The District of Columbia is a leader in the local Gov 2.0 space with data feeds, app contests, and commitments to open source and transparency principles. How can we translate that success to other cities? Code for America Fellows will work with DC staffers to replicate the success of their city’s Gov 2.0 efforts through an open-source repository of programs, policy information, and case studies.

Excited by this project? Good. Because we need you to make it happen. It’ll be up to the Code for America Fellows to translate this concept into a reality in 11 short months, which will include everything from researching county services and working with local officials to designing the user experience and coding the application. As a CfA Fellow, this will be your start-up.

If you’re interested in helping with this project, join our corp of volunteers and stay informed about opportunities to get involved.

Your Challenge

• Overcome the technical challenges to replicating an existing city infrastructure
• Research and consolidate existing policies and practices into a ‘how-to’ manual for other municipalities
• Work with DC developers and staff to open source apps
• Discover and implement the best option for code hosting and sharing
• Design a system that enables cities to replicate existing code projects in a sustainable and cost-effective manner

In tackling this project, you’ll have to answer difficult questions, only some of which we know about now, so we want to open that conversation to everyone. What are the tough issues and questions fellows in DC will have to grapple with, what are some other challenges for this project, and what else will we need to figure out?