President Trump's establishment of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) within the U.S. Digital Service has raised concerns about the future of civic tech aimed at improving government services. While the intent of DOGE appears positive, insiders worry its implementation has led to downsizing and a problematic public perception that equates modernization with layoffs. Critics like Donald Moynihan and Amanda Renteria emphasize the need for thoughtful integration of technology and public service improvement without sacrificing workforce integrity.
"I think Musk and DOGE has made it difficult in some respects by tarnishing some of the tools that CX relied on to make services better, including connecting data from different sources to reduce frictions and service delivery."
"The fact that modernization is a thing people talk about - that part is good," Amanda Renteria, CEO of Code for America, said of DOGE during an interview with Nextgov/FCW at the civic tech nonprofit's annual conference in May.
"But right now, my worry is that the general public sees modernization as firing people and doing it in a super cruel way."
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