How 18F transformed government technology, and why its elimination matters

Healthcare.gov, the federal government medical health insurance market web site, launched in October 2013 solely to buckle underneath the load of simply 2,000 simultaneous customers. As tens of millions of Individuals stared at error messages and frozen screens, a political disaster unfolded, however so did a brand new period of presidency expertise.

The consequence was 18F, an in-house digital companies consulting company that introduced Silicon Valley experience to authorities, difficult a long time of outdated procurement practices and introducing a radical new strategy to constructing digital public companies.

Based on March 19, 2014, by Presidential Innovation Fellows, 18F was housed inside the Expertise Transformation Companies division of the Common Companies Administration, or GSA. The title 18F was derived from the tackle of GSA headquarters: 1800 F Road. On March 1, 2025, only a few weeks shy of 18F’s eleventh anniversary, the Trump administration eradicated the company and laid off its workers.

As a researcher who research public administration and expertise, I’ve noticed the transformational position 18F performed in authorities digital companies. The unit’s elimination raises the query of what the way forward for these companies will appear to be.

Impression of 18F

18F served a novel position as an in-house digital consultancy for the U.S. authorities, drawing on revolutionary methods to enhance public service by expertise. Inside 18F, groups consisting of designers, software program engineers, strategists and product managers labored along with federal, state and native companies to not solely repair technical issues however to construct, purchase and share expertise that helped to modernize and enhance the general public’s expertise with authorities companies.

Over almost 11 years, 18F constructed a powerful portfolio of profitable digital initiatives that remodeled how folks work together with the U.S. authorities. Even when the common individual is unfamiliar with 18F, the chances are fairly excessive that they’ve a minimum of encountered certainly one of its many services or products.

For instance, 18F supported the Inside Income Service in creating IRS Direct File, a free on-line tax submitting device that gives taxpayers with a simplified submitting course of. As of in the present day, IRS Direct File is accessible in 25 states and is predicted to serve 30 million eligible taxpayers through the 2025 tax submitting season.

18F has been pivotal in modernizing and securing digital techniques to assist create extra streamlined and safe person experiences for the general public. For example, Login.gov is a safe single sign-on platform that simplifies entry to a number of authorities companies for customers.

Maybe essentially the most notable of 18F’s modernization efforts that touches almost each side of presidency in the present day is the U.S. Net Design System. The excellent design system was developed in collaboration with the U.S. Digital Service in 2015. It helps assist dozens of companies and makes almost 200 web sites extra accessible and attentive to person wants.

How 18F labored

What set 18F aside was its strategy. Relatively than spending years on big info expertise contracts that always did not ship, 18F championed agile improvement. Agile and lean methodologies have been fashionable in Silicon Valley startups and software program corporations for many years resulting from their flexibility and give attention to speedy iteration.

By making use of agile improvement rules, 18F targeted on breaking down massive initiatives into manageable items with incremental enhancements primarily based on frequent person suggestions. This strategy allowed steady adaptation spurred by person suggestions and altering necessities whereas lowering threat.

One other cornerstone of 18F’s revolutionary strategy was its give attention to user-centered design. By specializing in the wants of the individuals who really used authorities companies, 18F was in a position to transcend merely satisfying technical necessities to design digital merchandise that have been extra accessible and user-friendly. The thought was to grasp the tip customers and the issues they encountered with the intention to successfully design merchandise and options that addressed their wants. It additionally aimed to offer a constant person expertise and earn the customers’ belief within the companies.

By prioritizing open-source improvement and collaboration, 18F additionally helped to make authorities IT extra reasonably priced. Making mission code clear meant that companies might reuse the code and scale back the price of duplicate improvement efforts throughout companies and ranges of presidency.

18F additionally had a hand in serving to companies develop their very own expertise capability, whether or not by instructing them the way to construct software program utilizing open-source improvement and agile methodologies or by instructing companies the way to rent and oversee expertise distributors themselves. This mannequin was particularly useful for state and native companies following 18F’s growth in 2016 to offer companies to state and native authorities companies that obtain federal funding.

Finish of an period

The elimination of 18F marks the tip of an period, elevating issues about each present and future expertise initiatives. As of now, there doesn’t seem like a succession plan, leaving many federal companies with out ongoing assist for his or her digital transformation efforts. Critics additionally argue that the lack of 18F means the lack of vital technical experience inside the authorities.

These modifications come at a time when companies are experiencing substantial personnel shifts, rendering digital companies probably much more crucial. As companies brace for extra personnel cuts, the general public could have to rely extra on digital companies to fill the hole amid rising staffing shortages.

Because the information was introduced, present and former 18F group members in addition to advocates of the unit have taken to social media platforms, together with X (previously Twitter), Bluesky, and LinkedIn, to share tales of its successes, honor its legacy and share 18F sources.

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