On May 23, the Public Technology Institute (PTI) honored seventeen local and municipal government agencies with Web 2.0 State and Local Government Awards for Excellence. The awards were given for innovative use of Web 2.0 applications and social media tools to engage citizens, improve efficiency and increase accountability. From GovTech.com:
The award winners, which included seven cities, five states, four counties and one city/county, showcased cross-coordination and functionality for items such as Facebook, Twitter, e-town halls, citizen service request portals, mobile apps, live webchats and multimedia sharing that are targeted to residents, visitors, businesses and employees.
“Fundamentally the awards are to raise awareness of the power of Web 2.0 and social media for governments and to encourage that use,” said Susan Cable, program manager of PTI’s Citizen-Engaged Communities and Web 2.0 programs. “By identifying best practices and sharing that information, other governments can get a vision of how they can be utilized.”
Montgomery County, Maryland was one of thirty-nine applicants for the award. Each applicant had to supply information on how their government used Web 2.0 and social media, how the use of each item was approached in relation to stated goals and the overall use of data integration by each government. The applicants were scored on a point system with winners having to achieve a score of 85 points or more to receive an award. Award categories included Civic Engagement, Accountability and Transparency, Mobile Application, Innovative Technology, Internal Web 2.0 Advocacy, Coordination and Support, Public Safety and Economic Development.
Montgomery County received two Technology Solutions and Innovations Awards and an honorable mention award. From the Montgomery County Blog:
The Public Technology Institute (PTI) has honored Montgomery County’s Department of Technology Services (DTS) with two Technology Solutions and Innovations awards. The awards are for the following programs: first, in the Public Safety Technology award category, “A GIS Platform for Emergency Management & Response: Common Operational Pictures (COP)”; and, second, in the Web and e-Government award category, “Vehicle Accident Report Purchase System.” The County also received an honorable mention award for its “H1N1 Flu Vaccine On-line Appointment Booking System.” Please click here to read the county press release.
To read the full article from GovTech.com, please click here.