Arizona Ranked No. 1 for E-Government Social Services

(PHOENIX – June 19, 2002 )  Arizona tied for first place in the nation in using information technology to deliver social services, according to a national survey.

Governor Jane Dee Hull today announced Arizona’s #1 national ranking for the Social Services category in the national Digital State Survey for 2002 conducted by the Progress and Freedom Foundation and the Center for Digital Government.  Governor Hull said, “Arizona is making significant progress in using digital technologies to provide better citizen services.  Taking citizens out of lines at government buildings, breaking through silos of government bureaucracy and providing services electronically will help build a faster, more responsive government for the 21^st century.”  

For Social Services, five states tied for first place including Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Virginia and Washington.  Arizona ranked fourth among the 50 states in Law Enforcement and the Courts.  The survey monitors states’ capacity to manage technology and to improve delivery of services for citizens using technology.  The yearlong survey has three parts exploring technology applications in eight areas of government in all 50 states.  

State of Arizona Chief Information Officer Craig Stender said, “Our top priorities are digital government and security.  We are building tomorrow’s services to improve communications with Arizona citizens.  Enhancing and managing technology for the purpose of improving service to the citizen is the number one priority.”  

A third accolade went to the Department of Economic Security’s Arizona Early Intervention Program (AzEIP), providing services for families with children who have disabilities or development delays, as a national “Best of Breed” program this year.  AzEIP is recognized for its leadership in coordinating technology across multiple agencies to provide a comprehensive statewide system of early intervention services.  

More information on the Digital State Survey is available on the Progress and Freedom Foundation’s website at www.pff.org.  The Digital State report is available at www.centerdigitalgov.com.  Arizona ranked fifth overall in the most recent annual Digital State Survey in 2001.  

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For more information, please contact Susan Patrick at (602) 340-9698, ext. 200.

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