Websites and Applications Services and Support

Review and Quality Assessment Support

This service assists in verifying and validating software products or product components to ensure they fulfill their intended purpose when placed in their intended environment. The purpose of Verification is to ensure that selected work products meet their specified requirements. The purpose of Validation is to demonstrate that a product or product component fulfills its intended use. IV&V activities are performed by an entity that is not under the control of the organization that is subject to review.

IV&V is required for certain MITDPs and is frequently mandatory for projects receiving federal funding.

For more details (including pricing, maintenance windows, and your responsibilities), please refer to the  "Contractual IV&V Support" service agreement - PDF - 192.72 KB​.

Next Steps​

​​​​​Self-Funded eGovernment Services Contract (eGov)

This service allows state agencies to create new eGovernment (eGov) digital services. Agencies can use the Self-Funded eGov Services statewide contract. There is no cost to the State. End-users pay a service fee during payment processing for the digital service. DoIT reviews projects to determined if they are appropriate for the eGov service. After, DoIT prioritizes projects approves before project start. Agencies cannot contract for eGOV services directly from the vendor.​​​​​

​​​​​Licensing and permitting services are tailored to each agency’s goals and user needs. The vendor, Tyler Technologies, may use custom development, low-code tools, or platform integrations.

Refer to the ​“Managed Developmen​​t Services: eGovernment (eGov) Service” service agreement​​ - PDF - 192.37 KB. The Agreement includes pricing, maintenance windows, and your responsibilities.​​​​​​

Maryland Business Express Platform (eGovernment)

Maryland Business Express (MBE)​ ​​​​​ is a way for agencies to build business services into a single digital experience. This means that businesses can complete essential transactions without navigating many platforms. Businesses can then focus on growth and compliance. MBE is:

• user-friendly, secure, and efficient
• connects with state agency back-end systems
• ensuring smooth, efficient service delivery

Maryland Business Express operates on a self-funded, transaction-based model. Key business services include:​​​​​

• user account and document management
• new business formation and registration
• business management and compliance
• streamlined approvals and resources for business growth and expansion
• technology integration and reusable design
• customer-first tools
• data security, privacy, and accessibility

​​​​​Please refer to the “Managed Development Services: eGovernment (eGov) Service” service agreement - PDF - 192.37 KB. The agreement includes maintenance windows, and your responsibilities.

OneStop Licensing and Permitting Portal (Ernst and Young)

Final option year completed. Contract extensions for 12 months will carry through Feb 2, 2026.​​​​​

​​​​​This service provides access to contractor-managed maintenance and operations services for​ ​OneStop​ implemented solutions as well as a vehicle for agencies to request changes or modifications to the implemented OneStop solutions. The OneStop platform allows state agencies to digitize and automate public-facing paper-based processes, making it easier for constituents to do business with the state. OneStop comprises a ​​​public-facing portal​ (Formability) and a backend data collection system powered by Salesforce.​​

OneStop Simple Forms (Ernst and Young)

This service gives agencies use of Ernst and Young’s proprietary form and workflow building tools, OneStop. ​​OneStop​​ gives end users simple form and workflow. The Formability tool gives agencies quick and easy configuration of:​​​​​​​​​​

• forms, workflows, models, views,​​​​​
• reports, integrations,​​​​​​
• ​​​​​process automation,
• document generation, and more.​​​​​

Next Steps

Background

The Plain Language Executive Order​ (EO) ​01.01.2024.25 - PDF - 141.25 KB describes the importance of writing that is clear and easy to understand to facilitate an inclusive and accessible government for all Marylanders.

Plain Language Initiative Community of Practice

The EO established the Plain Language Initiative Community of Practice (PLI-COP). The PLI-COP works to:

• assess the State’s capacity, needs, and resources to use plain language in written communication
• publish plain language standards
• create a Maryland Plain Language plan to implement the standards

The PLI-COP has members from several different agencies and organizations including:

• The Maryland Department of Disabilities (MDoD)
• The Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives (GOCI)
• The Department of Information Technology (DoIT) Maryland Digital Service (MDDS)
• Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council
• The University of Maryland Horowitz Center for Health Literacy

This group met monthly in 2024, and will add new members from across the state in 2025.

Accomplishments

Maryland Plain Language Plan

The Plain Language Plan for the State has four parts:

• tools to help assess current content
• training for state staff
• checklists and templates to write future content in plain language
• pilot projects to implement and iterate

The implementation of these parts happens in two phases: pilot projects, and phased roll out.

Maryland Plain Language Standards

We’ve written ​ ​a guide for all written state communication​​​, covering both aspects of writing style and design.

View our ​ ​Plain Language Standards​​, to help state agencies craft simple and clear content that supports reader understanding throughout the Maryland digital ecosystem.​

The Maryland Web Leads Community of Practice (CoP) brings together 250+ digital and communications staff from across state agencies and organizations to promote collaboration, standards, tools, and ideas, all focused on improving Maryland digital services.

The CoP is managed by the Maryland Digital Service (MDDS) and convenes monthly meetings and office hours.

Office Hours

Monthly office hours allow web leads to meet with the MDDS team, ask any questions, workshop issues, and share anything they are working on. Open office hours will be first Friday of the month. To be added or removed from the meeting invite, please email [email protected].​

Monthly Web Lead CoP Meeting

The monthly Web Leads meeting covers a variety of topics, including accessibility, plain language, the Maryland Web Design System (MDWDS), content management systems (CMS), and related topics. Resources at digital.m​aryland.gov.

To be added or removed from the meeting invite, please email [email protected].

2026 Calendar of Meetings

Note, future meeting dates and times are subject to change.

Upcoming Meeting​

Past Meetings

2026​​ Meetings

• February 19​: slid​e d​eck - PDF - 4.08 MB
• March 19: slide deck - PDF - 408.71 KB

2025​ Meetings

• January 15: slid​e d​eck - PDF - 615.21 KB​
• February 11: slide deck - PDF - 737.69 KB
• April 8th: slide deck - PDF - 1.02 MB
• May 14th: slide deck - PDF - 2.92 MB
• July 23rd: slide deck - PDF - 3.1 MB
• September 16th:  slide deck - PDF - 1.33 MB
• October 29th: slide deck - PDF - 1.9 MB
• December 15th: slide deck - PDF - 996.74 KB

2024 Meetings

• July 11: slide deck - PDF - 553.26 KB
• August 21: slide deck - PDF - 400.97 KB​
• September 30: slide deck - PDF - 638.97 KB
• October 24: slide deck - PDF - 1.64 MB
• Nov/Dec (December 05): slide deck - PDF - 791.13 KB

Explore Guidelines and Standards

Explore​ ​ guidance, standards, ​and tools​ to help agencies write, design, and build digital services for the State of Maryland. The Maryland Digital Playbook includes principles for design, accessibility, and branding, along with a design system for building consistent digital experiences.

​To learn about new content releases sign up for the Maryland Digital Playbook mailing list.

Explore Additional Services and Support

Explore additional services, guidance and standards that help Maryland state agencies build user-centered websites and digital experiences offered by the Maryland Department of Information Technology.​​

Services and Support

​​​Maryland Digital Playbook

​​​The Maryland Digital Playbook provides guidance, standards, ​and tools​ to help agencies write, design and build digital services for the state of Maryland. Web design and content based guidance include:

• Maryland Web Design System: Provides fonts, colors and components to help state agencies build consistent, accessible, and user-focused web experiences.
• Maryland Brand Pillars: Principles guiding consistent, accessible, and trustworthy digital experiences across state government online services. This includes logos, photography and illustration guidelines.
• Maryland Design Principles: Guidance for state agencies to build user-centered, simple, inclusive, data-informed digital tools.
• Content Evaluation: Guidance, standards, and tools to help agencies write, design and build digital services for the State of Maryland, including web content evaluation guidelines.

Website Leads Community of Practice

​​​Join the Maryland Web Leads Community of Practice (CoP) and Office Hours, which bring together more than 250 digital and communications professionals from state agencies and partner organizations to share ideas, collaborate on standards and tools, and advance improvements to Maryland’s digital services.

Accessibility

On April 24, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced new rules requiring state and local government websites and mobile apps to be accessible for people with disabilities. Review MMDS guidelines, agency timelines, and document exemptions, and explore the full suite of services available to help with compliance.​​​

Plain Language Initiative

​​​Learn why clear, easy-to-understand writing is essential for an inclusive and accessible government for all Marylanders. Explore the Plain Language Standards to help state agencies create simple, user-focused content that improves understanding across Maryland’s digital ecosystem.

Maryland Web Analytics

​​​Managed by the Maryland Digital Service, the public analytics dashboard at analytics.mary​​land.gov provides insights on web traffic, engagement, and accessibility from participating state websites. Digital and communications staff from state agencies and other organizations can join the Maryland Web Leads Community of Practice (CoP) to learn more.

Human-Centered Design Training

​​​Free asynchronous training resources and workshops for Human-Centered Design are provided for Maryland state employees in partnership with Innovate ​US. Human-Centered Design resource topics include the value of Human-Centered Design, framing and scoping a problem, using empathy interviewing, journey mapping, creating How Might We statements, using personas and prototyping and testing ideas. For more details and courses visit​ ​​AI & Innovation Training Program​​ website.​​​

Service Catalog

Website Design and Redesign

• ​ Discovery: This service facilitates a shared understanding of an organization’s business problem, desired outcomes, current challenges, and potential opportunities regarding the path forward for an IT system or service. The objective of this discovery is to gather the information necessary to collectively make an informed recommendation on how best to move the project/product forward.

  For more details (including pricing, maintenance windows, and your responsibilities), please refer to the "Product Design: Conducting Discovery" service agreement - PDF - 275.79 KB.

• Design and Redesign: This service provides support for designing a new website or redesign your current DoIT hosted website to improve usability and effectiveness. This involves the Maryland Digital Service in DoIT working with agencies to understand website goals and current pain points.

  For more details (including pricing, maintenance windows, and your responsibilities), please refer to the "Website Design/Redesign/Development" service agreement - PDF - 275.67 KB.

Extra Website Features (Analytics, Search, Indexing)

This service provides add-on subscription tools such as survey creation and publication, event manager calendar creation and customer access, Google Analytics, Google search collection creation and customer access, URL removals and indexing.

For more details (including pricing, maintenance windows, and your responsibilities), please refer to the "Website Add-​On Tools" service agreement - PDF - 287 KB.

Web Hosting​

• Development Environment: This service provides one standalone Development Environment to develop site(s) in the DoIT provided template.

  For more details (including pricing, maintenance windows, and your responsibilities), please refer to the Managed Hosting Services - Development Environment (PDF) - PDF - 198.79 KB service agreement.

• Production Environment: This service provides hosting for the agency’s public facing websites in the DoIT managed Content Management System (CMS). Hosting includes development, testing and production servers in the required environments along with associated licensing costs.

  For more details (including pricing, maintenance windows, and your responsibilities), please refer to the Managed Hosting Services - Web​site - PDF - 156.23 KB service agreement.

Service Catalog Next Steps