IE 11 Not Supported

For optimal browsing, we recommend Chrome, Firefox or Safari browsers.

Center for Technology in Government Director Sharon Dawes, One of Government Technology's 25 'Doers Dreamers and Drivers'

'Staff members here are stellar as individuals and as a team. I take great pride in having recognized their talent, and then watched them build relationships with government, academic and corporate partners.'

Can technology really change the way government works, improve the way it collaborates and shares information, and ultimately make life better for citizens?

One organization that has tried consistently to find answers to that question is the Albany, N.Y.-based Center for Technology in Government (CTG).

Since 1993, when she took over as director at CTG, Sharon Dawes has used partnerships, research and technology to build the knowledge that federal, state and local governments need to increase productivity, reduce costs, enhance quality and deliver better services.

The results have been both consistent and impressive:

  • 25 partnership projects with 57 government agencies, 42 corporate organizations and 14 academic institutions
  • 60 publications
  • 12 prototypes developed
  • 16 research grants and contracts worth more than $5.5 million
  • Numerous honors, including the Ford Foundation Innovations in American Government award.

    The specifics from just a few projects run under Dawes' leadership are equally impressive. The CTG, in partnership with the National Science Foundation, helped New York's Department of Motor Vehicles streamline how it issues vehicle titles by 70 days, saving the agency $3 million. It showed how the Adirondack Park Agency could cut customer waiting time by 99 percent. Most recently, CTG built a prototype that would allow local governments to sign on once to access multiple state databases and information systems -- no simple feat.

    It's the kind of project that has made the center a pioneer in digital government research.

    Having begun her career in government, working for one of the biggest state agencies in the country -- the New York State Department of Social Services -- Dawes understands the challenges and opportunities for public agencies and the overall government enterprise. She expanded her knowledge and leadership in the field while executive director of the New York State Forum for Information Resource Management and as an executive fellow at the Rockefeller Institute of Government.

    The secret behind CTG's success and what Dawes is most proud of is the center's "Smart IT" methodology that focuses on the earliest stages of IT initiatives -- defining the real problem, engaging stakeholders, understanding processes, considering alternatives and selecting key strategies before making commitments.

    The methodology works because of the center's dedicated team of researchers, according to Dawes.

    "Staff members here are stellar as individuals and as a team," she said. "I take great pride in having recognized their talent, and then watched them build relationships with government, academic and corporate partners that have made a difference."

    Congratulations to this year's group of "Doers, Dreamers and Drivers," who appear in the March issue of Government Technology magazine.
  • With more than 20 years of experience covering state and local government, Tod previously was the editor of Public CIO, e.Republic’s award-winning publication for information technology executives in the public sector. He is now a senior editor for Government Technology and a columnist at Governing magazine.