A real challenge for government is knowing where to start. First, where are you? My colleague Adelaide O'Brien has done a lot of research and thinking on the issue, particularly as she started considering how to make "open government" more real in terms of its sometimes altruistic goals. She found that as she talked to government clients they generally agree it's a good idea, but to what end? As a result, IDC Government Insights has created a Smart Government Maturity Model to help governments know where they are and where they need to be to truly be considered Smart Government. The model is a robust four stage approach that offers government examples. As we watch governments work to regain economic stability and spur economic growth, this model will help them make IT investments strategically within individual agencies and programs that carry added value to build across the enterprise. It's a big vision, but this is a great place to start.
Smart Government: Where to Start
25.03.2011
Is "smart government" an oxymoron? Information technology isn't completely intuitively smart (yet), and governments don't typically get accused of being smart, but put the two together and I think there's a real chance it could happen. Make that SHOULD happen. The government IT market is one of the largest vertical markets globally, and for good reason. Governments are trying to get smart by being efficient and effective at what they do. While they have a mixed track record of success, I think they're on the cusp of making some measurable landmark achievements in the quest for truly smart government. How do we know?