Mississippi State University

U.S.A.

Evaluating Citizen Adoption and Satisfaction of E-Government in Mississippi

U.S./Mississippi

I began my career as a Communications-Computer Systems Officer in the United States Air Force. Following active duty, I worked for BellSouth as a Systems Analyst in the telephone directory division. I currently serve as the Enterprise Architect for the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services. As the Enterprise Architect, I am responsible for the creation and implementation of an enterprise architecture that integrates key systems, leverages data and establishes industry standard best practices for systems development and deployment within the State of Mississippi. Since being employed at the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services, I have participated in numerous government information technology task forces and committees, such as the Digital Signature Committee, the Electronic Government Task Force, and the Governor’s Commission on Digital Government, which led to the implementation of the Enterprise Electronic Government in Mississippi. I hold a B.B.A. Degree in MIS and a Master of Public Policy and Administration Degree from Mississippi State University, and am a Certified Public Manager and graduate of the Senator John C. Stennis State Executive Development Institute.

I believe that my work on the Mississippi Electronic Government Project has been a unique experience in my civil service career. E-government has presented Mississippi with some tremendous opportunities to move forward in the 21st century with higher quality, cost-effective, government services, and a better relationship between Mississippians and their government. The task for Mississippi state government is to build on our initiatives and develop them into a comprehensive plan for achieving the benefits of e-government more widely on behalf of all citizens of Mississippi. The planned development of e-government will improve the ability of all people to participate in our democracy. But, left to develop by itself, it has the potential to create new divisions in society between those who have the skills and tools to use the new technologies to participate in our democracy and those who do not.

My unique experience as both a hands-on e-government implementer and as a doctoral student in public administration fosters an understanding of the implications of implementing e-government in a public sector agency, the potential impact on citizens obtaining access to on-line services, as well as understanding academic approaches to researching e-government adoption and satisfaction. I am specifically interested in understanding the value offered to citizens, and efficiencies reaped by public sector agencies in offering services on-line. From first hand experience, I am aware of the lack of rigorous analysis as to how e-government services are designed, developed, and marketed to citizens. I believe that the academic community can bring specific clarity to that issue, which could then be leveraged across states, regions, or even countries. Coming from a small, rural state, such as Mississippi, should be viewed as a valuable test bed for understanding the impact of digital government in an underdeveloped region with limited access to the Internet. My expectation is the Institute will inform an ongoing discussion within a regional or global context which should have a direct impact on the citizens of Mississippi.