[The United States Digital Service (USDS)] was a flagship organization in the civic tech movement, which emerged over a decade ago with the intent of improving government using technology, data and better design. On his first day back in office, Trump transformed USDS into the vehicle for billionaire Elon Musk’s DOGE.
Set up with an ostensible focus on technology and a model of bringing outside talent into the government — similar to that of its predecessor — DOGE has led efforts to shrink the size of government and hoover up agency data. Government civic tech teams, including legacy employees at USDS itself and 18F, have been downsized or eliminated altogether.
“There is no overlap” between DOGE and civic tech, Direct File’s former deputy, Merici Vinton, told Nextgov/FCW via email.
“Civic tech launches products and services that are designed with users,” she said. “DOGE hired some engineers that came into the federal government, and after asking no questions to understand mission, fired hundreds of thousands of employees, cut congressionally mandated programs, ransacked agencies, and have built nothing.”
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