Oklahoma's portal goes interactive
- By Brian Robinson
- Feb 17, 2002
Oklahoma's state Web site, YourOklahoma, officially went interactive at
the beginning of the month with the introduction of an online grant application
process for the Oklahoma Arts Council.
Applicants will be able to track information throughout the grant-making
process, reducing the time that council staff members have had to spend
answering e-mail messages and phone inquiries, as well as time lost in dealing
with hard-copy submissions.
"We work with agencies as they come to us to set up services, and the
Arts Council was very proactive and wanted to be the first agency with an
interactive service to be provided through the portal," said Deb Chase,
director of marketing for YourOklahoma (www.state.ok.us).
"It's a small agency, and they know the advantages that moving these processes
online will bring."
Chase expects another 10 or more agencies to go online with interactive
services by the end of the year. Motor vehicle license services will go
up soon, she said, as will license renewals for nurses. And she also has
had discussions with the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission and wildlife
services agencies.
"We've been very fortunate overall in not having to do much to convince
agencies to set up online services," Chase said. "The business has been
coming to us."
The e-business company NIC operates YourOklahoma under a contract with
the state.
Robinson is a freelance journalist based in Portland, Ore. He can be reached
at hullite@mindspring.com.
About the Author
Brian Robinson is a freelance writer based in Portland, Ore.