The Illinois House of Representatives’ Computer Technology Committee held a subject matter hearing on July 24, 2008 to explore the current state and future needs for improved digital government. ITP would like to thank Chairman Connie Howard and her committee for the opportunity to share our thoughts. Below is a copy of testimony delivered by ITP Executive Director Aviva Gibbs.

DATE: July 24, 2008

TO: Honorable Members of the House Computer Technology Committee

FROM: Aviva F. Gibbs, Executive Director, Illinois Technology Partnership

RE: Subject Matter Hearing on Digital Government

Chairman Howard and Honorable members of the Committee - thank you for having me here today to discuss the need for improved digital government. My name is Aviva Gibbs. I am the Executive Director of the Illinois Technology Partnership.

ITP is a new non-profit advocacy organization that seeks to provide the eyes, ears, and a high-impact voice for the tech community as it relates to legislation and regulation. This “tech community” encompasses all of us here today and our networks - government officials, citizens, business entities, other thought leaders, and all of us, Illinois tech consumers.

Our mission is to promote innovation and consumer access to cutting-edge technologies by advocating forward-thinking public policies. ITP seeks to foster an environment that will encourage emerging technologies, jobs, and investment, and spur economic growth on the state and local level.

The list of presenters today is indicative of the urgency, it is indicative of the importance, and it is indicative of the need for government to match the technological pace of business and consumers.

Today I’d like to move beyond discussing the state of technology in Illinois, but shift our focus to how Illinois can become The State of technology.

All of us here today understand the extent to which technology and public policy affect nearly every aspect of our lives. Technology is no longer just its own niche business. It has become the infrastructure and necessity of every business’ and individual’s success and as importantly if not more so, a necessity of a 21st century government.

Illinois has made remarkable strides. (As you’ve heard,) the City of Chicago for instance has transformed their systems from the electronic storage of information (”i-government”) to access to online government services (”e-government”) to a new phase of “m-government,” or mobile government, where service providers in the field can be in real-time contact with the 311 system and a constituent’s request history.

These kinds of capabilities have brought increased traffic to the City’s Web site, and more critically, have allowed the City to respond to citizens’ needs more efficiently and involve them in the government process.

A view from the gallery of the Illinois State House shows laptops on the desk of every legislator. Bills and legislative proceedings can be viewed by constituents online and discussed on blogs around the State. The lines of communication are more open than ever, though we need to invest to ensure that we are moving not only as fast as business and consumers, but also other states. Moreover, we need to ensure that smart policy enables this technology to reach all corners of our State, through rapid broadband deployment and investment to ultimately bridge the digital divide.

A quick visit to the official Web site of the State of California (www.ca.gov) provides a good example of a clean, streamlined portal geared toward serving constituents efficiently and transparently (simple navigation, quick links to main services, live chat, etc). As home to the tech hub of Silicon Valley, it is no surprise that the State of California would harness its resident talent and emerging products and services so that government services not only matched the speed and cutting-edge innovation of its business market, but set the bar for what is possible. Illinois is the tech hub of the Midwest, and our government should reflect that by moving at the speed of our business community and adopting the same mechanisms.

We have several unmet needs in Illinois, more than we can currently afford to address adequately. When asked to do more with less, these unmet needs should lead to technological innovation and implementation. For example:

Gas prices have soared and more consumers are living further from the State’s urban centers. The business community is already implementing creative solutions through online video and other media applications. Aside from the “green” benefits of teleconferencing and telecommuting, many private companies build their business models around these infrastructures, not as luxuries, but as necessities in a modern, competitive market.

It would be easy to be overwhelmed by the task before us, but small adjustments add up. For instance, the State recently began to standardize agency email extensions so that now most State employees can be found @illinois.gov. This simple step has made government more accessible and consumer-friendly through technology.

Achieving high-tech speed is undoubtedly an exercise in chasing a moving target, as anyone who has purchased a device only to see a newer model emerge the following month knows. But we have to begin the process of catching up to the needs and demands of consumers. Smart policy can set the stage for this innovation, and the private sector can enable it. In the end, when government sets the bar for high performance, Illinois consumers win.

Thank you for your time today. I look forward to continuing to work together in our digital State.

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