Government Agencies Need Web Developers

by Dice Staff Aug 11, 2009 2 min read

Consulting advice from McKinsey & Company doesn't usually come cheap. So when its experts offer the government free advice on how to use technology more efficiently, here's hoping the bureaucrats take notice.

Government Needs Web Developers You may be interested as well. This article in the McKinsey Quarterly notes that:

Despite spending enormous amounts on Web-based initiatives, government agencies often fail to meet usersÂ¿ needs online. By employing new governance models, investing in Web capabilities, and embracing user participation, agencies can raise the effectiveness of their online presence.

Are there lessons here for your organization? Should you consider honing your own consulting skills along these lines?

McKinsey says three obstacles have limited the impact or e-government: ineffective governance, lack of Web-related capabilities, and reluctance to allow user participation in the creation of applications and content. One agency found it had more than 100 internal sites on top of dozens of external sites, "as well as multiple tools and platforms to maintain them." What a mess

The firm also notes that most agencies lack the capabilities to develop and improve Web services. Private companies, on the other hand, "employ specialized talent to adapt and optimize their Web sites." Hmm. Maybe there are some career possibilities there.

The bottom line:

To embark on the journey to the next level of e-government, public-sector organizations should begin by estimating the cost and time required to achieve their agreed-upon business goals, taking into account realistic user adoption rates, usage, and impact on other channels (for example, reduction in paper-based forms). Agencies should then ensure that their governance models emphasize line-of-business accountability and develop a plan to address capability gaps, particularly in areas such as Web analytics and usability. Based on a comparison with successful innovators in the public and private sectors, they should also assess their technological and organizational readiness to open data and systems to outside developers and to use participatory Web 2.0 tools. By taking these steps, agencies will begin charting their path to the next horizons of e-government.

--Don Willmott

You may be interested as well. This article in the McKinsey Quarterly notes that:

Despite spending enormous amounts on Web-based initiatives, government agencies often fail to meet usersÂ¿ needs online. By employing new governance models, investing in Web capabilities, and embracing user participation, agencies can raise the effectiveness of their online presence.

Are there lessons here for your organization? Should you consider honing your own consulting skills along these lines?

The bottom line:

To embark on the journey to the next level of e-government, public-sector organizations should begin by estimating the cost and time required to achieve their agreed-upon business goals, taking into account realistic user adoption rates, usage, and impact on other channels (for example, reduction in paper-based forms). Agencies should then ensure that their governance models emphasize line-of-business accountability and develop a plan to address capability gaps, particularly in areas such as Web analytics and usability. Based on a comparison with successful innovators in the public and private sectors, they should also assess their technological and organizational readiness to open data and systems to outside developers and to use participatory Web 2.0 tools. By taking these steps, agencies will begin charting their path to the next horizons of e-government.

--Don Willmott