United States Digital Service
The United States Digital Service is a startup at the White House that pairs the country’s top technology talent with the best public servants, to improve the usefulness and reliability of the country’s most important digital services.
What was once one startup is now a network of teams working across the Departments of Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs, Defense, Education, State, and, Treasury, Health and Human Services, and the Small Business Administration.
Purpose
The mission of the U.S. Digital Service is to deliver better government services to the American people through technology and design.
To fulfill this mission, the United States Digital Service focuses on:
- Transforming critical services: The United States Digital Service is dedicated to measurably improving our nation’s most important public-facing services. The United States Digital Service helps to manage technology projects relying on (1) a user-centered design framework to prioritize user needs; and (2) modern software development practices to enable iterative development and the ability to rapidly respond to change and feedback.
- Rethinking how the government buys digital services: The United States Digital Service works to modernize procurement processes and practices for the digital era. Just as they do today, skilled contractors will continue to deliver the majority of the government’s digital services.
- Expanding the use of common platforms, services, and tools: The United States Digital Service partners with agencies to identify and implement shared tools and services to address common technical issues and usability challenges across the government.
- Bringing top technical talent into public service: In support of these goals, the United States Digital Service recruits top technologists for term-limited tours of duty with the Federal government. The United States Digital Service hope to encourage a tradition of public service in the technology industry that will support the ongoing improvement of government digital services.
Values
The Service published the following:
- Hire and empower great people: Technology alone doesn’t change things — it’s the people who push the United States Digital Service mission forward. Strong EQ, compassion, and tenacity are just as important as being a great technologist.
- Find the truth. Tell the truth.: The U.S. Digital Service expects that the United States Digital Service people to be humble, not quiet, and challenge the status quo wherever data supports it. As has been said before, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts.
- Optimize for results, not optics: The United States Digital Service works for the people — not credit, prestige, or headlines. This means tackling the hard stuff, even when success isn’t guaranteed.
- Go where the work is: By working shoulder to shoulder with agencies, we’re able to inspire change. Transforming government is not up to the U.S. Digital Service. It’s up to all of us, together.
- Design with users, not for them: To deliver products and services that provide value to users, it’s essential that this U.S. service experiences their experiences. The best products and services aren’t created behind closed doors.
- Create momentum.: The American people need better digital services, today. The United States Digital Service works with a bias for action, focusing on delivery above all else.