2018 Code for America Summit

Designing Government Platforms for Reliability, Trust, Safety and More
Mike Wilkening, Undersecretary, California Health and Human Services Agency
In 2016, Propel launched a smartphone app (FreshEBT) aimed at making it easier for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (CalFresh in California) recipients to check their balances, lookup job opportunities, find recipes, and access food coupons.  In recent months, there has been an increasing dispute between Propel and Conduent, the EBT service provider in California, over whether the volume of users accessing Conduent’s system using FreshEBT is crashing the system.  Conduent has in some instances attempted to limit access through FreshEBT.
 
At first blush, this can be seen simply as the existing order stifling a creative start-up, which is an interesting story in and of itself.  However, this story actually highlights much bigger underlying issues and is going to repeat itself. What questions need to be answered as we continue to foster an environment focusing on the client and finding better ways for clients to use and get info about their benefits? Join Michael Wilkening in a mainstage overview of a topic to be followed-up in a breakout session later on Friday.

Better Foundations, Not Better Facades
Genevieve Gaudet, Service Designer, Nava PBC
This industry can only realize our radical vision if we take the time to collectively build strong foundations, which is often times at odds with the short-term focus of agile methods. Genevieve Gaudet will talk about tools she uses at Nava Public Benefit Corporation to align multiple stakeholders around a strong shared vision, and how those practices hold everyone accountable for the realities of getting there and the outcomes that really matter for millions of Americans.

Getting From Here to There: A Sustainable Future for Public Services
Louise Downe, Director of Design and Service Standards for the UK Government at the Government Digital Service (GDS).
Emma Gasson, Head of Product, Code for America
The U.K. Government Digital Service (GDS) was set up 6 years ago to help government work better for users. Since then, GDS has built, delivered and supported a huge amount - from the single government website GOV.UK to new digital services for renewing passports or registering to vote.
The work is far from done. For government to truly work better for users, we must transform not just front-end interactions but everything involved in how government delivers services. From technology to operational delivery to the way different parts of government work (or don’t work) together.
That’s why we’re building a new model for delivering public services. One which brings together all the people involved in delivering a service - no matter what part of government they come from - and empowers them with the tools, resources, support and standards they need to help build a better government.

The Next Generation
Athena Kan, Coding It Forward
Chris Kuang, Coding It Forward
This is the seventh Code for America Summit. CfA and many others have been convening the conversations and setting an agenda for government that works for all Americans for eight years now. Every movement needs new voices, new activists, new doers, new energy. Luckily, the next generation is here. They’re fired up about a public sector that truly serves the public, they’re digital natives, and they’re ready, willing and able to do the work.