Agencies to Comply with New Digital Services Roadmap from OMB

In an effort to bolster federal websites and other digital services, OMB released the Digital-First Public Experience guidance to agencies last week. The guidance is meant to provide a roadmap to agencies to design and deliver optimized websites and digital services and enhance public experience with federal government services. Within the guidance is a set of actions and standards agencies must comply with to both fully implement provisions of the 21st Century IDEA Act, as well as promote change in often antiquated and complex digital interaction with agency services.

According to CIO Clare Martorana, only 2% of government forms are digitized, 45% of federal websites are not mobile-friendly, 60% of websites are not usable by those using assistive technology, and 80% of federal websites do not use the U.S. Web Design System code.

As such, the 32-page guidance provides step-by-step detail into the actions and standards agencies must follow to enhance digital services. Here, I’ve highlighted some key areas of the guidance that may have contractor implications and potential for future opportunities.

Security

The guidance directs agencies to secure the design and development of all websites and digital accounts. Measures agencies must take include encrypting all website and digital service traffic, providing secure and usable authentication, and conducting regular security assessments and testing. The memo also states that software for digital services must adopt security measures throughout all stages of the development lifecycle. Agencies are also instructed to use identity verification processes for online transactions and signatures when there is a need to identity assurance of users during certain transactions.

Data-Driven Design and Measurement

Agencies are directed to strengthen the functionality of websites with evidence-based decision-making, including using web analytics to understand user behavior and satisfaction. The web analytics solutions should coincide with GSA’s Digital Analytics Program.

Additionally, to make websites as user-friendly as possible, agencies are encouraged to measure device usage patterns to bolster the design and experience of the most used browsers and devices based on these data-driven patterns.

Digital Service Accessibility, Interoperability, and Delivery

The memo encourages optimal accessibility for all users. As such, agencies should test the accessibility of websites and related processes before the code is released and should include the use of automated scanning tools for such testing.

The memo also advises agencies to use government-wide programs, such as those at GSA and DHS, to help develop websites and digital services. Further, agencies should streamline and consolidate systems and services across their respective components and offices.

Agencies must also promote interoperability through the use of standard interfaces (i.e. web APIs) to enable data sharing and integration among different systems and components.

Next Steps

Among the immediate actions to be taken will be the formation of a CIO Council subcommittee dedicated to federal digital experience to serve as an advisory group in assisting government-wide implementation of digital experience initiatives. Further, GSA is instructed to identify strategic sourcing opportunities such as category management solutions to help agencies in buying the solutions and services needed to comply with requirements of the guidance. The memo states that GSA is also encouraged to perform market research to help agencies identify capable vendors to improve federal digital experience activities.

Within the guidance’s fact sheet, OMB takes note of several programs as examples of progress already taken in digital services that other agencies may choose to follow:

• Treasury: The IRS expanded IRS.gov online services to access tax records and make payments online
• Social Security Administration: The updated SSA.gov website now displays information in both English and Spanish
• Health and Human Services: CMS updated Medicare.gov with improved design features highlighting key choices and information most frequently sought by users
• Veterans Affairs: The VA deployed a Health and Benefits mobile app to help users easily access and manage health care and benefit needs