Originally published March 2021 in Government Technology Magazine: Rebecca Woodbury, the digital services chief for the city of San Rafael, Calif., who made a name for herself as an outspoken advocate for innovation in local government, has started her own company. The startup, called Department of Civic Things, is a consultancy Woodbury has created to carry on her … Continued
Early in my career, my best friend was working as a social worker. She helped LGBTQ foster youth navigate trauma. She supported them in relationships with foster and birth parents, as well as other kids. At the end of her shift, she had to document the happenings of the day, sometimes traumatic, into their case … Continued
A product owner ensures that a government service or program is effective and meets people’s needs. This role is different from a project manager, who’s job is to make sure a project gets done on time and on budget. The product owner is accountable for whether the service is any good. This mindset helps to … Continued
Originally published by Govlaunch in January 2021: For small to medium-sized governments, resources and budgets are particularly strained and most feel they are understaffed to provide frontline services effectively. On top of this, governments are now navigating a pandemic, which has forced even more attention on the bottom line, the use of digital tools, accessibility, … Continued
Originally published May 2019 by Code for America: The founding vision of Code for America is for a government that works by the people, for the people, in the digital age. We want to see this at all levels of government, but we know that the work of changing and improving systems often starts at … Continued
Every year, the GovTech Top 25 winners are selected by Government Technology Magazine. They demonstrate a commitment to making sure the systems that run government nationwide are accessible, reliable, and made for the 21st century. In 2017, Rebecca Woodbury, founder of Department of Civic Things, was honored with the award. Rebecca Woodbury thinks employees of … Continued
The book “The Open Organization” by Jim Whitehurst speaks to the idea of openness beyond the legal definition of transparency or simple collaboration, but as a tool for making government work better for people. Whitehurst talks about an “open everything culture” and that it’s not for everyone. To succeed in this culture, you must be … Continued
Originally published in Western City in January 2020: Local government is in transition. Public trust in government has declined, and there is no shortage of high expectations. According to a 2016 survey, 85 percent of Americans expect the same or higher quality from government digital services as they would get from a private company. In … Continued
Originally published in GovTech in October 2016: The public sector moves more slowly than the business world. Government information technology contracts are huge, long-term beasts. Public agencies prefer establishment over risk. All of that used to be true — but it’s changing. According to a group of businesspeople and public officials who gathered Thursday in … Continued
Originally published in Techwire on June 3, 2019: San Rafael’s new Digital Service & Open Government department released a Draft Strategic Framework late last month that proposes four tech focuses: open engagement, service design, data use and analytics, and technology modernization. Rebecca Woodbury, the agency director, said she and her fellow staffers “see ourselves as capacity builders” helping … Continued
