ICMA: e-government improves communication and customer service.(International City/County Management Association)(Brief Article)

Nearly 70 percent of local governments report improved communication with the public as a result of their e-government initiatives, and 56 percent cite improved customer service, according to the results of a comprehensive survey of cities and counties conducted by the International City/County Management Association.

More than 3,400 cities and counties responded to the survey, which covered e-government services (current and future), financing, and management; online procurement; geographic information systems; and use of intranets. Other key findings from the survey include:

* The vast majority of local governments (more than 99 percent) have Internet connectivity.

* All reporting jurisdictions with a population of 250,000 or more have a Web site.

* Almost 60 percent of respondents provide downloadable forms, online communication with elected and appointed officials, employment information and applications, and codes and ordinances on the local government Web site; nearly 76 percent post council agendas and minutes.

* Less than 30 percent of respondents accept online requests for local government records or services (such as pothole repair), provide GIS/mapping data, or send electronic newsletters to residents and businesses, but more than half of those respondents plan to provide these services in the future.

* The most frequently cited barriers to e-government initiatives are lack of financial resources (64 percent) and lack of technology staff (63 percent).

Aggregate results of the survey are available on ICMA's Web site at http://icma.org. The complete survey results, downloadable for analysis, are available at http://bookstore.icma.org.

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