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Sharing the Electronic Government Wealth

A new Web site assembles electronic-government knowledge and materials into one place.

ALBANY, N.Y. -- After a yearlong process of research and development, the Center for Technology in Government at the University at Albany is rolling out e-Gov FirstStop, a knowledge-sharing partnership for government managers and staff.

The Web site includes a carefully selected collection of e-government materials including executive-level briefings, research and best practices reports, case studies and Web sites. Officials of the Center for Technology in Government (CTG) said all resources included in e-Gov FirstStop are reviewed and selected by e-government practitioners and scholars.

The Web site was created in response to the needs of government managers, who said they were frustrated by sorting through vast amounts of information to find useful, high quality and timely material. They requested a repository that classifies and evaluates e-government resources, and presents them in an organized, intuitive, and usable way.

"Readily accessible and high quality resources on e-government topics are high on the government manager's wish list," said Sharon Dawes, director of the CTG. "We are confident that e-Gov FirstStop will be a valuable resource for individuals at all levels of government. It provides the capability to be one click away from selected and practical advice on e-government issues."

The e-Gov FirstStop concept came from the CTG e-Government Roundtable held last year. At that event, representatives from 43 organizations representing state and local government, the private and non-profit sectors met to discuss the key aspects of electronic-government development in New York.

They identified 45 topics of concern and selected 17 of them for small group discussions. Eight themes emerged from the roundtable discussions, and covered the full scope of the e-government challenge.

Among the themes developed was the need for ways to tap into the expertise, experience, and knowledge available about e-government. Roundtable participants talked about the creation of a repository of selected knowledge about e-government expertise, tools, projects, and results.

The e-Gov FirstStop Web site was launched as part of the CTG's "e-Government: Creating Tools of the Trade" research program. "Creating the Tools of the Trade" was designed to support e-government planning and initiatives at all levels of government by offering practical advice, successful models and well-grounded guides.

The Center for Technology in Government, University at Albany