By: Taryn Hunter

Although considerable progress has been made over the past decade, e-government has fallen short of its potential to transform public-sector operations according to a new Brookings Institution report.  The report assesses the nature of state and federal electronic government in 2008 by examining whether e-government effectively capitalizes on the interactive features available on the Internet to improve public outreach and service delivery.

Awarded points based on the number of online services as well as other features such as disability access, not having premium fees and areas to post comments, the highest-ranking state Web sites belong to Delaware, Georgia, Florida, California and Massachusetts. Other key findings of the report include:

• 42 percent of state and federal Web sites offer some type of foreign language translation;
• 19 percent of state Web sites are accessible to the disabled;
• 64 percent of government Web sites are written at the 12th grade reading level or higher; and
• 89 percent of state and federal Web sites have services that are fully executable online.

The report also highlights a number of unique, helpful features available on state portals such as:

• Indiana’s browse aloud text reader helps visually impaired and foreign language users by reading the web page aloud, in English or another language;
• Wyoming allows users to chat online with health-care providers;
• Minnesota publishes prescription price comparisons; and
• The Louisiana Secretary of State maintains a blog that offers the Secretary’s personal views on policy.

With emphasis on the need for consistency from one agency Web site to the next, the report offers a number of recommendations for states to improve their Web sites and services. For example, Web sites should have strong privacy and security polices so users feel safe online. All Web sites should have search engines, navigational guides, link to all state agencies and services, and provide foreign language accessibility. The study also recommended that agencies strive to have personalized webpages, such as kids’ pages.

Related Link:

• Report: State and Federal Electronic Government in the United States, 2008