White House Launches New Digital Team To Enhance Government Sites

President Obama today launches a new effort to improve the government’s Internet presence, spearheaded by the technologist who swept in to right the ship after the disastrous launch of the HealthCare.gov website. The U.S. Digital Service, made up of recruits from Facebook and Google, debuted with a Digital Services Playbook and a TechFAR Handbook, two texts to help federal agencies streamline how they approach their digital presence. The USDS team will be small – just about 25 people brought on for two- to four-year stints – and will seek to establish standards, develop a culture of technological accountability, and figure out “common technology patterns” to replicate across agencies. Proponents say the forward-thinking approach could help prevent digital disasters before they occur.