The New York State-Local Internet Gateway Prototype Project: Current Practice Research:

The New York State-Local Internet Gateway Prototype Project: Current Practice Research

Methodology

This current practice research took place mainly from September 2002 to March 2003. Several methods were used to identify G2G initiatives, including the following.

Scanning state Web sites. Although many G2G sites are often in a closed or non-public system and consequently not apparent in a simple search. When we did find an indication of G2G work, we called or emailed for more information.
Asking state and local government professionals in NYS for information about any known G2G initiatives, and then following up with those leads in emails and phone calls.
Posting a message on the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) listserv requesting information on any G2G projects in progress. After receiving replies, we followed up with subsequent emails and phone calls.

From these inquiries we learned of G2G projects and received names of individuals to contact. In other instances we found contact names on the web site or sent email to the Webmaster requesting contact information.

In each case where we were able to talk to someone about the initiative, we asked some or all of the following questions:

Is your state or agency engaged in G2G initiatives?
How was the project defined?
How did it get started?
What does it do?
Who owns the system?
Who manages it?
How was the project funded and where did the cost burden fall? How are the costs managed?
What are the most important functions and capabilities?
What do users have to say about the services?
What was the biggest obstacle?
Did you set performance measures and were they met?
Was it worth the effort?

Using these sources and methods, we did not find G2G portal projects similar to the NYS State-Local Internet Gateway Prototype. However, this current practice research offered a snapshot in time of some more limited G2G activities in New York State and other states. This environmental scan of G2G projects was not intended to be an exhaustive review but rather an organized attempt to discover G2G innovations and to reveal some of the important factors, themes, and lessons learned.