JEFFERSON CITY, MO - Missouri is one of four states to receive the 2012 Web 2.0 State & Local Government Award by the Public Technology Institute (PTI) for the website, AgriMissouri.com, the Office of Administration announced today. PTI is a national, non-profit research and development organization created by and for city and county governments. Its purpose is to challenge state and local government to achieve high standards in citizen participation, seamless service delivery and wise deployment of technology in governance.
The Web 2.0 State & Local Government Award honors best practices and excellence in the use civic/social media tools for coordinated and interactive communications, increased citizen participation, and improved efficiencies in government service. Used effectively, Web 2.0 and social media tools encourage citizens to take a more active role in state and local government. In addition to the awards, winners have use of a special Web 2.0 designation logo, and will be spotlighted in articles, webinars, conferences, publications and the PTI website as a way to exemplify current trends and best practices in emerging social media technologies as they relate to improved government service and communication.
AgriMissouri.com was a collaborative effort between the Missouri Office of Administration's Information Technology Services Division (ITSD), and the Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA). Launched in March 2011, the MDA had a vision and goal of connecting producers to consumers, and consumers to agriculture by providing Internet marketing tools and resources to agri-businesses that often lack the time, money and resources. ITSD was instrumental in making that vision become a reality by creating the AgriMissouri.com website, which consists of various traditional Web 2.0 services including blogs, Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.
In addition to social media tools, print materials produced by MDA help promote the AgriMissouri website, as do MDA staff who help showcase AgriMissouri products at statewide agriculture events such county fairs and local farmers' markets. The website facilitates citizen participation in state government by connecting producers to consumers and consumers to agriculture; establishing relationships that keep Missouri's economy thriving; and promoting the products and benefits of Missouri agriculture producers to users.
In 2011, AgriMissouri.com supported MDA's popular 10,000 Garden Challenge that encouraged hobby and professional gardeners to join in the effort to get 10,000 gardens growing across the state. The 10,000 Garden Challenge website offers helpful gardening resources, including tips on vegetable planting, calendars, and health and nutrition facts.
In just one year, AgriMissouri.com achieved the following program benefits:
- 600% increase AgriMissouri program membership;
- 400% increase in unique visitors to the website;
- 600% increase in site visits;
- 1,300% increase in page views; and
- Served as a promotional tool for more than 1,500 businesses in the last year, creating value for Missouri farmers and jobs for Missouri.
The combined efforts of OA-ITSD and the Missouri Department of Agriculture, has allowed the state of Missouri to achieve greater service and resource delivery through AgriMissouri.com. By utilizing web technologies versus costly alternatives such as employing media marketing firms and distributing mass mailings, the state has saved Missouri taxpayers money and staff resources.
In addition to the 2012 Web 2.0 State & Local Government Award, the Missouri Department of Agriculture has received an Honorable Mention by the Center for Digital Government for AgriMissouri.com in the Government-to-Business category. The honor is part of the Center for Digital Government's 2012 Digital Government Achievement Awards which uniformly rated the website on efficiency and economy; innovation; functionality; performance expectations; and collaboration in terms of governance, communications and social networks.
The Center for Digital Government is a national research and advisory institute on information technology policies and best practices in state and local government. The organization is a leading resource on information technology in state and local government.
To find out more about Missouri's Information Technology Services Division, visit the website, http://oa.mo.gov/itsd/.
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