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{{Organization
|OrganizationName=18F
|OrganizationType=Government Agency/Digital Consultancy
|Mission=To help other government agencies build, buy, and share technology products that improve public service delivery, focusing on user-centered design, agile development, and open source practices.
|ParentOrganization=Technology Transformation Services
|CreationLegislation=No specific legislation; launched by GSA in March 2014 with the aim to improve government digital services.
|Employees=100
|Budget=Operates on a cost-recovery model; exact budget not publicly detailed but known to be self-funded through its services.
|OrganizationExecutive=Alina Seliukova (Director, as of last update)
|Services=* Agile IT development services for government projects.
* User-centered design and research for digital services.
* IT procurement consulting to streamline and modernize government acquisition processes.
* Open source software development and promotion.
|Regulations=* Must comply with federal acquisition regulations (FAR) and GSA-specific policies.
* Subject to oversight by the Office of Management and Budget for digital strategy and IT initiatives.
|HeadquartersLocation=38.8977, -77.0365
|HeadquartersAddress=1800 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20405 (Note: 18F is largely remote with this address representing the GSA headquarters)
|Website=[https://18f.gsa.gov/](https://18f.gsa.gov/)
}}
{{short description|Digital services agency within the United States Government}}
{{about|the US federal agency|the radioisotope <sup>18</sup>F|fluorine-18|the demonstration|18F (demonstration)}}

{{Infobox government agency
|agency_name = 18F
|formed = {{Start date and age|2014|03|19}}
|headquarters = [[United States General Services Administration Building|General Services Administration Building]]<br/>1800 F Street NW<br/>[[Washington, D.C.]]
|employees = 99 (6/17/2020)
|website = {{URL|https://18f.gsa.gov/}}
|parent_agency=[[General Services Administration|General Services Administration (GSA)]]|logo_size=150px|name=|jurisdiction=|budget=|chief1_name=|chief1_position=|chief2_name=|chief2_position=|chief4_name=|chief4_position=}}
'''18F''' is a digital services agency within the [[General Services Administration|Technology Transformation Services]] department of the General Services Administration (GSA) of the [[United States Government]]. Their purpose is to deliver digital services and technology products.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://18f.gsa.gov/|title=18F: Digital service delivery {{!}} Home|website=18f.gsa.gov|access-date=2016-12-17}}</ref>

==Overview==
18F is an office of federal employees within the General Services Administration (GSA) that collaborates with other agencies to improve the user experience of government services by helping them build and buy technology. The group works with government organizations to define a strategy and work towards a solution for their modernization efforts. 18F uses agile and lean methodologies, open source code, and user centered design approaches. 18F was co-founded on March 19, 2014 by former [[Presidential Innovation Fellows]] Greg Godbout, Aaron Snow, and [[Hillary Hartley]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.govtech.com/civic/What-is-18F.html|title = What is 18F?|date = August 6, 2016}}</ref>

Its name refers to its office location in northwest Washington, D.C., on 18th and F Streets. 18F is within Technology Transformation Services, part of the Federal Acquisition Service. In addition to its Washington, D.C office, the agency has offices in New York, San Francisco, and Chicago.

==History==
In March 2014, a group of Presidential Innovation Fellows started 18F to extend their efforts to improve and modernize government technology.

The [[United Kingdom]] had created a similar agency in April 2011, [[Government Digital Service]], following their own healthcare IT issues,<ref>{{Cite news|last=Bracken|first=Mike |title=U.K. Official Urges U.S. Government To Adopt A Digital Core|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2013/10/23/240268497/u-k-official-urges-u-s-government-to-adopt-a-digital-core|access-date=2020-06-29|website=NPR.org|language=en}}</ref> which saves an estimated $20 million a year over previous methods.<ref name="The Verge: new" /> 18F runs on a cost recovery model where client agencies reimburse the digital agency for its work.<ref name="FNR: new" /> Their operation is closer to a traditional business than government organizations like the [[Digital Services Innovation Center]].<ref name="FNR: new" />

18F's creation was announced by GSA Administrator [[Dan Tangherlini]] on March 19, 2014 with a mission to simplify the government's digital services,<ref name="FNR: new" /> but no project-specific directive.<ref name="The Verge: new" /> The agency started with 15 employees, including 11 former [[Presidential Innovation Fellows]] from both the private and public sectors.<ref name="FNR: new" /> The staff previously worked in [[Frontend and backend|front and backend development]], design and usability, and product management.<ref name="FNR: new" /> ''[[The Verge]]''{{'s}} Adrienne Jeffries reported that the agency released a GSA website code update in a half hour, which would normally take weeks or longer. She added that the team did not appear equipped to handle a rollout similar to that of [[HealthCare.gov]].<ref name="The Verge: new" />

Upon its opening, 18F began to host the [[Presidential Innovation Fellows]] program that had started in May 2012, before 18F's own inception, in the Digital Government Strategy.<ref name="FNR: new" /> An initial list of projects was to be drafted in the months following the agency's creation.<ref name="FNR: new" /> A possible program called FBOpen, an open source small business and federal contractor interface for bidding on government contracts, was discussed at a [[United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs|Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs]] hearing.<ref name="FNR: new" />

On March 19, 2015, 18F and collaborators launched [[analytics.usa.gov]].<ref name=whitehouse>{{cite web|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2015/03/19/turning-government-data-better-public-service|title=Turning Government Data into Better Public Service|date=March 19, 2015|via=[[NARA|National Archives]]|work=[[whitehouse.gov]]|access-date=March 21, 2015}}</ref><ref name=nyt>{{cite web|url=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/03/20/government-website-analytics/?_r=0|title=A Real-Time Peek at Traffic to U.S. Government Websites|last=Ruiz|first=Rebecca|date=March 20, 2015|access-date=March 21, 2015|work=[[The New York Times]] Bits blog}}</ref><ref name=geekwire>{{cite news|url=http://www.geekwire.com/2015/several-u-s-government-websites-now-offer-real-time-analytics/|title=Several U.S. government websites now offer real-time analytics|last=Brown|first=Molly|date=March 19, 2015|access-date=March 21, 2015|publisher=[[GeekWire]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://gcn.com/articles/2015/03/20/18f-web-analytics.aspx|title=Who's online now? 18F builds web analytics dashboard|date=March 19, 2015|access-date=March 21, 2015|publisher=GCN}}</ref> On September 12, 2015, the group launched the [[College Scorecard]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2015/09/12/fact-sheet-empowering-students-choose-college-right-them|work=[[whitehouse.gov]]|title=Fact Sheet: Empowering Students to Choose the College that is Right for Them|via=[[NARA|National Archives]]|date=2015-09-12}}</ref> Other projects of 18F have included [[myRA]] for the [[United States Department of the Treasury|U.S. Department of the Treasury]], [[Every Kid in a Park]] for the [[United States Department of the Interior|U.S. Department of the Interior]], and MyUSA for the [[General Services Administration]], in addition to redesigned websites for the [[Peace Corps|PeaceCorps]] and [[Federal Election Commission]]. All of its projects are [[Open-source software|open source]], meaning anyone can review and suggest updates to the code.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://18f.gsa.gov/press/|title=18F: Digital service delivery {{!}} Press|website=18f.gsa.gov|access-date=2016-12-17}}</ref>

The existence of the agency in general and such projects in particular has led to resistance from established government IT firms.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.agilegovleaders.org/history-future-agile-federal-consultancy/|title=The history and future of an agile federal consultancy – Agile Government Leadership|website=www.agilegovleaders.org|access-date=2016-12-17|date=2016-08-16}}</ref> In addition, the agency faces the additional challenge of staying fiscally solvent. According to a recent [[Government Accountability Office|GAO]] report,<ref>{{Cite report|publisher=U.S. Government Accountability Office|date=2016-06-10|title=Digital Service Programs: Assessing Results and Coordinating with Chief Information Officers Can Improve Delivery of Federal Projects|url=http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-16-733T|issue=GAO-16-733T}}</ref> 18F is currently spending on average more than $1 million per month more than it recovers. In 2016 alone, the group will receive approximately $33 million for its services, but will spend almost $48 million.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.nextgov.com/cio-briefing/2016/06/18f-tech-team-struggles-balance-its-books-soon-be-released-report-shows/128780/|title=EXCLUSIVE: 18F Tech Team Struggles to Cover its Costs, Draft Report Shows|newspaper=Nextgov|access-date=2016-12-17}}</ref> 18F is not expected to break even.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fcw.com/articles/2016/09/15/gao-digital-services-gunter.aspx|title=18F, USDS lack performance and accountability measures|website=FCW|access-date=2016-12-17}}</ref>

The following is an update to cost recovery based on FY19 data and was taken from Congressional testimony: "From a FY19 financial standpoint, 18F's net operating loss was approximately $600k, which translated into an improvement of over $5m from FY18. The loss in FY19 was primarily attributable to the loss of approximately $1.3m in revenue during the government shutdown and limited opportunity to offset costs during this period. Billable utilization rates for 18F increased by 6.6% in FY19 from FY18 and was a primary factor in improved profitability."

==See also==
* [[Civic technology]]
* [[Service design]]
* [[United States Digital Service]], at the [[Executive Office of the President of the United States|Executive Office of the President]]
* [[Government Digital Service]], for the UK's counterpart

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="FNR: new">{{cite web|url=http://www.federalnewsradio.com/445/3586065/GSA-envisions-18F-will-be-the-new-hub-of-digital-innovation |access-date=March 22, 2014 |title=GSA envisions 18F will be the new hub of digital innovation |last1=Miller |first1=Jason |date=March 19, 2014 |work=[[Federal News Radio]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140323051438/http://www.federalnewsradio.com/445/3586065/GSA-envisions-18F-will-be-the-new-hub-of-digital-innovation |archive-date=March 23, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name="The Verge: new">{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2014/3/21/5533892/the-government-now-has-a-fast-moving-it-office-modeled-after-a-startup |access-date=March 22, 2014 |title=The government now has a fast-moving IT office modeled after a startup |last1=Jeffries |first1=Adrianne |date=March 21, 2014 |work=[[The Verge]] |publisher=[[Vox Media]] }}</ref>
}}

==External links==
*{{Official website|https://18f.gsa.gov}}
* [https://changelog.com/podcast/230 "The Changelog #230: 18F and OSS in the U.S. Federal Government"]. 2016-11-25.

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[[Category:General Services Administration]]
[[Category:Government agencies established in 2014]]
[[Category:Organizations based in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:2014 establishments in the United States]]
[[Category:Federal government of the United States]]