Minnesota Tops Bi-Annual Digital States Survey Results
10/2/2018 9:12:04 AM
October 2, 2018
Conducted every two years, the Digital States Survey is the most comprehensive review of best practices, policies, and progress made by state governments in their use of digital technologies to serve residents and streamline operations.
Saint Paul, MN - The Center for Digital Government announced today that the State of Minnesota topped its bi-annual Digital States Survey results. The Survey is used to help benchmark state government use of digital technologies, and it has allowed Minnesota to take stock of its innovation efforts as it look toward the future.
Minnesota received an overall grade of A- in the 2018 Digital States Survey, up from a grade of B+ in 2016. Under the Digital States criteria, an “A” grade reflects states that are trending sharply up, showing improved results across all survey categories, including adaptive leadership and innovation in digital technologies, service delivery - programmatic impacts and transformation, citizen experience with government, and emerging technologies/innovation and collaboration.
Only ten states received an "A" grade in the 2016 Digital States Survey, and this year Minnesota joined the list of top performers. According to the Center for Digital Government, top states use modernization to achieve operational efficiencies and strategic priorities under nimble leaders, and they widely adopt strong performance measures and metrics as they work to provide services to their citizens.
In addition to its top grade, Minnesota is recognized as “Top 5” for its exemplary work in Emerging Technologies/Innovation (3rd Place) and in Finance and Administration (4th Place).
“I am tremendously proud of our team of talented IT professionals whose continued dedication is making a difference every day – even though often it is behind the scenes and often goes unrecognized,” said Johanna Clyborne, Commissioner and Chief Information Officer. “Their work to make government more efficient has resulted in improved access to services for Minnesotans.”
Over the past two years, Minnesota has continued to emphasize improvements in core technologies that support the delivery of digital services. The expansion of network bandwidth across the state, consolidation of state data centers, server virtualization, and enhanced information security have all helped ensure the reliable delivery of digital services to Minnesotans. The Digital States Survey recorded Minnesota’s efforts to make more services available to mobile users and to deliver more government accountability, as a demonstration of Minnesota’s adaptive leadership and innovation in digital technologies.
“Minnesota IT Services’ accomplishment reflects the success and innovation we are seeking in our state on every major tech front - from artificial intelligence to blockchain, to digital transformation, to cybersecurity, to big data; the citizens of Minnesota are already benefiting from these important advancements and MNIT’s striving for excellence,” said Margaret Anderson Kelliher, President & CEO of the Minnesota High Technology Association.
The Center for Digital Government aims to use the Digital States Survey to help states successfully leverage IT investments and projects to maintain and even improve services and efficiencies across all aspects of government. Throughout 2019, Minnesota will follow up with the Center for Digital Government to promote collaboration and information sharing through face-to-face meetings, webinars and other specially designed activities and tools.
A national overview of all 50 states and their grades can be found on the Center for Digital Government’s website.
The Center for Digital Government is a government research and advisory institute on information technology policies and best practices in state and local government. The Center is a division of eRepublic, a national publishing, event, and research company focused on smart media for public sector innovation.
Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,000 people across 90 physical locations. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.5 million Minnesotans.
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