Establishing and Implementing the President's "Department of Government Efficiency"
Signed: January 20, 2025
Published: January 29, 2025
Document Number: 2025-02005
📋Summary
This executive order creates the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency” effort by renaming the U.S. Digital Service as the U.S. DOGE Service (USDS) within the Executive Office of the President and putting it under an Administrator who reports to the White House Chief of Staff. It sets up a temporary USDS organization to carry out an 18‑month agenda, which is scheduled to end on July 4, 2026, while the rest of the order’s authorities remain in place. It affects federal agencies by requiring each agency head, within 30 days, to form a DOGE Team of at least four people (typically a lead, an engineer, an HR specialist, and an attorney) to coordinate with USDS and advise on implementing the agenda. It directs USDS to launch a government-wide software modernization initiative and requires agencies, as allowed by law, to give USDS full and prompt access to unclassified records and IT systems, while following strict data protection standards and overriding prior executive directives that would block that access.
💼Business Impact
This order most directly affects **federal IT contractors, SaaS/cloud providers, cybersecurity firms, systems integrators, and HR/legal consultancies** that support agencies, because it accelerates government-wide software modernization and gives the renamed USDS (“DOGE”) broad access to agency systems and records. Expect **new or tightened compliance expectations** around interoperability, data integrity, secure data sharing, and audit-ready controls (e.g., stronger security requirements, documentation, and cooperation with agency DOGE Teams during reviews or migrations), alongside **near-term contracting opportunities** for modernization, integration, and remediation work. Businesses selling to (or handling data from) federal agencies should **review contract clauses and security posture now** (access controls, logging, incident response, data segregation), **prepare to respond quickly to agency requests for system documentation and integration plans**, and **position offerings** around modernization outcomes (legacy replacement, API enablement, zero-trust, data governance) as agencies stand up DOGE Teams within 30 days.
Full Text
Executive Order 14158 of January 20, 2025
Establishing and Implementing the President's “Department of Government Efficiency”
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1 . Purpose. This Executive Order establishes the Department of Government Efficiency to implement the President's DOGE Agenda, by modernizing Federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity.
Sec. 2 . Definitions. As used in this order:
(a) “Agency” has the meaning given to it in section 551 of title 5, United States Code, except that such term does not include the Executive Office of the President or any components thereof.
(b) “Agency Head” means the highest-ranking official of an agency, such as the Secretary, Administrator, Chairman, or Director, unless otherwise specified in this order.
Sec. 3 . DOGE Structure. (a) Reorganization and Renaming of the United States Digital Service. The United States Digital Service is hereby publicly renamed as the United States DOGE Service (USDS) and shall be established in the Executive Office of the President.
(b) Establishment of a Temporary Organization. There shall be a USDS Administrator established in the Executive Office of the President who shall report to the White House Chief of Staff. There is further established within USDS, in accordance with section 3161 of title 5, United States Code, a temporary organization known as “the U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization”. The U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization shall be headed by the USDS Administrator and shall be dedicated to advancing the President's 18-month DOGE agenda. The U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization shall terminate on July 4, 2026. The termination of the U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization shall not be interpreted to imply the termination, attenuation, or amendment of any other authority or provision of this order.
(c) DOGE Teams. In consultation with USDS, each Agency Head shall establish within their respective Agencies a DOGE Team of at least four employees, which may include Special Government Employees, hired or assigned within thirty days of the date of this Order. Agency Heads shall select the DOGE Team members in consultation with the USDS Administrator. Each DOGE Team will typically include one DOGE Team Lead, one engineer, one human resources specialist, and one attorney. Agency Heads shall ensure that DOGE Team Leads coordinate their work with USDS and advise their respective Agency Heads on implementing the President's DOGE Agenda.
Sec. 4 . Modernizing Federal Technology and Software to Maximize Efficiency and Productivity. (a) The USDS Administrator shall commence a Software Modernization Initiative to improve the quality and efficiency of government-wide software, network infrastructure, and information technology (IT) systems. Among other things, the USDS Administrator shall work with Agency Heads to promote inter-operability between agency networks and systems, ensure data integrity, and facilitate responsible data collection and synchronization. ( printed page 8442)
(b) Agency Heads shall take all necessary steps, in coordination with the USDS Administrator and to the maximum extent consistent with law, to ensure USDS has full and prompt access to all unclassified agency records, software systems, and IT systems. USDS shall adhere to rigorous data protection standards.
(c) This Executive Order displaces all prior executive orders and regulations, insofar as they are subject to direct presidential amendment, that might serve as a barrier to providing USDS access to agency records and systems as described above.
Sec. 5 . General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
THE WHITE HOUSE,
January 20, 2025.