RI.gov has been recognized by Juggle as one of the top state government sites on the web. Below you'll find an interview with Thomas Viall, General Manager of RI.gov.
- RI.gov is an incredibly innovative web portal; what has been your role in its development?
Our company, Rhode Island Interactive, has been on the ground since 2000 as the RI.gov prime contractor and has worked in close partnership with the RI Dept of Administration to develop what we feel is among the nation’s most progressive state web sites. We are also responsible for the development and hosting of the large variety of eGovernment services that can be found on RI.gov. We have been able to grow both the site and number of services we offer by operating under an innovative self-funded agreement, supported by nominal fees added to our online transactions. This type of partnership means that we incur all costs to build, host, update and maintain the site and the applications, including the equipment, hosting, networking, software & upgrades, marketing, customer service, security, payment processing, and user training.
- Can you give me some background on the history of Rhode Island's web portal and the state's e-government initiatives?
NIC, the RI.gov parent company, was awarded a competitive bid to host and maintain a centralized web portal for Rhode Island government in 2000. NIC is the leading provider of eGovernment services in the nation and currently serves 3,000 federal, state, and local government agencies across the US.
RI.gov was launched in 2001 with one or two eGovernment services. Today we offer more than 90 services and more than 30% of those are offered at no cost to the end user through a proven self-funded digital government model. We maintain a staff of six full time employees based in Providence, Rhode Island, that exclusively focus on the RI.gov site and online services.
- What are the overarching objectives of Rhode Island's technology strategy?
In these challenging fiscal times, states are striving to improve efficiency. RI.gov’s technology strategy is to constantly seek innovative ways to do more with less. A good example of how RI has met that challenge is the Agricultural Product Registration system we launched for the Department of Environmental Management. Historically, it had taken the DEM eight months to process paper registrations; our online service reduced that time to one week. It is the true win-win-win solution for all: businesses save time and money by using a streamlined electronic process, modest transaction fees support further development and expansion of RI.gov services, and the state frees up personnel resources - all with no additional burden to taxpayers.
- From a marketing standpoint, what are some of the strategies you’ve utilized to spread the word and draw attention to the information and services provided by RI.gov, both on- and off-line?
One of the great advantages of our self-funded business model is that we aggressively market eGovernment services on behalf of the state. Since our operation is funded through modest transaction fees applied to a limited number of online services, it’s in our best interest to maximize the adoption rates of the services we offer.
Online we always seek to cross promote services. For example, if a user is registering a new business with the state through our system we make sure they know they can also file their sales and withholding tax electronically. If you buy a fresh water fishing license we promote our boating registration and saltwater fishing permits. We also use search engine optimization to ensure that our online services appear prominently in search engine results. Offline we work with agencies using direct mail so when it’s time for a licensed professional to renew we promote the URL where they can accomplish that task quickly and easily via the Internet. We also work with professional organizations such at the Rhode Island Trucking association to make sure that their members are aware of services such as Oversize Overweight Load permits. Lastly, we often work closely with the media to publicize new broad-based services to citizens.
- What has the response been from Rhode Island's citizens?
The response from both citizens and businesses has been overwhelmingly positive. People really appreciate the ease of conducting state business online versus completing transactions in person, by mail or by phone. We think citizens also recognize that eGovernment means efficient government. They can clearly see that through the continued growth of RI.gov, our state can offer more services at a greatly reduced expense.
- What is the most-used feature or service on the site?
Service traffic varies depending on the time of year. For example, in the spring we see a peak in boating registrations and fishing licenses, in the autumn many of professional licensing renewals are filed. Overall, business tax filings and motor vehicle registration renewals usually account for the highest number of online transactions.
- In developing the site, what were the biggest hurdles that needed to be overcome?
With online services, the biggest hurdle is taking historically paper-based workflows and transitioning those to an efficient electronic process. That takes a tremendous amount of coordination between our technical teams and the state agencies responsible for overseeing the administration of those services. When it comes to the RI.gov portal, one of our largest challenges is to de-silo government. The example we use is that in Rhode Island you renew your boat registration with the Department of Environmental Management but your boat trailer renewal is done through the Division of Motor Vehicles. The average citizen probably doesn’t know that, but RI.gov can help point them to the right place to complete their specific transaction in just a few minutes.
- RI.gov’s online chat service is a pretty unique feature for a state government website. How many people are utilizing the service, and who manages it (i.e. a third-party)?
We are very proud of this service, which is a collaborative effort between RI.gov, the state Office of Library Information Services and the Providence Public Library. It allows citizens to get quick and accurate answers to questions via a live chat or through email. Though the questions they receive are usually focused on government they can really be about anything. Last year, the service fielded over 3,300 sessions and recently we worked together to launch an updated version of Askri.org that offers a variety of additional services ranging from live tutoring to tools that can be used to learn a foreign language.
- Do you feel that leveraging social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) has allowed you connect more directly with the citizens of Rhode Island? If so, in what ways?
Absolutely! It is clearly evident that the way people use the Internet is shifting from centralized portals like RI.gov to online tools like Twitter and Flickr and social media sites like Facebook. It’s very important that we as information providers recognize and be actively involved in that change. Rhode Island has traditionally been a pioneer in this area. We were among the first states to use Facebook and we believe the first state to use Flickr to host our growing pool of images. There are very practical applications for social media in state government – for example, the RI Department of Transportation maintains a Twitter feed of road closures and traffic information.
- Where do you see e-government going in the next 2-3 years? Are there any new and exciting features or services already in the works?
One of the things that make the Internet such an exciting place to work is that it is in a constant state of change. While it is very difficult to predict what eGovernment will look like in 2-3 years, a few things are certain: more and more people are going to rely on the Internet to accomplish tasks, pay for goods and services, and seek official and accurate information. Our goal is to ensure that Rhode Island meets those needs. Additionally, the way people access the Internet is already shifting from desktop computers to mobile devices. This month we are releasing our first mobile version of the RI.gov site for smart phones, and we hope to expand our mobile offerings in the future. Lastly, constituents are seeking more transparency from their government. Last year we were excited to launch an innovative tool that allows users to drill down and review expenditures from more than 17 major agencies. One of our great advantages is that our parent company, NIC, operates similar portals on behalf of 23 states including Rhode Island. There is a great amount of sharing between the states and that has been tremendously beneficial in ensuring that we keep up with the pace of technology.
- Is there anything else that you'd like to tell us about RI.gov?
We feel that the core reason RI.gov has been such a success is the strength of the relationship we have with the state. Rhode Island has been an excellent partner for the past ten years. They have encouraged innovation and together we have launched several first-of-their-kind online services. Success in eGovernment is not just about technology – it’s about collective vision, political leadership and the willingness to innovate. The state of Rhode Island has offered us all of the above and RI.gov is a great example of what can be achieved when governments, users and implementers all work together to realize a common goal.