When U.S. Digital Response (USDR) launched in March 2020, we had a simple but urgent mission: to help governments respond rapidly to the critical needs of the public during an unprecedented crisis.
On our fifth anniversary, the world looks a lot different. The threat of the global pandemic is over, but the need for effective government digital services is stronger than ever. As our systems rely increasingly on technology, so does our collective ability to deliver. USDR’s focus has changed accordingly. What began as a rapid response effort has evolved into a sustainable model for strengthening governments’ capacity to serve all people.
“We got you,” working alongside public servants since the beginning
In those early days, our volunteers built COVID-19 dashboards, streamlined unemployment insurance applications, and developed tools to manage hospital staffing shortages. Our very first published case study highlighted our work with the Louisiana Department of Health, where we helped launch a program connecting facilities experiencing acute healthcare staffing shortages with qualified, out-of-work candidates. In the midst of crisis, these solutions weren't just about technology — they were about helping governments meet the urgent needs of their communities.
Today, our North Star remains the same: harnessing technology to make government more responsive and effective for everyone. But how we do this work has matured significantly.
From crisis response to strategic partnership
USDR’s partnerships have evolved to focus on building long-term capacity within government. We've completed nearly 600 projects across over 50 U.S. states and territories, working with more than 550 government partners nationwide. That’s one project completed for every three days of USDR’s existence.
"The magical moment for us was not only the awesome team USDR assembled, but seeing the early results of that engagement flourish rapidly. The early wins and traction was truly fruitful, providing a boost that would have been much harder to achieve without USDR's involvement," Joe Lee, deputy chief of staff for the Office of Governor Josh Shapiro, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, said. USDR helped establish CODE PA, Pennsylvania's dedicated digital services department, in 2023.
Working closely with Joe and Annie Newman, director of digital strategy, USDR provided expertise in organizational design and recruitment strategies that empowered the Shapiro administration to develop technical solutions in-house. As Joe shared, USDR helped create a "magic moment" by connecting CODE PA with the civic tech ecosystem and developing effective hiring processes for their digital team.
Just two short years later, this groundbreaking initiative created under Governor Josh Shapiro's leadership is transforming how Pennsylvania delivers digital services to its residents. CODE PA plays a central role in policy implementation, swiftly deploying user-friendly systems like PAback.pa.gov, the first-in-the-nation online money-back guarantee system for government services.
Streamlining and modernizing electoral systems
USDR had already been working with election officials since 2020 when we launched the Election Software Collaborative in 2023. This partnership helps election offices access low-cost, secure, and user-friendly software that relieves administrative burden while connecting them to a community of peers across the country.
The Collaborative's Election Administration Platform streamlines critical tasks like election worker management, campaign finance tracking, candidate information organization, election help desk operations, and voting wait time monitoring. Built using established digital tools, it gives election offices greater customization and control at a sustainable cost.
"Fortunately, I learned about U.S. Digital Response. I was told that a platform would be customized to meet Mohave County's needs using the newest technology available, and the product would remain customizable for as long as I chose to use it. That's the advantage of working with a collaborative such as USDR, where they draw from experts from all over the country to bring each customer a personalized product and experience," Allen P. Tempert, elections director of Mohave County, Arizona, said.
Today, the Collaborative holds memberships in jurisdictions across 13 states, serving nearly 13 million voters. With a remarkable 93% retention rate among members, the Collaborative is well on its way to be every election officials' one-stop shop to streamline back office logistics and grow their capacity from the inside out. This tool is just part of the efforts USDR is making to help election officials streamline their offices and serve voters across the country.
Catalyzing change while building capacity
In St. Louis, USDR partnered with the Mayor's Office of Children, Youth and Families and the Department of Human Services' Homeless Services Division to transform how they house people facing homelessness.
In 2022, the team needed to expand services but were limited by complex, spreadsheet-based workflows. USDR helped implement a streamlined database system with automations and dashboard reporting, fundamentally changing their operations.
In just one year, St. Louis increased the number of households served from approximately 100 annually to over 700. Staff reported saving up to 30 hours weekly on administrative tasks, and the average time to place a resident in housing dropped dramatically from 90 days to just 27.
"USDR was able to take our program's unique needs, understand it, and train our team on a new tool. It was all amazing at how I was able to pick it up because USDR was able to partner with me," Amy Bickford, chief program manager for the homeless services division, said.
Pioneering responsible gen AI for public services
Our most recent partnerships demonstrate how USDR continues to evolve with emerging technologies. As part of a longstanding relationship, our newest engagement with the New Jersey Department of Labor, with support from Google.org, developed groundbreaking large language model (LLM) training materials that improve language access to unemployment insurance for both English and Spanish speakers.
Launched in December 2024, this innovative toolkit enables government agencies to create their own AI translation assistants using off-the-shelf generative AI models, making public benefits information more accessible and easier to understand. The impact has been significant: New Jersey's AI translation assistant has tripled translation speed while maintaining quality nearly on par with expert human translators.
By making these materials freely available to all government agencies, we're providing a faster, more affordable, and customizable alternative to traditional translation methods. This initiative demonstrates how generative AI can be democratized for the public good while keeping human oversight at the forefront.
As we mark our fifth anniversary, the scale of our impact continues to grow:
- Through our partnerships, we've delivered services to over 50% of Americans
- Our community includes over 10,000 volunteers, with 1,500+ deployed directly to projects
- 100% of governments that work with USDR would recommend USDR to their peers
- 97% of past partners indicate that the results, recommendations, or tools from their work with USDR still impact their work today
But the numbers only tell part of the story. What truly defines our work is the feedback from our partners:
"In 10 years, our website will probably be replaced, but USDR is helping us change the foundation of how we operate in looking at the needs of our residents and how to incorporate them into all our digital products and building overall trust in government." Ryan Curl, project manager for the Department of Digital Experience of Hennepin County, MN, said. Check out even more highlights in our 2024 Year in Review.
Join us for the next fifty years
As we celebrate this milestone, we recognize that our work has only just begun.
The landscape of government service delivery continues to evolve rapidly, with increasing demand for digital solutions that work for everyone. Our role as a trusted partner, helping governments navigate this transformation while building their own capacity, has never been more important.
We invite you to join us in this celebration and in our ongoing mission to strengthen government’s ability to deliver for all people. Whether you're a government partner, volunteer, funder, or community member, there's a place for you in this story.
Together, we're building a future where every government has the capacity to deliver services effectively and equitably to all people.
We're excited to announce a year-long celebration that will highlight the remarkable journey of USDR and the partners who have made our work possible:
April 2025: Join us for a virtual cheers as we kick off our spring staff retreat. We'll also spotlight volunteer impact with stories of technologists who found their path to public service through USDR
May 2025: Partner spotlights will feature the government leaders who have championed digital transformation
June 2025: We'll explore the evolution of digital service teams and how they're changing government from within
July 2025: Program-specific deep dives will showcase our work in areas like elections, unemployment insurance, and language access
Fall 2025: Special celebrations at our in-person staff retreat (fondly called IRL - in real life) will bring together our community to reflect and look forward
December 2025: The year will culminate with a fun event - you won’t want to miss this!
Stay tuned for more updates on our fifth anniversary celebration and how you can participate. Sign up for our newsletter and follow us on social media to be part of the journey.
