The Digital Government Strategy is aimed at building a 21st century government that works better for the American people. The strategy's three primary goals are to:

• Enable the American people and an increasingly mobile workforce to access high-quality digital government information and services anywhere, anytime, on any device.
• Ensure that as the government adjusts to this new digital world, we seize the opportunity to procure and manage devices, applications, and data in smart, secure, and affordable ways.
• Unlock the power of government data to spur innovation across our nation and improve the quality of services for the American people.

To this extent, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) been continually working to support the Presidential Directive entitled ‘Building a 21st Century Digital Government’. Some of the high-level advancements and updates USTDA has implemented include:

1. Redesigning its website using a responsive design that adjusts automatically for mobile devices. Website visitors no longer are required to “pinch and zoom” to review content and images.
2. Identifying a prioritized list of machine-readable and high-level Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that provided real-time feeds on information like Trade Leads and USTDA business networking events.
3. Providing direct links and access to the Agency’s presence on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, where USTDA frequently engages with stakeholders.
4. Providing a means to gather customer experience feedback from website visitors.
5. Implementing an email distribution service that delivers information directly to subscribers in a mobile-friendly manner.
6. Launching a blog page that displays staff commentaries and engaging content that relates to the Agency’s mission.

Customer Feedback Process

USTDA welcomes customer and stakeholder comments and feedback at inquiries@ustda.gov and via our “feedback” link found throughout our website. Customers can also connect with USTDA on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook to provide feedback or ask questions. 

Digital Government Strategy report for the U.S. Trade and Development Agency

1.2. Ensure all new IT systems follow the open data, content, and web API policy and operationalize agency.gov/developer pages

Overall Status: in-progress

1.2.1. Document policy for architecting new IT systems for openness by default

Describe policy: To ensure future information systems and services comply with the Federal Digital Strategy and Open Data Policy (M-13-13, May 9, 2013) and to modernize existing systems to leverage APIs, USTDA will integrate digital strategy and open data requirements and guidance to existing processes and workflows. As such, the Chief Information Officer will examine and validate projects to ensure they include a digital strategy component for open data and interoperability and address the open data requirements.

1.2.6. Develop Customer Feedback Process

Describe the agency's process to engage with customers: Questions or input for USTDA data can be submitted via inquiries@ustda.gov.

1.2.7. Develop Data Publication Process

Describe the agency's data publication process: In consultation with the Chief Information Officer, USTDA’s Library staff and the Office of Public Affairs, data sets will be placed on its publicly-accessible website. 

2.1. Engage with customers to identify at least two existing major customer-facing services that contain high-value data or content as first-move candidates to make compliant with new open data, content, and web API policy.

Overall Status: completed

2.1.1. Paragraph on customer engagement approach

In addition to informal discussions with internal and external stakeholders, USTDA solicits feedback on improvements to its digital strategy via its website and through the Ideal Scale portal. The Agency also uses a Facebook and daily tweets to drive traffic.

2.1.2. Prioritized list of systems (datasets)

System Name: Trade Leads API
System Description: An API that will allow developers access to USTDA’s Trade Lead data
System Scope: external
Main Customer: Trade Associations, U.S. Exporters, Consultants, Chambers of Commerce, Small Business Development Centers,etc

System Name: Events API
System Description: An API that will allow developers access to USTDA’s Events data
System Scope: external
Main Customer: Trade Associations, U.S. Exporters, Consultants, Chambers of Commerce, Small Business Development Centers,etc

2.2. Make high-value data and content in at least two existing, major customer-facing systems available through web APIs, apply metadata tagging and publish a plan to transition additional high-value systems

Overall Status: in-progress

2.2.1. Publish plan on future activity

Describe policy: USTDA.gov will publish a content API on a regular basis. 

2.2.2. Make 2+ systems (datasets) available via web APIs with metadata tags

Name of system: USTDA.gov
Description of system: A content API
Scope of system: external
Main Customers: Public

4.2. Establish an agency-wide governance structure for developing and delivering digital services

Overall Status: in-progress
Paragraph on Governance: USTDA is currently working within existing frameworks to strengthen communication and oversight of digital products

5.2 Develop an enterprise-wide inventory of mobile devices and wireless service contracts

Overall Status: In-progress

5.2.1. Develop wireless and mobile inventory

Inventory Status: in-progress

5.3. Evaluate the government-wide contract vehicles in the alternatives analysis for all new mobile-related procurements

Overall Status: is this N/A?
Describe Implementation: is this N/A?

6.3. Ensure all new digital services follow digital services and customer experience improvement guidelines

Overall Status: Complete
Describe Implementation: Prior to implementing a digital platform, like the newly launched USTDA website, Usability Acceptance Testing and feedback must be conducted. The Agency public website is the only digital service being provided to external stakeholders.

7.1. Engage with customers to identify an existing priority customer-facing service to optimize for mobile use.

Overall Status: in-progress

7.2. Optimize an existing customer-facing service for mobile use and publish a plan for improving additional existing services

Overall Status: Completed
Describe Implementation: USTDA.gov is the only existing customer-facing service for mobile use and it has been optimized for mobile by using a responsive web design approach.

7.2.1. Report on services

Service Name: USTDA.gov
Service Description: Ensuring mobile-optimization of ustda.gov
System Scope: external
Primary customers: Citizens with mobile devices

8.2. Implement performance and customer satisfaction measuring tools on all .gov websites

Overall Status: completed

8.2.1. Implement performance measurement tool

Implemented Digital Analytics Program: yes
If Not, Describe Implementation: Google Analytics code has been shared with USTDA.gov staff, evaluations team and IT support.
Percent of websites covered: N/A
URL of performance data: N/A

8.2.2. Implement customer satisfaction tool

Describe Implementation: USTDA is researching different solutions to solicit customer feedback and satisfaction of its website.
URL of performance data: N/A