CivicActions

At CivicActions, we love seeing DITAP sessions spark real engagement—but our recent session was something special! In a session featuring an alumni panel & fireside chat, our facilitator Chianti Lomax, WSOB, CPEC and support moderator Kristen Jernigan created a welcoming space for guest speakers to share and students to ask great questions. Huge thanks to our guest speakers:??? Frank McNally ?? Jaime Gracia ?? Telly R. ?? Here’s what students had to say: * "Loved this Fireside Chat, thank you all!!" * "I agree - great atmosphere for learning!" * "This conversation has been valuable. Appreciate it, thank you all!" * "Thank you all for your insight and inspiration!" * "Appreciate the conversation and the formatting, keeping it informal." This is what DITAP is all about—connecting federal buyers, fostering open discussions, and shaping the future of digital procurement. Big thanks to everyone who made this session a success! We still have a few seats open for our next DITAP Open Cohort, kicking off on March 4, 2025! Learn more about DITAP: https://lnkd.in/guEXtqhQ #DITAP #GovTech #DigitalProcurement #GovCon Farooq Zakhilwal

Small businesses are the backbone of #GovCon, but navigating federal contracting’s ups and downs can be challenging. That’s why we were thrilled to contribute to the G2X Resource Center, a free and open hub designed to give small businesses the financial, legal, and HR tools they need to stay resilient and thrive. Huge thanks to Ron Jones and the team at G2X - The GovCon Growth Platform for leading this effort and bringing the community together to support small businesses. This kind of open collaboration makes GovCon stronger for everyone. Check it out: https://lnkd.in/gX85c-DY #GovCon #SmallBusiness #GovTech

How accessible is the web in 2024? CivicActioner Mike Gifford, CPWA joins Deque’s axe-con to break down key insights from the 2024 Web Almanac Accessibility chapter—the most comprehensive annual review of digital inclusivity. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gHa7g7mD #AxeCon #Deque #Accessibility #GovTech #InclusiveWeb

Last week, CivicActioners Steve Wirt, Christian Burk, and Kelly Smith presented "Sum of a Batch" at Florida Drupal Camp! “Florida Drupal Camp may have been the most beneficial and amazing conference I’ve ever attended. It reinforced for me that you’re never too old, or too far along in your career to learn something new, that there truly is ‘something for everyone’ in every experience if you look for it and are open to it, and that sometimes, having the right group of people around you and supporting you can make you feel like anything is possible.” - Kelly Smith Altering thousands of Nodes, either by moving content from Node fields into separate Paragraphs, populating metatags on existing content, or re-tagging everything can be a challenge. It is hard to do these kinds of large operations reliably, smoothly, and log it all at the same time. This session explored easier and more reliable ways to do large-scale batch operations on big sites. See how the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services contributed a module so everyone can make big changes more reliably, on the record, and with less effort. #Drupal #DrupalCampFL #OpenSource #FOSS #GovTech Drupal Association Drupal

ICYMI: Last month, our team gathered in Washington, D.C. to kick off the next phase of the DITAP curriculum refresh. This onsite was a critical step in shaping a more modern, flexible, and experiential program that meets the evolving needs of federal acquisition professionals. What we are working on: ?? Bringing Learning to Life: We agreed to focus on experiential learning in the redesigned curriculum, i.e. hands-on activities and real-world case studies that make learning practical and engaging. ?? Strengthening Shadowing Opportunities: Shadowing is such a valuable part of DITAP, and we’re making it even better. A new playbook, diverse vendor partnerships, and tools to help participants find meaningful shadowing opportunities are all on the way. ?? Refreshing Curriculum Design: By focusing on the program’s strengths, we identified ways to make the curriculum even more engaging and rigorous through clearer expectations and more experiential learning. ?? Listening and Learning: We’re building a structured feedback process to bring in insights from alumni, stakeholders, and subject matter experts (SMEs). This ensures the curriculum stays relevant and responsive to the needs of federal acquisition professionals. ?? Read more: https://lnkd.in/gA9qQXQx #DITAP #GovTech #DigitalProcurement #FederalAcquisition

ICYMI: Alt text is one of the simplest ways to make the web more inclusive—yet it’s still often done wrong. At FOSDEM earlier this month, CivicActioner Mike Gifford, CPWA tackled this challenge head-on. His talk, Alternative Text for Images: How Bad Are Our Alt-Text Anyway?, explored why we still struggle with alt text, how ATAG 2.0 can help, and a Python script he created to analyze alt text across websites. No automated tool currently verifies if alt text truly captures an image’s meaning—Mike’s insights show why we need to do better. Learn more?? https://lnkd.in/gSMKAruH #AltText #a11y #Accessibility #FOSS #FOSDEM FOSDEM

?? ICYMI: The 2024 Web Almanac, a volunteer-driven initiative by HTTP Archive, dives into the state of the web with a chapter dedicated to digital accessibility—featuring insights from Mike Gifford, CivicActions' open standards and practices lead. Mike’s contributions bring a government-focused perspective, comparing accessibility on U.S. state websites with those of international governments. “Access to digital services is a civil right,” Mike Gifford, CPWA said, emphasizing that the Web Almanac serves as both a benchmark and a call to action for organizations to address accessibility gaps. By analyzing challenges—like inaccessible PDFs—and showcasing progress, the Almanac inspires leaders to evaluate where they stand and how they can do better. Read more about this work in Government Technology https://lnkd.in/dPtRM_2t #Accessibility #A11y

Looking forward to our CivicActioners Steve Wirt, Christian Burk and Kelly Smith sharing their knowledge at Florida DrupalCamp! Thanks for the shoutout, The Drop Times! Drupal Drupal Association #Drupal #FOSS

In CivicActions' DITAP program, facilitator David Sumner—our Associate Director of DevSecOps—brings real-world expertise from running DevOps for Healthcare.gov, Medicare.gov, and CMS.gov for our client Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as well as deep expertise in AI, machine learning, and government procurement. His deep technical knowledge helps participants navigate the complexities of digital procurement with confidence. "Recently, I got the opportunity to deliver a presentation on AI Procurement Considerations to the newest CivicActions DITAP cohort. It’s exciting to help these specialists expand their knowledge in this fast-growing space. The reach of AI is growing every day, and these people will be doing their part to ensure that it delivers for the American people in the most cost-effective, high-performing, and ethical ways possible.” - Dave Sumner Learn from experts like David in CivicActions’ DITAP program. Sign up today: https://lnkd.in/guEXtqhQ #DITAP #DevOps #AI #ML #GovTech #GovCon

Excellence in delivery is at the heart of everything we do at CivicActions, and our latest EXCEPTIONAL Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) ratings from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Technology Acquisition Center (VA TAC) for our DITAP program highlight that commitment. ? Quality of Delivery – We go above and beyond, not only delivering an outstanding program but also providing an unmatched level of support for each student.? ? Schedule – We take pride in our flexibility, ensuring we meet our clients’ needs by promptly creating and adjusting schedules as needed.? ? Management – Our team is highly responsive and goes above and beyond in reporting, providing detailed updates that keep our partners informed. We’re proud to support the VA’s mission and grateful for the trust placed in us. #GovTech #DITAP #GovCon If you’re ready to take your skills to the next level with a DITAP program that’s shaping the future, let’s talk: https://lnkd.in/guEXtqhQ