Colorado Digital Service (CDS) recognized that state departments across Colorado were sitting on a gold mine of untapped data. While Google Analytics 4 (GA4) was embedded in many state digital services, agency teams often lacked the time or expertise to navigate its steep learning curve. Each department's unique needs made a one-size-fits-all approach impractical.
"We had long looked at some web analytics capabilities in other states and at the federal level, and thought that there was a lot of value in the transparency of sharing that data out to the public," explained Steve Kurtz, engineering lead at CDS. "But we quickly realized that the types of data that might be shared out with the public may not be sufficient for agencies to make better data-driven decisions."
The challenge was clear: How could CDS help state agencies harness their existing data to improve digital services for community members while building internal capacity for ongoing analysis?
What the partner needed
Colorado Digital Service needed a scalable approach to:
- Help state agencies understand and use their Google Analytics data effectively
- Create customized insights focused on reducing administrative burden and time tax for people using government services
- Develop documentation that could serve as a reference guide for current and future state employees
- Build a framework that could expand to support multiple agencies across the state
Why USDR?
CDS team members had previous positive experiences with USDR through other engagements. Alexander Schneider, a service designer at CDS who had volunteered with USDR previously on other engagements, added to the endorsements. The team appreciated USDR's approach to capacity building and its receptiveness to helping overstretched government teams develop sustainable solutions.
Our approach
USDR paired analytics expert Austin Garrett and technical writer Celeste Chang with the CDS team to pilot a comprehensive approach to Google Analytics education and implementation. The team chose to work with the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) as their pilot agency, leveraging its high-traffic website as a practical example.
The collaboration focused on three key areas:
1. Discovery and education The team began by understanding CDS's ambiguity around what data to show agencies and how to communicate it effectively. After exploring various options, Austin introduced the team to Looker Studio as a visualization tool to best display their analytics.
2. Creating practical resources The team developed a comprehensive Google Analytics Insights Guide that included:
- Plain-language explanations of GA4 terminology and concepts
- Step-by-step instructions for accessing and interpreting key metrics
- Specific insights focused on reducing administrative burden and time tax
- Real examples using DMV data to illustrate concepts
- A template for tracking website changes against metrics to measure impact
3. Building for Sustainability Recognizing the need for ongoing measurement, the team created tools for continuous improvement:
- A Looker Studio dashboard template for visualizing key metrics
- A change log system for tracking website updates and their impact
- Documentation written with multiple personas in mind
Technologies Used
- Google Analytics 4
- Looker Studio
- Google Tag Manager (proposed for future implementation to capture enhanced analytics)
Practices Used
- Human-centered design
- Technical writing
- Web analytics
- Data visualization
- Capacity building
- User research
The Impact
"It's just really so much patience and expertise and kindness and compassion ... Both in what we're trying to do and reduce administrative burden, and in how they worked with us to deliver content with user-centered design methods…it makes all the difference." - Alexander Schneider, Service Designer, Colorado Digital Service
While the full impact of this engagement is still unfolding as CDS rolls out the resources to state agencies, early indicators show significant promise:
Immediate capacity building: The CDS team gained confidence in interpreting and communicating analytics insights. "We feel really confident knowing that we will continue gaining the insights — not just by looking at the data and understanding it, but actually identifying the improvements that can be made," Steve said.
Scalable framework: The pilot created a replicable model that CDS can adapt for multiple state agencies, each with their unique digital services and metrics needs.
Window to the possible: Jordan White, product manager at CDS, emphasized one of the most valuable outcomes: "It is like a window into the possible ... people are seeing what you can do with the data that we have, and that there is more that we could do as well."
Human-centered documentation: By applying human-centered design principles to technical writing, the team created resources that are approachable and actionable.
The Team
Volunteers:
- Austin Garrett, technical volunteer and lead volunteer
- Celeste Chang, technical writer
Colorado Digital Service Team:
- Steve Kurtz, engineering lead
- Jordan White, product manager
- Alexander Schneider, service designer
"I just want to give a huge shout out to [USDR volunteers] Austin and Celeste. They showed up every week with amazing energy and professionalism and progress in the face of sometimes kind of slow or non-existent support from our side. So we always felt like we were ready to drive sort of incremental progression along." - Steve Kurtz, Engineering Lead, Colorado Digital Service
Photo by Myriam Jessier on Unsplash
