Governor Huckabee's News Column: Technology in Arkansas

Governor Huckabee's
News Column
August 8, 2004

Subj: Technology in Arkansas

We like our sports teams to finish in the Top 10 in Arkansas. We should be just as excited when there are Top 10 finishes in other areas. Recently we were recognized as one of the most digitally advanced state governments in the country.

Arkansas ranked ninth overall in a study by the Center for Digital Government that examined best practices, policies and progress made by states to streamline operations and better serve their residents through the effective use of technology. In Arkansas state government, we like to be a national leader in all that we do. Statewide collaboration and the wise use of information technology is more than a priority for Arkansas. It's standard operating procedure. Electronic government has given Arkansans more access to their state government than ever before. It has allowed us to increase efficiencies, reduce internal costs and enhance services.

The Digital State Survey assessed state government technology achievement in four broad areas-service delivery, collaboration, leadership and infrastructure. In March, all governors and state chief information officers were invited to participate in the survey. More than 60 measurements were used to determine the final rankings. The Center for Digital Government is a highly respected national research and advisory institute on information technology policies and best practices. The center's executive director said Arkansas has built an impressive infrastructure and added an array of services. Indeed, the Arkansas portal is emerging as one of the nation's leading state websites. It was ranked fifth in the 2003 Best of the Web competition for state government website excellence.

Arkansas state government offers almost 300 interactive services through the official website at www.Arkansas.gov. We have more than 1.4 million visitors in an average month and processed more than 2 million transactions in 2003. Information technology truly is one of the most powerful tools we can use to serve the citizens. Other states in the Top 10 were Michigan, Washington, Virginia, Indiana, Arizona, South Dakota, Tennessee and Utah. Colorado and North Carolina were tied for 10th.

Let me give you an example of one of the innovative things we're doing in the area of information technology. A central clearinghouse for government grant programs hadn't been available in our state. There also was no easy way for taxpayers to obtain information on how grants were used. We wanted to have one place where people could go to discover what grants were available and how those grants were being used. We created a program known as MAP, which stands for Mapping Arkansas' Progress. It allows people to search for grants that already have been awarded. We also created TAP, which stands for Targeting Arkansas' Potential. The TAP program is designed to provide a comprehensive list of state grant opportunities and links to federal grant programs.

MAP allows Arkansans to search by county, city, state agency, state grant program or year. Searches can be performed by simply clicking on the desired area. The county map version of the search allows users to view the grants that have been awarded during the past year in their counties. Employees in the state agencies that award grants enter, monitor and constantly update information. TAP allows people to search the database by key word, agency or by using a grant program name. The federal link gives users the chance to learn of additional federal grant opportunities.

The federal Personal Responsibility Act of 1996 included a concept commonly referred to as charitable choice. The act requires government agencies that accept funds from certain federal funding streams to contract with faith-based organizations on the same basis as other non-profit service providers. The concept of charitable choice is meant to protect faith-based service providers from discrimination while allowing them to maintain their religious character. There isn't a separate pool of money set aside for faith-based service providers. But there is a new attitude about the way government and faith-based organizations can partner in an attempt to solve various problems. The enhanced accessibility we're providing on the web will be an important resource for both faith-based and secular service providers in Arkansas. MAP and TAP can be accessed by going to the governor's office webpage at
www.arkansas.gov/governor <