Building and Reusing Open Source Tools for Government
A primer by New America for government entities thinking about embracing open-source solutions. This report is based on interviews with experts in the field, the organization’s work on piloting open source projects with partners around the world, and a review of nearly 50 reports, documents, and resources on the creation and usage of open source…

The report presents a framework for governments to build and reuse open source software (OSS) in public services, advocating for OSS as the default for software developed for public benefit.
It details the advantages of OSS—such as cost savings, transparency, flexibility, and improved standards—and provides practical guidance on policy, licensing, community engagement, technical implementation, and organizational readiness for adopting open source solutions.
Share this Resource: