"eGovernment" or "eGov" means using electronic media, particularly the web,
to deliver public information and public services.
eGovernment applications empower citizens and businesses to
transact government business on-line that might otherwise require
"a trip downtown". Agencies
benefit, too, from reduced paperwork, improved databases, and increased efficiency.
This page highlights examples of cost-effective eGovernment
solutions, emphasizing those that incorporate digital maps and other spatial
technology.
Web-based eGovernment systems have many general advantages
compared to walk-in offices, printed material, and telephone-based citizen
service bureaus:
Faster response: eGovernment systems respond
immediately, 24-hrs/day, 7 days/week.
Lower costs: eGovernment computer systems are
typically cheaper than salaries & office space, all things considered.
More up-to-date and complete information: Because they are
supported by real-time computer databases, eGovernment systems can provide
efficient access to millions of database records and other documents, some
of which are updated daily.
The eGov way: Online interactive maps shows city streets and neighborhoods,
including ball fields, tennis courts, and other parks & recreation
facilities. Coaches, players, leagues, schools and individuals can
visit the departmental web site from home or office, at any hour, weekends &
weekdays.
Users of the online system can locate facilities by name, neighborhood or
street address. They can query the database to find available fields, courts, etc.
for specific times and dates.
The interactive map can color-code facilities, based on
availability, simplifying the process of finding an available facility
that is also nearby. Interactive maps are easily printed directly from the eGov web site.
Advanced systems can accept reservations online, and collect appropriate
fees paid via credit card.
The old way: Visit the Parks department
office, or call to talk to the facility scheduling staff. Request a
set of locations or dates, without having a clear picture of ones that are
already spoken for. Communicate with Parks staff via voice mail and
USPS.
Try to remember where each field is located. After receiving
preliminary field
assignments, call agency scheduling staff to try to juggle the dates,
locations, and/or try to figure out where exactly that "new field" is.
Send a list of facilities/dates to players/teams. Find a
volunteer to prepare driving directions to each facility. Mail
all information to all players/coaches/families. Re-mail the
information when the Parks department informs you of changes in
availability.
Example #2:
Development and Property Tax Online land ownership maps and tax valuation
The eGov way: Online maps showing real estate maps, including streets, property
boundaries and property descriptions. To find a parcel, citizens type a street address
or navigate using an interactive Yahoo-like map. By zooming in on a
street or parcel, users can see property boundary lines and descriptive
information drawn automatically from public databases. Print a map and/or report about
the parcel.
The old way:
Go downtown to the Tax Assessor's office (only open during standard business
hours). Look through large paper map folios to find the tax parcel ID
# and legal description. Request microfiche from counter staff, citing
the tax parcel ID #. Await your turn to use a limited number of
microfiche machines.
Write down information or pay $1/page to use the
microfiche printer. Hope that property details have not changed,
because the microfiche was created months ago.
Example #3: Roads & Public works Auto-notification of road repair & construction
The eGov way: Online interactive maps showing up-to-date locations of current
and projected road or other construction projects. This list and map
is updated automatically as city staff add to or edit an online database.
Advance notice can lead travelers to pick alternative routes, avoiding the
annoyance, delays & pollution related to unexpected road congestion.
Option: "Opt-in" auto-emails to alert nearby citizens/business if
construction might affect them.
The old way:
Let businesses and citizens find out after the fact--after they are stuck in
traffic or otherwise impacted.
Example #4: Environmental protection Online stream quality monitoring
The eGov way: Currently a variety of volunteers
survey stream or other waterway conditions. An interactive map system
could collect their observations using online forms, then immediately update
interactive maps.Turbidity, debris, and/or other stream
conditions would be symbolized or colored differently based on survey values
in the online database. The web-based interactive maps would
illustrate stream conditions, helping stream "stewards" manage their
waterways and helping educate young people about environmental affairs.
Data-driven web
map software would update the maps automatically, as database records are
added or updated.
The old way:
Arrange a budget for meeting space, volunteer coordinators, survey printing,
postage, data entry, and report publication. Hold a meeting, solicit
volunteers, and distribute survey forms. Collect completed surveys by
mail. Place surveys in a box until results can be entered in a
database. Assemble and print a thick text report some weeks after
surveys are complete. Hold another meeting to discuss the report and
try to explain what is happening and where it is happening.
Example #5: Fish & Game. Health. Online harvest area maps and health warnings
The
eGov way: Create an online web map
application, based on a database of fish or shellfish harvest areas.
The web map system would allow users to interactively zoom in to see
shoreline details, boat facilities, etc. or zoom back for a wider-area views.
The data-driven map could use colors or symbols to graphically flag
areas
where the season is "open" and also areas affected by "red tide", industrial
pollution, etc.
Season and harvest conditions can change rapidly.
The online system makes it possible to communicate changes
immediately and efficiently. To maintain the map, Fish &
Game or Health staff would update values in data tables in
background database. The interactive web map software automatically refreshes the map based on the new information.
Option: Auto-notification by email, for bait shops, boat rentals,
license holders, public safety agencies, and any others who choose to sign
up for optional alerts.
The old way:
Prepare an annual map poster or map book showing fish or shellfish hazard
areas. Publish a "tentative" list of dates when harvesting or fishing
is allowed. Include many pages and inset maps in the report to cover
harvest areas with distinct conditions, hazards or season dates.
Prepare press releases, public service announcements, and flyers to
communicate with the public both in general and in response to "red tide" or
other emergency alerts.
The eGov way: Online maps let citizens navigate to their neighborhood by
typing an address, intersection, community name, or zip code. Users display maps of recent burglaries, car prowls, or other
community safety
events. The data-driven mapping system may automatically color-code
event locations by type of event, date/time, or modus operandi. Neighbors
may
print maps from their web browsers for offline use or to post at the corner store.
Optionally, residents could register to receive auto-emails
if, for example, there was an attempted break-in near them. Similarly
neighbors could use online forms to quickly share information about everything from
suspicious events, to abandoned vehicles, to neighborhood yard sales.
The old way:
Locate a resident willing to be Block Watch coordinator. Request
police department records section to extract relevant crime records.
Prepare and print custom tables, maps and reports of crime events in the
neighborhood and distribute to block watch coordinators. Create many
separate reports; one for each block watch coordinator. Ask the
volunteer coordinators to print and distribute flyers advertising the block
watch meetings; provide coffee/cookies; and host the meeting. Expect
parents and other residents to leave their household duties to attend the
meetings. Repeat monthly or quarterly.
School
bus route finder system: Improve customer service by letting parents
find the nearest school bus route.
Economic
development system: Promote economic development by mapping &
profiling available industrial & commercial sites.
Tax rate
locator: Improve tax return accuracy and increase tax collections by
letting business map their locations vis a vis boundaries of Local
Improvement districts and other special assessment zones.
Community
services locator: Improve public access to existing services by
mapping locations of elderly services, community health clinics, "little
city halls", and community police offices.
NY Developmental Disabilities ...
Assisted
housing locator: Help families and elderly choose subsidized housing
units by mapping available units & showing proximity to transit and other
facilities.
eGov systems typically
involve one-time software and development costs, plus a much-smaller
recurring cost for software maintenance and system enhancements.
Overall, eGov
maintenance costs are relatively low compared to traditional personnel-heavy
approaches. This is because eGov maps and reports are database-driven,
causing the system to update automatically as database values are updated.
eGov systems rarely cost less than $10,000 or more than
$50,000. Actual costs, of course, depend on complexity. Special government discounts may
apply to software costs. Federal, state or private companies may also
offer grant programs to make eGov implementations more affordable.
More about
MapInfo's eGovernment grant program ...
Please contact SGSI's Local Government team at 206-224-0800 or
information@sgsi.com for more information about
project costs, possible funding sources, or to request a proposal.
New limited-time
eGov software grant program! 
