Best Practices

Resources on Best Practices

  • Moving to .gov

    If you’re moving to .gov from another top-level domain, like .com, .org, or .us, here are some best practices to help you plan that transition.

  • Introduction to self-description

    Help create inclusive digital spaces with these tips for using self-descriptions in virtual meetings or conference calls.

  • Guidelines for Digital.gov event presenters

    A checklist of requirements for people who are presenting at a Digital.gov event.

  • Cloud Smart: Federal Cloud Computing Strategy

    Founded on three key pillars of successful cloud adoption—security, procurement, and workforce—the Cloud Smart strategy includes 11 action items from the Chief Information Officers (CIO) Council.

News and Events on Best Practices

47 posts

Reassessing priorities: Adapting to additional work without additional resources

The Office of Natural Resources Revenue’s Open Data, Design, and Development (ODD) team is taking on management of a fourth website, despite being short-staffed. As a result, they have revisited and reprioritized their yearly goals. To do so, they utilized a prioritization matrix, developed a structured impact assessment, and laid out a transition plan. Their process ensured realistic workload adjustments, improved team morale, and highlighted the importance of practical goal-setting, especially when teams are short-staffed.— via Office of Natural Resources Revenue

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Jul 23, 2024

Designing for people with disabilities

The User Experience (UX) team at USA.gov’s Public Experience Portfolio recently conducted a study to analyze the experiences of individuals who access USA.gov through assistive technology. The team partnered with a local organization to gather insights from a diverse group of participants, many of whom are blind or deaf. The study revealed various habits and challenges faced by these users, such as a preference for mobile sites, difficulty with website carousels, and a reliance on clear headings and action-oriented descriptions. These findings can guide improvements in accessibility, such as clever link labeling and better navigation aids for assistive technology users.— via USA.gov

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Jul 16, 2024

18F’s engineering craft practices at 10

18F recently celebrated its 10th anniversary by renewing its commitment to refining and sharing best practices through regular publications, tech talks, and updates to The 18F Engineering Guide. They also instructed a permanent principal consulting engineer role to enhance digital service delivery and support skill development within the organization.— via 18F

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Jul 09, 2024

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

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Jun 26, 2024

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

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Jun 18, 2024

Case study: Increasing access to required bankruptcy meetings

The Department of Justice’s U.S. Trustee Program (USTP) oversees the administration of bankruptcy cases and private trustees. During the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual Section 341 bankruptcy meetings lead to more participation from both consumers and creditors, minimized delays, and saved time and money for all. Learn about USTP’s human-centered design process for a pilot program in three states to increase public access to these virtual meetings.— via Department of Justice

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Jun 06, 2024

Case study: Removing barriers to applying for a presidential pardon

At the Department of Justice, Access DOJ and the Office of the Pardon Attorney (PARDON) partnered to simplify and streamline the presidential pardon application process. By conducting usability testing and gathering feedback, they identified key issues with the existing application, such as its complexity and length. See how redesigning the forms to be more accessible and understandable led to a more efficient process for both applicants and staff.— via Department of Justice

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Jun 06, 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

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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

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Jun 05, 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

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Jun 04, 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

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Jun 04, 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

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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

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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

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Apr 23, 2024

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

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Apr 17, 2024

18F practices in action (spoiler: this stuff works)

How well do 18F software development practices work? The 18F team reflected on a recent project for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) .gov registry to gauge the effectiveness of six recommendations aligned with what they actually did.— via 18F

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Apr 03, 2024