The General Services Administration (GSA) has launched 15 new projects via the agency’s 10X program to transform how the government delivers public service in the digital age.
Federal employees submitted hundreds of technology project ideas to GSA’s 10X program aligned with two themes: digital foundations and equity in delivery. The 15 projects selected aim to answer questions about digital technology and the public, including how the Federal technology ecosystem can better deliver to the public.
“We selected the 15 ideas we believe have the most potential to improve the American public’s digital experience with the U.S. government,” GSA said in a release.
10X is a program within GSA’s Technology Transformation Services (TTS) that transforms how the government delivers public service in the digital age. Since it was established in 2015 the 10x program has supported hundreds of projects including the U.S. Web Design System, which provides Federal agencies with digital building blocks that make it easier to build accessible, mobile-friendly government websites.
Among the new projects were ideas for various digital technology to improve customer experience within the Federal government from enabling data-driven decision-making to data-driven service to tribal nations.
One of the projects – entitled Baked-in Accessibility for Government Documents – would explore a new technical capability to make accessible government documents more compliant and templatized. According to GSA, despite many high-level Federal priorities and requirements centered on accessibility, many civil servants lack expertise and struggle to deliver fully accessible documents to the public.
Another project – entitled Opt-In Research Opportunities – would explore how a platform or technology could allow Federal researchers to quickly connect with specific communities on improving the delivery of public services. According to GSA, a universal platform for opting into Federal research opportunities that all agencies could use when engaging with community benefit organizations could both reduce research participant confusion and improve the quality of research outcomes.
Currently, these projects are being staffed and moved into Phase One of the program. During Phase One projects undergo a quick investigation – this usually lasts a few weeks – to identify blockers, validate the proposed idea, and recommend whether to fund further work for Phase Two.
