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Guidance on building better digital services in government
Good written and verbal communications make the government more effective and trustworthy.
Communicating with the public requires content that’s accurate, relevant, easy-to-use, and conveyed in plain language. Maximize the quality and integrity of information provided to the public by staying informed, connecting with other federal communicators, and implementing best practices shared by trusted resources.
A checklist of requirements for people who are presenting at a Digital.gov event.
Addressing web and digital communications related to the California wildfires.
Explore the basics of launching a podcast and determine if creating a podcast is right for your agency.
Learn how to use multilingual glossaries to share common translations and contribute to consistent communication across government.
Addressing web and digital communications related to Hurricane Helene
Learn how to partner with social media influencers and design, implement, and measure an influencer program.
What is translation technology? This introductory resource will help you understand how and when to use translation technology to provide meaningful access for people with limited English proficiency.
Understand how and why to use plain language on government websites and other digital services
This event recap highlights best practices, a short case study video, and examples of federal web content that received both high and low scores in the 2021 Plain Language Report Card.
Wendy Wagner-Smith of the Small Business Administration (SBA) shares her tips and tricks for presenting virtually.
The CDC Clear Communication Index is a research-based tool to help you develop and assess public communication materials.
A resource to help federal employees write in plain language and comply with the Plain Writing Act of 2010.
This page is a collection of style guides created by government agencies.
Help your readers complete their tasks with these Plain Language writing tips.
To support people working to enhance access to federal information technology (IT), we identify and promote best practices for compliance with Section 508 law, and conformance to the Revised 508 Standards.
To improve access to government services, GSA launched Notify.gov, a notification tool that sends text message reminders about government services and benefits programs. This service aims to ensure families receive the right information at the right time on the government services they use. — via General Services Administration
18F measures the success of coaching by tracking the progress of first-time product owners. Through self-assessments and ongoing support, they focused on developing key skills such as product discovery and vendor management. This approach allowed them to visibly track growth and ensure agency partners were empowered to lead their technology modernization projects with confidence. — via 18F
Usability reflects how easily a user can accomplish their goals while using a product or service. The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) has issued new guidance to streamline usability testing for federal forms, websites, and services, helping agencies conduct usability tests in a more quick and efficient manner that is consistent with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). By enabling faster, more effective testing, OIRA aims to enhance public interactions with the government and ensure equitable access to federal resources. — via The White House
Learn about the life cycle of content, how content comes across to the user, and how to develop a content management strategy.
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) released a new blog on the management of federal records and transitions for federal agencies. Shedding light on the usage of agency-managed communication platforms and social media accounts, agencies are given instructions on how to best comply with the requirements outlined in the Federal Records Act. — via National Archives and Records Administration
A checklist of requirements for people who are presenting at a Digital.gov event.
Addressing web and digital communications related to the California wildfires.
Explore the basics of launching a podcast and determine if creating a podcast is right for your agency.
Learn how to use multilingual glossaries to share common translations and contribute to consistent communication across government.
Addressing web and digital communications related to Hurricane Helene
Learn how to partner with social media influencers and design, implement, and measure an influencer program.
What is translation technology? This introductory resource will help you understand how and when to use translation technology to provide meaningful access for people with limited English proficiency.
Understand how and why to use plain language on government websites and other digital services
This event recap highlights best practices, a short case study video, and examples of federal web content that received both high and low scores in the 2021 Plain Language Report Card.
Wendy Wagner-Smith of the Small Business Administration (SBA) shares her tips and tricks for presenting virtually.
The CDC Clear Communication Index is a research-based tool to help you develop and assess public communication materials.
A resource to help federal employees write in plain language and comply with the Plain Writing Act of 2010.
This page is a collection of style guides created by government agencies.
Help your readers complete their tasks with these Plain Language writing tips.
83 posts
To improve access to government services, GSA launched Notify.gov, a notification tool that sends text message reminders about government services and benefits programs. This service aims to ensure families receive the right information at the right time on the government services they use. — via General Services Administration
18F measures the success of coaching by tracking the progress of first-time product owners. Through self-assessments and ongoing support, they focused on developing key skills such as product discovery and vendor management. This approach allowed them to visibly track growth and ensure agency partners were empowered to lead their technology modernization projects with confidence. — via 18F
Usability reflects how easily a user can accomplish their goals while using a product or service. The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) has issued new guidance to streamline usability testing for federal forms, websites, and services, helping agencies conduct usability tests in a more quick and efficient manner that is consistent with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). By enabling faster, more effective testing, OIRA aims to enhance public interactions with the government and ensure equitable access to federal resources. — via The White House
Learn about the life cycle of content, how content comes across to the user, and how to develop a content management strategy.
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) released a new blog on the management of federal records and transitions for federal agencies. Shedding light on the usage of agency-managed communication platforms and social media accounts, agencies are given instructions on how to best comply with the requirements outlined in the Federal Records Act. — via National Archives and Records Administration
Government works best when it incorporates transparent engagement and feedback from the public. The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is enhancing public participation in federal decision-making through draft guidance and a proposed toolkit. These resources aim to standardize best practices, improve accessibility, and ensure underserved communities have meaningful opportunities to contribute. By prioritizing transparency and collaboration, OMB seeks to create politics that reflect the voices and needs of the public. — via Performance.gov
Learn how to work with social media influencers to achieve your goals, while accounting for different budgets.
To increase transparency, the Login.gov team publishes a program roadmap that lays out their upcoming initiatives.
The Department of Justice recently marked the 24th anniversary of Executive Order 13166, which aims to improve access to federal services for individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP). Its Civil Rights Division reviewed language access plans across federal agencies, emphasizing progress in hiring and staff training, improving language assistance services, and expanding multilingual content. The department is committed to eliminating language barriers in federal programs, improving communication and access for all communities. — via Department of Justice
In September 2024, Benefits.gov will be discontinued, with its services and information moved to USA.gov and USAGov en Español. This change, which aligns with Executive Order 14058: Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government, aims to create a seamless, user-friendly experience for accessing government benefits in both English and Spanish. The new platform, with a focus on equitable access to information, will feature improved navigation and benefit-finding tools. — via General Services Administration
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
The Department of Homeland Security’s Customer Experience Directorate developed a customer experience (CX) toolkit to help agencies implement CX strategies using a human-centered design approach. The toolkit offers resources to enhance service delivery, processes, and systems, following a “Ready, Set, Grow” framework for planning and implementation. It aims to serve as a reference for organizations bringing CX practices to their own agencies. — via Department of Homeland Security
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 created a permanent principal consulting engineer role to enhance digital service delivery and support skill development within the organization. — via 18F
The summit highlighted digital transformation, emphasizing the significance of recent OMB memos for improving accessibility and customer experience.
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
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
How to engage leadership personally, adapt communication styles, and choose appropriate timing for effective interactions and feedback.
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
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
Performance.gov invites you to participate in their #GovPossible campaign to celebrate Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW)! Recognize the invaluable efforts of government employees who ensure that the everyday needs of Americans are met. Access a range of tools and resources to help you join the #GovPossible campaign and show your support. The #GovPossible toolkit makes it easy for you to participate in this important (and fun!) campaign. — via Performance.gov
Digital.gov
An official website of the U.S. General Services Administration
