Government is all about information and service delivery. The World Wide Web, offering virtually unlimited access and almost instant feedback, seems perfectly suited for government work. By transcending time, place, and distance, the Web removes barriers that often hamper effective service. For these reasons, most government organizations are eager to use the Web to deliver services to citizens and to conduct internal business.

However, the Web abounds with examples of premature, ineffective attempts to take advantage of its power to communicate information. Developing a service delivery strategy that incorporates the World Wide Web is not simple, straightforward, or inexpensive.

Seven state and local agencies participated in a project to develop Web-based services for themselves, and developed a set of practical lessons about the WWW that would assist other public agencies to effectively use this powerful new medium.

The project resulted in a set of key management, technology, and policy lessons; six agency Web sites; and four practical tools available through the CTG Web site.

Creating an effective Web site at an efficient cost is a goal for most government agencies. This guide was created to help organizations develop Web sites that meet their needs at a cost that they can estimate in advance.

The anytime, anywhere character of the Internet allows government information and services to be more available to more people. These guidelines present principles to help government agencies in New York State decide how best to design, manage, and market Web services.

Being on the Internet can mean many different things. For most government organizations, it means creating a Web site. This starter kit is designed to help begin the process of getting on the Web without having to reinvent the wheel.

As more government agencies use the Web, policies that guide Internet use are in their infancy. This paper presents the results of a survey conducted to collect and review government Internet policies between April and July 1996.

A day-long seminar on Internet Security was presented on April 2, 1996 by the Center for Technology in Government in conjunction with our corporate and public sector partners. It was the first of a series of annual Internet security days held in New York State. This summary highlights the seminar sessions and results.

The project produced key lessons about defining, developing, and managing Web-based public services.

Six state agency Web site prototypes were created and are being put into production, all on a faster schedule than would otherwise have been possible. Prototyping has allowed the agencies to more easily refine their Web sites and to establish regular procedures for updating their services. The agency Web sites can be found on the WWW at the following addresses:

NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal

NYS Office of Real Property Services

Empire State Development

NYS Division of Military and Naval Affairs

NYS Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services

Governor's Traffic Safety Committee

• New York State Archives and Records Administration
• New York State Division of Housing & Community Renewal
• New York State Division of Military & Naval Affairs
• New York State Empire State Development
• New York State Governor's Traffic Safety Committee
• New York State Office of Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Services
• New York State Office of Real Property Services

• Hamilton County and the NYS Performance Measurement, Reporting, and Improvement System Project

• Digital Equipment Corporation, now known as Hewlett-Packard
• Documentation Strategies, Inc.
• EMI Communications Corporation, now known as Intermedia Communications
• Silicon Graphics
• Sun Microsystems
• Unified Technologies

• Zbigniew  Kaniewski, Local Government Telecommunications Initiative, Hudson Valley Community College
• Tony Pascarella, Local Government Telecommunications Initiative, Hudson Valley Community College
• Dax Prather, University Business Systems, Finance & Business, University at Albany, SUNY
• John Rohrbaugh, Professor, Department of Public Administration and Policy, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, University at Albany, SUNY

• Donna Berlin, Internet Coordinator
• Peter Bloniarz, Research Director
• Sharon Dawes, Director
• Ann DiCaterino, Manager, Project Support
• Kai Larsen, Information Science Doctoral Program
• Theresa Pardo, Project Coordinator

This project was funded by a portion of CTG's New York State budget allocation plus in-kind contributions of professional services, hardware, software, and communications provided by the participating New York State agencies, University at Albany faculty members, and corporate partners.

Government is all about information and service delivery. The World Wide Web, offering virtually unlimited access and almost instant feedback, seems perfectly suited for government work. By transcending time, place, and distance, the Web removes barriers that often hamper effective service. For these reasons, most government organizations are eager to use the Web to deliver services to citizens and to conduct internal business.

However, the Web abounds with examples of premature, ineffective attempts to take advantage of its power to visualize and communicate information. Developing a service delivery strategy that incorporates the World Wide Web is neither simple, nor straightforward, nor inexpensive.

In late 1995, dozens of New York state and local government agencies identified a long list of learning objectives that became the agenda for the Internet Services Testbed Project at CTG. Over the first six months of 1996, the Center worked with seven state and local agencies to assess the feasibility, costs, and benefits of Web-based services. The agencies included:

• Division of Housing & Community Renewal
• Division of Military & Naval Affairs
• Empire State Development
• Governor's Traffic Safety Committee
• Hamilton County
• Office of Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Services
• Office of Real Property Services

The project activities were focused in two areas. First, to develop, test, and evaluate prototype Web sites for each agency and to identify the technology, management, and policy barriers they encountered and the lessons they learned. Second, to develop practical tools based on the project experience that would assist other organizations in their efforts to provide Web-based services.

Six of the seven agencies successfully completed prototype Web sites during the project. Five sites were released on the Web by August of 1996, with the sixth following in January of 1997. The development and evaluation process uncovered a number of obstacles that the agencies worked to overcome. Those barriers and the key lessons learned are the main focus of this project report.

Center for Technology in Government
University at Albany, SUNY
187 Wolf Road, Suite 301
Albany, NY 12205
(518) 442-3892 (phone)
(518) 442-3886 (fax)