A Civic Technologist's Practice Guide

This friendly guide is for technology people who work, or want to work, in the public sector. In it, Cyd Harrell outlines the types of projects, partnerships, and people that civic technologists encounter, and the methods they can use to make lasting change. She focuses on principles and sets of questions to help technologists find the right way to do the most good, starting with finding the people already doing the work. Based on her years of government tech partnerships, Cyd offers practical advice on how to build alliances with public-sector partners, what tech (and non-tech) skill sets are most useful, and how to show up in spaces dedicated to stewardship rather than profit. You'll also find tips from experience on how to introduce new methods and tools, and how to connect with others in the field and work sustainably on hard problems.

Cyd Harrell is a UX researcher and product manager who got hooked on civic tech at early 2010s hackathons. When Facebook bought her employer in 2012, she chose to invest her career in public service technology work. Cyd has helped US city, county, federal, and state agencies unlock the power of technology to serve constituents. She has worked independently, with the Center for Civic Design, Code for America, and 18F. Over the years, Cyd has been a mentor and leader to many people in the field, and she is proud to have served as the first chief of staff of 18F. She is dedicated to a more inclusive, more capable, and better coordinated civic tech movement. Cyd lives in San Francisco with her husband and daughter.