NASIRE drafts digital vision
- By Dibya Sarkar
- Jan 11, 2001
The National Association of State Information Resource Executives, which
represents the states' chief information officers, recently released a document
articulating the organization's vision for digital government.
"It says very concisely what the principles mean and how they can be
achieved," said Carolyn Purcell, a member of NASIRE's executive committee
and the executive director of the Texas Department of Information Services.
The 12-page document, called
"Creating Citizen-Centric Digital Government," also is a launching point
for the group's Digital Government Working Group. The committee, led by
Purcell and Washington CIO Steve Kolodney, will oversee smaller task groups
that will:
* Study issues involved in providing convenient Web-based services to
as many citizens as possible.
* Investigate ways states can use component-based application development
to reduce costs and deploy Web-based applications faster.
* Research innovative funding methods and return on investment.
* Assist states in providing citizens with information that is private
and personalized.
* Examine security and reliability issues, including progressive practices
in security protocols and redundancy and trust among citizens in regard
to online transactions.
Purcell said technology offers governments a chance to become more customer-minded.
"All of that is really creating a transformation in government," she said.
"It really should be the citizens driving what we look like."
She said she's particularly interested in developing a risk assessment
and management tool for states so they can gauge and price what kind of
security they need depending on a particular e-government application. Also,
the group will canvass states to find out how they're providing resources
to support e-government initiatives.
The National Electronic Commerce Coordinating Council,
an alliance of several government organizations including NASIRE, recently
came out with a guide to e-government. Purcell, who is NECCC's new chairwoman,
said the groups would try to be complementary — rather than redundant — in the work they produce.