Digital Government Strategy Report

On May 23, 2012, the President issued a Presidential Memorandum on "Building a 21st Century Digital Government". It launched a comprehensive Digital Government Strategy (pdf/html5) aimed at delivering better digital services to the American people. The strategy builds on several initiatives, including Executive Order 13571, Streamlining Service Delivery and Improving Customer Service, and Executive Order 13576, Delivering an Efficient, Effective, and Accountable Government.

The strategy lays out actions in a 12-month roadmap and has three main objectives:

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.

Digital Strategy Initiative at the Department of Education

The Department of Education's mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. Digital services, open data and technology have great potential to help accomplish the mission. The Digital Government Strategy aligns with many of the Department's digital projects and initiatives already underway and spurs us to refine our strategic and tactical coordination.

To spearhead the Department's response to the Digital Government Strategy, the Department assembled a team of core staff from:

the Office of Communications and Outreach,
the Office of the Chief Information Officer, and
the Office of Planning and Education Policy Development.

The team collects input and feedback from:

the Department's customers,
the Office of Education Technology
the office of Federal Student Aid,
the Institute for Education Sciences,
the principal offices,
the Data Strategy Team,
the Open Government Steering Committee, and
senior leadership.

The Department's progress towards meeting the Digital Government Strategy Milestones will be reported at least once a month.

If you have any questions, comments, or wish share your ideas with the Department, please visit our Homeroom blog! You can also contact us by emailing DigitalStrategyFeedback@ed.gov or visiting us at www.data.gov/education/contact.

Last revised: May 12, 2021

Digital Government Strategy Report for the Department of Education

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: Managing Information as an Asset: The Department introduced standard language into statements of work for new IT systems which require for them to anticipate and plan for following open data, content and web API policy. The Office of the Chief Information Officer and the Office of Communications and Outreach are collaborating on revisions to the Department's Lifecycle Management Directive framework to formalize ways to ensure all new IT systems follow these policies and guidelines. The Department formed a Data Strategy Team (DST) composed of all the Department's offices that work with data collections to coordinate data-related policy activities within the Department. The DST established a number of working groups pertaining to various data-related initiatives within the Department, developing or redesigning policy, processes, and/or tools. Among them, DST established the Data Inventory Group (DIG), tasked with developing a database of information about all department-sponsored data collections that can be used to produce education statistics. The primary purpose of the database is to provide a centralized searchable source of background information about the Department's collections, with the goal of facilitating both internal and external awareness of available data, and increasing data use and coordination among current and future data collections. DIG members met first as a group and then worked via email to determine the type of background information (metadata) to collect, and to identify the initial scope of the Group's product. DIG members agreed that as a starting point, any data collection that has an OMB clearance would be included in the inventory database, encompassing both Department-sponsored data collections and reporting requirements for Department-sponsored grants. The database is currently being populated using the electronic OMB clearance packages (i.e., those submitted for clearance since 2005). To date, metadata for 46 program areas, big and small (including EdFacts and many NCES studies), have been entered into the DIG database based on 269 OMB clearance packages. Program by program, the metadata are now being prepared for review by their respective program staff, after which their entries will be finalized. Work is also underway to supplement the background metadata with detailed variable lists for each data collection, and to transport the metadata into an outward facing searchable data dictionary to increase public awareness of and access to the Department's data holdings. This functionality will be based on the Comprehensive Knowledge Archive Network (CKAN) platform. Additionally, the Department maintains a page for developers at http://ed.gov/developer or http://ed.gov/developers, which includes a list of public APIs and web services that the Department maintains and a comment engine.

1.2.4. Develop Data Inventory Schedule - Summary

Summarize the Inventory Schedule: The Department of Education's Data Inventory contains detailed information for over 50 Data Series, and more than 350 component "Studies" (collections). The metadata for these data assets were taken primarily from the Department's Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) information collection submissions to the Office of Management and Budget and also from data dictionaries, electronic codebooks or other resources supporting publicly available datasets and products where available. The Department will continue expanding and enriching the Data Inventory with information and metadata on additional existing collections, public data products and internal information systems as resources allow. ED leadership has defined annual targets for the number of public data sets to be included in the Inventory under Strategic Metric 5.1 (Data Systems and Transparency), which is within Strategic Goal 5: Continuous Improvement of the U.S. Education System.

1.2.5. Develop Data Inventory Schedule - Milestones

Title: Further Development of the ED Data Inventory
Description: Count of the number of publicly available datasets included within the Inventory and therefore linked to data.gov and the federal catalog available through that website.
Milestone Date: September 30, 2017
Description of how this milestone expands the Inventory: By September 30, 2017, the Department anticipates expanding and enriching the Data Inventory with information and metadata on additional publicly available datasets.
Description of how this milestone enriches the Inventory: Adding additional publicly available datasets into the Inventory will continue developing the ability of users to connect ED's collections with the resulting public data releases by using the metadata stored within the Inventory.
Description of how this milestone opens the Inventory: As more and more users discover ED's data through searches on data.gov, information added to the Inventory each year will enable connections back through the ED offices that manage the data all the way to the initial OBM clearance documents that document how information released by ED was initially collected and compiled.

1.2.6. Develop Customer Feedback Process

Describe the agency's process to engage with customers: The Department engages with the education community and interested developers and entrepreneurs through social media outlets and the ED official Homeroom Blog. More than 150 of America's entrepreneurs, software developers, education experts, and policy makers came together October 9, 2012, for an Education Datapalooza at the White House. The gathering was a chance to celebrate new products, services, and apps--all built with freely available data from the government and other sources--that have the potential to help American students succeed and that empower students and their families to make informed educational decisions. See videos of talks from Education Datapalooza 2012 at http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhdwy3ASoEfm1QeH0kfNnLWUqv4lE1pPs. The Department held two data jams at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University in December 2013. The Data Jams focused on data related to postsecondary education and led up to a second Education Datapalooza. For Education Datapalooza 2014 on January 15,2014, more than 600 people packed into an auditorium to discuss innovation in higher education. The gathering was a response to President Obama's call this past August to improve value and affordability in postsecondary education, in which he outlined an ambitious plan that included a major focus on innovation. Datapalooza participants gathered to celebrate innovative products, apps, websites, and other tools to help students get to and through postsecondary education. Many of the tools help students and families navigate the college choice and selection process. Others focus on improving teaching and learning, especially in ways that leverage technology to improve online and classroom-based instruction. Videos from talks from Education Datapalooza 2014 are at http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhdwy3ASoEfkNJ_7ffaaYOhQmi61oLFLX. The goal of the Education Data Jams and Datapalooza is to spark interest and collaboration among entrepreneurs and developers in creating apps and other digital tools to facilitate easier access to higher education information for prospective and current college students. The Department engages with the education community, interested developers, and entrepreneurs using Department websites and social media outlets. Currently, the Department is always looking for feedback from not only the education community, but also any parties with a vested interest in using the Department's data. Anyone interested in using Department data is encouraged to use one of the following communication channels:

Answers.ed.gov See previously answered questions
Data.gov/education Explore Education datasets
Homeroom Official blog of the U.S. Department of Education

1.2.7. Develop Data Publication Process

Describe the agency's data publication process: Much of the information collected by the Department of Education is protected by the privacy or confidentiality provisions of one or more federal statutes. These include: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), The Education Sciences Reform Act (ESRA), and The Privacy Act of 1974. To help ensure that the Department does not release any information that would violate the privacy of students or other individuals in violation of these statutes, the Department has implemented a disclosure review process for its public data releases. Information collections containing data protected by one or more of these statutes are reviewed and approved for release by one of the Department's disclosure review boards, prior to their release to the public.

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

Paragraph on customer engagement approach: The Department of Education (ED) Office of Educational Technology, the White House, and the George Washington School of Business hosted a Data Jam in July 2012. The event brought together educational technology experts and entrepreneurs to brainstorm and commit to developing new products, services, and product features that utilize open data to improve student performance. This customer input will inform how ED prioritizes making online systems and data more accessible through web APIs. The purpose of the Data Jam was to prepare for a larger "Datapalooza" event which was held in October 2012 at the White House. Datapalooza provided an opportunity to highlight open educational data sets (education.data.gov), individual electronic student data (MyData), and data about learning content (LearningRegistry)--as well as tools and services that use these data to improve student choices around learning. Datapalooza was streamed live (and posted online afterwards) for anyone who wanted to attend. ED engaged with the broader education community and other interested developers and entrepreneurs through social media outlets and the ED official Homeroom Blog. For more than two weeks, blog visitors had the opportunity to comment on the blog post and provide feedback about services and data to open through web APIs. The blog post was promoted via ED's flagship Twitter and Facebook accounts and the latest news links on the ED.gov (http://www.ed.gov) homepage. Representatives from ED's Office of the Chief Information Officer, the Office of Communications and Outreach, and other key offices collected, analyzed, and synthesized the feedback from the blog and social media comments and incorporated public support for data more accessible through web APIs as a factor in how they prioritized the systems.

2.1.2. Prioritized list of systems (datasets)

System Name: College Navigator
System Description: Web-based tool for searching all colleges and universities in the United States. College Navigator consists primarily of the latest data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), the core postsecondary education data collection program for the National Center for Education Statistics. http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
System Scope: external
Main Customer: General Public
Unique Investment Identifier: 018-000002590--IES Web Support

System Name: State Education Data Profiles
System Description: Web-based search tool for statewide information in elementary/secondary education, postsecondary education and selected demographics for all states in the U.S. using a variety of NCES data sources including NAEP, IPEDS, and CCD data. http://nces.ed.gov/programs/stateprofiles/
System Scope: external
Main Customer: General Public
Unique Investment Identifier: 018-000002590--IES Web Support

System Name: Student Aid Data
System Description: Federal financial assistance is provided to students and families through various loan and grant programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. These reports include information about Title IV aid applicants, recipients, and disbursements. http://studentaid.ed.gov/about/data-center/student
System Scope: external
Main Customer: General Public
Unique Investment Identifier: 018-XXXXXXXXX--New Investment for FY 2014 Budget

System Name: School Data (Federal Student Aid)
System Description: Approximately 6,000 postsecondary institutions participate in the Title IV programs. The reports include information about these schools. http://studentaid.ed.gov/about/data-center/school
System Scope: external
Main Customer: General Public
Unique Investment Identifier: 018-XXXXXXXXX--New Investment for FY 2014 Budget

System Name: Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program Lender and Guaranty Agency Reports
System Description: Under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program, private lenders made federal student loans to students, and guaranty agencies insured these funds, which were, in turn, reinsured by the federal government. As a result of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, no new FFEL Program loans will be made, beginning July 1, 2010. The data provides information about FFEL Program lenders and guaranty agencies. http://studentaid.ed.gov/about/data-center/lender-guaranty
System Scope: external
Main Customer: General Public
Unique Investment Identifier: 018-XXXXXXXXX--New Investment for FY 2014 Budget

System Name: Program Information Publication System (Part of Program Information on the Web)
System Description: One of EDs core purposes is to inform the public about funding opportunities (programs). Currently program information is available on the Web in HTML web pages. ED is developing a central database repository (Program Information Publication System or PIPS) with a web API. ED.gov will call on the PIPS web API to publish program information on the website and provide an online search tool. Customers will be able to find more consistent, up-to-date program information quickly and easily. Information for this initiative is limited to programs authorized and funded under federal law as well as other related efforts, and encompasses several ED offices. http://www2.ed.gov/programs/landing.jhtml
System Scope: external
Main Customer: Education Constituents
Unique Investment Identifier: 018-000001018--ED Web

System Name: EDFacts
System Description: The purpose of EDFacts is to collect and report K-12 education performance data for use by policymakers and Department of Education program offices. A recent study shows failure to graduate from high school costs $337 billion in lost wages for just the 2010 class. With relevant, actionable data supplied by EDFacts, decision-makers can identify which programs are working, have insight into education progress at the state and district levels, identify gaps and best practices, and make sound education policy and budgetary decisions to improve education outcomes. http://www2.ed.gov/about/inits/ed/edfacts/index.html
System Scope: internal
Main Customer: Internal Customers
Unique Investment Identifier: 018-000001010--EDFacts

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: Modernization of Existing Systems to Leverage Web APIs: One of the Department's strategic goals is the continuous improvement of the U.S. Education System and enhancing the education system's ability to continuously improve through better and more widespread use of data, research and evaluation, transparency, innovation, and technology. Data systems and open data are key to facilitating the development of interoperable longitudinal data systems from early learning through the workforce to enable data-driven decision-making by increasing access to timely, reliable, and high-value data. By leveraging web APIs the Department will also improve its workforce productivity through information technology and performance management systems.

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

Name of system: College Navigator
Description of system: Web-based tool for searching all colleges and universities in the United States. College Navigator consists primarily of the latest data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), the core postsecondary education data collection program for the National Center for Education Statistics. http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
Scope of system: external
Main Customers: General Public
Unique Investment Identifier: 018-000002590--IES Web Support
API Link: https://explore.data.gov/profile/National-Center-for-Education-Statistics-NCES-/6g59-f9nj?tags=ipeds

Name of system: State Education Data Profiles
Description of system: Web-based search tool for statewide information in elementary/secondary education, postsecondary education and selected demographics for all states in the U.S. using a variety of NCES data sources including NAEP, IPEDS, and CCD data. http://nces.ed.gov/programs/stateprofiles/.
Scope of system: external
Main Customers: General Public
Unique Investment Identifier: 018-000002590--IES Web Support
API Link: https://explore.data.gov/profile/National-Center-for-Education-Statistics-NCES-/6g59-f9nj?tags=common+core+of+data

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

Overall Status: in-progress
Paragraph on Governance: Guiding principles for the Department of Education's initiative to reinforce a governance structure for developing and delivering digital services and managing data are: (1) Better serving the Department's customers, (2) Sharing ideas, solutions, and best practices across the Department, (3) Offering more cohesive processes for the delivery of digital services, (4) Ensuring cost effective delivery of services, (5) Ensuring digital services provide value and (6) Reducing redundancies across the Department. As a first phase, the scope of authority includes Department websites (particularly subdomain websites, contracted websites, and technical assistance websites), mobile applications, and data publishing.
URL to Governance Document: http://www.ed.gov/digitalstrategy/governance

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

Overall Status: completed

5.2.1. Develop wireless and mobile inventory

Bureau/Component: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
Inventory Status: completed

Bureau/Component: Office of Innovation and Improvement
Inventory Status: completed

Bureau/Component: Office of English Language Acquisition
Inventory Status: completed

Bureau/Component: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
Inventory Status: completed

Bureau/Component: Office of Vocational and Adult Education
Inventory Status: completed

Bureau/Component: Office of Postsecondary Education
Inventory Status: completed

Bureau/Component: Office of Federal Student Aid
Inventory Status: completed

Bureau/Component: Institute of Education Sciences
Inventory Status: completed

Bureau/Component: Departmental Management
Inventory Status: completed

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

Overall Status: completed
Describe Implementation: Driving down costs of mobile devices and services: The current focus of the CIO's Innovation Agenda is Access Anywhere Computing, which will integrate mobile computing and consumer-owned devices into the Department's computing environment. The Department will make it easier for staff to work effectively inside and outside the office by making the applications and data available on multiple platforms that are secure and accessible from anywhere. This will improve performance and reduce costs in the following ways: (1) Improved performance and leverage of employee-owned devices to help increase productivity by helping employees enjoy the benefits of single device management; (2) Improved efficiency; and (3) Reduced costs and allowing dedication of agency IT resources toward strategic projects rather than management of many devices and faster, cost-effective on-boarding of new employees and contractors, while ensuring corporate data security. Delivery of these applications will be via web servers, portal servers, and virtual host servers. Virtual host servers will let workers use personal mobile devices for work, while letting IT retain security and control over work-related apps on those devices.

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

Overall Status: completed
Describe Implementation: Improving Digital Services: The Department's Customer Service Plan is designed to improve the delivery of services to our customers by redesigning the business processes and systems that impact key customer interactions, including increasing online services and user friendly services. The Customer Service Plan also addresses the Executive Order 13571, Streamlining Service Delivery and Improving Customer Service, to improve the quality of service the Federal government provides to the public, private entities, and intra-governmental agencies. The Department's Customer Service Plan FY 2012 outlines the Department's efforts to improve customer relationships and the customer experience by delivering faster and better services to the public while reducing costs. See milestone 8.2 reporting for information about the Department's implementation of the Digital Analytics Program (DAP) and customer satisfaction surveys on Department websites. These data points will be reviewed periodically by the Department information dissemination segment owner of the Enterprise Architecture Review Board and the IT Planning and Investment Review Working Group and will facilitate data-driven decisions on improving digital services. The Department has undertaken two new ventures to enhance its customer experience. In FY12, the Department launched the ISE initiative to establish an integrated, customer-focused web experience for students, parents, and borrowers to facilitate decision-making about funding a postsecondary education. The ISE initiative provides students and parents with an enhanced customer experience across the student aid lifecycle, with the goal of increasing financial aid awareness and college attendance, while simplifying the application and servicing processes. The Department also announced a new, streamlined web site and several social media tools that will make it easier for students and families to navigate the financial aid process and make informed decisions about paying for college. StudentAid.gov is the initial step in a multi-phase project to offer a "one-stop shop" where consumers can access federal student aid information, apply for federal aid, repay student loans, and navigate the college decision-making process. Available in English and Spanish and fully accessible on smartphones and tablets, the web site combines content and interactive tools from several web sites and features instructional videos and info-graphics to help answer frequent questions about financial aid. In furtherance of the President's 2020 goal, the Department recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the IRS for reciprocal efforts to promote services to each organization's customer base. The IRS's primary goal in establishing this collaboration is to actively communicate service options that bring value to taxpayers and the IRS, and to increase awareness and use of them. In particular, the IRS is seeking to further grow the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) Programs, which offer free tax help for taxpayers who qualify. The Department's benefit is increased awareness of federal student aid programs and expanded access to the federal student aid application, as they remain critical elements in accomplishing the President's 2020 Goal. The partnership will focus on expanding current options and seeking new avenues to provide individuals in low-income communities with information, assistance, and access to relevant IRS services and relevant Federal Student Aid services. An evaluation component to monitor success of partnership will also be included. The Department will help the IRS generate greater awareness and use of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly programs (TCE), which offer free tax help for taxpayers who qualify. Initial action item will involve a broadcast email communication to recent FAFSA filers regarding the free tax preparation services available through the IRS.

7.1. Engage with customers to identify at least two existing priority customer-facing services to optimize for mobile use.

Overall Status: completed

7.1.1. Paragraph on customer engagement approach

Paragraph on customer engagement approach: The Department of Education (ED) used ED's official Homeroom Blog and social media outlets to engage with customers and seek their feedback on the online services they would like to see optimized for mobile use. Regular readers of the Homeroom Blog include educators, the education community, researchers, students, and journalists. For more than two weeks, blog visitors had the opportunity to comment on the blog post and provide feedback about sites and services to optimize for mobile. The blog post was promoted via ED's flagship Twitter and Facebook accounts, the latest news links on the ED.gov (http://www.ed.gov) homepage, and a feature in the ED.gov (http://www.ed.gov) homepage slideshow. Representatives from ED's Office of the Chief Information Officer, the Office of Communications and Outreach, and other key offices collected, analyzed, and synthesized the feedback from the blog and social media comments and incorporated public support for mobile optimizing as a factor in how they prioritized the systems. The office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) Customer Experience Group recently implemented the Department's first responsive design site at StudentAid.gov. The group has been engaging with customers in focus groups throughout the process of designing the new website. The feedback from the students in the focus groups indicated that websites, applications, and systems developed by FSA needed to be accessible and easy to navigate on a variety of mobile devices. StudentAid.gov is among several federal websites using responsive design by using technologies that the new Digital Government Strategy directs federal agencies to use in order to deliver digital services to any device, anytime, anywhere.

7.1.2. Prioritized list of systems (datasets)

System Name: G5 Grants Management System
System Description: The G5 investment supports the Agency's grant making business process and is a full lifecycle end-to-end grants management system (from intake of applications, peer review, award, payment, performance monitoring and final closeout of the grant award. G5 also controls payments for the Department's programs, including payments for grants, direct loans and other program-related obligations and is fully integrated with the Financial Management Support System (FMSS), which serves as a subsidiary to the general ledger for program-related obligations, payments, and expenditures. G5 interfaces with FMSS at the summary level for funds control and general ledger postings.
System Scope: both
Main Customer: Federal Grants Administrators
Unique Investment Identifier: 018-999991341--G5 - Grants Management Re-Design

System Name: ED.gov
System Description: ED.gov is the Department's primary Internet portal and website. As such, it performs the following functions to ensure efficient and expanded public access and communication between the government and citizens: convey the Department's brand and key messages, provide relevant and timely information, hosts sites for ED offices and programs, and provide a unified entry point to other ED resources. http://www.ed.gov/
System Scope: both
Main Customer: Education Constituents; Dept. of Education Employees
Unique Investment Identifier: 018-000001018--ED Web

System Name: StudentAid.gov
System Description: StudentAid.gov is the first step in a multi-phase project to provide consumers with a one-stop website where they can access federal student aid information, apply for federal aid, repay student loans and navigate the college decision-making process. Whether youre a student, a parent, a borrower in repayment, an educator or a professional engaged in influencing and informing students and borrowers, StudentAid.gov has useful information for you. The site, available in English and Spanish, combines content and interactive tools from several U.S. Department of Education websites and makes it easy for you to find the information you need. It also features videos and infographics to help answer the most frequently asked questions about financial aid accessible via smartphones and tablets. http://www.studentaid.gov
System Scope: external
Main Customer: Education Constituents
Unique Investment Identifier: 018-XXXXXXXXX--New Investment for FY 2014 Budget

System Name: State Education Data Profiles (SEDP)
System Description: Web-based search tool for statewide information in elementary/secondary education, postsecondary education and selected demographics for all states in the U.S. using a variety of NCES data sources including NAEP, IPEDS, and CCD data. http://nces.ed.gov/programs/stateprofiles/
System Scope: external
Main Customer: General Public
Unique Investment Identifier: 018-000002590--IES Web Support

7.2. Optimize at least two existing priority customer-facing services for mobile use and publish a plan for improving additional existing services

Overall Status: completed
Describe Implementation: Mobile Optimization of Existing Systems: The Department is implementing responsive design on new and existing websites and systems which are on platforms that support responsive design for mobile devices. For some systems a mobile application or a task-based mobile site are other approaches considered and weighed. The current focus of the CIO's Innovation Agenda is Access Anywhere Computing, which will integrate mobile computing and consumer-owned devices into the Department's computing environment. This includes allowing a user access to their applications, such as office productivity software on travel, at home, and/or in the office and enabling virtual desktops and applications with the same features for the same user experience on any device, anywhere, offline, or online. Mobile optimized websites and systems will enhance the customer experience and functionality of these applications for mobile device users.

7.2.1. Report on services

Service Name: G5 Grants Management System
Service Description: The G5 investment supports the Agency's grant making business process and is a full lifecycle end-to-end grants management system (from intake of applications, peer review, award, payment, performance monitoring and final closeout of the grant award. G5 also controls payments for the Department's programs, including payments for grants, direct loans and other program-related obligations and is fully integrated with the Financial Management Support System (FMSS), which serves as a subsidiary to the general ledger for program-related obligations, payments, and expenditures. G5 interfaces with FMSS at the summary level for funds control and general ledger postings.
System Scope: both
Primary customers: Federal Grants Administrators
Unique Investment Identifier: 018-999991341--G5 - Grants Management Re-Design
URL of service: http://www.g5.gov/int/m

Service Name: StudentAid.gov
Service Description: StudentAid.gov is the first step in a multi-phase project to provide consumers with a one-stop website where they can access federal student aid information, apply for federal aid, repay student loans and navigate the college decision-making process. Whether you're a student, a parent, a borrower in repayment, an educator or a professional engaged in influencing and informing students and borrowers, StudentAid.gov has useful information for you. The site, available in English and Spanish, combines content and interactive tools from several U.S. Department of Education websites and makes it easy for you to find the information you need. It also features videos and infographics to help answer the most frequently asked questions about financial aid accessible via smartphones and tablets using responsive design.
System Scope: external
Primary customers: Education Constituents
Unique Investment Identifier: 018-XXXXXXXXX--New Investment for FY 2014 Budget
URL of service: http://studentaid.ed.gov

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

Overall Status: in-progress

8.2.1. Implement performance measurement tool

Implemented Digital Analytics Program: yes
If Not, Describe Implementation:
Percent of websites covered: 81.25 percent. The Department of Education (ED) has implemented DAP on www.ed.gov, www.nagb.gov, www.childstats.gov, www.g5.gov, edpubs.gov, fsapubs.gov, nationsreportcard.gov, bfelob.max.gov, studentaid.ed.gov, www.college.gov (redirect), www.education.gov (redirect), www.collegenavigator.gov (redirect), and www.aapi.gov (redirect). The Department is working with the managers of the Department's other public-facing websites to implement DAP before the end of FY 2015.
URL of performance data: http://www2.ed.gov/web-guidance/stats/index.html.

8.2.2. Implement customer satisfaction tool

Describe Implementation: The Department of Education (ED) implemented the ForeSee survey tool, which is based on the American Customer Satisfaction Index, on www.ed.gov, www2.ed.gov, free.ed.gov on January 22, 2013. Some Federal Student Aid, Institute of Education Sciences and other Departmental websites use other customer satisfaction surveys. The ED Web Team will work with website managers to consolidate online survey tools in use in FY2013 and FY2014.
URL of performance data: http://www2.ed.gov/web-guidance/stats/index.html.

Last Modified: 05/12/2021