States Push Ahead With E-Government, Survey Says

States may have different IT investment strategies, but nearly all are tightly focused on infrastructure improvement and the need to bring government services online, according to a survey of 29 states released by the National Governors Association and the National Association of State Budget Officers.

The survey shows 18 states are partnering with the private sector through agreements or mechanisms that leverage state investments in infrastructure and IT, particularly those that focus on improved citizen access and service, according to the survey released Dec. 18.

The survey also shows 20 states have implemented IT solutions for streamlining business permitting, licensing, regulation and reporting that include online transactions, integrated one-stop business assistance and access to supportive resources.

The report, "The Fiscal Survey of the States," provides fiscal data for 1999 through 2001. Twenty-nine states responded to the survey, according to NGA and NASBO.


This is the first time the study, which has been published twice a year since 1977, has included information about IT spending.


The reason IT spending now appears in the report is twofold. First, IT spending has become a large line item in state budgets. Second, chief information officers are now tracking investments across IT agencies.


The amount a state spends on IT can range from $2.8 million to $621 million, with an average expenditure of $185 million, according to the survey.


While IT expenditures are up, state budgets overall are down because of rising health care costs and budget surpluses that have failed to materialize, according to the survey.