Skip to content.
|Networking government in New Zealand.
You are here: Home » Policies » Participation » Participation through e-government: the context » Experience elsewhere: USA

Experience elsewhere: USA

Examples of work that overseas jurisdictions are carrying out to enhance public and business participation through e-government are presented below. Such examples are sourced from research carried out in late 2003 and early 2004. Note that research of international and New Zealand developments in participation is continuing to be undertaken.

United States of America

An e-government focus on making information and services accessible to citizens. The Federal Architecture and Infrastructure guide refers to implementing three tools:

  • voice application networks
  • eXtensible Markup Language (XML)
  • Networked Improvement Communities

Examples of initiatives are -

  • GovBenefits.gov - for citizens to determine their eligibility for benefit programmes
  • Recreation.gov - merged recreation data from across the government into an easy-to-use site
  • Free File - a private/public partnership to deliver Internet tax filing.
  • Congress Online - Web forms not only for opinions [sourced from DoWire, Steven Clift, February 2004]

    • An endless stream of constituents will be flooding Senators offices with requests over the next couple of months. Some offices, such as Senator Carl Levin (D-MI), are managing this potential overload by customizing their online Web forms. Besides allowing constituents to offer opinions, Sen. Levin's "Contact Center", this site is used for tour and flag requests, casework help, Web site feedback, and more.

    Other offices are using their Web forms for scheduling requests.

    Customizing Web forms can offer several benefits to a Senator's office. First, they can reduce the volume of incoming phone calls and faxes. Second, these forms ensure that all the necessary information is provided to the office. Finally, the data entry is done by the constituents, saving staff time and reducing the likelihood of misinformation.

    [ Previous | Next ]