Content updates

README.md

@@ -1,2 +1,35 @@
-# us-data-federation
-U.S. Data Federation website
+# Bringing together the United States of data.
+
+This is the GitHub repository for the United States Data Federation [website](https://federation.data.gov/).
+
+## About the project
+
+The U.S. Data Federation supports data interoperability and harmonization across Federal, state, and local government agencies by highlighting common data formats, API specifications, and metadata vocabularies.  To read a little more about how this project was started, see the [U.S. Data Federation Report](https://github.com/18F/data-federation-report). 
+
+The U.S. Data Federation is intended to be a fundamental coordinating mechanism for a more open and interconnected digital government by profiling and supporting use-cases that demonstrate unified and coherent data architectures across disparate government agencies. These examples will highlight emerging data standards and API initiatives across all levels of government, convey the level of maturity for each effort, and facilitate greater participation by government agencies. Initiatives that may be profiled within the U.S. Data Federation include Open311, DOT’s National Transit Map, the Project Open Data metadata schema, Contact USA, and the Police Data Initiative. As part of the U.S. Data Federation, GSA will also pilot the development of reusable components needed for a successful data federation strategy including schema documentation tools, schema validation tools, and automated data aggregation and normalization capabilities. The U.S. Data Federation will provide more sophisticated and seamless opportunities on the foundation of U.S. open data initiatives by allowing the public to more easily do comparative data analysis across government bodies and create applications that work across multiple government agencies.
+
+## Background
+The concepts of data federation, aggregation, harmonization, and curation have a long history in the geospatial data community with the National Geospatial Data Assets and OMB Circular A-16 Supplemental Guidance, but the 2013 Federal Data Policy, “Managing Information as an Asset,” substantially helped these ideas spread across Federal agencies and even local governments. The policy transformed a centralized process for inventorying, releasing, and documenting data into a decentralized, but standardized, process for managing all data assets from within the source agencies. With leadership from OMB and GSA and collaboration between the public and Federal agencies the Project Open Data website documented a process and a standardized metadata schema that everyone could follow and Data.gov built tools and infrastructure to support the process with metadata generators, validators, dashboards, and the Data.gov catalog itself to aggregate this standardized metadata across the myriad disparate sources - not only Federal agencies, but also state and local governments.
+
+This same federated approach was then repeated with OMB’s FITARA guidance which reused some of the same tools and infrastructure developed for Project Open Data. Now the emerging Open Source Policy from OMB is preparing to take the same approach yet again. GSA and OMB have also been involved with similar work to develop financial data standards as part of the DATA Act.
+
+Even where there isn’t an explicit policy, White House initiatives have increasingly been aimed at curating and coalescing specific datasets from across the country. The most recent efforts include The Police Data Initiative, The Opportunity Project, The Voting Information Project, and the Civic Data Project. Additionally, some agencies are working on data federation as a dependency for a policy even where the policy isn’t explicit about data management. This is the case with the National Address Database project DOT is coordinating with state and local governments to achieve the mandate of Next Generation 911 services. Many of these projects are included in the 3rd U.S. National Action Plan (NAP) for Open Government, but there are even more commitments in the NAP that will rely on implementing this federated approach including the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, Open311, and the Machine Readable Government Organizational Chart. Another NAP commitment covers access to personal data and the needs of the My Data efforts are broadly applicable here as well.
+
+The U.S. Data Federation website will catalog these initiatives and provide a dashboard indicating the maturity and scale of implementation for each one. The Federation Toolkit will package the reusable components needed for a successful data federation strategy. As a pilot this effort is beginning with a basic website and a discovery sprint to start developing a toolkit. The website will evolve to highlight federation efforts, document how to participate in each one, and track their development status. Ultimately the website will cover the whole lifecycle of data federation. For example:
+
+The earliest stage of federation is usually a simple matter of curation. The U.S. Data Federation website will allow for this simple curation when no other website is available to do so, but where websites already exist it will point to those curated lists. It will also provide basic stats about the state of curation and indicate the canonical tag that can be used by metadata publishers to curate the data into these collections at the source. As the tag is included in metadata syndicated to Data.gov, the Data.gov catalog will be able to facilitate this aggregated view in a more sustainable way than manual after-the-fact curation.  
+
+More mature federation incorporates a data standard. The U.S. Data Federation website would indicate the data standard that exists and provide dashboards to track how many agencies or government bodies have published the data using the standard. Where no standard exists, the website would document the policy and best practices for standards development.  
+
+As we’ve seen demonstrated by the powerful impact of the internet and the web, a seamless user experience is possible within a decentralized system, but it requires us to work together and take standardization seriously. Let’s start getting more organized about how we can apply these deeply American principles to our digital government and ensure a better experience for us all.  
+
+## Disclaimer and Endorsement
+The website includes hypertext links, or pointers, to information created and maintained by other public and/or private organizations. This website only provides these links and pointers for your information and convenience. When you select a link to an outside website, you are leaving this website and are subject to the privacy and security policies of the owners/sponsors of the outside website.
+
+- The General Services Administration (GSA) and Data.gov do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of information contained on a linked website.
+- GSA and Data.gov do not endorse the organizations sponsoring linked websites and we do not endorse the views they express or the products/services they offer.
+- GSA and Data.gov cannot authorize the use of copyrighted materials contained in linked websites. Users must request such authorization from the sponsor of the linked website.
+- GSA and Data.gov are not responsible for transmissions users receive from linked websites.
+- GSA and Data.gov do not guarantee that outside websites comply with Section 508 (accessibility requirements) of the Rehabilitation Act.
+
+

_includes/header.html

@@ -11,21 +11,21 @@
                 <nav class="site-navbar nav-collapse">
                   <ul class="usa-unstyled-list">
                     <li class="nav-item">
-                      <a href="/initiatives">Initiatives</a>
+                      <a href="/tools">Tools</a>
                     </li>
                     <li class="nav-item">
-                      <a href="/participate">Participate</a>
+                      <a href="/use-cases">Use Cases</a>
                     </li>
                     <li class="nav-item" id="nav-logo">
                       <a href="/"><span class="nav-logo-text">Home</span><img class="usa-header-logo-img" src="/assets/img/usdf-logo.svg" alt="Logo image"></a>
                     </li>
                     <li class="nav-item">
-                      <a href="/about">About</a>
-                    </li>                    
+                      <a href="/initiatives">Initiatives</a>
+                    </li>
                     <li class="nav-item">
                       <a href="/contact">Contact</a>
-                    </li>                    
+                    </li>
                   </ul>
                 </nav>
 
-            </header>
+            </header>

_layouts/frontpage.html

@@ -2,44 +2,48 @@
 
 {% include header.html %}
 
-        <div id="main" class="main-content" role="main">            
+        <div id="main" class="main-content" role="main">
 
             <section class="usa-banner">
                 <div class="usa-grid">
 
                     <div class="usa-banner-content" id="main-content">
                         <h1>
-                            Bringing together the United States of data. 
+                          Bringing together the United States of data.
                         </h1>
+
                         <h2 class="usa-font-lead">
-                           The U.S. Data Federation supports data interoperability and harmonization across Federal, state, and local government agencies by highlighting common data formats, API specifications, and metadata vocabularies. 
+                          The U.S. Data Federation supports data interoperability and harmonization across Federal, state, and local government agencies by developing <a href="/tools">tools</a>, highlighting common data formats, API specifications, and metadata vocabularies.
                         </h2>
                     </div>
 
                 </div>
-            </section>            
+            </section>
 
-            <section class="usa-section">
-
-                <div class="usa-grid">
+        <section class="usa-section">
+            <div class="usa-grid">
 
-                    <h2>
-                        Initiatives
-                    </h2>
+              <h2>Why this matters</h2>
+              <p class="usa-font-lead">
+              Long term, successful federated data efforts are unlikely if the process by which data are collected, aggregated and validated cannot be improved.  Gathering these data in a timely fashion by using tools that are complementary to existing workflows (e.g. they do not add additional time and effort on the data provider) and that are easy to use will help modernize the way the federal government functions and interacts with other government agencies. </p>
 
-                    {% for initiative in site.initiatives %}
+              <h2>What is a federated data effort?</h2>
+              <p class="usa-font-lead">
+                <b>Federated data</b> refers to data aggregated from many entities across organizational boundaries (local, state, federal).
 
-                    <a href="/{{ initiative.permalink }}" class="usa-width-one-third initiative-block">
-                        <h3>{{ initiative.title }}</h3>
-                    </a>
+                A <b>federated data effort</b> is an attempt to streamline and improve the collection of these data.  This might mean agreeing on a standard way to report data across organizations, or it might mean designing tools that make reading in and validating data in many different formats easier. 
+              </p>
 
-                    {% cycle '', '', '</div><div class="usa-grid">' %}
+              <h2>Get involved</h2>
+              <p class="usa-font-lead">
+              Let us know what you're working on and we'll help you find the best way to get involved.
+              </p>
 
-                    {% endfor %}
-
-                </div>
+              <a class="usa-button usa-button-big" href="/contact">Contact us</a>
+
+            </div>
+        </section>
 
-            </section>
 
 
         </div>

about.md

@@ -4,6 +4,16 @@ title: About
 permalink: /about/
 ---
 
+## The Federated Data Ingest Tool
+
+The Federated Data Ingest Tool is an early prototype.  The data ingest tool allows managers to create a data schema that users can then easily upload and validate data against, correcting any errors as they go.
+
+The Ingest Tool can be built into a GUI interface or operate behind the scenes via an API.  The tool will ingest a file, compare the file to a set of customizable validation rules, and return errors to the user to fix before submitting a final file for review.  The tool can also help agencies verify larger, aggregated datasets containing submissions from a number of external parties.
+
+Help us make the tool even better by [becoming a contributor](https://github.com/18F/django-data-ingest).
+
+# Overview
+
 The U.S. Data Federation will support government-wide data standardization and data federation initiatives across both Federal agencies and local governments. This is intended to be a fundamental coordinating mechanism for a more open and interconnected digital government by profiling and supporting use-cases that demonstrate unified and coherent data architectures across disparate government agencies. These examples will highlight emerging data standards and API initiatives across all levels of government, convey the level of maturity for each effort, and facilitate greater participation by government agencies. Initiatives that may be profiled within the U.S. Data Federation include Open311, DOT’s National Transit Map, the Project Open Data metadata schema, Contact USA, and the Police Data Initiative. As part of the U.S. Data Federation, GSA will also pilot the development of reusable components needed for a successful data federation strategy including schema documentation tools, schema validation tools, and automated data aggregation and normalization capabilities. The U.S. Data Federation will provide more sophisticated and seamless opportunities on the foundation of U.S. open data initiatives by allowing the public to more easily do comparative data analysis across government bodies and create applications that work across multiple government agencies.
 
 ## Background

assets/css/custom.css

@@ -16,6 +16,16 @@ body {
     margin-top : 5rem;
 }
 
+.usa-banner-content .usa-font-lead a, 
+.usa-banner-content .usa-font-lead a:visited {
+    color : #fff;
+    text-decoration : underline;
+}
+
+.usa-banner-content .usa-font-lead a:hover {
+    text-decoration : none;
+}
+
 .usa-label {
     display : table;
 } 

contact.md

@@ -1,7 +1,16 @@
 ---
 layout: page
-title: Contact
+title: Contact us
 permalink: /contact/
 ---
 
-The U.S. Data Federation website is managed by the [Data Services](http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/124174) team in the [GSA Technology Transformation Service](http://www.gsa.gov/tts). Please contact us at <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a> or submit ideas and issues on [GitHub](https://github.com/GSA/us-data-federation/issues)
+
+E-mail us at <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>.
+
+The U.S. Data Federation website is managed by the [Data Services](http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/124174) team in the [GSA Technology Transformation Service](http://www.gsa.gov/tts).
+
+You can suggest resources and initiatives to include by adding a comment on [GitHub issues #1](https://github.com/GSA/us-data-federation/issues/1).   We'll add helpful resources to the site.  Or, submit ideas and issues on [GitHub](https://github.com/GSA/us-data-federation/issues).
+
+## How to participate
+
+If you or your agency is responsible for collecting or providing data to another government agency, this site is for you!  You can join our community and sign up for the listserv to collaborate and learn more about how others are improving their own processes.  Our community can also help you navigate early stage challenges and share use case examples that will help you incentivizing better data reporting.

tools.md

@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+---
+layout: page
+title: Tools
+permalink: /tools/
+---
+
+The U.S. Data Federation will be documenting existing tools and developing new ones to support federated data efforts. The first tool being prototyped is the Federated Data Ingest Tool. 
+
+# The Federated Data Ingest Tool 
+
+Easily upload, validate and standardize data across all levels of government.  Better data, with less hassle.
+
+## Step one: Download and install the tool
+
+To get started, visit the **[Github repository](https://github.com/18F/django-data-ingest)** to install the tool locally on your machine.  
+
+Current features include:
+
+- Flexible input format
+- Validation with goodtables, JSON Schema, or a custom validation class
+- Row-by-row feedback on validation results
+- Manage and track status of data submissions
+- Re-submit previous submissions
+- Flexible ultimate destination for data
+
+## Step two: Set up your own custom validator
+
+Instructions on how to set up your own validation engine will guide you through the process of setting up the ingest tool for your own datasets.  The validator will be used to compare files submitted to a set of rules.  These can be rather simple checks, like making sure dates are present in date fields, or more complex, like comparing values between fields that fall within a certain range.
+
+## Step three: Deploy and share your ingest tool with your users
+
+Once the validator is created, the ingest tool can be set up as either a custom URL that you can share with your users to upload and process files, or as an API that will sit ontop of an existing system.  
+
+If errors in submitted files, the errors will be shared with the user in real time.  Users can then make the necessary corrections and submit the cleaned file for processing.
+
+## Other features
+
+### Easily customizable
+
+The **Federated Data Ingest Tool** is an open source prototype, easily customizable for a number of use cases.  This means data managers to create a data schema that users can then easily upload and validate data against, correcting any errors as they go.
+
+### GUI and API support
+
+The Ingest Tool can also be built into a GUI interface or operate behind the scenes via an API.  The tool will ingest a file, compare the file to a set of customizable validation rules, and return errors to the user to fix before submitting a final file for review.  The tool can also help agencies verify larger, aggregated datasets containing submissions from a number of external parties.
+
+### Free and open source
+
+The tool is available under an open source license, so you are free to use it without incurring licensing costs.
+
+## Become a contributor
+
+Help us make the tool even better by [becoming a contributor](https://github.com/18F/django-data-ingest)!