NASCIO Awards

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

2006 Awards: Digital Government: Government to Citizen (G to C)

RECIPIENTS:
Arizona
Arizona 2-1-1 Online

Listen to the Arizona 2-1-1 Online project team share success stories and lessons learned during their Recognition Awards Best Practices webinar. Click here to access the archive.

In response to Governor Janet Napolitano's call to improve access to vital services, the state of Arizona, working with local government, non-profit and private organizations, has developed Arizona 2-1-1 Online (www.az211.gov) and a 2-1-1 Call Center for use during significant community emergencies.

Arizona 2-1-1 Online is the state of Arizona's comprehensive, statewide source for health, human service and emergency response resources. This innovative system is the first of its kind to effectively link information about local emergencies with public and private health and human services online. Arizona 2-1-1 was developed in partnership with several state agencies, local governments and many community partners including the United Way, Salvation Army, and Red Cross. “Governor Napolitano's unique vision to consolidate government and nonprofit health, human service and emergency information into one source culminated in the creation of the Arizona 2-1-1 initiative. People are turning to Arizona 2-1-1 Online for important updates regarding wildland fires and other natural disasters. 2-1-1 also connects Arizonans daily to thousands of health, human service, and emergency preparedness resources.”
Chris Cummiskey, Chief Information Officer, State of Arizona

Arizona's Chief Information Officer, Chris Cummiskey, has taken a key leadership role in the development of Arizona 2-1-1. He serves as the chair of the Governor's Council on 2-1-1 and the 2-1-1 Community Advisory Committee. His office has provided extensive strategic planning and communication leadership for this important initiative, coordinating personnel from dozens of different agencies and programs and working in partnership with a myriad of organizations throughout Arizona in the health/human service and emergency response communities.

The 2-1-1 database has comprehensive listings from state, local, federal and tribal governments, non-profit, faith-based and where appropriate, for-profit providers. The 2-1-1 database includes detailed eligibility requirements, contact information, links to web sites and maps for over 18,000 services in Arizona from over 3,000 providers, including childcare, health care, senior services, counseling, and thousands of other services.

The Emergency Bulletin System of Arizona 2-1-1 Online provides a one-stop shop for information about public emergencies from federal, state, local, tribal and nonprofit emergency response organizations coordinated by the Arizona Division of Emergency Management. In addition, the site provides preparedness information to help individuals, communities, schools and businesses prepare for any emergency. When the State Emergency Operation Center is activated for a major emergency, newsflashes are posted on 2-1-1 and the public can also dial 2-1-1 to connect with a live operator to access the information in the Arizona 2-1-1 Emergency Bulletin System.

New York
e-TAP: New York State’s Comprehensive Online Student Financial Aid Gateway

Listen to the e-TAP project team share success stories and lessons learned during their Recognition Awards Best Practices webinar. Click here to access the archive.

New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) was established in 1974 to provide centralized processing of student financial aid programs. HESC administers the state's Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), as well as the Federal Family Education Loan Program. TAP has earned an enviable record as the most generous scholarship program in the country by giving more than $14 billion to 4 million college students over the last three decades. For the 2006-2007 academic year, TAP will provide approximately $900 million to 400,000 students.

In 2002-2003, HESC launched the first phase of its e-TAP solution. TAP on the Web is an innovative online alternative to paper application processing. It is an interactive, web-based application for students who have completed their federal Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Data from the FAFSA is used to pre-fill the online state TAP application. The student is guided through a series of web pages where they verify the FAFSA data and enter additional New York State specific information. The result has been a simplified application process for students as well as a 98.5 percent error-free rate for online applications. "New York is honored to be recognized by NASCIO and proud of Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) for pioneering this technological collaboration of federal and state resources to fulfill its mission of helping people pay for college. This seamless electronic link between the federal application for student financial aid and the state's Tuition Assistance Program—the first in the nation—is one example of the close cooperation that exists among New York State and federal agencies. I am proud that New York is a leader in helping students and families pay for college. This unique program developed by HESC makes it easier for families to apply for aid, and we will continue to work hard to maintain our stature as a national leader in the financial aid industry."
George Pataki, Governor, State of New York

In 2004-2005, HESC introduced the next phase of the e-TAP solution, HescPIN. HescPIN is an authentication system that allows students to create a User ID and PIN that can be used to sign the online TAP application. HescPIN allows HESC to give students additional time and opportunity to apply for TAP online. Once acquired, a HescPIN User ID and PIN can be used in applying for TAP in future years.

In 2005-2006, HESC unveiled the latest phase of the e-TAP solution, the online Student Change Form. The online Student Change Form allows students to quickly and easily change application data or report missing data. Changes which would create application errors are not allowed. Comprehensive instructions for students explain the pages and why a field may not be changed. The benefits: