Insights

A day at Nava as a capture manager

Eliza Young-Ferguson, a capture manager, describes her day-to-day work helping Nava build its state portfolio.

Nava wins new work supporting executive order on customer experience

In partnership with CMS and USDS, we’ll improve data sharing practices to help those facing financial shock to get critical support.

How technology can enable successful service member transition

We spoke with Crystal Francis, Nava’s Program Manager for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), on ways to expand access to VA’s resources.

Nava awarded SEC modernization contract

We’re supporting the SEC's modernization goals to become more resilient and adaptable by developing cloud-based infrastructure.

Envisioning the future of government services

In this year’s Public Benefit Report, we’re sketching a blueprint for modern digital services that people trust. With every story, we show how we’re delivering on that vision and positively impacting the lives of millions.

Applying user research to improve access to unemployment benefits in New Jersey

Nava is leveraging user research to help the New Jersey Department of Labor make its UI technology more accessible, flexible, and resilient.

Nava partners with Georgetown University’s Better Government Lab

We're partnering with the Better Government Lab at Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy.

Building trust with the public through unemployment claim transparency

We're helping the U.S. Department of Labor with an initiative to catalyze state-level unemployment insurance modernization projects.

Modernizing payment systems for Medicare

Nava is working with CMS to create flexible, scalable payment systems that will serve the 65 million people who use Medicare.

How to apply a content-first design approach to public services

Learn methods to use content-first design for public services.

How a content-first design approach fits into your agile development process

Learn how to fit content-first design into your agile software development process.

Helping people access government services through Login.gov

We're helping to design, build, and deliver an in-person identity verification service that will help more people access critical government services.

Enhancing CDC’s pandemic-ready systems with ReportStream

Nava is working with The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help public health departments receive crucial data on disease test results.

Helping Medicare beneficiaries find and receive preventive care

We’re working with CMS on a tool that informs people about preventive care and connects them with primary care providers in their area.

How to implement a WIC participant recertification portal

Learn methods to provide a human-centered experience for participants to recertify for their WIC benefits.

How product leadership can collaborate: Find opportunities, align stakeholders, and make decisions

We offer tips for government and vendor product leadership based on our experience building human-centered government products and services.

How product leadership can collaborate: Interface with other teams and launch your product

We offer tips for government and vendor product leadership based on our experience building human-centered government products and services.

Nava awarded CMS Data Modernization contract

We’ll expand our work helping CMS build and operate scalable infrastructure for their Payment System Modernization.

Nava wins new work helping to modernize Grants.gov

Nava will support HHS to redesign Grants.gov, improving the accessibility and usability of the federal grantmaking experience.

Designing government programs that last

How vendors can work with government partners to build internal capacity, empowering agencies to hone and maintain systems in the future.

Nava wins new work with OPM promoting benefits access and health equity

Nava will provide IT support for OPM's division of Healthcare and Insurance, helping federal employees access insurance and benefit programs.

Nava at the 2023 Code for America Summit

Join us as we host several exciting sessions and events at the 2023 Code for America Summit.

Designing the unseen: Enabling institutions to build public trust

Five Nava designers explain how design can contribute to behind-the-scenes service improvement in government.

How to build a participant advisory council

Learn how to bolster your user research and design more effective services by forming a participant advisory council.

Modernizing legacy systems to make data more usable

Our work with CMS shows that modernizing legacy systems by adopting cloud-based infrastructure is key to better data engineering practices.

Designing an API prototype for Montana WIC

Nava worked with the state of Montana’s WIC agency to build an API prototype, helping ease data management and informing a national API standard.

Designing an eligibility screener tool for Montana WIC

Nava worked with Montana’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) agency to help ease the enrollment process.

How our work with Montana WIC demonstrated the value of a national API standard

A national API standard can help fuel modernization to improve the WIC experience for staff, participants, and applicants.

Nava to support OPM modernize human services for federal employees

Nava will work with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to modernize IT products, helping provide the federal workforce with human services.

As a recession looms, government agencies are readying unemployment insurance systems

State governments modernizing their unemployment insurance systems would benefit from an agile and human-centered design approach.

Becoming a scrum lead at Nava

Hanya Moharram, a Designer/Researcher on Nava's PFML team, shares her thoughts on becoming a scrum lead.

Nava awarded prime contract supporting CMS to improve healthcare with data

Nava will assist the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as they work to empower providers to deliver better care for millions of people.

Three models for cloud adoption in government

We’ve found that categorizing cloud adoption projects into three models helps us maximize the value cloud can provide our government partners.

The first fifty years of civic design

Tracing civic design's history can help the field become more resilient.

Meeting people where they are with community engagement

When it comes to public service technology, human-centered design and agile development can support a state’s broader community engagement efforts.

Building public benefit claims trackers across states

What we learned helping design and build public benefits claims trackers for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as well as the state of California.

Bringing diverse perspectives to help modernize ADA.gov

The Department of Justice contracted Nava and 18F to redesign ADA.gov, aiming to make ADA rights easier to find, understand, and share.

How small pilots helped us prototype a benefits claim fast tracker

We built tools to help get Veterans critical healthcare when they need it.

Using a pilot to minimize risk and rapidly deliver new services

Using pilots to minimize risk, Nava support the launch of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' new Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML) program.

Testing accessibility at every step of designing and building technology

Improving accessibility to public services with an online application for a state's Medicaid for the aged, blind, and disabled (ABD) supplement.

Building equity into our foundations

Our annual Public Benefit Report details our impact as we work alongside government partners. Read about how the principles of equity and sustainability guided our work.

Nava receives grant from Schmidt Futures for the Expanded Benefits Access Initiative

Schmidt Futures has announced Nava as a grantee of the Expanded Benefits Access Initiative to modernize the social safety net.

Nava awarded prime contract to enhance CDC’s pandemic-ready systems

PRIME ReportStream establishes a data pipeline to gather COVID-19 and monkeypox data from states and counties.

Nava awarded two new modernization contracts with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Nava brings nearly a decade of experience and insight working with CMS to help improve how millions of people choose and receive healthcare.

How to prepare for the unexpected with strong, scalable website architecture

Biden’s student loan forgiveness announcement caused outages on StudentAid.gov. Scalable architecture can help prevent these issues in the future.

Why human-centered testing is crucial to building government software

At Nava, we’ve leaned into modern and open-source frontend testing options to ensure seamless experiences for the constituents we serve.

How to conduct a usability test

Use this guide to get the most out of your usability test, which can help teams develop inclusive, accessible, and user-centered products.

How to plan a usability test

Planning for a successful usability test can help teams develop products that are user-centered, accessible, and inclusive.

Building trust with Nava's new brand

Nava’s new look and feel

Twelve years of HealthCare.gov

Reflections on the initial launch and how it was the catalyst for a new era of government technology.

Unlocking technology for WIC with the state of Montana

Nava, with the support of Schmidt Futures and technical assistance from the WIC program in Montana, is unlocking modernization for Montana WIC.

How APIs can help WIC better meet staff and participants’ needs

An API standard would unlock digital tools and catalyze WIC's ability to evolve and grow.

Use the U.S. Web Design System and focus on bigger challenges

Instead of creating a design system from scratch, use the U.S. Web Design System to save time and resources.

Combine commercial & custom solutions for flexible, future-proof software

When building a new digital service, using a hybrid approach to software yields the most cost-effective, reliable, and flexible options.

Outcomes that matter: Using metrics to measure your program

When metrics strategies align with program goals, you know you’re measuring outcomes that matter to your program, partners, and the people you serve.

Get things right from the beginning with equitable research recruitment

Traditional user research practices often exclude people essential to success of a service. Here are some practical tips to improve your approach.

Interviewing at Nava: Preparing for your portfolio presentation

A portfolio presentation is a chance to show off your work and share your process. Here are some tips to help you prepare.

Power your mission: How to set goals

Before you start, you should define what program outcomes you want your technology product to help you achieve.

Power your mission: How to build technology

Learn our guiding principles for managing a human-centered technology build, like setting your project up for success or using a modular approach.

Power your mission: How to engage users and iterate

Rather than building your product based on assumptions of what users want, engage users throughout the building process to truly meet their needs.

Power your mission: How to measure success

Measuring implementation helps determine whether your technology product can achieve your desired outcomes.

Learning front-end development as a designer

Nava’s culture of thoughtful mentorship and support is designed to help people learn new skills on the job.

A day at Nava as a software engineer

Sharon Warner, a software engineer, describes collaborative coding and Nava’s culture of acknowledgment and appreciation.

When it comes to feedback, start with yourself

Learning how to effectively give and receive significant feedback is the foundation for personal development and growth as a leader.

Scalable cloud infrastructure to support excellent customer experiences

Optimizing its cloud platform will enable CMS to eventually quadruple the number of applications it supports — but costs and workloads won't.

Structural change requires resilience

We know that through catastrophe, opportunities to create a better future emerge. Learn more about our work delivering unemployment benefits to Californians during the pandemic, supporting Veterans with virtual tele-hearings, and more.

Designing a more personal healthcare experience

Nava is working to design a more seamless, personal, and integrated experience for Medicare beneficiaries.

A day at Nava as a security engineer

Mohib Rizvi, a security engineer, describes building security architecture and the importance of mission-driven work.

A day at Nava as a program director

Angela Colter, a program director, describes her past experience working in government and collaborating with Nava’s top-notch technical team.

Observations from successful integrated eligibility and enrollment projects

Working on integrated benefits systems with Vermont, California, and other states has highlighted a few key strategies for success.

To quickly help people in a crisis, start with user research

Starting with user research ensures that what you build will give people the help they need, when they need it.

Nava’s methodology for sharing diversity, equity, and inclusion data

Nava's DE&I report holds us accountable to where we are now and where we want to be.

Responsible practices for sharing diversity, equity, and inclusion data

Building trust every step of the way helped us create a report that accurately reflects Nava now — and will keep us accountable for our progress.

How to design content for user onboarding

Learn how to prepare and guide people through a complex process using content strategy.

Supporting Veterans with virtual tele-hearings

During the pandemic, Nava partnered with VA to build virtual tele-hearings so that Veterans could have benefits hearings wherever they choose.

A day at Nava as a program strategist

Martelle Esposito, a program strategist, describes Nava’s multidisciplinary culture and connecting public policy with technology.

Shaping policy with design practices

With human-centered design practices like user research and prototyping, Nava designed a set of digital tools and helped update an 85-year-old policy.

Meet Members of Nava’s Gender Equity ERG

Gender Equity is Nava’s largest Employee Resource Group. Learn more about what gender equity and community mean to these members.

To reimagine unemployment insurance services, start small

A new bill to upgrade the technology supporting the country’s unemployment systems could lay the foundation for a more resilient safety net.

The hard work ahead

After four years of lies, bigotry, and injustice, we all need to rebuild trust in public institutions together.

A day at Nava as a software engineer

Alsia Plybeah, a software engineer, describes working with government stakeholders and starting at Nava’s apprenticeship program.

Celebrating National Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month: Meet Juntos

For National Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month, we are highlighting a few members of Juntos, Nava’s Hispanic/Latinx Employee Resource Group.

Building resilient services at scale

We’re here to help agencies be more adaptable in a world where the only constant is change. In the past year, we helped Massachusetts build atheir new Paid Family and Medical Leave program and improved the security and resilience of systems at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

How to develop product operations processes

Use these free templates to scale user-centered practices and product thinking across your organization.

A day at Nava as an infrastructure engineer

Wei Leong, an infrastructure engineer, describes coding in legacy systems and working at home during the pandemic.

Integrating eligibility and enrollment, one piece of software at a time

Nava created flexible and reusable software and design components to help make it easier for Vermonters to access their benefits.

Now is the time for digital services that build trust

An unprecedented surge in demand for public benefits during the pandemic has highlighted the need for simple, effective, and accessible services.

How to improve forms through user research

Conducting user research can help you improve benefits application forms so more people can accurately complete them, helping you serve people faster.

How to get informed consent in user research using plain language

Using plain language is essential to protecting privacy and getting informed consent in user research.

How to use service design during a crisis response

In times of crisis when benefits applications surge, service design can help applicants better understand what they’re eligible for and how to apply.

Black Past, Present, and Future Technologists

In the last week of Black History Month, Nava is celebrating the contributions of Black men and women in STEM.

How Nava selects government work

To advance our mission and help restore trust between people and public institutions, Nava has clear criteria for the work we take on.

Using ADRs to help a growing team get on the same page

Along the course of any major project, priorities and teams shift. ADRS help keep our work on track to successfully deliver projects from day one.

How to create a service blueprinting facilitation guide

This guide will help you create a service blueprint to better understand a service, unite teams, and identify opportunities for improvement.

Progress takes work

Progress costs time, effort, attention, patience. Over the last year, we've worked alongside the Vermont to make it easier for people to access social safety net benefits and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to improve how doctors get paid to care for Medicare recipients.

Helping Veterans find, understand, and use information about benefits

Nava built a new Veterans Affairs website and streamlined existing ones to help Veterans find, understand, and use information about benefits.

Cloud infrastructure in the federal government

To fully benefit from cloud infrastructure, agencies need to use modern risk management practices.

Adding Docker orchestration with AWS Elastic Container Service

Adoption of containerization often comes with contract and security requirement concerns. We found success with AWS Elastic Container Service (ECS).

Form design approaches for downstream effects & nonlinear navigation

How we approached nonlinear navigation, answer changing, and more challenges when building a new eligibility form for HealthCare.gov.

Structuring a complex eligibility form for HealthCare.gov

How we determined the sequencing of questions and design patterns to break a complex form into digestible chunks.

Providing help and guidance to HealthCare.gov applicants

How our design team created respectful and clear guidance through the deeply personal process of applying for healthcare.

Using policy as an engineering tool, not a crutch

Bridging the gap between policy makers who define tech requirements and the development teams who implement them delivers more robust systems.

Why Nava is a public benefit corporation

The social mission written into our founding charter has as much weight as a corporation’s fiduciary responsibility to its shareholders.

Introducing a modern design system for HealthCare.gov

A design system helps ensure that HeathCare.gov is Section 508-compliant and easy to use for everyone.

Building a design system for HealthCare.gov

Alongside the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nava created an open source design system for HealthCare.gov.

Simplifying the social safety net

Nava visited communities across the country to understand and improve the experiences of people who rely on and manage the social safety net.

The billion user load test

Nava’s Scalable Login System provides authentication and account management for millions on HealthCare.gov. We wanted to see how far it could scale.

Now more than ever

As a non-partisan, independent public benefit corporation, and also as private citizens, we feel it is important to state what our work means for us.