GOVERNMENT

Three years ago, North Dakota officially unveiled ConnectND, an ambitious plan to integrate the state’s universities and government agencies into one administrative software platform enabling front-line staff to use common financial, and human- and student-resource management applications.

Outside of election years, and those times when those "big" issues emerge, the public pretty much goes about their business, blissfully unaware of the workings of their local governments.

"Our priorities for evaluating solutions were clear — minimal risk, strict budget alignment, and broad product capabilities out of the box," said Betsy Baumgart, Administrator, Montana Promotion Division.

"Communication is a factor in every problem you have."

Mark Struckman, vice president of research for the Center for Digital Government gave a briefing on trends in government IT at GTC Southwest in Austin today. Struckman said the Center is beginning to see a…

Government will never truly realize IT’s transformative benefits until it rethinks and redesigns government systems, service delivery mechanisms and bureaucratic structures to reflect Information Age realities.

This plan will be nothing more than a reshuffling of bodies if there isn’t some room to make sweeping changes in the make-up and nature of state IT workers.

Complete with user-friendly agricultural information about the state’s forests, farms, food supply, flowers, fish and fiber, the newly designed Web site also offers visitors an opportunity to access the popular TV commercial featuring Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, learn about new retail promotions, program developments and upcoming community "California Grown" events.

"I am convinced that we’ve successfully made the jump from a brochure-type Web site to a full-service Web site while concentrating on the citizen’s primary interests."