

Improving Acquisition Governmentwide: IT and Professional Services—We are excited to share some updates about how our portfolios are collaborating to improve governmentwide services acquisition. This year we are taking our partnership a step further through a new focus area called the Services Marketplace. Information Technology Category (ITC) and Professional Services and Human Capital Categories (PSHC) are working together to align how we roll out new contracts and tools to support buyers and suppliers of services. See what’s new, what we’re working on, and our three primary goals. — via General Services Administration
Assessing the State of Federal Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
Webinar Recap: How To Best Connect With Your Spanish-speaking Audience During an Emergency
The Customer Experience (CX) Symposium Series: A Thought Incubator for Federal CX Practitioners

Next Steps for Section 508 Compliance at the Office of Natural Resources Revenue: Stakeholder Interview Findings—Accessibility is the foundation for inclusion, diversity, and equity within the federal government. The main way the government establishes accessibility requirements for information and communication technology is through Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Our team recently documented the steps we took to ensure all documents on onrr.gov are Section 508 compliant. This daunting task is now complete! Read interview findings and discover the next steps used to ensure ONRR continues to be at the forefront of Section 508 compliance. — via DOI Revenue Data
Call for Participation: 2022 Government UX Summit

New Improvements to Regulations.gov Boost Transparency and Engagement—Almost a year ago, GSA launched a new version of Regulations.gov. While the new version came with significant improvements, customers requested the return of a few popular features from the previous version. We are happy to announce progress on the highest priority requests—improved public access to posted comments, and docket subscriptions—and new features that are coming soon. — via General Services Administration
Go-Live Checklist for Federal Websites
Overcoming Your Fear of Data
Celebrating Digital.gov Communities: 2021 in Review
Open-source Information Architecture Design: Using the Tools You Have To Conduct Card Sorting and Tree Testing
New EPA Interactive Map on Community & Citizen Science
Keynote Speaker Recap: Would More Plain Language Have Saved Us From the Worst of the Pandemic?
Webinar Recap: Key Takeaways on Simplifying Hazard Communications With Plain Language

New on Section508.gov: Integrating Accessibility into DEIA Implementation Plans — Accessibility, the “A” in DEIA, is a foundation on which the federal workforce must build diversity, equity and inclusion for people with disabilities. Without accessibility, we cannot truly achieve the others.
The GSA Government-wide IT Accessibility Program has published “Integrating Accessibility into Agency Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) Implementation Plans,” a guide designed to support the Accessibility roadmap outlined in the Government-wide Strategic Plan to Advance Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce. The guidance contained in this article is a preliminary step before offering broader updates to guidance and best practices materials to meet this objective.
— via Section508.govUSWDS Monthly Call - December 2021
Webinar Recap: The Part-Timer

GSA’s New Multi-Cloud & Hybrid Cloud Guide Helps Agencies Make Better Decisions About Cloud Architecture—Agencies need informed strategies to understand, anticipate, rationalize, and optimize major cloud architecture decisions. To facilitate the decision process, the GSA Data Center and Cloud Optimization Initiative Program Management Office (DCCOI PMO) is pleased to announce the release of the Multi-Cloud and Hybrid Cloud Guide, developed in collaboration with the Cloud and Infrastructure Community of Practice (C&I CoP). This guide is another example of GSA’s commitment to creating simple, user-friendly information and resources to help federal agencies use technology to meet their missions in an effective and efficient way. — via General Services Administration