Norwegian eGovernment Delegation Visits the Center for Technology in Government at the University at Albany

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 18, 2010
Contact: Ben Meyers
(518) 442-3892
     

An eGovernment delegation from Norway visited the Center for Technology in Government at the University at Albany on March 17, 2010 as part of a larger study tour that also includes the White House Open Government Team and the United Nations. The delegation are members of The ICT Forum of Government Administrations and represent administrative leaders of several Norwegian ministries, directorates, and institutions involved in implementing the Norwegian ICT-policy, eGovernment and public services, or innovative research in this field. The focal point of their visit is to learn more about the recent federal, state, and local strategies in the U.S. for renewing the public sector and its services to the American people. 

Norwegian Delegation GroupUAlbany’s President George Philip and Vice President for Research James Dias joined CTG director Theresa Pardo in welcoming the delegation. The delegation and CTG staff shared their initiatives and approaches to eGovernment research, with an emphasis by CTG on its research achievements in organizational interoperability and information sharing and its new initiatives in the area of social media in government.

“CTG has taken a leadership role in building global communities of practice in digital government research and practice,” said Theresa Pardo. “We welcome the opportunity to share our work, learn from our international colleagues, and foster future collaborations.” 

“It is our view that CTG is the best organization for us to visit for learning about research and innovation for eGovernment in the U.S.,” said Trond Knudsen, programme co-ordinator, Division for Innovation, The Research Council of Norway.

As part of the visit, two of New York State’s CIOs were invited to address the delegation on Public-Private Partnerships in eGovernment and Innovation. Included on the panel were Nancy Mulholland, NYS Department of Transportation, and Daniel Chan, NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. Liv Nordbye, Director ICT for Public Road Administration in Norway, also participated on the panel.

In addition to CTG, the White House, and the United Nations, the delegation is also meeting with representatives from Columbia University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), State of Massachusetts, National Science Foundation, Brookings Institution, US General Services Administration, and National Institutes of Health. The focus of these visits is to learn more about the current status of ICT-based services in government at all levels, the prevailing goals concerning efficiency, quality, and services, and the signals from the White House on these issues.

The delegation will write a report from this trip that will be distributed to its members and put on the organization’s website.

The mission of the Center for Technology in Government at the University at Albany is to foster public sector innovation, enhance capability, generate public value, and support good governance. We carry out this mission through applied research, knowledge sharing, and collaboration at the intersection of policy, management, and technology. 

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