In the mobile era to meet the rising expectations of constituents, local, state and federal agencies are adopting new, tech-savvy ways of doing business and engaging constituents. Agencies are meeting the public where they are, online and on the go, and making it easier for them to navigate the public sector more quickly and effectively. In addition to engaging citizens online, government is also moving services online because of tight budgets and reduced resources. Many state governments are seeing savings by using eGovernment, self-funded solutions.
Nowadays, thanks to eGovernment solutions, people can complete many transactions online rather than standing in line at a government office. In the white paper, eGovernment Grows Up, NIC highlights specific ways state governments are using eGovernment solutions to engage citizens, improve services, increase transparency and reduce costs. Below I’ve pulled out some of my favorite takeaways from each case study, but I also encourage you to check out the full white paper here.
Bringing Government Up to Speed- Oklahoma Auto Renewal System:
In early 2010, Oklahoma implemented the Convenient Auto Renewal System (CARS) which allowed citizens to be able to renew their vehicle registrations tage from the comfort of their own home, instead of visiting one of the state’s 300- plus government offices. This made the process quicker and more efficient for the average citizen, but the state also kept the in-person option for those that prefer in-person transactions or don’t internet access. Following CARS, Oklahoma implemented QuickTax, which allows businesses to file and pay their taxes online.
Innovation Goes Public- Tennessee’s Department of Transportation:
Recently, Tennessee’s Department of Transportation launched SmartWay, its own mobile transportation application. According to the white paper, “Using GPS technology and linking it with traffic reports and real-time video, SmartWay is designed to help Tennessee drivers reach their destination while avoiding traffic and other hassles.” With this app, drivers can receive real-time texts of incidents happening on their route such as construction or accidents. SmartWay obviously makes citizen interaction with government faster and easier, but it also encourages more engagement and real-time citizen reaction. Although this may lead to increased criticism, it also enables the State of Tennessee to understand what constituents want and therefore, improves services.
Making Mobile Easier- Rhode Island’s Department of Health:
According to Sally Johnson, DOH Webmaster, in the span of two years, DOH saw their mobile vistors grow from 2,000 to 12,000 people. For this reason, they switched to a mobile-first layout. Using responsive design, they only need to design a solution once, then it scales automatically to fit the browser window of a computer or mobile device. By making it easier for people to access their information on any device, DOH is seeing increased traffic from people who are looking for information unique to DOH’s site.
Greasing Bureaucracy’s Wheels- State of Indiana:
Every year, Indiana inspects every school bus to ensure the vehicle is up to safety standards. Until recently, it was extremely labor-intensive as inspectors went from bus to bus, checking items off a paper list. In late 2011, Indiana rolled out a new inspection system based on a mobile device platform. Now, inspectors simply mark off items on a touch-screen tablet. This new system allows inspectors to be more efficient, accurate in their inspections and productive as rain or other conditions don’t prevent inspections from occurring. The success of mobile technology and the positive reception is received from employees is encouraging Indiana to adopt mobile technology is other areas.
Governments across the country are preparing for the future and getting on board with mobile technology to meet the needs of their constituents, without spending additional funds. I encourage you to check out the white paper, eGovernment Grows up here to learn more.
For more information be sure to check out:
- EGOV Innovation Station– place to chat about eGovernment
- Technology Resources Hub
- EGovernment Grows Up White Paper
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NIC is the nation’s leading provider of eGovernment online services. We build, manage, and market official government online services on behalf of 3,500 federal, state, and local agencies in the United States. Our solutions use technology to simplify time-consuming processes, increase efficiencies and reduce costs for both governments and the citizens and businesses they serve. www.nicfederal.com. Be sure to visit them right here on GovLoop in the “EGOV Innovation Station” Group. |
