State E-Government Strategies: Identifying Best Practices and Applications (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
July 23, 2007 |
| Report Number |
RL34104 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Jeffrey W. Seifert and Glenn J. McLoughlin, Research, Science, and Industry Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
Summary:
Although electronic government ("e-government") is currently one of the leading approaches to government reform, a lack of coordination or communication between various initiatives increases the risk of creating more so-called "islands of automation" and "stovepipes" within and between levels of government. To address these issues, Congress is actively overseeing e-government initiatives and is attempting to work with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and state governments to identify best practices, standards, and strategies.
This report is based on research conducted under contract by the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs as a Policy Research Project (PRP). For this project, graduate students in the Masters of Public Affairs program at the LBJ School of Public Affairs undertook a two semester research program in 2005-2006 to identify some of the best practices in e-government strategies and management being carried out by state governments. Surveys were sent to all 50 states and the District of Columbia, yielding 38 completed surveys. The study also included site visits to six case study states: California, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Texas, Utah, and Washington. A set of core questions was used for each case study interview along with state-specific questions. Based on the results of the surveys and interviews, the students identified several critical factors that influence state e-government programs. They are summarized below:
Strategies are essential to e-government formulation because they provide objectives for state agencies and governments. The report identifies and analyzes numerous types of strategies.
Outsourcing is a controversial issue in many states, with a spectrum of policies represented across the country, ranging from prohibiting outsourcing, to near total adoption of outsourcing.
Funding is an important issue because IT projects are costly and success is uncertain. Legislatures must choose between programs and, in many cases, e-government competes with other priorities.
State politics and culture can impede or support e-government development. While IT can alter employee and agency functions, such enhancements do not typically cause agencies to be eliminated.
Strong leadership can support e-government programs and drive IT improvements by encouraging and promoting new projects.
The degree of centralization or decentralization is a key component in e-government management because it affects the level of interaction between agencies. Web portal centralization is a common trend among many states, and it is often separate from agency organization and decision making. E-government performance measures are essential in evaluating the success of programs, identifying challenges, and addressing specific formulation and implementation challenges.
This report will not be updated.
