Center for Excellence in Digital Government
The Center for Excellence in Digital Government provides government-wide support and solutions that help agencies deliver excellent customer service to the public via web, social media, mobile, phone, email, print and newly evolving media. These solutions include training via DigitalGov University; standards and best practices via HowTo.gov; support to inter-agency communities of practice such as the Federal Web Managers Council; access to cost-cutting tools and technology; and research and analytics on citizen needs and expectations for better service. In addition, the Center is an accelerator and incubator for government-wide new media and citizen engagement solutions, making it easier for the government and the public to constructively engage via tools such as Challenge.gov.
DigitalGov University
GSA’s DigitalGov University (DGU) is the federal government’s training program for web and new media professionals. The multi-disciplinary curriculum addresses the broad range of skills that agencies need to manage their web and new media efforts:
- federal web requirements
- governance, policy, and strategic planning
- plain language and customer-focused writing
- social media and citizen engagement
- accessibility requirements
- emerging technology
Our instructors are recognized worldwide as experts and thought leaders in web management and new media. Past instructors and presenters include Gerry McGovern, Kristina Halvorson, Candi Harrison, and Alex Langshur.
We provide many learning options: in-person training, webinars, on-demand training, and an annual conference, held each Spring in Washington, DC.
Rather than having hundreds of agencies manage their own training program, DGU provides high value to government agencies because it centralizes training for web and new media staff. The program is extremely cost efficient, ensures consistent training across agencies, and fosters the sharing of common challenges, solutions, and best practices across government.
View DigitalGov University Schedule of Classes
Contact DigitalGov University
E-mail DigitalGov University
HowTo.gov
HowTo.gov is a website to help government workers deliver a better customer experience to citizens. It supports cross-agency collaboration and provides tools and ideas to help agencies effectively serve, engage, and support their customers, no matter how they choose to interact, with best practices, training, and guidance on:
- Strategic planning and coordinating customer service channels;
- Federal web requirements and policies;
- Cloud computing, apps, data and web infrastructure tools;
- Online citizen engagement through social media and open government;
- Web content management, usability, and design; and
- Contact center services.
Email HowTo.gov team
Federal Web Managers Council
The Center for Excellence in Digital Government supports the Federal Web Managers Council, which serves as a steering committee for all these efforts. The Council is an interagency group of agency Web and New Media Directors who collaborate to improve the online delivery of U.S. government information and services.
Members are from all federal cabinet agencies, as well as congressional support agencies, and major independent and sub-agencies that deliver top citizen tasks.
The Council was formed in 2004 to help agencies meet requirements of the E-Government Act of 2002. Today, the Web Council has grown into a dynamic and influential community of practice, and guides the work of several Sub-Councils, as well as the Web Content Managers Forum, a community of 3,000 U.S. Government web content managers.
Email Rachel Flagg and Sheila Campbell with questions about the Federal Web Managers Council
Innovation Challenges and Prizes to Promote Open Government.
Agencies are encouraged to use innovation challenges and prizes to promote open government and innovation.
GSA is helping by providing Challenge.gov., a platform for federal agencies to post challenges and a place for the public to find and participate in federal challenges.
If you're a federal employees and you’d like information on how to conduct a challenge at your agency, send an e-mail from your federal government e-mail account to govaccess@challenge.gov.
Collaboration
As the agency charged with supporting federal agencies and their operations, GSA's collaboration role is unique. While participation involves GSA's work with the public, collaboration involves GSA's work with other government agencies.
GSA provides superior workplaces, services, and products for all agencies at the best possible value. Because of its unique position, GSA has the opportunity to work closely with other agencies to seek innovative strategies as solutions to government-wide challenges.
These collaborative efforts help the government conserve money and resources as agencies are presented with ready-made solutions to their problems.
