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 work with more local governments — especially small ones.
“I’m excited about small local governments because I think they actually have a lot of potential to provide really good digital services,” she said. “There’s a lot less red tape, they’re a lot more nimble, and I think that small governments are sometimes positioned better to do more innovative things. I think there’s potential for small governments to inform how larger governments do these things and offer these services.”
Websites and digital services will be a focus for Department of Civic Things, but the idea behind the company ultimately has more to do with helping governments address the more abstract concepts that surround and support any technology project — things like work culture, change management and the journey of reimagining processes.