Improving how the government buys technology
By the Numbers
People will have graduated from our DITAP program by end of FY 2020
Growth of the Digital Acquisition community since 2016, demonstrating the scale that USDS and OFPP envisioned when the program was created
The Challenge
Current federal procurement practices rarely provide the flexibility required to buy and deliver modern digital services. As the pace of innovation has accelerated, the government’s ability to meet people’s expectations of functional digital solutions has not kept pace. To meet this demand, the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) and USDS needed an immersive development and training program to improve digital services acquisition expertise across government agencies.
The Solution
In 2016, USDS and OFPP created the Digital IT Acquisition Professional Program (DITAP), a Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC‑C) certification program that trains contracting professionals to execute digital service procurements by acting as business advisors to agencies seeking to buy better digital services. DITAP leverages flexibilities in the Federal Acquisition Regulation to better acquire today’s technology and works seamlessly with digital service teams or acquisition innovation labs. Graduates of the DITAP program can also lead agency training workshops and provide consultations, expanding digital service procurement expertise across the government. In a May 2018 memo, OMB determined that beginning in FY 2022, contracting professionals assigned to digital services acquisitions above $7 million will be required to have FAC‑C‑DS certification.
The second cohort of DITAP trainees.
Press
More projects
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Internal Revenue ServiceFiling taxes for free with IRS’ Direct File
USDS partnered with the IRS to deliver the IRS Direct File Pilot, a free way for eligible people to file their taxes for free, directly with the IRS.
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Social Security AdministrationContinuously improving SSA.gov
The Social Security Administration is building on the momentum from their partnership with the U.S. Digital Service by implementing iterative research, best practices, and a data-informed approach to ensure the website is usable and useful.
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Centers for Disease Control and PreventionPreparing for the next pandemic while building tech for COVID-19
We worked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to quickly create and scale technology programs that digitize and share infectious disease test results in real-time.
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Health and Human ServicesModernizing the child care application process
USDS partnered with ACF’s policy and subject matter experts to create a Model Child Care Assistance Application and eligibility verification practices that met federal guidelines and demonstrated the “art of what’s possible.
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Cross-agencyOptimizing benefits for families
Working alongside The Department of Treasury and the White House, we built ChildTaxCredit.gov to educate families about the expanded Earned Income Credit and Child Tax Credit. The USDS team relied on in-depth research to create a site that is accessible, easy-to-read, and provides resources to find free tax services.
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Cross-agencyChanging how the government hires technical talent
We helped develop a process that allows HR to leverage subject matter experts to evaluate candidates for specialized roles. The result restores fair and open access for all applicants, shortens the hiring timeline, and ensures applicants are truly qualified.
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Veterans AffairsSimplifying Veteran‑facing services through VA.gov
Each month, over 10 million people attempt to access the digital tools and content at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and have historically struggled to find what they’re looking for. Digital modernization efforts needed to focus on improving the user experience.