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.
Timely interventions for public services
Timely interventions provide public services at the moment they’re most needed. Anchored in public health but extending to education, social support, and civic engagement, these approaches help governments design systems that are adaptive, equitable, and trusted.
Interoperability in civic tech
Interoperability means more than systems “talking” to each other—it’s about reducing silos, saving time, and respecting dignity. In civic tech, interoperability helps government, nonprofits, and tribal nations work together to deliver public services that meet people’s real needs.
Public value
Public value shifts the focus from speed and cost to equity, dignity, and impact. This post explores what it means, how to create it, and why it matters in public work.
Lived experience is expertise
Lived experience isn’t anecdotal, it’s essential. Learn how civic teams can honor it as a form of expertise and design more accountable public systems.
Administrative burden
Administrative burden is the hidden cost of interacting with public systems—paperwork, delays, confusion. This post explores how design can help reduce that burden and restore trust.
Participatory governance works
Participatory governance means people shaping the decisions that shape their lives. This post explores the roots and real-world impact of shared public power.
Public servants in government
Public servants do the quiet, essential work that keeps government moving. This post explores their roles, challenges, and why supporting them is key to public trust.
What is a public servant?
Public servants are more than job titles, they're the people who keep public systems working with care and commitment. In this post, we define the term and reclaim its meaning for today.
Policy implementation gap
When policies don’t match people’s lived realities, the implementation gap is often to blame. This post explores what causes it, and how we can bridge it.
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.