FirstGov Wins Innovations in American Government Award

Posted May 8, 2003

About 1,000 entries were submitted to the 16th annual Innovations in American Government competition, widely considered to be the most prestigious award in public service. On March 12, 2003, fifteen finalists were announced. Next, a selection committee interviewed each finalist. Finally, on May 8, the list of the five winners was revealed. When the votes were tallied, FirstGov.gov was the only federal program to receive an Innovations Award.

FirstGov.gov  is the United States government’s official web portal. It provides easy, one-stop access to federal, state, tribal, and local services and information. As one of the five Innovations Award winners, the FirstGov program will receive $100,000. The funds will be used to extend the site's reach and publicize its availability to a wider audience.

FirstGov is part of USA Services, one of President Bush’s Electronic Government (E-Gov) Initiatives. GSA’s Office of Citizen Services and Communications manages GSA’s citizen-centered activities, including USA Services and FirstGov, in order to provide citizens access to services and information in the format they prefer:
· Internet
· e-mail
· telephone
· fax
· print

The Ford Foundation and Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government launched the Innovations in American Government Awards program in 1986. The program recognizes and promotes excellence and creativity in state, city, town, county, tribal, and territorial governments. In 1995, the program expanded to incorporate innovations in the federal government. The Kennedy School’s Institute for Government Innovation administers the awards program in partnership with the Council for Excellence in Government.

For more information, please read GSA’s press release or contact Eleni Martin.