Mobile Devices: Federal Agencies' Steps to Improve Mobile Access to Government Information and Services
Released: 2014-12-22T00:00:00

Letter

Background

Advances in computing technology have increased speed and storage capacity for mobile devices, enhancing consumers’ abilities to perform a wide range of online tasks, such as shopping, banking, and accessing government services, primarily via the following mobile broadband technology:

Smartphones: Consumers can use smartphones to run a wide variety of general and special-purpose software applications, including accessing websites on the Internet. Smartphones typically have a larger graphical display with greater resolution than traditional cellphones and have either a keyboard or touch-sensitive screen for alphanumeric input. Smartphones also offer expansion capabilities and other built-in wireless communications (such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth services).

Tablets: A tablet personal computer (tablet) is a portable personal computer with a touch-sensitive screen. The tablet form is typically smaller than a notebook computer but larger than a smartphone.

Consumers are shifting activities that have more traditionally been conducted on desktop or laptop computers to these mobile devices. According to the Pew Research Center, nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of cellphone owners now use their phone to access the Internet. In addition, more than half (56 percent) of all Americans own smartphones, and 93 percent of these smartphone owners use their phone to access the internet. .govReform Task Force, State of the Federal Web Report (Dec. 2011). use and accessible to persons with disabilities and those who are not proficient in English. OMB is the lead agency in providing support to help ensure federal websites are well designed and easily accessible by all types of devices, including mobile devices through implementation of the Digital Government Strategy. The Digital Government Strategy emphasized the need to develop a “content management system” and convened a Digital Services Advisory Group (DSAG) comprised of information technology leaders from across government. The DSAG helps federal agencies share information and best practices on interacting with the public digitally and makes recommendations to OMB leadership on changes to federal policies and standards on digital services.

The Digital Government Strategy also directed certain federal agencies, those set forth under the Chief Financial Officers Act, as amended, to take actions to make government websites available “anytime, anywhere, on any device.” government information for those using mobile devices and required each agency to identify at least two online services that the public accesses and to optimize at least two of those identified for mobile use.report actions they take to meet these milestones online via digital strategy reports that are posted to their respective websites. OMB also uses these reports to track agencies’ status in meeting the milestones.

The Chief Financial Officers Act agencies are the 24 executive branch agencies listed at 31 U.S.C. § 901(b). The Digital Government Strategy did not apply to other smaller, independent federal agencies. Of our six selected agencies, four fall under the requirements of the CFO Act. These are DOI, DOT, NWS (within the Department of Commerce) and FEMA (within the Department of Homeland Security). The other two agencies—FMC and NEA—do not. the federal government and assists agencies in identifying and applying new technologies to effective government operation. Officials indicated that GSA does not have authority to require that agencies take certain actions. Rather, GSA’s role is primarily to provide assistance, share best practices, and act as a resource to help agencies improve delivery of digital services, information, and data to the public.

Agency officials also have other resources for accessing and sharing information on website design and digital services. For example, the Federal Chief Information Officers (CIO) Council consists of chief information officers and other high officials from executive branch agencies and shares experiences, ideas, best practices, and innovative approaches related to information resource management, among other responsibilities. Additionally, informal communities of practice have formed that include web content managers, data communities, and mobile government; members collaborate and share common challenges and ideas related to digital government services.

Internet Access Using Cellphones Is Increasing, with Some Populations Using Them More Than Others

Access to the Internet Using Mobile Devices Is Rising due to Lower Cost, Convenience, and Technological Advances, according to Stakeholders and Literature

According to the Pew Research Center, as of January 2014, 90 percent of American adults own a cell phone. Research indicates that the number of users who own a smartphone or tablet computer has increased since 2010. According to Pew Research Center, 56 percent of American adults owned a smartphone of some kind as of May 2013, compared to 35 percent in May 2011. This increasing trend in smartphone ownership will likely continue with 95 percent of teens going online and three in four teens accessing the Internet on mobile devices like smartphones. The number of tablet devices also has been on the rise, with Pew reporting that as of May 2013, about a third (34 percent) of individuals ages 18 and older owns a tablet device like an iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Google Nexus, or Kindle Fire, almost twice as many as the 18 percent who owned a tablet in May 2012. Despite this increase in tablet ownership, the percentage of tablet owners is still less than the percentage of smartphone owners, according to Pew data (see fig. 1).

Pew Research indicates access to the Internet using cellphones has increased steadily over the past 5 years, more than doubling between 2009 and 2013. Nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of cellphone owners now use their phone to access the Internet, an 8-point increase from the 55 percent who did so at a similar point in 2012, and a two-fold increase over the 31 percent who did so in 2009. (See fig. 2.)

A number of factors may drive this trend:

Lower cost: The cost to connect to the Internet via mobile devices has decreased over time, making it more affordable for consumers to access the Internet. In a 2013 mobile competition report, FCC notes that through the widespread introduction of smartphones, wireless operators like Verizon have responded by competing for customers on price, both by offering more data for the same money or by lowering prices for fixed amounts of data.average price per megabyte of data declined from about $0.11 in The FCC also noted that the 2009 to $0.06 in 2010 and to $0.03 in 2011 across nationwide mobile providers.

Convenient access: Convenience may contribute to increased use of mobile devices to access the Internet. Smartphones can provide users access to information anytime and almost anywhere. For example, smartphone owners can access government services on mobile devices, such as weather information or automobile recalls and crash-test-rating data. In 2012, Pew Research Center reported that cellphone owners like the convenience and ease of connectivity associated with mobile devices (see table 1).

Technological advances: Advances in the technological capabilities of mobile devices have also contributed to this trend, allowing consumers to carry out an ever broadening range of interactions, which previously required the use of a desktop or laptop computer. For example, smartphones can provide users with navigation tools and information relevant to their surroundings based on the user’s current location determined by Global Positioning System (GPS) and other methods. Location-based services have proved popular with mobile device users; the Pew Research Center reported that three- quarters of smartphone users were using such services as of February 2012.

Faster Internet speeds: Faster connection speeds have also reportedly increased Internet access using mobile devices. According to the FCC, four nationwide mobile wireless service providers— Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint Nextel, and T-Mobile—as well as other mobile operators, continue to upgrade and expand their networks and according to the FCC, all of the major providers have either begun to deploy, or announced plans to migrate to Long Term Evolution technology.

Young, Above-Average- Income, College- Educated, and African- American Populations Use Smartphones to Access the Internet More Than Other Demographic Groups

Pew reported that in 2013, those who are young (18-29 years old), earn over $75,000, have a college degree or higher, or are African American have the highest rates of accessing the Internet with cellphones (see fig. 3). Hispanics (68 percent) and whites (59 percent) used their cellphones to access the Internet slightly less than African Americans (74 percent), according to Pew. Further, young, above-average income, college educated, and African-American populations all increased their rate of access using cellphones between 2012 and 2013 by 10 percentage points or more.

Use of cellphones to access the Internet is lower among senior, less educated, or rural populations, compared to other demographic groups. Those who access the Internet at lower rates using cellphones include: people ages 65 and older (22 percent); people who received a high school diploma or no diploma (53 and 51 percent, respectively); and people who live in rural areas (50 percent).and 2013, the increase in Internet access among those who have no diploma or a high school diploma only and those in rural areas was not significant; seniors increased their Internet access by 6 percentage points.

Although More Individuals Use Mobile Devices to Access Selected Agencies’ Information and Services, Challenges Still Exist

Although Individuals Still Primarily Use Desktop Computers to Access Selected Government Websites, Access by Mobile Users Is Increasing

Individuals accessing the selected agencies’ websites primarily used desktops and laptops to do so. For example, in 2013, Google Analytics data provided by DOT showed that 92 percent of users who accessed DOT’s website, , used a desktop computer, compared to 6 percent who used a smartphone and 3 percent who used a tablet (see table 2). Similarly, 85 percent of users who accessed the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) website, www.fema.gov, used a desktop computer, compared to 9 percent who used a smartphone and 6 percent who used a tablet.

Although individuals still primarily use desktop computers to access services at the six selected agencies, use of smartphones and tablets to access information and services at these agencies is increasing. For example, the number of visitors using smartphones and tablets to access NEA information and services—such as applying for grants and tracking grant applications—increased from 3,376 in 2010 to 287,932 in 2013 (see fig. 4). Similarly, individuals using smartphones and tablets to access DOI’s information increased from 57,428 in 2011 to 1,206,959 in 2013. Among the selected agencies, FEMA had the highest number of visitors who accessed its services using a smartphone and tablet (3.1 million visitors in 2013) followed by DOI, which received approximately 1.2 million visitors who accessed its main website via a smartphone or tablet. One FEMA official told us that access to FEMA services via mobile devices is very important because after disasters, survivors may have limited access to the Internet because of infrastructure damage in their community or from being displaced from their homes.

Mobile Internet Users May Face Challenges in Navigating Some Government Websites

The smaller screens of smartphones and, to a lesser extent, tablets provide users portability and mobility compared to desktop computers. However, small screens can also make it more difficult to read the content of websites. Responsive web design is a method of designing content so that it can be resized to fit on various screen sizes (e.g., designing a service to work well on both a laptop screen and a smartphone, without the need to develop and maintain separate “standard” and “mobile” sites). As we will discuss in more detail later in the report, some agencies we selected have modified, or optimized, their websites, or have plans to do so, to help mobile users access their information and services more easily. Websites that have not been optimized can be more difficult to view using mobile devices (see fig. 5). When a website does not incorporate responsive design, consumers using mobile devices may experience challenges efficiently accessing content.

Further, excess information on government websites that have not been optimized can make it challenging for mobile internet users. Government websites in particular are not always streamlined with the end user in mind, according to several consumer advocacy and agency officials. GAO previously reported, for example, that the Internal Revenue Service’s website could do a better job meeting the needs of taxpayers by providing taxpayers interactive personal account access. Government websites may include unnecessary content, making it difficult for mobile users to find the information they are looking for. Officials from FEMA and two consumer advocacy organizations told us that occupying valuable website space with unnecessary information or “clutter” can be a major impediment and can make finding desired content more difficult for seniors and individuals with vision impairment. Also, unnecessary screens and functions prevent consumers from finding the information or service they need within three clicks.too much unnecessary information can require individuals to “drill down” several layers to get to the information they need, violating the “three-click rule.”

Navigating across different screens can also be difficult for mobile users. Someone browsing the Internet using a desktop computer can view content on multiple screens or tabs; however, doing so on a smartphone (e.g., getting back to the home page) can be challenging. For example, a mobile Internet user who finds a government form on a web page may have difficulty going back to a previous page to find the instructions on how to fill out the form. According to one FEMA official, disaster survivors may find it inconvenient to access some of FEMA’s emergency management services on a mobile device due to navigational challenges, small screens, and the need to input significant amounts of data. Officials from the NEA and a consumer advocacy organization also added that navigating or toggling between multiple screens on a government website, especially when dealing with forms or applications, is more challenging on a smartphone than on a desktop or laptop computer.

Finally, mobile users sometimes face challenges accessing certain websites as well as data-intensive portable document files (PDF) files— which can be slow to download on government web sites. Officials from OMB noted that some websites take a long time to download using a mobile phone. Similarly, officials from DOT, DOI, and FEMA noted that PDFs are difficult to download on a mobile device, in part because of the large amount of data they contain. Some of these agencies are trying to reduce the number of data-intensive PDF files on their websites, but a number of these data-intensive PDFs are still present. Further, according to agency and consumer-advocacy officials, downloading government information using mobile devices can be cost-prohibitive, depending on the data plan used, especially for certain segments of the population, such as low-income individuals and seniors. Many mobile consumers subscribe to data plans that may only provide as little as 500 megabytes a month before they are assessed additional data fees. Officials from a consumer advocacy organization for low-income populations told us that low income consumers sometimes face high mobile-phone bills that make it cost-prohibitive to access government websites using their mobile phones.

Federal Agencies Have Taken Actions to Enhance Access to Government Information and Services via Mobile Devices

OMB’s 2012 Digital Government Strategy Has Resulted in Actions to Enhance Access to Government Services for Those Using Mobile Devices

In response to the milestones specified in the Digital Government Strategy, OMB created the Digital Services Advisory Group, which, along with the Federal CIO Council and the Federal Web Managers Council, created digital governance guidelines for all federal agencies to use.

Additionally, as part of its assessment of all digital services, OMB assesses agency efforts to enhance access to services for mobile devices as part of its PortfolioStat initiative, which focuses on eliminating duplication, reducing “commodity information technology (IT)” spending,migrating to shared services, and better aligning agencies’ IT spending with their missions. OMB tracks executive branch agencies’ digital analytics programs, which collect common baseline performance metrics that agencies should collect for their websites to assist them in measuring different elements of performance. Then, for each agency’s five most trafficked websites, OMB tracks the percentage of users accessing these sites via mobile devices and measures the extent to which people are able to access their websites using mobile devices. If agencies have not optimized these websites, OMB then asks agencies to consider optimizing them for mobile access based on factors such as the number of visits and the amount of key services provided through the website.

GSA’s Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technology (OCSIT) has also taken the following actions to enhance access to government services via mobile devices in response to the Digital Government Strategy: website to help federal agencies build the capacity to implement effective and innovative digital services. DigitalGov.gov provides guidance to help agencies improve and integrate their digital content and services. Its intent is to accelerate adoption of technologies, reduce duplication, and increase efficiency by consolidating tools and resources and giving agencies an opportunity to collaborate on shared solutions to common challenges.

The DigitalGov.gov website replaced the HowTo.gov website, Howto and MobileGov Blogs, as well as the MobileGov wiki.

Established the Federal Mobile Apps Registry, which allows agencies to register their native apps and mobile websites that the public and others can use to identify and download government mobile apps, such as the SaferCar app that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) developed for people to use when purchasing cars and child safety seats (described in more detail later). Consumers can find mobile apps and mobile sites by agency, topic, or platform.

Provided guidance and on-line training and shared best practices and other resources to assist agencies seeking to enhance their websites for mobile technologies.

Provided access to the Federal Crowdsource Mobile Testing Program at no cost to federal agencies to allow them to evaluate their mobile websites.

Provided federal executive branch agencies access to the Digital Analytics Program at no cost so agencies can obtain a variety of information on their websites’ performance, including the ability to identify how users access and use their websites.

GSA officials use a variety of means to inform agencies how they can assist them in enhancing digital services, including those services people access with mobile devices. GSA’s communication efforts include “listservs” with agencies’ Chief Information Officers and Web Managers, outreach to agencies’ White House liaisons, GSA’s digital subscriptions,social media, and training programs.

Officials from three of the six federal agencies we spoke with—DOT, FEMA, and NWS— told us that OMB’s and GSA’s actions have helped their efforts to enhance their digital services. The officials noted that both OMB’s Digital Government Strategy and GSA’s efforts have provided the leverage agencies’ Information Technology officials needed to convince their respective managers to approve enhancements that make their websites more accessible to mobile users.

The other three agencies did not use GSA’s services to the same extent or at all. DOI and NEA officials said they did not require outside assistance. However, FMC—with just over 100 employees—noted that, with limited resources, its focus has been primarily on other issues. FMC receives information from one of GSA’s listservs and uses GSA as a point of contact for wireless access. FMC officials have found this assistance helpful but have had little interaction with OMB.

Agencies Have Taken Steps to Meet Digital Government Strategy Requirements for Mobile Use

All 24 agencies required to comply with provisions of the Digital Government Strategy have made efforts to improve their digital services for those who use mobile devices. According to agencies’ digital strategy reports, all have identified two or more services to be optimized for mobile use, as required under the Digital Government Strategy. Additionally, 21 of these agencies have optimized two or more prioritized services. According to OMB officials, they work with agencies facing challenges meeting the milestones, such as providing guidance through the U.S. Digital Services Playbook, which identifies 13 goals, or “plays” for agencies to consider as part of their efforts to improve their digital services. Two of these “plays” consider consumers’ needs and the type of devices they use, both of which touch on the use of mobile devices.

Employing Responsive Design

As previously mentioned, responsive design adjusts the website to the size of a device’s screen by streamlining the content that appears, making the website easier to read and navigate. Four of the six selected agencies have incorporated responsive design as part of an overall effort to migrate their digital services to a content management system. Officials indicated that having a content management system will allow them to make subsequent changes to websites, including transitioning to responsive design, more efficiently:

DOI incorporated responsive design to optimize its main website, www.doi.gov, in 2013. According to a DOI official, DOI has incorporated responsiveness into its upcoming redesign, which is coordinated with DOI’s effort to transition its website to a new content management system, which will help its bureaus take advantage of economies of scale while improving their websites. The initial process to incorporate responsive design took two months to complete but followed months of pre-development conversation. DOI expects to complete the transition to the new content management system in March 2015. DOI was unable to report on the specific cost to create the responsive design because none of the development has been completed as part of rebuilding its overall website. Officials expect transitioning all of DOI’s websites to responsive design may take years but did not have specific timeframes for completing the transition.

DOT also used responsive design when redesigning its main website, www.dot.gov, as part of its effort to transition its website to a content management system. The redesigned website went live in September 2012 and reflects a more streamlined website for mobile access in comparison to DOT’s previous website. (See fig. 6 for screen shots of DOT’s old web site and the redesigned website.) DOT officials estimate that optimizing the site using responsive design cost about $54,000. DOT’s modal administrations are also transitioning to responsive design; three have already incorporated responsive design into some of their websites.

NEA, a smaller, independent agency, has also optimized its website (www.arts.gov) using responsive design as part of launching a redesigned website using a content management system. The costs to incorporate responsive design could not be isolated because they were included in the migration to the content management system. NEA launched the redesigned website in September 2013, according to officials, and rebuilding it took about 11 months.

FEMA incorporated responsive design—as part of its migration to a content management system—in one of its three public websites— DisasterAssistance.gov—to make it easier for disaster survivors to apply for assistance online using mobile devices (see fig. 7). FEMA migrated to the content management system in July 2012, completing the migration in December 2012. FEMA launched responsive design in January 2013 at a cost of about $520,000, according to FEMA officials. DisasterAssistance.gov consolidates all disaster assistance benefits for which survivors are eligible and provides applications for assistance. FEMA officials stated that having ready access to this information and the applications on a mobile device is crucial for those affected by a disaster, especially in the event of extensive power outages. FEMA plans to incorporate responsive design into its other two public websites—FEMA.gov and Ready.gov—as part of an effort to improve its content management system but does not yet have a time frame for completing that effort. Until that effort is completed, FEMA has a mobile website that consumers can access using their mobile devices.

Other agencies plan to transition to responsive design but have not yet done so. For example, NWS has developed a separate website for mobile users so that desktop and laptop users access one website while mobile users access another. Mobile users see the same content as those using a desktop or laptop computer, but the text is much smaller because they are seeing it on the smaller screen. However, mobile users can still access the agencies’ information and services. NWS recognized that its website was outdated and recently developed a separate website for mobile devices. NWS plans to eventually enhance its main website with responsive design and is revising its requirements for doing so but does not have an estimate for when it will complete the transition. FMC officials noted that its customers adopt technology at a slower pace than other industries; many FMC customers in the shipping industry have not yet transitioned to mobile technology. Nevertheless, FMC plans to incorporate responsive design in its next website upgrade, scheduled for fiscal year 2015.

Developing Native Apps

Three agencies within DOT have developed their own “native apps:”

NHTSA’s SaferCar app allows individuals to check for vehicle ratings and vehicle safety defects, as well as locate child car-seat inspection stations when shopping for cars and car seats. SaferCar has been available since March 2013 for Apple devices and since February 2014 for Android devices. NHTSA began developing SaferCar in mid- 2012. NHTSA data from January through April 2014 indicated that about 36 percent of the visits were in fact through mobile devices. A NHTSA official estimates that the cost to develop the app exceeds $350,000 and noted that apps are very costly because they must be updated for each type and version of a device, resulting in additional costs over time.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) developed

The SaferBus app allows consumers to search bus safety performance records and bus company safety results. According to FMCSA officials, they began developing SaferBus in 2011, which became available for Apple devices in March 2012 and for Android devices in February 2013. The funding used to develop it covered a number of other projects; officials estimate that FMCSA spent $150,000 to develop the initial Apple version and $300,000 to develop the Android version. They encountered challenges in managing expectations for SaferBus but explained that this is typical when developing apps. Specifically, some stakeholders wanted FMCSA to develop a rating system, similar to NHTSA’s rating system used in SaferCar. However, according to the officials, that type of rating system is outside of FMCSA’s legal authority.

The QC Mobile app retrieves FMCSA’s safety compliance and enforcement data on commercial vehicle carriers. FMCSA has not yet released QC Mobile; officials expect to release the app in fall 2014 for both Apple and Android devices. The app cost $98,000 to develop and will be available for federal and state safety law enforcement officials’ use as well as the general public.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) developed an app that provides consumers publicly available safety data on railroad crossings and also allows users to report inaccuracies with FRA data or contact the operating railroad in the event of an emergency. FRA released the app in June 2013 for Apple devices and released an Android version in August 2014. According to FRA officials, developing the app cost less than $20,000. Similar to FMCSA, one of the challenges FRA encountered was in managing stakeholders’ expectations on requirements for the app. FRA also noted that predicting demand for an app for a particular device is difficult and that this was a challenge in deciding whether to develop the Android version.

FEMA also has a smartphone app available for Apple and Android as well as Blackberry devices. This app links to DisasterAssistance.gov as well as other information on FEMA’s websites. FEMA’s intent is to provide disaster survivors more ways to access information, particularly after a disaster when there may be no power or Internet connection. According to a FEMA official, a mobile app—when downloaded to a smartphone— allows someone to access information, such as an emergency-meeting location or what to do in the event of a disaster, if no Internet access is available.

Some agencies have decided, in general, not to develop native apps. For example, the NWS works closely with private entities, such as news organizations, that develop apps using NWS data. As a result, NWS officials hesitate to develop federal government apps that would compete with those developed by the private sector. Another agency, DOI, prefers to let the market determine what apps the public wants, and allow the private sector to develop them; agency officials believe this is a more efficient use of agency resources. Private sector organizations have developed apps for DOI, such as the Bureau of Land Management’s “Yonder” app, which enables outdoor enthusiasts to find and share information about hiking, biking, skiing, and mountain climbing. Nevertheless, a DOI official noted that, in some instances, DOI has developed apps. For example, the National Park Service developed an app for the National Mall and Memorial Sites, which provides tourists with information about historical and cultural sites in Washington, D.C.

Agency Comments

We provided copies of the draft report to OMB, GSA, FCC, Department of Commerce, DOI, Department of Homeland Security, DOT, FMC, and NEA. We also provided Pew Research Center the segment of the draft that discusses Pew’s survey data.

OMB, GSA, FCC, the Department of Commerce, DOI, Department of Homeland Security, and DOT all provided technical comments, which we incorporated as appropriate.

The FMC, NEA, and Pew Research Center had no comments on the draft.

We are sending copies of this report to OMB, FCC, Department of Commerce, DOI, Department of Homeland Security, DOT, FMC, NEA, and appropriate congressional committees. In addition, the report will be available at no charge on the GAO website at http://www.gao.gov.

If you or your staff have any questions about this report, please contact me at (202) 512-2834 or goldsteinm@gao.gov. Contact points for our Offices of Congressional Relations and Public Affairs may be found on the last page of this report. GAO staff who made key contributions to this report are listed in appendix III.

Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

This report addresses the demographics of mobile device users, including those who use cellphones, smartphones, and tablet computers, as well as how consumers who use these devices are able to access government services. Specifically, we addressed 1) available data about the demographics of mobile users and the factors that might be associated with the increased use of mobile devices; 2) what devices consumers use to access government services and the challenges consumers face when accessing these services via mobile devices; and 3) what actions the federal government has taken to enhance access to government services via mobile devices.

To determine what is known about the demographics of mobile device users, we reviewed reports from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) within the Department of Commerce, the Federal Communications Commission, and the Pew Research Center. To determine the factors that might be associated with the increased use of mobile devices, we conducted a review of literature and then selected, reviewed, and analyzed reports and studies that contained information on factors that might be associated with the increased use of mobile devices. We identified studies for our review through a search of bibliographic databases (including Academic OneFile, PolicyFile, ProQuest, and Social SciSearch) as well as trade publications, industry stakeholder groups, and the Internet. From this search, we screened and identified studies for relevance to our report and selected studies that identified factors that might be associated with the increased use of mobile devices. We also interviewed officials with the Census Bureau and NTIA as well as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Pew Research Center, CTIA—the Wireless Association (CTIA), and Connected Nation, as well as other advocacy organizations such as AARP, American Foundation for the Blind, Living Cities, Older Adults Technology Centers, and Consumer Policy Solutions.

To obtain information on the mobile devices consumers use to access government services, we selected six federal agencies using a stratified random sample to select two departmental-level agencies, two agencies within departments, and two independent agencies. The agencies selected were the Department of the Interior (DOI), Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) within the Department of Homeland Security, National Weather Service (NWS) within the Department of Commerce, Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), and National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). We requested 5 years of online visitor data through Google Analytics from each agency (from 2009 through 2013) on the type of device (smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer) consumers used to access the agencies’ main website. The results of this analysis are not generalizable to all federal agencies. To obtain information about the challenges consumers might face when accessing government services using their mobile devices, we interviewed officials from the six agencies mentioned above and the General Services Administration (GSA), as well as officials from consumer and various other advocacy organizations.

Office of Management and Budget, Digital Government: Building A 21st Century Platform to Better Serve the American People (May 23, 2012, Washington, D.C.). activities federal agencies have conducted to comply with milestones included in the Digital Government Strategy. We also interviewed officials from GSA, OMB, the Federal Web Managers Council, and the Federal Chief Information Officers (CIO) Council as well as officials from the six selected federal agencies.

We conducted this performance audit from August 2013 to December 2014 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We believe the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives.

Appendix II: Profiles on Selected Agencies

Appendix II: Profiles on Selected Agencies ”Native apps” are a method of delivering digital services. The “app” is downloaded to a mobile device and runs directly on the mobile device’s operating system.

Federal agency name Website address

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), an agency within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security www.fema.gov FEMA’s mission is to support citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve the nation’s capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

FEMA has 14,844 employees across the country at headquarters, 10 regional offices, the National Emergency Training Center, Center for Domestic Preparedness/Noble Training Center and other facilities.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), an agency within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Migrated to a new content management system in July 2012 and launched responsive design on the Disasterassistance.gov website in January 2013. Plans to fully implement responsive design to the rest of FEMA.gov but does not currently have time frames for completing this effort.

Developed a separate website for mobile.

Supports a smartphone app that links to disasterassistance.gov so disaster survivors can access information in the event of power outages and loss of internet connection. Implemented a SMS text message, which alerts disaster assistance survivors of the status of their application and lets them know when to return to the website.

The National Weather Service, a component of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA is an operating unit of the U.S. Department of Commerce. www.weather.gov The National Weather Service provides weather, water, and climate data, forecasts, and warnings for the protection of life and property and enhancement of the national economy. Each year, NWS collects some 76 billion observations and issues approximately 1.5 million forecasts and 50,000 warnings.

The National Weather Service has approximately 5,000 employees in 122 weather forecast offices, 13 river forecast centers, 9 national centers, and other support offices around the country.

Number of desktop users Number of smartphone users Number of tablet users Relevant mobile initiatives and improvements related to mobile access

Recently developed a separate website for mobile devices.

Plans to incorporate responsive design into main website but does not currently have timeframes for completing this effort.

Works closely with private entities, such as news organizations, that develop apps using National Weather Service data.

Dispatches local weather wireless emergency alerts to mobile devices without the need to download an app or subscribe to a text message service.

The Federal Maritime Commission is the independent federal agency responsible for regulating the U.S. international ocean transportation system for the benefit of U.S. exporters, importers, and the U.S. consumer.

The Federal Maritime Commission has 122 employees.

Plans to employ responsive design in fiscal year 2015 National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) www.arts.gov The National Endowment for the Arts was established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. To date, the NEA has awarded more than $4 billion to support artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. The NEA extends its work through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector.

The National Endowment for the Arts has 151 employees.

Relevant mobile initiatives and improvements related to mobile access

Has optimized www.arts.gov using responsive design Supports grant applicants by providing them mobile access to information on grants, including guidelines and available grants, as well as on their grant status.

Updated website to include podcasts and blogging capabilities so that mobile devices can access podcasts and blogs.

Appendix III: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments

GAO Contact

Staff Acknowledgments

In addition to the contact named above, Raymond Sendejas (Assistant Director), Pedro Almoguera, Leia Dickerson, Lynn Filla-Clark, Cody Goebel, David Hooper, Sarah Kaczmarek, Joshua H. Ormond, Tina Paek, Amy Rosewarne, Michael Silver, James R. Sweetman, Jr., Larry Thomas, and Hai Tran made key contributions to this report.