How 18F Transformed Government Technology and Why Its Elimination Matters

Healthcare.gov , the government wellness insurance marketplace website , launched in October 2013 only to warp under the weight of just 2,000 simultaneous drug user . As 1000000 of Americans stare at misplay messages and frozen screens , a political crisis unfolded , but so did a new era of government activity engineering .

The resultant was 18F , an in - house digital services consulting agency that brought Silicon Valley expertness to government , challenging ten of outdated procurement practices and insert a radical young approach to build digital public services .

establish on March 19 , 2014 , byPresidential Innovation Fellows , 18F was housed within theTechnology Transformation Servicesdepartment of the General Services Administration , or GSA . The name 18F was derived from the address of GSA home base : 1800 F Street . On March 1 , 2025 , just a few week shy of 18F ’s 11th anniversary , the Trump administrationeliminated the agencyand laid off its staff .

A photo of the outside of the White House and the gate surrounding it. A sign reads “Restricted Area: Do Not Enter."

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As a researcher whostudies public administration and technology , I have observed the transformational part 18F played in government digital services . The whole ’s riddance raises the dubiousness of what the future of those services will reckon like .

Impact of 18F

18F do a unequaled role as an in - house digital consultancy for the U.S. government , drawing on innovative strategy to better public inspection and repair through technology . Within 18F , teams consisting of designers , software engineers , strategian and product manager worked together with federal , State Department and local agencies to not only fix technical problems but to construct , buy and share technology that help to modernize and meliorate the public ’s experience with government divine service .

Over nearly 11 years , 18F built an impressive portfolio of successful digital undertaking that transmute how the great unwashed interact with the U.S. authorities . Even if the average person is unfamiliar with 18F , the betting odds are quite high that they have at least encountered one of its many products or services .

For example , 18F support the Internal Revenue Service in creating IRS Direct File , a barren on-line tax filing instrument that provide taxpayers with a simplified filing outgrowth . As of today , IRS Direct File isavailable in 25 statesand isexpected to answer 30 millioneligible taxpayer during the 2025 tax filing season .

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18F staff describe the group’s mission and work.

18F has been polar in develop and secure digital systems to help create more streamlined and secure drug user experiences for the public . For instance , Login.govis a secure single sign - on platform that simplifies access code to multiple government services for users .

Perhaps the most notable of 18F ’s modernization efforts that touches nearly every face of government activity today is theU.S. Web Design System . The comprehensive plan system was developed in collaboration with theU.S. Digital Servicein 2015 . It helps stick out wads of office and makesnearly 200 websitesmore approachable and antiphonal to user needs .

How 18F worked

What set 18F asunder was its approach . Rather than spending class on giant info applied science contracts that often failed to pitch , 18F championedagile development . Agile and lean methodologies have been pop in Silicon Valley startups and software package companies for decades due to their flexibleness and focus on speedy iteration .

By applying agile development principles , 18F focalise on get out down large project into manageable piece with incremental improvements based on frequent user feedback . This approach appropriate continuous adaption spur by user feedback and changing requirements while dilute risk of exposure .

Another cornerstone of 18F ’s innovative approach was its focus onuser - focus on design . By focusing on the need of the citizenry who really used politics serving , 18F was able to go beyond simply satisfying proficient requirements to design digital product that were more approachable and substance abuser - friendly . The idea was to understand the end users and the problem they run into to in effect project products and solutions that accost their pauperism . It also aimed to supply a consistent user experience and gain the exploiter ’ trust in the services .

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By prioritizing open - source developing and collaboration , 18F also helped to make government IT more affordable . Making project code transparent intend that agencies could recycle the code and reduce the cost of twin ontogenesis efforts across agencies and levels of government .

18F also had a hand in helping agencies explicate their own technology content , whether by teaching them how to build computer software using open - germ developing and quick methodologies or by teaching agencies how to hire and superintend technology vendor themselves . This mannequin was especially beneficial for state and local agencies following18F ’s expansionin 2016 to provide table service to DoS and local government representation that receive Union financial backing .

End of an era

The elimination of 18F mark the end of an geological era , raising vexation about both current and next technology projects . As of now , there does not seem to be a chronological succession programme , pull up stakes many Union agencieswithout on-going supportfor their digital transformation attempt . Critics also argue that the loss of 18F entail theloss of significant technical expertisewithin the government .

These change come at a time when agencies are experiencing substantial personnel shifting , rendering digital services potentially even more decisive . As agencies brace for more personnel cut , the populace may need to swear more on digital services to fill the gap amid grow staffing shortages .

Since the word was announced , current and former 18F team members as well as proponent of the building block have taken to social medium chopine , including X ( formerly Twitter),Bluesky , and LinkedIn , to share stories of its successes , reward its legacy andshare 18F resources .

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