Category: Press

ProudCity Turns to Partners to Unbundle Web Tech, Service

Originally published May 2021 in GovTech Magazine: The company, which offers technology to help local governments set up and run their websites, is using certified partners so that agencies can use different firms for things like implementation and content development. The company provides open source technology for local government websites, but to actually own a … Continued

How local governments are responding to the pandemic (radio show)

In this episode, Voices of the Community features the voices of the cofounder of CivicMakers Judi Brown, Assistant Director of Human Resources at the City of San Jose Kelli Parmley, and former Director of Digital Services and Open Government for the City of San Rafael, Rebecca Woodbury. We focus on the impact that the COVID-19 … Continued

Former local IT official wants to ‘demystify’ digital services

Originally published March 2021 in StateScoop: To help small cities and towns go digital, the former digital service director of San Rafael, California, recently announced that she’s launching her own civic technology consultancy. The business, called the Department of Civic Things, is Rebecca Woodbury’s first venture since departing San Rafael in January after 12 years with … Continued

Local gov leader Rebecca Woodbury launches consultancy

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

Product management in local government (podcast)

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

Delivery-Driven Government in Action: ‘Together San Rafael’

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

GovTech Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers

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

Western City: meeting the community’s changing needs

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

3 reasons some local governments are eschewing big tech vendors for startups

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

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