Best of Digital Government in Utah 2012

Another year draws to a close and this blog is now over 10 years old. As you know, each of those years includes an end-of-the-year post reviewing the top 10 digital government achievements for the state of Utah. I'm not sure how long I will continue this annual review, perhaps this will be the last year and we'll move on to something different. I'll have to see how things go in 2013.  Before I get started, here is a look back to my review in 2011.

Overall, 2012 has been a banner year for digital government in this state.  Progress has not begun to slow and there are still plenty of opportunities to do new and innovative things. Former CIO Steve Fletcher has moved on to work as chief of NTIA's new Office of Public Safety Communication. New state CIO, Mark VanOrden is now working hard to make progress in mobile government and information security.

Here we go with 2012:

1. Utah and Michigan remain atop the 2012 Digital State Survey. The biannual survey of state government use of digital technologies is the most comprehensive periodic review of digital government that exists.  Utah has remained atop the last three surveys, beginning in 2008.  This covers a lot of territory. Utah's digital government strategy is focused on results and the 2012 survey recognizes that.
2. Utah rolls out an updated portal based on a new Master Data Index.  I mentioned the Master Data Index in a May 1 post. It enables us to integrate many of the diverse digital resources that the state supports into a more integrated digital ecosystem.  It is a resource that we will be able to build upon as we continue to enhance our digital presence with multi-channeled, cloud-based services.
3. CPPA study identifies millions in savings from online services. This study, performed by the Center for Public Policy and Administration validates the argument that is behind digital government services and the effort Utah has made to deliver digital services. A second part of the study is now underway which will identify the value of digital government to business.
4. Emphasis on jobs creation and related online initiatives. Governor Herbert's emphasis throughout the recession was to create jobs. In January, the Governor's Office rolled out the Utah Job Plan, a dashboard to track the ambitious goal of creating 100,000 jobs in 1,000 days. By November, the unemployment rate was down to 5.1%, the lowest since the recession began. The Department of Workforce Services is committed to digital, supporting over 10 million digital service transactions a year.
5. Utah government completes transition to Google. The state's move to Google Apps for Government is part of the second phase in a more comprehensive cloud computing plan.  It provides a platform for collaboration and will support more collaborative digital government. 
6. Utah provides new open data resources. State agencies continue to grow the availability of online data resources. The Utah Transparency Portal added special districts in 2012.  Over 150,000 KML files are now available on Utah.gov, making this the fastest growing open data file type on the portal.  This supports the sharing of transportation data, wildlife data, water data, and more.
7. Utah Legislature's new portal. The state legislature implemented a complete overhaul of le.utah.gov in October.  The new site has enhanced search functionality, a simplified layout, and will support new mobile services in the future.
8. Increased statewide emphasis on information security. The security threat environment has changed dramatically with daily attacks and challenges for state government. Utah has a new plan and policies aimed at addressing these challenges. Trust is critical to the success of egovernment, so security must always be at the top of our agenda.
9. Point-of-Sale real-time service implemented for Controlled Substance Database at pharmacies.  This collaborative system is an example of how Utah is moving toward creating real-time services in partnership with business, local government, and other partners.
10. Social Media use in government reaches new highs.  In 2012, Utah government implemented new channels for social outreach including 23 Google+ channels, 25 Pinterest Channels, and a new LinkedIn site. The state's social media portal was recognized with the 2012 Excellence in Innovation for Social Media award by the American Council for Technology, along with PTI's award for Web 2.0 innovation.