FAQ

 

Services

A: One of 24 Presidential E-Government Initiatives, we play an integral role in the President’s Management Agenda. Managed by the Office of Citizen Services and Communications (OCSC) in the General Services Administration (GSA), our mission is to present citizens with a single reference point for government, allowing them to receive accurate, timely and consistent answers and information.

We use the existing infrastructure of the Federal Citizen Information Center (FCIC) and the USA.gov portal to develop citizen-centric solutions that improve the ease with which citizens can interact with the government and act as a citizen customer service solution provider for other federal agencies and E-Government initiatives. Also GobiernoUSA.gov provides valuable information in Spanish. The Publications Center in Pueblo, CO distributes hundreds of different publications for forty agencies, totaling approximately 21.3  million in FY-2007.

Q. What programs does USA Services provide?
A. Dozens of agencies partner with us to handle misdirected emails and phone calls from the public enabling citizens to get the help they need and agencies to focus on their core mission. Others contract with us to handle their first contact calls and emails using the FirstContact contract vehicle. We will also be awarding a follow-on contract vehicle – USA Contact – in early FY-2008.  Through our Advocates Program, the federal government strives to become more “citizen-centric” by providing “Best Values and Practices” to federal agencies in citizen customer service. Through our Citizen Service Levels Interagency Committee (CSLIC) project, we seek to establish a standard for citizen customer service across the federal government.

Q. What is USA Services’ mission?
A. We develop citizen-centric solutions that improve the ease with which citizens can interact with the government and act as a citizen customer service solution provider for other federal agencies and E-Government initiatives. In particular, we:

• Improve services to citizens, allowing them to get information from federal agencies in both English and Spanish via Internet, publications, telephone, and email in a privacy-protected environment.
• Provide call tracking to partner agencies for improved quality service and timeliness in responses to the citizen. For example, agencies might update their web site to reflect a new commonly asked question.
• Reduce partner agency expenses for infrastructure, procurement, and labor within the agency or for expenses related to contact centers that respond to email and telephone calls.

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Misdirects Program

Q. What is the Misdirects Program?
A. Using 1-800 FED INFO or an agency-specific e-mail box, we can handle your misdirected inquiries allowing your resources to focus on your agency's core mission.

Q. What are the advantages of participating in this program?
A. If you receive calls and emails that don’t apply to your agency’s mission, you can sign a Memorandum of Understanding with USA Services and we will ensure they are answered. By forwarding your misdirected calls and emails to us, you have more time to focus on your agency’s core mission.

Q. How can I participate?
A. To take advantage of this free service, please fill out, sign and return the Working Agreement. To expedite implementing misdirects for your agency, please fill out this Misdirected Inquiries Intake document. Once you have your program in place, you will want to get the word out to the rest of your agency staff. View our Communications Plan for “how to” ideas!

Q. Where can I get additional information about the program?
A.To talk with someone about the program, please contact USA Services or your agency’s Account Executive.

 

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