How to use USWDS
Sample contract language for 21st Century IDEA
How to document requirements related to website modernization in contracts
The 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (21st Century IDEA) requires all executive branch agencies to:
- modernize their websites
- digitize services and forms
- accelerate use of e-signatures
- improve customer experience
- standardize and transition to centralized shared services
It also requires agencies to comply with website standards to improve federal websites and digital services.
Use the approaches below as a starting point for any solicitations with requirements related to websites and digital services.
Before you get started
21st Century IDEA codifies high-level requirements for federal websites and digital services. Additionally, many agencies have more specific requirements in their digital strategy and other guidelines.
Consult with your agency’s Chief Information Officer and Digital Experience Council representative regarding agency requirements for websites and digital services, including 21st Century IDEA.
Then work with your contracting officer (CO) to determine your acquisition strategy, including customizing the draft language below to meet your needs and requirements.
Draft contract language
New solicitations
In new solicitations, you can include requirements for 21st Century IDEA in the performance work statement.
Any website that is developed, modernized, enhanced, maintained, or otherwise delivered as a result of this contract shall be in compliance with the website standards of the Technology Transformation Services of the General Services Administration at https://designsystem.digital.gov/website-standards/.
The U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) shall be adopted incrementally over the life of the requirement and the contractor shall prioritize implementation to align with the priorities identified within the Performance Work Statement.
Open solicitations
You can ask your CO to amend open solicitations to include requirements for 21st Century IDEA.
This solicitation is hereby amended to include the website standards of the Technology Transformation Services of the General Services Administration (https://designsystem.digital.gov/website-standards/) in accordance with the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act.
The U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) shall be adopted incrementally over the life of the requirement and the contractor shall prioritize implementation to align with the priorities identified within the Performance Work Statement.
Customize the draft language
Work with your CO to customize the draft language for new and open solicitations. For example, instead of “life of the requirement” you may use period of performance, sprint, next refresh, or another time period. Or, you may replace “Performance Work Statement” with “Statement of Objectives,” agency modernization plans, or another source of priorities.
Evaluation factors
You can use evaluation factors to select the best vendor by evaluating their ability to develop modern websites that meet specific requirements in 21st Century IDEA, including incremental adoption of USWDS.
Modern Website or Digital Service Evaluation Factor
Contractor shall provide a link to a public-facing website or digital service developed in the last 18 months. The information contained within the link will be evaluated on the following:
| Requirement | Evaluated Area |
|---|---|
| Accessible | be accessible to individuals with disabilities in accordance with Section 508 |
| Consistent | have a consistent appearance |
| Authoritative | not overlap with or duplicate existing websites |
| Searchable | contain a search function |
| Secure | be provided through a secure connection |
| User-Centered | be designed around user needs with data-driven analysis |
| Customizable | provide an option for a more customized digital experience |
| Mobile-Friendly | be functional and usable on mobile devices |
Modern Website or Digital Service Scenario Evaluation Factor
The Contractor shall provide a link to a public-facing website or digital service developed as a Minimal Viable Product (MVP) based on the provided information. The information contained within the MVP will be evaluated on the following:
Government Provided Information
- User Scenario 1 - [add scenario]
- User Scenario 2 - [add scenario]
Evaluation
The government will evaluate the below eight minimal areas on a pass/fail basis.
| The website or digital service is | Evaluated Area |
|---|---|
| Accessible | be accessible to individuals with disabilities in accordance with Section 508 |
| Consistent | have a consistent appearance |
| Authoritative | not overlap with or duplicate existing websites |
| Searchable | contain a search function |
| Secure | be provided through a secure connection |
| User-Centered | be designed around user needs with data-driven analysis |
| Customizable | provide an option for a more customized digital experience |
| Mobile-Friendly | be functional and usable on mobile devices |
The Contractor will also submit a 1-page whitepaper outlining their use of the U.S. Web Design System maturity model to deliver a great digital experience integrating design principles, following user experience guidance, and using USWDS code. The whitepaper shall be specific to the MVP developed and the evaluation of this whitepaper will not be conducted on a pass/fail basis.
Customize the evaluation factors
Work with your CO to select the best evaluation factor and customize the draft language. For example, instead of “18 months” you may require a shorter or longer time period.
For the evaluation scenario, you can use it as an “all or nothing” factor (meaning, price is the only other factor evaluated by the government), or it could be pared down and used alongside other evaluation factors, such as past performance, experience, and price.
Provide as many user scenarios as needed to describe your requirements. A user scenario is a method for telling a story about a user’s interaction with your product, service, or website, focusing on the what, how, and why. Check out the user scenarios card in 18F Methods for more information on how to write scenarios.
Accessibility requirements
Accessibility is not only the law, it’s also fundamental to a great digital experience. To ensure your technology is usable by all, regardless of ability, address accessibility and other requirements up-front in all your IT-related contracts and purchases.
You can find sample procurement language in the Accessibility Requirements Tool.
Resources
- 18F Methods: A guide to putting human-centered design into practice.
- Accessibility Requirements Tool: A step-by-step guide to help you easily identify relevant accessibility requirements from the Revised 508 Standards, and incorporate them into your procurement and contracting documentation.
- Agile Acquisitions 101: Online webinar that provides a great foundation to begin. Shares lessons learned, success stories, and examples of where agile acquisition has been successfully implemented in the federal government.
- An Agile Software Development Solicitation Guide: How to contract for agile software development services. In this post, the authors show you how to create a complete solicitation in hours, not months, using 18F’s agile contract format.
- Checklist of Requirements for Federal Websites and Digital Services: The relevant laws, policies, and regulations for federal agencies.
- De-risking guide: Provides expert, actionable guidance to the public sector for delivering federally-funded, custom technology projects successfully. Includes a section on deciding what to buy.
- TechFAR Hub: Practical tools and resources for applying industry best practices to digital service acquisitions.
Latest updates
Meaningful code and guidance updates are listed in the following table:
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 2024-04-09 |
Updated Federal Web Council representative link. More information: uswds-site#2604 |
