Governor's Technology Awards

Call for Nominations

Virginia governmental entities consistently use information technology (IT) as a powerful tool to improve government service delivery and efficiency. For 14 years, the prestigious Governor’s Technology Awards (GTA) program has recognized the success of such projects in the public sector. Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, Secretary of Technology Jim Duffey and Chief Information Officer Sam Nixon officially invite entries to the 2011 awards program in recognition of this important work.

Entries by Virginia public bodies should be submitted by August 23, 2011. Awards will be presented to honorees on behalf of the Governor at a special ceremony during the Commonwealth of Virginia Innovative Technology Symposium (COVITS) on Sept. 26. Nominations will be evaluated by a committee of judges including IT leaders from state agencies, localities, the legislature, courts and education. Executive summaries of winning entries will be posted online to provide inspiration and best practice examples to peers and partners.

The 2011 Governor’s Technology Awards categories are:

• Online, Not in Line: Recognizes the innovative use of the Web to improve citizen access to and service from governmental entities of any type. This category includes strategies used to improve citizens’ electronic interaction with government; promote availability, usability and/or transparency of information and increase public awareness and adoption of available services.

• Cross-Boundary Collaboration on IT Service Delivery Initiatives: Recognizes the innovative use of IT to provide government service based on the common needs of the user or economies in service delivery through shared processes. Entries should be submitted jointly by at least two government entities. This category illustrates strategies to share data easily across boundaries; create knowledge-sharing cultures; provide IT solutions that support common business processes and promote innovative partnership programs.

• Cross-Boundary Collaboration on Modeling and Simulation Initiatives: Recognizes outstanding modeling-simulation university collaborations to solve “real world” challenges. Submissions must represent “applied research” with public/private sector entities that will ultimately (or currently) provide solutions to existing challenges or opportunities. Preference will be given to cross-discipline projects and those involving multiple university partners.

• IT as Efficiency Driver: Recognizes the innovative use of IT to promote efficiency in government. From mobile workforce tools to distance conferencing and education, intranet applications to public services, this category seeks the most innovative strategies to do more with less. Results realized may include a dollar return on investment, realignment of staff time, newly transparent processes/information or all three.

• Innovative Application of Modeling and Simulation Techniques: Recognizes excellence in the use of modeling and simulation by a state agency or municipality to solve “real world” problems. The winning entry must be in use or have already been implemented and have demonstrable results. Preference will be given to those projects/applications capable of demonstrating efficiencies/cost-savings resulting from the project.

• IT as Economic Development Driver: Recognizes the innovative use of technology to promote economic development in the area served. From broadband solutions to infrastructure development, website and/or geospatial (GIS)tools which assist with business development to electronic marketing campaigns, this category seeks the most innovative strategies which leverage IT to further economic development initiatives in the area served by the submitting government(s).

• Innovative Use of Technology in Local Government: Recognizes the innovative use of IT to solve a business problem at the local level, where both budgets and staff are often small but the citizen or business needs are significant. Open to any local government entity, including social services and first responders as well as county, city and town governments.

• Innovative Use of Technology in K-12 Education: Recognizes the innovative use of IT to provide improved service delivery to Virginia’s schoolchildren. Open to local school systems and also to divisions within those school systems.

• Innovative Use of Technology in Higher Education: Recognizes the innovative use of IT to support the unique missions of Virginia’s colleges and universities. Cooperative projects between institutions and other governmental entities, including research and development programs, also fall into this category.

Deadline and Submission: All entries must be received via the online submission form by August 23, 2011. Hard copies of materials are not accepted.

See criteria

See eligibility

See 2010 winners