U.S. Digital Response
The Pitch
U.S. Digital Response (USDR) utilized open-source software to equip New York City with tools to address residents’ needs and more easily connect them with government services and forms.
The Problem
Previous New York City Government service forms were not user-friendly and costly for the city to process and maintain. The government needed compiled data and easy-to-understand graphics that could show officials where resources needed to be directed.
The Process
- Provided technical assistance to New York City Government by aggregating data in interactive software, which was then used to guide policy decisions
- Created useful tools for locals to connect with public services, including the NYC Broadband Asset Map, an aggregation of data that visualizes which households lack access to broadband
- Partnered with the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the Office of Management and Budget to show what government form modernization can look like
- Worked with the New York City Department of Small Business Services and the Office of Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises to improve a user-centered, online directory
- Worked with the Mayor’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer (MOCTO) and New York City Department for the Aging to develop a service locator for older New Yorkers to find senior providers and social programming
The Impact
- Created accessible online forms for New York City Government that greatly improved the applicant’s experience and government’s management process; this form modernization was especially helpful during the COVID-19 pandemic when many residents and business owners needed to apply for government support and application form usage increased
- Helped to direct public and private sector entities to contract with minority- and women-owned businesses via directory improvement, reducing negative economic impacts brought by COVID-19
- Enabled replication of the platforms and expanded reach to state governments via use of open-source software: For example, tools used in the New Jersey Office of Innovation to create eligibility screeners were repurposed by California to create a Business Loan Assistant tool for all residents
