Building capacity in 2023: A year in review

At the start of 2023, U.S. Digital Response (USDR) was on the cusp of big changes. After three years of urgent COVID response, our government partners were ready to expand their impact.

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We had a hunch that 2023 would be historic. And we were right.

From rallying 1,000+ volunteers, to bringing human-centered design to center stage, here are some remarkable stories defining this groundbreaking year: USDR’s 2023 Year in Review.

This last year, we witnessed our partners invest in digital transformation like never before. They hired teams of designers, researchers, and engineers to make services more accessible. They collaborated with peers to adopt best practices. They opened their doors to volunteers who infused projects with fresh thinking.

2023 turned out to be a watershed year for public interest technology.

1. Empowering small communities

USDR’s recent study, No Front Door: Barriers to Access for Small Communities Seeking Federal Grants, found that far too many small communities opt out of applying for federal grants because of challenges in the grant process. To help these communities access the funds left on the table, USDR pulled together key recommendations for both small communities and the federal government to make this process more equitable and efficient.

2. Bringing user research to the forefront

All too often, services are designed for populations who are removed from the creation process. Taking a human-centered approach takes a certain set of skills, and few governments have the capacity to implement these practices. This last year, USDR was able to help governments build this capacity through user research best practices.

The City of Boston reached out for help making LGBTQ+ marriage applications more inclusive. Our user research uncovered pain points in the process. We shared our experience and best practices so that more governments can create inclusive, accessible, and affirming government services for LGBTQ+ populations across all public-facing government services.

We also launched a new type of government partnership with the Seattle Innovation & Performance team, Seattle by Design. This pilot program focused on user research projects aimed at improving the delivery of public services. It connected a cohort of volunteer experts with City staff to answer questions and make recommendations using best practices in user research.

3. Rallying election officials with new tools

When our elections program formally launched in 2022, the team had a long term vision to provide a sustainable suite of tools customized to the needs of election officials. This year, we made the effort a reality with the launch of USDR’s Election Software Collaborative. Designed to help election officials run efficient elections, the Election Software Collaborative connects officials with a community of technical experts, cutting-edge tools, and peers. USDR’s Software Collaborative currently serves 18 members from across the country.

4. Attracting top technical talent

In 2023, USDR launched our talent initiative, helping agencies establish practices to attract and retain digital talent.

This focus area was launched after nearly a year of talent-focused engagements with multiple city and state governments. With our help, the City of Baltimore built its new digital service team and we assisted the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in establishing CODE PA.

This effort isn’t just about helping governments find talent, but also about helping amazing talent find public service. We’re walking job seekers through how to apply for government jobs and introducing them to career opportunities.

“As we focus on delivering better online experiences for our constituents, we are creating new opportunities for digital professionals to bring their skills and experience to the public sector and enjoy incredibly rewarding careers. USDR’s guidance and resources have been invaluable as we continue to expand our digital capabilities in Pennsylvania and become a destination for top technical talent to build new digital services.” — Neil Weaver, Secretary of the Office of Administration for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

5. Expanding our leadership: Welcoming Hillary Hartley as CEO and John Bailey to our Board of Directors

We were thrilled to welcome Hillary Hartley as USDR’s CEO just after our third anniversary. Hillary joined USDR after six years of modernizing government services in Ontario, Canada.

Part of this leadership expansion also saw the appointment of John Bailey to our Board of Directors. A veteran of the federal government through the Bush Administration, he now serves as an advisor to philanthropies and investors and is a non-resident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

6. People-powered: How 1,000 volunteers showed up to help governments at all levels

As USDR’s third anniversary passed, so did another milestone: We deployed our 1,000th volunteer.

Our volunteer team lead, Kristen Eberlin, reflected on what it means to harness the power of people. A USDR volunteer herself, Kristen recalled a desire to help in the early days of the pandemic — and how this desire grew into what USDR is today. People like Andrew, a user experience volunteer inspired to transition his career from Meta to the General Services Administration, and Aditya, who eventually became a product engineer at USDR. Around 5% of our deployed volunteers feel the call to public interest tech, and we’re thrilled to be a part of their story.

“I realized how rich the civic tech space is, and how many amazing people are working in it, taking techniques that have been exclusive to the for-profit world and bringing them into the government space.” — Eve Bills Lacivita, USDR volunteer

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