How to level up government

Most change is gradual and incremental. But there are times in history when technology offers a step-change: The printing press; broadcast media; computers. The Internet—and more specifically, Web 2.0’s interactivity—was such a step change. Its potential to make the public service cheaper, more accessible, more efficient, and simpler were unprecedented.
To speed up the adoption of new technology, and the culture and attitudes that came with it. In 2012, the US established the Presidential Innovation Fellows to speed government innovation, and in 2014 the General Services Administration’s Technology Transformation Services department created 18F to continue the process of onboarding digital tools—and thinking—in government. Until 2025, the organization delivered many digital building blocks including Cloud.gov, Login.gov, and Analytics.usa.gov.
This session brings together three of 18F’s senior directors, including two who were there at its creation and made the transition from Presidential Innovation Fellows to 18F leaders, to talk about the initiative, share lessons learned, and help other jurisdictions adopt similar approaches that can accelerate adoption and deliver on the promise of digital technologies.