A government body aimed at boosting the effectiveness of various administrative units—such as when it tried to enhance operations within Wisconsin’s workforce development department—has now become part of what Elon Musk refers to as his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has been cutting costs and resources.
In 2014, the federal agency 18F was established with the aim of assisting “federal agencies in designing, developing, and purchasing digital services that enhance the user experience of governmental operations.”
based on a press release from 2021
.
“That group has been deleted,” Musk wrote in a Feb. 3
posted on his social media account X
.
The comparatively modest-sized organization, based at the intersection of 18th and F streets in Washington D.C., formed an integral part of the Technology Transformation Services within the General Services Administration.
The group comprising technologists, web designers, and product managers succeeded in cutting down hiring times by 70% within the federal bureaucracy. Additionally, they reduced the duration required for deploying software in those agencies.
according to a
self-report on 18F’s progress.
From 2021 to 2022, 18F partnered with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development in a $1.6 million project to find and contract with a third party capable of modernizing the state’s unemployment insurance system.
On March 1, several weeks following Musk’s announcement about X, numerous 18F employees reportedly got an early morning email informing them of their dismissal from their positions, as indicated by various news articles.
Thomas Shedd, who serves as the deputy commissioner for the Technology Transformation Services and oversees 18F, allegedly sent out the termination email.
The federal government
announced Shedd’s appointment
In January, Shedd, who is 28 years old, served as a mechanical engineer at Tesla, Musk’s electric car firm, for eight years.
What 18F does
The department “helps agencies adopt best practices and modern tools from the private sector … resulting in more user-friendly websites and technologies that are accessible, secure, efficient, and meet people’s needs,” reads a
2024 release
From the federal government marking 18F’s 10-year milestone celebration.
As of March 2024
, 18F has finished over 450 projects for 34 federal agencies as well as for the Executive Office of the President, the Library of Congress, and the U.S. House of Representatives.
One of its prominent initiatives includes
Direct File
, which provided numerous taxpayers with a free, online platform for filing their taxes. Recent reports suggest that DOGE might have terminated this initiative as well.
In 2020, 18F also
created a “De-risking Guide”
To assist in enhancing the management of technological initiatives by local, state, and federal entities, this resource covers optimal strategies for contemporary software creation along with guidance on collaborating with vendors to deliver user-focused applications. The majority of links directing to the digital version of this guide have been deactivated.
Dogecoin transactions costing millions
,
analysis says
Following his initial commitment to identify $2 trillion in cuts from the approximately $7 trillion expended by the federal government in the 2024 fiscal year, Musk revised this target downward to $1 trillion. As he steps back from an active governmental position, DOGE claims they have slashed $165 billion in federal expenditures, which represents only a portion of Musk’s preliminary promise.
Many of those reductions in expenses were targeted at federal workers.
And at minimum, one study suggests
Those staff reductions will end up costing the federal government $135 million as they absorb the departure of employees and lose out on their productivity. They will also have to reinstate new hires and provide paid time off for numerous workers.
Additionally, the decrease of thousands of workers at the IRS due to DOGE-related reductions might result in the loss of billions in potential tax income in the future.
based on research conducted at Yale University
.
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The DOGE disbanded an administrative body aimed at enhancing governmental effectiveness.
It was initially published on May 9, 2025, at 1:01 PM.
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