Government Technology - March 2008 - (Page 4)

contents govtech.com features COVER STORY march 2008 j Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers Welcome to our annual tribute to the folks shaping the future of government. Let’s [not] get Physical Virtual servers and desktops squeeze more work from less computer hardware. BY M E R R I L L D O U G L A S GOVERNOR, AL ABAMA BOBRILEY But perhaps more than any other program Alabama Gov. Bob Riley is the force driving the state to the forefront of technol- Riley is credited with, Virtual Alabama ogy leadership. Widely regarded as a gover- shows what can be achieved with the right nor committed to government efficiency and combination of technology and leadership. This project, led by Riley and Alabama BY ANDREA BOOHER/FEMA openness, Riley has lent his clout to initiatives PHOTO that showcase his state’s technology prowess. Department of Homeland Security director In San Diego, in BILL SCHRIER To help fulfill his vision, Riley’s admin- Jim Walker in partnership with Google, is late October 2007, a C H I E F T E C H N O L O G Y O F F I C E R , S E AT T L E Northern California istration launched the Specific, Measurable, a first-of-its-kind undertaking: It incorpotechnology imagery gives people access to ﬁre crew works into Accountable, Responsive and Transparent rates now thatfrom all 67 Alabama counties, Seattle is laden with accolades — from its governmentletswhatever time they want to doaccess the night clearing and at local officials securely share (SMART) budgeting process. awarding-winning Web site and TV channel, ﬁre line and monitoring business statewide geographic “In the past, there was little logic to the bud- towith the state,” she said.data using Google to its new emergency operations center — all the back burn that Marin also used Alabama represents the geting process,” Riley said. “SMART budgeting Earth. Virtual technology to improve most under the leadership of Bill Schrier, CTO was set to stop the state procurement and improve in the country disaster requires each agency to set priorities and goals comprehensive GIS data set and director of the city’s Department of Poomacha ﬁre from recovery; something public slash officials for improvement, along with specific outcomes — she led an effort to safety the time have Information Technology. advancing westward. it takes California state government to clasthat can be measured. The reports are posted dreamed of for years. In 2006, Seattle.gov was named the top sify “Virtual Alabama is taking government on the Internet so anyone can see where every potential vendors as small businesses — a ment in three years, plans to overhaul its city government portal by the Center for that previously took months. “We hiring penny in every state program is going.” processto a different level,” Riley said. “We might processes to make pursuing a state Digital Government because of its rich ROSARIOMARIN not know to true value to this applicaSMART allowed Riley to U M E R went from months,theweeks to daysof hours,” job easier. content, design and operability. Schrier is S E C R E TA R Y, S TAT E A N D C O N Spursue more S E R I C E S A E N Alabama Connecting Currently applicants must wait several tion until it takes major disaster occurs. innovativeV efforts. GTheC Y, C A L I F O R N I A Marin said. “Now, another15 to 20 minutes to quick to credit the collaboration between the months for a hiring window to open before For Classrooms, EducatorsCalifornia gov- go through the process online.” decades, penetrating and Students Statewide Of course, we hope it never does, but when mayor and a team of content providers. As result, 27.6 percent hurricane or tornado (ACCESS) project, tedious chore, a distance athe next devastatingof state contracts they can even take an exam and be ranked for “The biggest thing I would credit ernment for services was a for example, is but is the learning program that uses, interactive came comes through, emergency beating in the personal involvement of Mayor Greg Golden State has made a belated entrance video- from small businesses in 2007,respondersconsideration. “It’s archaic — years behind,” into conferencing and Rosario Marin teachers Alabama will have the best tools 25 Marin Nickels,” Schrier said. “He knows the Web is e-government, technology to connectis California’s previously unreached goal of available said. “It’s not easy to want to be an employee of the state of California.” leadingwith studentscritical projects. of the state. percent small business procurement.save lives and many of its in different parts anywhere in the country to the official portal for Seattle, and is the future During people San Diego Marin is leading an effort to let applicants “ACCESS file complaint field way that the city will interact with its con- Imagine trying tolevelsa the playing aboutfor our helpthe 2007recover.” fires, Marin’s your students while at work. Californians staff CHAD VANDER VEEN, TECHNOLOGY AND POLITICS apply stituents or residents and visitors on a whole employer no matter where they come from,” created www.RebuildYourLife.ca.gov, aEDITOR online for state positions, which she frequently took that risk before the State Web page distributing survival information hopes will eliminate bureaucracy and accelRiley said. variety of things.” and Schrier said he’s also proud of Seattle’s Consumer Services Agency, of which to victims within 24 hours. “We had about erate the approval process. “We want the top Marin is secretary, implemented a 24-hour 30 people in one room using their comput- people that we can attract,” she said. “We Cable Channel 21, which was named the online appointment request tool. Previously ers, knowledgeI andCexperience,”E she said. O R K C I T Y finding a job in the state to be convetop U.S. TV channel by the National AssoP O L C E O M M I S S I O N R , N E W Y “It want nient for you instead of being convenient for citizens could only file complaints over the was amazing.” ciation of Telecommunications Officers RAY KELLY phone — often in a whisper — on weekdays Now California, which could lose roughly the people providing the tests or doing the and Advisors in 2007. “We were one of the between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. “We have the 40 percent of its public work force to retire- classifications.” ANDY OPSAHL, FEATURES EDITOR first municipal governments to videotape virtually every city council meeting, which Crime statistics from 2006 showed a lions of records. RTCC staff has access to 120 can be downloaded and viewed by anyone nationwide increase in violent crime — a million criminal complaints, arrest records D I R E C T O R, D A R PA who has Internet access,” he said. “We also trend for the last several years. But things are and 911 calls from New York City, as well as indexed those council meetings so you different in New York, where 2006 FBI sta- 5 million city parole and probation files. In TONYTETHER don’t have to view the whole thing to see a tistics show a 3.1 percent decline in violent addition, RTCC investigators can tap into 30 particular topic.” million national crime records. crime and a 7.2 percent fall in crime overall. to create a more capable, agile and Schrier said 22 years of military service left The Defense Advanced Research Proj- of platformsThe RTCC also monitors satellite images,The Urban Challenge race marked incredResources and innovation are part the ects reason is success, but part James cost-effective diagrams and surveillance camera him well equipped for his role as Seattle’s CTO. Agency for part military, everything revolves maps, force that also lowers the risk of ible improvement in the capabilities of autonomous vehicles. In the first event, no vehicle and part fantasy DARPA is where U.S. photos from around the city. The visuals “Ninety-nine percent of the military Bond around Commissioner Ray Kelly, a 31-year casualties.” in the veteran of the NYPD. Kelly tested. a peacetime situation is much more collab- strangest concepts are built andhas continuedDARPA real-time information challenges managed to go more than eight miles. Only plus has hosted three let investigators a few The New York’s pioneering CompStat to orative effort than people commonly think,” agency was formerly known as ARPA, crime-date. The first two pitted robotic carsrather years later, a half dozen did, reflecting plot strategy moment-by-moment the mapping strategy, b ut he’s also which against the elements. The he said. “In other words, soldiers or officers group that created ARPANET —taken city law- than after the fact. competing vehi- the positive impact the challenges have had you enforcement the Internet. The agency cles an off-road, desert racecourse on working together and making decisions know better asefforts to another level, presiding ran The Lower Manhattan Security Initiativedevelopments in robotics. is responsible for projects ranging York’s together — certainly the commander’s gotalsoover the development of New from Real is a London-style surveillance system that unmanned Crime Centeraircraft to tissue the final decision-making authority. I think Time supersonic (RTCC), and the concept deploys more than 3,000 private and public regeneration to developing artificial gecko that’s probably true here in city government surveillance cameras, including 116 license of the Lower Manhattan Security Initiative. feet, which would allow users to scale walls. with plate readers in fixed and mobile locations, too.” KAREN STEWARTSON, MANAGING EDITOR The $11 million RTCC is staffed The agency’s highest-profile project is the it pro- such as cars and helicopters. about two dozen investigators, and DARPA Grand Challenge,from the field and bil- JIM McKAY, JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY EDITOR cesses information the autonomous “The 2004 event was equivalent to the robotic vehicle race covered in Govern- without human assistance. The most recent ment Technology. (See Game On, Decem- event, the Urban Challenge, was a new kind Wright brothers’ flight at Kit http://www.govtech.com http://www.govtech.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Government Technology - March 2008

Government Technology - March 2008 Contents Point of View Big Picture The Last Mile On the Scene Four Questions for... Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers Let's [Not] Get Physical No Data Left Behind Conservation King Community Drug Test Reinventing the System Better Late Than Never Closing the Deal Spectrum Products Personal Computing signal:noise Digital Communities The Expanding Focus of Digital Communities The Digital Imperative Hot Fusion Redefining Municipal Wireless Made in the USA Bridge Detectives The 2008 Agenda

Government Technology - March 2008

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