Digital Services Coalition: What’s new in 2022
We at the Digital Services Coalition (DSC) are heartened that the current administration has released its Executive Order on Customer Experience, and built out their new President’s Management Agenda with a framework to improve the experience of Government’s services along with increasing opportunities for small businesses.
To that end, the DSC is ready to expand its capabilities and double down on already successful efforts to improve the reliability and execution of government digital transformation. We have aligned our strategies and goals to leading, partnering, and executing on efforts that not only provide specific mission-related benefits and outcomes, but also improve the overall approaches to procuring, legislating, and governing digital products and services.
We are kicking off this quarterly informational blog to provide updates and information about the activities of the organization and its members. As we continue to grow we intend to focus heavily on community, education, advocacy, and outreach efforts in the government digital services arena.
What’s new for us…in strategy:
We are excited to provide our 2022–2025 Strategic Plan to guide us over the next three years. Through this plan, developed internally by DSC members, board members, and leadership, we have set a course for ourselves to begin developing and operationalizing the projects, services, and cultural practices of our community to continually improve the value delivered to member companies as well as the larger digital services ecosystem.
One of our first strategic planning activities was to update our purpose and mission to ensure it reflected our core identity, values, and qualifications to exist as a non-profit trade association. Then, by looking at the history and motivations behind the formation of the organization, examining the challenges that exist in the present, and envisioning our ideal future, we crafted a vision to guide us as we set expectations for what we hoped to achieve. The following statements reflect where we are and where we want to go in the future:
Once these were created to reflect our organization, we established the goals and objectives to get us there. Over the next three years, the DSC will use iterative methods to test new initiatives based on these goals, operationalizing our successes and learning from our challenges. Our strategic plan is designed to be adaptive to changing priorities, factors, and new information or directives, but exists to help us build on our strengths.
The Strategic Plan can be accessed through our website.
What’s new…in DSC leadership:
Towards the end of last year, Jessi Bull left her position on the DSC Board of Directors to join the government in the General Service Administration’s Technology Transformation Service. The Board was pleased to elect Jason Stoner to carry out the remainder of her term. Join us in welcoming him to DSC leadership. Here is a little bit about Jason:
Jason Stoner, Director of Experience Strategy at MetroStar, has built his career around the belief that design can change the world. This belief has served as the foundation for his advocacy of change within the public sector. He leads with the adoption of design as a differentiator driving transformation across organizations. In the decade he has been focused on public sector transformation, he has delivered products that span from combating violent extremism across the globe to making vital digital services available to our nation’s farmers. He has presented to the United Nations, is a guest lecturer at universities, and is a speaker on all things design and transformation.
“We’re at the forefront of (re)defining what effective digital services are in government, how they are managed, delivered, and consumed by the citizens of the world. I’m honored to be a part of the board and excited to help create the long-term understanding, partnerships and relationships necessary to do so.”
What’s new …in membership:
As part of implementing the strategic plan, one of our first initiatives is around updating and improving our membership process. The current process has served us very well; however, with the new mission and vision in mind, we need to ensure our process encompasses who we are and who we want to become. At this time, we do not have a date set for when a new membership drive will begin, but if you are interested in joining the DSC, please send an email to membership@digitalservicescoalition.org for more information.
What’s new for us..in diversity and inclusion:
Starting February with Black History Month, we began to honor Federally Recognized Months by integrating programming in support of communities and cultural observances celebrated throughout the year. We are collecting data through storytelling, surveys, and other sources from our member organizations to kick off a few activities to pilot our programming. The initial set of events will focus on creating communities within our organization to highlight leaders and innovators whose work and personal stories align with the mission and value of the DSC.
We know there is a long road ahead in truly uplifting the voices and stories of those who need it the most. This initiative serves to set a foundation for a long-term commitment to taking our mission forward and closer to our members.
Looking forward, the upcoming months will inform our focus areas for 2022. We welcome both internal and external participation and involvement as we develop this initiative to foster a more welcoming, diverse, and inclusive environment.
What’s new for us… in accessibility:
As well as our commitment to diversity and inclusion, the DSC is dedicated to promoting improved accessibility in solutions delivered by the government. Digital transformation is not simply about the development of a product. It is inclusive of the entire process which balances compliance, security, and the users’ experiences to deliver a cohesive customer experience. This is why understanding and implementing a true strategy around legally sound and inclusive design is so critical to the overall success of a solution.
There are many efforts underway to elevate and address this topic, including:
Nava, a DSC member company, on contract with the Department of Justice recently helped launch the new beta Americans with Disabilities Act page at https://beta.ada.gov/. This also includes practical guidance on Web Accessibility through Guidance on Web Accessibility and the ADA | Beta.ADA.gov. The Department of Justice and Nava are continuing the work started by 18F to help people, businesses, and public offices know their rights and responsibilities under the ADA.
Additionally, Accessibility Playbooks have been developed and launched by DSC member companies:
Ad Hoc LLC has released The Accessibility Beyond Compliance Playbook
And CivicActions has released their Accessibility Playbook
What’s new for us…in events:
The DSC is committed to creating education and events to support digital transformation and customer experience efforts. We have created a monthly webinar series to bring in guest speakers from government and industry.
On March 8th, we welcomed Adam Furtado to discuss his experience with Kessel Run.
The next webinar “Customer Experience (CX) in Federal Financial Regulators” will be April 12 from 3–4pm EST will be with the Treasury Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on the unique requirements in developing solutions to support financial regulations. This is open to the public.
Please join us for this virtual webinar register here: RSVP
For more information on the Digital Services Coalition please visit our website at https://digitalservicescoalition.org or find us on LinkedIn.
