State E-Government Strategies: Identifying Best Practices and Applications

摘要

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.