Digital Service Network

Did you see the latest edition of The Public Good? ?? Read the newsletter & subscribe ??https://lnkd.in/eDk7J-P9 Key Highlights: ?? Meet?Makayla Hipke, this month's Digital Difference Maker! ??Check out our 2.0 Digital Service Team (DST) Tracker with new features and improvements ?? Read the latest spotlight featuring Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections' approach to developing an equitable honoraria policy ?? Watch the recording from our Platformland book talk with Richard Pope ?? Explore notable pending #AI legislation from Utah, Oregon, California, & Georgia, plus other updates to our digital transformation policy scan ?? Explore resources and examples in the?#DigitalGovernmentHub?from?Colorado Governor's Office of Information Technology, State of Maryland, Government Digital Service, Policy Lab UK, and City of Tempe ?? Governments are?#hiring! Job opportunities with the New Jersey State Office of Innovation, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Massachusetts Executive Office of Technology Services and Security (EOTSS), Seattle Mayor’s Office of Innovation & Performance, and Arizona Strategic Enterprise Technology Office ?? Are you a government hiring digital talent or a federal employee ready for your next chapter? Work for America's Civic Match is connecting talented federal employees to meaningful work in state and local government. ??? See new headlines featuring?Gov. Wes Moore's new website for displaced federal workers

Missed #FormFest2024 or want to revisit the insights shared? Our talented Spring Student Analysts, Neha Jampala and Quaylin Dang, have compiled comprehensive event recaps for?every?session! Now you can: ?? Dive deep:?Read detailed session recaps with key takeaways. ?? Catch up:?Watch session recordings. ??? Connect:?Explore speaker profiles. We'll also be sharing key takeaways and insights every Friday for #FormFestFriday. Ready to explore? ?? https://lnkd.in/e_s4UsV7

Over the past few weeks, we've seen many of our community members, colleagues, friends, and critical public servants laid off from the federal workforce. We want to support as many individuals impacted as we can. There are so many organizations within the civic tech ecosystem doing incredible work to support our community. That's why we've put together this collaborative, living document of resources for those impacted. In this document you can find: ?? Job search tools ?????? Resources to find legal, financial, emotional, and other types of support ?? Ways to connect with others and share your story ??? Direct resources from your state or local government ?? A list of civic tech organizations who may be able to support your needs Did we miss something? We invite you to leave a comment if we've missed a resource or opportunity that would benefit the community. Thank you to all of the current and former public servants working to improve outcomes for the people they serve. We, and many others, are here to support you! ?? Explore the resource ?? https://lnkd.in/egcqtJJe

What is a theory of change (ToC)???? A ToC is a clearly articulated strategy of how an organization expects to bring about a desired change. In other words, it’s a theory of how and why an intervention works. They are essential for effective digital service teams. A strong ToC?has three elements: ??? A mapping of the current state, ?? An articulation of the desired end state, and? ?? A credible set of casual mechanisms to get from one to the other. In our first ToC essay, we breakdown these steps down so digital service teams can craft strong, effective ToCs. You'll learn: 1?? What a ToC is 2?? Why they are essential? 3?? How to craft one Read the essay and explore the series, featuring insights and reflections from digital government practitioners in the field ???https://lnkd.in/eutgZ6CU

In 2023, we shared our theory of change (ToC) series to help government digital service teams kick-start new (or super-charge existing!) theories of change. Given changes at the federal level, we know that many government digital service teams are spending time re-evaluating and refreshing their ToCs. What is a ToC??A ToC is a clearly articulated strategy of how an individual or organization expects to bring about a desired change in a particular context. Why is a ToC important??ToCs are practical?strategic tools that make achieving desired outcomes?more likely; prevent mistakes by surfacing?assumptions and dependencies; help teams align with?stakeholders?and better?invest?limited time and resources; and more.?A good ToC is a lightweight tool which can be wielded for a host of tangible needs, like: ?? Recruiting allies by helping teams communicate how their work is critical to realizing shared goals ?? Strategically choosing a course of action ?? Boosting team morale by making clear why and how near-term work matters to long-term aims Learn more in our ToC essay series, featuring insights and reflections from digital government practitioners in the field ?? https://lnkd.in/erP7iTuE

We're excited to partner on: Radical Future(s) Summit: Impact x Innovation x Design ??? Friday,?May 2 | 9 AM - 4 PM PT?|????Portland, Oregon A one-day, high-impact gathering for bold, future-focused thinkers, builders, and doers shaping the future of social impact design and public innovation.? This event is not just a conference. It’s a incubating space for changemakers to: ??Challenge assumptions ? Engage in deep, critical conversations ??Explore innovative, inclusive solutions ??Build relationships that lead to durable community and real action ??? Register for the conference (early bird discount through March 21 for everyone; same pricing available for members always): https://lnkd.in/gU9NVuFT ?? Submit a session (by March 14; bonus points by March 7): https://lnkd.in/gbcq_jYf ??? All summit details: https://lnkd.in/g7eJcJEP Shout out: studio b:ask

Last year, we launched our ?? Digital Service Team (DST) Tracker ?? to investigate the ever-increasing number of U.S.-based government DSTs and their varied structures. The Tracker has consistently proven itself one of our most popular resources, with 2,200+ views since we launched in October 2024. When we launched the Tracker, we set out to support critical conversation about how DSTs across the U.S. are funded and layered into organizational structures. Within the current context of federal layoffs and the shifting landscape of U.S. government talent with core digital competencies, the Tracker is more relevant than ever. We’re hearing from folks across our network of digital government practitioners that the Tracker is an essential tool helping them navigate this moment. To ensure the Tracker remains a valuable resource, we’re thrilled to roll out our?DST Tracker 2.0?with several new features. Highlights include: ?? New form pathways to submit a new team?OR?update an existing team's information? ??? A cleaner user interface ?? "Quick hit" drop-down buttons to easily group by level of government or team operational status ? Engaging with DST Tracker 2.0? ?? If you’ve been using the DST Tracker since our initial launch, be sure to bookmark the new link for our 2.0 version. If you’re new to the Tracker, learn more about its development on the Digital Government Hub.? ?? If you would like to see your DST’s information captured and verified alongside others in the field, fill out our DST Tracker intake form.? ?? If your team is already captured in the Tracker and you’d like to submit an update, click on the “Update team info” button next to your team’s name. ?? Explore our DST Tracker 2.0 ???https://lnkd.in/eN6_xJJG As always, you can connect with the DSN with your questions and ideas. Email us at?digitalservicenetwork@georgetown.edu.?We look forward to continuing to grow and improve this database with your support and collaboration! ??

Join our friends from The Opportunity Project for Cities (TOPC) team here at Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation in InnovateUS' workshop next Wednesday, Mar 12, 2025 (2:00–3:30 PM ET, Zoom): Building Inclusive Climate Resilience with Human-centered Design in Government—where civic tech meets community-driven solutions. ?? Moderated by?Harold Moore?(Beeck Center, Georgetown), with insights from?Liz Boyer?(City of Saint Paul) and?Jorge Valens, MPA?(Miami-Dade County), and?Elham Ali, MPH, PMP (Beeck Center, Georgetown), this session will explore: ?? Community engagement strategies for climate resilience? ?? Challenges & solutions in tech-enabled resilience efforts ?? Practical ways to use climate data for better decision-making ??? Register today:?https://lnkd.in/efpFavtW

Government teams frequently grapple with the complexities of compensating participants for user research. The Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) experienced these hurdles firsthand, particularly during the pandemic, when budget shortfalls highlighted the need for more sustainable, in-house research operations. Lessons learned from the work thus far:? ?? Ground policies in equity ?? Engage stakeholders early to foster collaboration ?? Leverage tools for transparency and efficiency Read the spotlight and explore the resources driving the work ???https://lnkd.in/eMB_Qp9P

Civic tech, innovation and data experts exiting the federal government: This Thursday 2/27 from 5-6pm EST, we are hosting a virtual event for YOU! Join Work for America, U.S. Digital Response, Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation, Technologists for the Public Good and Tech Talent Project to engage directly with state and local government hiring managers eager to meet candidates with your skills and experience. Confirmed employers include Colorado Governor's Office of Information Technology, New Jersey State Office of Innovation, Massachusetts Office of Technical Assistance and Technology (OTA), NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, NYS Office of General Services, and Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University (hiring for several iTeam roles across the country). A few notes: ? Only active Civic Match candidates are eligible to attend. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/g-Kp3Fhr ?? Register here: https://lnkd.in/gHG5D8Gf ?? View open Civic Match roles here: https://lnkd.in/g_ZUWR3F