Gov Leads Sync
Last Updated:
Formerly known as “PO Sync”
Are you building a new product or feature on VA.gov? Follow these guidelines to get started with the Gov Leads Sync.
This touchpoint is part of the Collaboration Cycle’s Kickoff process for all teams.
Don’t have a GitHub ticket yet? You may need to start the Collab Cycle with a Kickoff:
Kickoff Collab Cycle with this GitHub ticket
What’s the purpose of Gov Leads Sync?
This sync (or “touchpoint”) helps to align government leadership across our teams and open lines of communication. Our goal is to learn about your goals and help both your product team and our shared service teams work faster and more confidently together.
What happens during Gov Leads Sync?
Don’t worry about preparing a presentation, this is more of a discussion. We’ll review your Product Outline ahead of the meeting.
In this 30-minute meeting, we’ll ask about these topics:
How we can best partner together
The problem your team is solving and your expected outcomes
Your team’s experience with VA.gov
If you have questions about the Collaboration Cycle and the optional design touchpoints, which can help you better prepare for Staging Review
If you have an embedded accessibility specialist
If you’re planning to do research with Veterans
We can also discuss how our VA.gov resources and support teams can help you quickly build the best possible product, such as:
The VA Design System, which provides consistent, tested, and maintained components and interactions that are ready for your team to drop into your product designs
The VA Content Style Guide, which provides detailed guidance on VA’s voice, tone, and content standards and the centralized Content and Information Architecture team, who will partner with you to make sure Veterans can find and understand your product (a key aspect of accessibility)
The Accessibility Design Experience team, who can help your team build to (and beyond) Section 508 compliance and avoid rework later
Veteran Research resources like the recruiting contract for usability testing and library of past research
Historical context and other teams working on similar initiatives
Preparing for the Gov Leads Sync
When should the Gov Leads Sync be scheduled?
Schedule this meeting when:
You have developed an idea for how to solve your problem statement
You have drafted a Product Outline
This is the first touchpoint to schedule once you Kickoff Collab Cycle with this GitHub ticket.
What artifacts will be needed?
Required artifact
Product Outline: Product Outline Template
Optional artifacts
Any other relevant artifacts you may want to share are welcome
Who should attend the Gov Leads Sync?
From our team, only government staff who lead teams that work with VA.gov product development teams will attend (usually about 5 or 6 people). From your side, we request only government employees attend and recommend that they are the staff who are closest to this project work (usually one or two people).
After the Gov Leads Sync
We’ll note highlights from the meeting on your Collab Cycle ticket
You’re free to move on to scheduling the next touchpoint
Help and feedback
Get help from the Platform Support Team in Slack.
Submit a feature idea to the Platform.