Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt Wednesday honored recipients of the state's 2002 Governor's CIO Awards, the state awards for outstanding information technology projects.
The winners exemplify best practices in the design and use of information technology systems that promote quality in state government and improve the delivery of state government services.
Online services are the focal point of much of the Leavitt administration's efforts to make government more efficient. Utah's homepage, Utah.gov, hosts more than 4 million user visits and a wide range of online state services.
Chief Information Officer Award winners are:
Product Manager/Team of the Year: The State Tax Commission for its outstanding online applications, including Telefile tax filing, sales and use tax payment, temporary sales tax and "Watch Your Car."
E-gov Outreach: Department of Workforce Services for its online applications, including jobs.utah.gov, ability to file unemployment insurance claims and employer registration.
Preacher Bob User Interface Golden Egg Award: The Department of Human Services. The award is a special recognition for the best user interface for a department Web site, reducing hunting and pecking on the Internet when seeking information.
Friction-less Government Award: Department of Commerce for aggressively reshaping its business practices to better serve businesses in an e-government environment. Outstanding online applications for the department include annual business license renewal, professional licensing look up and verification, occupational and professional licensing renewal and Uniform Commercial Code filing.
The Most Resourceful in Implementing E-Government Initiatives: Commission of Criminal and Juvenile Justice team, cited for doing the most with the least. The team created crosscutting applications that serve state agencies, local law enforcement and the judicial branch of government.
Local Government Technology Transfer: Utah Association of Counties. The winner demonstrates a broad vision of e-government and the ability to break down walls between different levels of government.
Leadership in Digital Geographic Data Development: The Automated Geographic Reference Center for its 20 years building a corporate digital geographic information database accessible to all levels of government and the general public.
Outstanding Local e-Government Online Application: Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities for its online payment of water bills and including an easy-to-understand chart that compares monthly water consumption.
Awards for Outstanding Online State Applications were awarded to e-Rules, Division of Administrative Rules, for real-time publication and no more re-keying information; Unclaimed property search in the Office of the State Treasurer; nuclear generator site access permit and renewal system in the Division of Radiation Control in the Department of Environmental Quality; e-Government supporting the 2002 Olympics to the governor's office and the Department of Community and Economic Development; Power Forward in the Energy Office in the Department of Natural Resources, designed to keep the public informed on the conditions of the electrical power system; Utah Historical Society Market Place Division of State History, in the Department of Community and Economic Development; Online Community Services Directory, put out by Community Information and Referral Centers, Department of Workforce Services, the CIO's Office and Utah Interactive.
The Center for Digital Technology presented Leavitt with an award naming him one of the "top 25 e-governors in the country."