In Service: Notes from the Field
Tactical insights and thoughtful dispatches from inside the work.
Explore by topic
We write regularly about the ideas, tools, and practices shaping better public systems. View all blog posts or browse posts by theme to dig into the topics that matter most to you.
Government services
Government services are how many people experience public institutions in everyday life. Explore what counts as a government service, what it takes for one to work well, and why the systems behind the experience matter.
The readiness challenge
Organizations often focus on whether systems are ready to launch. But readiness can mean something larger: understanding the people who will have to live with what we create. This essay explores innovation, human experience, and why the questions we ask early shape the systems people eventually rely on.
Multilingual digital services
Multilingual digital services help people access information, complete tasks, and participate more fully in the language they know best. Learn why language access matters and explore practical approaches for creating more inclusive digital experiences.
What is accessibility?
Accessibility is the practice of ensuring people can meaningfully access, understand, navigate, and participate in environments, services, programs, products, and communications. In public-interest work, accessibility extends beyond websites and compliance—it shapes whether people can fully participate in public life.
Project, program, and product roles
Project, program, and product roles are often used interchangeably in public service, but they serve distinct functions. This piece clarifies how each role shapes delivery, coordination, and long-term outcomes—and why understanding the difference leads to more effective, accountable services.
Participation is designed
Participation is not a feature set. It is the product of the structures, platforms, and processes through which people encounter public institutions. When digital infrastructure lowers barriers, surfaces lived experience, and builds trust over time, engagement moves from symbolic to consequential—and public decisions improve.
Rebalancing agile in government
Agile practices can support meaningful public outcomes—when government teams lead with clarity. Drawing from recent client engagements, this post explores how public teams can rebalance vendor relationships, strengthen collaboration, and build processes that reflect their mission, values, and responsibilities to the public.
Who owns the user?
Government teams care deeply about the people they serve—but unclear roles can lead to confusion, duplicated effort, and missed opportunities. This post explores how product and design teams can clarify responsibility for user needs, strengthen collaboration, and build practices rooted in shared stewardship.
Digital inclusion is public service
A growing number of essential public services are now digital-first—but not everyone has reliable devices, broadband, or safe places to connect. Digital inclusion requires more than better interfaces; it means building systems that work across low-bandwidth environments, rural communities, older populations, and people experiencing housing instability. Public service must expand access, not simply shift who is included.
Explore the Civic Glossary
Making public service easier to understand—one concept at a time.
Government and public service rely on ideas, systems, and terminology that aren't always easy to navigate. The Civic Glossary explains the concepts that shape public life through clear, accessible articles grounded in history, practice, and real-world examples.
Collaborate
Explore what’s possible with the right expertise.