Insights

Nava Labs receives Google.org grant to further AI tools with Imagine LA and Riverside County

As part of Google.org’s Gen AI cohort, Nava Labs will build generative AI-powered agents that complete benefit applications with caseworker oversight.

Building integrated government systems with AI

Public servants should orchestrate an interplay between AI, previously-siloed systems and workflows, and public needs.

Nava wins modernization work in Maryland

Through this 10-year opportunity, we’ll offer our expertise in agile development to help Maryland agencies modernize.

Nava welcomes two new executives

Samantha Kwok joins as Vice President of Engineering and Marvin McLain joins as Vice President of Program Delivery for our Federal Health portfolio.

Transforming federal grants access: USDR’s tools find a new home with Nava PBC

U.S. Digital Response transfers its federal grants tools to Nava, ensuring these resources continue to simplify grant discovery and reporting.

Introducing our pilot with Imagine LA: testing an AI chatbot for navigating public benefits

Building on Imagine LA’s 18-plus years of providing direct social services, we're piloting an AI-powered chatbot for benefit navigators.

Leveraging human-centered design to improve business efficiency

We partnered with a federal agency to build human-centered tools and workflows that contribute to the success of their cloud platform.

Nava wins work helping Minnesota build their Paid Leave program

We’ll help Minnesota deliver a program that’s human-centered, adaptable, and resilient.

How to make your content AI‑readable

Learn practical tips for selecting file formats and structuring content so that it’s easy for AI to “read.”

Reshaping government service delivery with DevEx

Learn how DevEx goes beyond traditional service design practices by optimizing the entire technical ecosystem.

Modernizing federal grantmaking

Nava is partnering with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to improve the usability, accessibility, and transparency of Grants.gov.

Adapting to a legislative change with agile methodology

When new legislation changed the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave program, agile development enabled us to help MA adapt its technology.

Nava Labs awarded grant to pilot tools powered by generative AI

This grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will enable Nava Labs to test and refine new tools with partner benefit agencies and navigators.

James Gordon joins Nava as first Executive Vice President of Growth

A seasoned government contracting executive, Gordon will oversee the advancement of mission-aligned growth strategies and investments.

Nava awarded contract on VA ART with Oddball, Inc.

We’ll help the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs improve tools for those who help Veterans and their families submit benefits claims.

National WIC Association receives USDA funding to modernize WIC Management Information Systems

This four-year cooperative agreement is part of larger effort to streamline and innovate WIC technology.

Improving products with small, incremental experiments

We offer a framework for agile, data-driven experiments to align delivery teams.

Refining an AI chatbot that cites its sources

We tried 3 approaches to providing an AI-powered chatbot with source data, aiming to better assist staff who connect people with public benefits.

Nava and Focus win prime award supporting Internal Revenue Service (IRS) IT

The Focus-Nava Joint Venture will provide strategic advisory support as the IRS enhances its modern, customer-based IT operations.

7 steps to develop a government communications program

Learn how to build a robust program to communicate with the public and stakeholders effectively.

Nava wins OPM Customer Experience Modernization

We’ll partner with OPM to build best-in-class customer experiences for millions of federal employees.

Nava awarded prime contract on Maryland FAMLI

We’ll partner with Maryland to build and launch a new paid family and medical leave program that’s human-centered, flexible, and future-proof.

Improving every level of service delivery

In this year’s Public Benefit Report, we reflect on the importance of taking a holistic approach to modernizing government services. This means recognizing that every facet of every level of government is interconnected and building to help the entire ecosystem thrive.

Building a flexible paid family and medical leave program with API technology

We partnered with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to develop an API layer that connects disparate systems.

Hannah Kane joins Nava as new Chief of Staff

A seasoned civic tech professional, Kane will drive strategic company-wide initiatives.

Communicating the successes of state unemployment insurance programs

We worked with the U.S. Department of Labor on a report that outlines how states are using federal funding to modernize unemployment insurance.

Nava wins prime contract to help CDC build data-informed pandemic-readiness

We’ll partner with CDC to optimize ReportStream, a data pipeline that helps public health agencies make decisions about the public’s well-being.

Leveraging user research to improve unemployment insurance delivery

We partnered with the Department of Labor on a user research initiative aimed at providing states with human-centered modernization recommendations.

Empowering Department of Justice staff with human-centered tools

We partnered with DOJ on a project aimed at improving the agency staff experience, helping staff process civil rights complaints more effectively.

Helping Veterans get disability benefits faster

We partnered with VA and prime contractor Agile Six to increase access to Veteran disability benefits.

Building cloud-native solutions with the Office of Personnel Management

We partnered with OPM to provide essential services to federal employees.

Delivering a human-centered claimant portal for New Jersey unemployment insurance

We used agile development and API technology to help the State of New Jersey revamp its unemployment insurance claimant portal.

Strengthening response readiness with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's ReportStream

We partnered with CDC to help expand ReportStream, an essential tool that enables public health departments to receive data on disease test results.

Improving perinatal care in the U.S.

We partnered with CMS on a project to connect pregnant people to “Birthing-Friendly” hospitals.

Aquia-Nava joint venture wins prime position on VA’s SPRUCE IDIQ

This contract vehicle enables our joint venture to bid on task orders to improve digital experiences for Veterans and VA staff.

Nava and Aquia-Nava joint venture win prime awards on USDA DISC STRATUS Cloud BOA

The 10-year BOA sources vendors with deep expertise in cloud integration and development.

Nava wins prime award supporting Massachusetts’ IT projects

We will join a pool of vendors helping Massachusetts on a variety of projects aimed at improving experiences for the state’s constituents.

Nava awarded prime contract to scale Grants.gov modernization

We’ll help HHS scale its modernization of Grants.gov with incremental delivery, API-first architecture, and human-centered design.

Nava selected as finalist for Robin Hood AI Poverty Challenge award

We’ll use the funding to pilot an AI-enabled chatbot that may help benefit navigators like caseworkers connect families with critical public services.

A day in the life of a project manager at Nava

Michelle Garfinkel describes her day-to-day work keeping teams on track as a project manager.

Nava wins prime award on HHS SWIFT BPA

We will help the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) deliver excellent customer experience through technology modernization projects.

Nava and Corbalt awarded CMS SPOC as CTA teammates

We’ll partner with CMS and Corbalt to provide platform and engineering expertise to help CMS support over 80 million beneficiaries.

How to determine whether AI is an appropriate solution for public sector challenges

We provide a checklist of items to help your team determine whether AI-powered tools are appropriate to meet your needs.

Experimenting with AI-powered tools in public benefits

Our Nava Labs team conducted a series of experiments to test how AI can increase access to public benefits.

How to successfully onboard teams onto a software product

We share practical tips for standardizing your onboarding process.

Conducting user research to jumpstart human-centered experimentation with artificial intelligence

Our insights are helping us identify use cases and design experiments to test how AI-powered tools can expand access to public benefits.

Measuring administrative burden to promote equity in government services

Don Moynihan of Georgetown University joins Nava CEO and co-founder Rohan Bhobe in a conversation about administrative burden.

Nava Public Benefit Corporation and Nava United reach collective bargaining agreement

Nava and Nava United announce three-year collective bargaining agreement.

Using a data journey map to improve your DevEx practice

Learn practical tips for improving your team's DevEx practice with a data-focused journey map.

Nava supporting remote work from Missouri and Nevada

This move enables us to deliver on our mission by sourcing the best talent from across the U.S.

Nava's Delivery Organization appraised at CMMI maturity level 3

Our Delivery Organization's work and processes have received the highest form of third-party validation.

How modern technology can enable a more human-centered Medicaid unwinding

Web portals, a robust communications strategy, and better data sharing practices may help people keep coverage.

Building a multilingual paid family and medical leave experience

We partnered with Massachusetts to help deliver a paid family and medical leave (PFML) application experience in a total of five languages.

Nava and Benefits Data Trust partner to explore how AI can support public benefit navigators

Nava and BDT will explore how generative AI can support benefit navigators to quickly enroll people in government benefit programs.

Nava awarded prime contract to improve healthcare experiences for Medicare beneficiaries

We’ll partner with CMS to give Medicare beneficiaries and their healthcare partners the data they need to make informed decisions about their health.

Transitioning from the private sector to civic tech

We speak with five Nava employees about the challenges and rewards of switching career paths.

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.

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.

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.

Making it easier for Veterans to apply for disability compensation

We’re supporting VA as they make their disability application easier and quicker for Veterans to submit and ultimately receive benefits faster.

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 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.

Enhancing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention'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.

Data-informed care for Medicare beneficiaries

To ensure Medicare beneficiaries receive high quality care, CMS has been leading efforts to give beneficiaries and providers secure access to data.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

Nava wins new work to make it easier for Veterans to apply for disability compensation

Alongside the prime contractor Agile Six, Nava will work with the VA to update the VA.gov disability application experience.

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.

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.

How small pilots helped us prototype a benefits claim fast tracker

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Helping Veterans get their disability claims decisions faster

We’re working with VA to build tools that reduce the amount of time it takes to process a Veteran’s disability benefits claim. 

Automating how application teams use CMS Cloud

By automating and standardizing the way CMS onboards application teams, Nava helped reduce the onboarding time from months to hours.

Unlocking siloed data to modernize the Medicare experience

We’ve partnered with The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on The Medicare Payment System Modernization (MPSM) program

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.

Why policymakers and technologists should engage throughout the policy cycle

Bridging the gap between the policymakers who define programs and the development teams who implement them builds better government services for all.

Healing policy papercuts

Aligning small conflicts in application requirements makes public benefits easier to access.

Twelve years of HealthCare.gov

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

Envision the Future: Paid family and medical leave

Policy, technology, and government experts discuss the future of implementing paid family and medical leave programs across the nation.

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.

A day at Nava as a senior engineer

Kat Tipton, a senior engineer, describes the joys of software archeology and Nava’s strong culture of mentorship.

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.

Repeatable, sustainable processes for building benefits systems

Reusing, expanding, and iterating on proven practices is essential to quickly and effectively meeting people’s needs.

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.

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.

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.

Implementing paid family and medical leave in the digital age

The American Families Plan would be a unique opportunity to get the program right, technically and in policy design, from the start.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Nava PBC awarded contract to improve MyMedicare.gov

Nava’s been awarded a contract with CMS for the Medicare Authenticated Experience (MAX) to build a modern digital experience for beneficiaries.

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.

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.

Nava wins new contracts with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Nava is thrilled to share that we won two new contracts with the CMS to support their goal to improve the quality of care in our healthcare system.

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.

Product management in government is essential when the stakes are high

Thoughtful product management is critical to designing government services that serve people first.

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.

Don’t disrupt; contribute

As civic tech continues to blossom, we need a rulebook that understands how technology contributes and amplifies — not how it disrupts and replaces.

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.

Books that have shaped our thinking

Nava staff's recommended reads related to civic tech, health, government, behavioral science, design and engineering.

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.