Progress Towards Delivering a Digital-First Public Experience

By Federal Chief Information Officer Clare Martorana

President Biden and Vice President Harris believe government agencies should deliver excellent outcomes for the American people, whether we are rebuilding America’s infrastructure or providing access to critical information, services, or benefits online. To help achieve this vision, six months ago, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released guidance for Federal agencies on Delivering a Digital-First Public Experience, which set a bold vision and clear requirements for how Federal agencies serve their customers digitally – a ten-year roadmap for a modern digital experience. That means websites and digital services that are mobile friendly and easy to navigate with useful, timely, and trustworthy information that is widely accessible to the public.  

Since the policy was issued, we have been focused on execution and meeting the needs of the people we serve. Some 430 Federal agencies and sub-agencies provide information and services to more than 400 million individuals, families, businesses, organizations, and local governments each year. And in many cases, accessing information and services may involve interacting with multiple agencies, which makes taking a coordinated approach so critical. Deliberate implementation is critical and some of this work has begun to deliver big wins for the American people across the Federal enterprise, including:

• The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) improved search and content so taxpayers could find the information they need this filing season. Based on analysis of search behavior, assessment of the 250 most-visited pages on IRS.gov, and qualitative user research, the IRS mapped where users typically look, which informed the creation and revision of content targeted toward first-time tax filers for the 2024 filing season. Within the first month, this revised content drew over 100 million views—which is nearly 30% of traffic to IRS.gov—and was more prominently featured in search engine results. Together with enhanced features in the IRS.gov Online Account and the new IRS Direct File pilot, these efforts reinforce the IRS’s commitment to help taxpayers find key information and complete common tasks as easily as possible.

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) consolidated its web presence and is delivering content in new ways. NASA’s websites have been redesigned to provide a unified platform for information about the agency’s missions and research in both English and Spanish. Launched last fall, the new nasa.gov, science.nasa.gov, ciencia.nasa.gov, NASA+, and NASA App all share a common design system based on the U.S. Web Design System, resulting in a more consistent look and feel within and across the sites. This in turn makes it easier for users to navigate and find the information they are looking for.

• The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) redesigned its homepage around user needs. Launched in January, the new FEMA.gov homepage provides information in a more engaging format to help users know their risk, be more prepared for a disaster, and jumpstart their recovery after disasters strike. A new “How Can FEMA Help?” section makes it easier for users to access the most popular topics direct from the homepage. In the unfortunate event of a disaster, a redesigned and more personalized registration and intake process makes it easier for users to get the help they need.

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) streamlined content and ensured accessibility. At a time when access to public health information is critical, a new CDC.gov will go live in May and will help users to more easily find information and the answers to their questions. The CDC archived more than 65% of outdated or inaccessible materials and rewrote key content so that it is accessible and better meets users’ needs.

But lasting structural change requires a strong foundation and much of the last six months has been focused on constructing the architecture and providing the tools that agencies need to deliver. OMB has been working with agencies across the Federal Government to build enabling structures, including by:  

• Assessing the Baseline. To enable better management, measurement, and prioritization, agencies inventoried over 10,000 public-facing websites and identified their top websites with the most user traffic. Through ongoing and upcoming actions, agencies will identify opportunities to improve content for the most common questions and to deliver digital self-service options.

• Empowering Leaders. Our policy required agencies to take immediate action to build a foundation that will support ongoing improvement of websites and digital services. Sustained action requires focused leadership. To facilitate intra-agency coordination and ensure accountability, agencies each named a Digital Experience Delivery Lead, and in February, we launched the Digital Experience Council, convening cross-functional stakeholders from across government to bring a coordinated approach to digital experience delivery.

• Promoting Shared Tools to Drive Transformation. Key implementation partners, such as the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Technology Transformation Services, have enhanced and promoted shared services and best practices that enable and accelerate digital experience delivery. Over the last six months, hundreds more Federal websites have begun to utilize the Digital Analytics Program (DAP), which offers free, easy-to-use web analytics, or have adopted the U.S. Web Design System (USWDS).

What comes next:

Most of the public interacts with their government digitally by default – and they expect their online experience to be consistent with their favorite consumer website and mobile app. More than ever, digital experience is central to Federal agencies’ mission delivery and our government’s ability to serve the American people.

OMB will continue to collaborate with our implementation and agency partners to drive collaboration and coordination across government to ensure we are best delivering for the American people.

Learn more:

Read the fact sheet on Delivering a Digital-First Public Experience

Get digital delivery resources, best practices, and implementation updates: Digital.gov

Explore TMF funding: Streamlined proposals to implement 21^st Century IDEA

Join us: CIO.gov

Questions? Contact ofcio@omb.eop.gov