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Albany, NY - The Center for Technology in Government (CTG) today launched The Insider's Guide to Using Information in Government, a web-based resource designed to help government professionals improve the way they use information.

Every day people inside government use information to develop policies, make decisions, evaluate programs and deliver services. Electronic government initiatives are rocketing these processes into the digital age.

The Gartner Group predicts that spending on e-government initiatives by all levels of government will grow from $1.5 billion in 2000 to $6.2 billion in 2005. This prediction represents more than a capital investment of taxpayer dollars, it also represents countless projects that must tackle difficult information use challenges.

The Insider's Guide lays out a framework that can help government professionals overcome these challenges. It draws from the experiences of real agencies doing serious work to provide practical advice about using information in government. It covers six related topics (strategy, policy, data, cost, skills, and technology) and illustrates them with eight case studies plus links to many additional resources.

"This material came from our work with people in government who faced and solved problems using information," said Sharon Dawes, CTG Director. "Together we explored the many factors that shape government's ability to get full value out of the information it collects, creates, and maintains."

The Guide has already produced highly favorable remarks from New York State government professionals. "No matter how many 'authoritative guides' you stack up, the true selling point is in the real life success stories. And this site makes it easy to pull the wide variety of sources together," said Greg Smith of the NYS Office of the State Comptroller.

The Insider's Guide to Using Information in Government is the latest in a list of practical resources and reports produced by CTG, including:

• Making Smart IT Choices: A Handbook
• And Justice for All: Designing Your Business Case for Integrating Justice Information
• Tying a Sensible Knot: A Practical Guide to State-Local Information Systems
• Developing & Delivering Government Services on the World Wide Web

The mission of the Center for Technology in Government at the University at Albany is to foster public sector innovation, enhance capability, generate public value, and support good governance. We carry out this mission through applied research, knowledge sharing, and collaboration at the intersection of policy, management, and technology.