The United States Digital Service is a technology unit housed within the
Executive Office of the President of the United States. It provides consultation services to federal agencies on information technology. It seeks to improve and simplify digital service, and to improve federal websites. It was launched on August 11, 2014.
Activities
The US Digital Service has created:
* A Digital Services Playbook, for improving digital government
* Draft Web Design Standards, "to build
accessible, mobile-friendly government websites"
* TechFAR Handbook, on federal contracting and
procurement
*Discovery Sprint Guide
The United States Digital Service sends a report to Congress each year detailing its projects and accomplishments. Its federal agency work spans across the
Veterans Affairs,
Department of Defense,
Small Business Administration,
General Services Administration,
Department of Homeland Security,
Department of Education, and
Health and Human Services.
History
The United States Digital Service was the idea of
Jennifer Pahlka,
Chief Technology Officer of the United States. Pahlka's goal was to create an elite government technology unit at the White House that would be equivalent to the
United Kingdom's Government Digital Service.
The first head of the United States Digital Digital Service was
Mikey Dickerson
Michael "Mikey" Dickerson was the first administrator of the United States Digital Service.
He left Google in 2013 to join the healthcare.gov rescue team. He has been named one of Fast Company's Most Creative People in Business and FedScoop 50' ...
, a former
Google engineer who was involved in the 2013–14 rescue of
HealthCare.gov website. He was succeeded by
Matt Cutts, who was in that position until April 2021.
The third administrator of the United States Digital Service was
Mina Hsiang. During the Biden administration, Hsiang led the United States Digital Digital Service in deploying a new website about
COVID-19 vaccine
A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID19).
Prior to the COVID19 pandemic, an e ...
s, Vaccines.gov.
In 2021, United States Digital Service employed 215 people and was looking to expand further.
See also
*
18F
18F is a digital services agency within the General Services Administration, Technology Transformation Services department of the General Services Administration (GSA) of the United States Government. Their purpose is to deliver digital services ...
, at the
General Services Administration
*US Digital Corps
*
United Kingdom Government Digital Service
References
External links
*
2014 establishments in the United States
Executive Office of the President of the United States
Government agencies established in 2014
Information technology in the United States
Open government in the United States
Organizations based in Washington, D.C.
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