Requirements for delivering a digital-first public experience

What is 21st Century IDEA?

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.

For the policy guidance, read more in the fact sheet, Building Digital Experiences for the American people.

Why is it important?

Each year, the federal government provides information and services to more than 400 million individuals, families, businesses, and organizations. And according to analytics.usa.gov, there are about 2 billion visits to federal websites each month, representing over 80 billion hours of interactions with the public. Over 50% of these visits occur on mobile devices.

Digitally is now the default way the public wants to interact with the government. ^[1] More than ever, digital experiences are central to federal agencies’ mission delivery. And of course, the public expects their digital interactions with the government to be on par with their favorite consumer websites and mobile apps.

Delivering a digital-first public experience is a significant opportunity to improve the lives of millions by making it easier to access the information and services they use and count on each and every day.

What’s in the law?

21st Century IDEA requires all executive branch agencies to:

• Modernize their websites
• Digitize services and forms
• Accelerate use of e-signatures
• Improve customer experience
• Standardize and transition to centralized shared services

What does it mean to modernize websites?

OMB’s policy guidance (M-23-22) provides guidance to agencies on how to design and deliver websites and digital services to the public and to assist agencies as they continue to implement 21st Century IDEA.

Requirements for websites and digital services

OMB’s policy guidance (M-23-22) requires that agencies ensure their websites, web applications, digital services, and mobile applications conform to the following requirements and principles:

1. Accessible to people of diverse abilities
2. Consistent visual design and agency brand identity
3. Content that is authoritative and easy to understand
4. Information and services that are discoverable and optimized for search
5. Secure by design, secure by default
6. User-centered and data-driven design
7. Customized and dynamic user experiences
8. Mobile-first design that scales across varying device sizes

Requirements for digitizing forms and services

OMB’s policy guidance (M-23-22) requires to the greatest extent practicable that agencies:

• Make forms available to the public in a digital format
• Make services provided to the public available in a digital channel and in a manner that maximizes self-service task or transaction completion
• Not require a handwritten signature (“wet signature”) or other in-person identity proofing requirements as a requirement for completing a public-facing form or service without providing the public with an equivalent digital method

What are the implementation timelines?

Since the passage of the law, agencies have taken steps to improve and better integrate their digital experiences.

OMB’s policy guidance (M-23-22) further clarifies requirements and sets specific timelines and priorities for implementation.

• For new or redesigned websites, digital services, and forms: By March 20, 2024, any new or redesigned website, service, and form was expected to meet the requirements outlined in guidance.
• For existing websites, digital services, and forms: Agencies are expected to prioritize remediation and/or digitization based on the criteria outlined in Section IV of the guidance.

What were the agency reporting requirements?

21st Century IDEA required agencies to send an annual report to OMB on the progress of implementing the requirements of the law. This reporting requirement concluded after 2023 and was replaced by the actions in M-23-22.

OMB’s policy guidance (M-23-22) required agencies to complete a series of immediate actions by September 2024.

Connect with others interested in delivering a digital-first public experience

Join the Web Managers Community to learn about other related best practices and share your knowledge. We encourage everyone to join this community — whether you are already familiar with how to deliver a digital-first public experience or just getting started.

Also, reach out to your agency’s Digital Experience Council representative and get involved in your agency’s digital services working group or guild. If one doesn’t exist, consider setting one up in your agency.