Category: Service design

In their new book “Good Services: How to design services that work,” former UK Government Design Director Lou Downe offers the public sector an invaluable playbook to delivering government services that are intentional and work for everyone. The foundation of Downe’s book are these 15 principles: Be easy to find Clearly explain its purpose Set … Continued

While the work of government is commonly referred to as service — embodied in the terms ‘public service’ and ‘public servant’ — it’s the government-as-a-product mindset that is driving the future of truly innovative and effective civic organizations. The shift in perspective to government-as-a-product doesn’t de-emphasize the mission-critical purpose and intent of government. Instead, product … Continued

The government product owner is responsible for setting the vision, ensuring effective delivery and being accountable for a specific product, such as a website, policy or public service program. It is a role that is becoming more critical, particularly for successful digital government project launches and continued management. Government digital service organizations who incorporate product … Continued

Team pledges are a fun way to “swear in” the team and bring everyone together in a semi-formal way to vocally unify commitment to the team agreement. ProudCity uses a team pledge at the beginning of every new project. Example pledge As a member of [TEAM NAME], I solemnly swear to uphold the [TEAM NAME] … Continued

Team agreements help set a foundation of trust and effectiveness for how project members work together to achieve a common goal. Team agreements are common in agile work environments where communicated expectations help ensure projects stay focused on delivering digital services on time and on budget. As the U.S. General Services Administration says of team … Continued