Customer Experience
OMB touts 'time tax' reductions for government services
Sam Berger, associate administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, spoke with Nextgov/FCW about progress made and what’s next.
Jobless aid programs get a facelift under a bipartisan Senate proposal
The bill responds to asks from the oversight community, in addition to instituting requirements for states administering the funds.
Exclusive
Exit interview: OMB’s CX guru Amira Boland
Amira Boland was the first to take on the role of customer experience lead at the White House, and she sees great potential even beyond her departure.
Education secretary pledges troubled online student aid tool will be ready for next fall
The online Free Application for Federal Student Aid tool had a rocky release, with bad data and uptime problems, but the Department of Education is looking for improvements next year.
IRS considers future of Direct File pilot
The agency hasn’t decided if it’ll field the program long term but does say that user feedback of the tool has largely been positive.
Exclusive
30,000 died in fiscal 2023 waiting for disability decisions from Social Security
SSA Commissioner Martin O’Malley sat down with Nextgov/FCW recently to talk through the agency’s biggest challenges, including how it delivers disability assistance.
Feds move to make gov websites more accessible to people with disabilities
It’s the first time the federal government has ever issued rules clarifying how the more than 30-year-old Americans with Disabilities Act applies online. But the new rules come with a hefty price tag for state and local governments.
100,000 have used IRS Direct File to submit their tax returns
The agency has not yet determined whether the pilot program for the tool will be extended into a permanent offering.
The long tail of modernization
Why CX is an ongoing journey and not a destination.
SSA needs funding to address its ‘customer service crisis,’ commissioner says
Applicants have to wait eight months on average for an initial disability decision.
Biden seeks more than $500M for CX in 2025 budget
New digital service teams and a focus on the "voice of the customer" are among the customer experience funding requests in the FY2025 budget request.
IRS touts launch of Direct File pilot
The pilot, which allows eligible taxpayers to file directly with the IRS for free, marks a new free option from the IRS, which has for decades relied on private companies to field free options for Americans.
Featured eBooks
Checking in on digital government in China
COMMENTARY | Steve Kelman writes that an online system for registering complaints and comments about government services has its roots in China's imperial past.
IRS opens up Direct File to the public
Interested taxpayers will have to watch the IRS website to see when the tool is open for new users.
Labor Department experiments with AI in unemployment systems
The agency plans to use the current “calm” in unemployment claims to better prepare for the next storm.
Education Dept. debuts simpler online financial aid form, but users face a restricted rollout
The redesigned form features as few as 18 questions instead of potentially more than 100.
Exclusive
TSA survey reveals 93% of travelers satisfied with passenger experience
Even more travelers were confident in the Transportation Security Administration’s ability to keep air travel safe.
OMB releases ‘broad’ accessibility guidance for government tech
This is the first new guidance on Section 508 in a decade.
A New Year's resolution to improve government forms
COMMENTARY | A good digital form uses human-centered design to ensure a positive and frictionless experience, one so easy you barely even think about it
IRS direct file participants will have to use ID.me for identity verification
The agency still isn't ready to field the government-provided Login.gov for digital access to taxpayer services.
