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We are delighted to announce the winners of the 2021 Digital Government Awards. This awards program is one of the ways we celebrate our country's public servants whose impactful work is so often overlooked.
Even during the unprecedented circumstances presented by the pandemic, these civic heroes have found innovative ways to increase awareness of programs, improve outdated processes, and inspire civic action.
Government Deserves Recognition!
Nominate Now
Tech Trailblazer Award
For an organization charging forward with digital transformation.
The Tech Trailblazer Award is the highest honor for leaders in public sector digital transformation. Digital transformation describes a profound change in government activities, processes, and/or competencies through transitioning from outdated tech or in-person interaction to modern digital technologies.
A snapshot of work before digital improvements were made.
What to Highlight
What inefficiencies the digital improvements solved.
What is interesting, important, or inventive about the improvements.
How digital improvements directly impacted the organization’s mission & citizens.
Innovator of the Year Award
For individuals who extend our definition of what’s possible.
This Innovator of the Year Award, the only digital government award for an individual, recognizes an enthusiastic government leader who delivers results by solving problems in unique ways.
What challenges or barriers the nominee faced (for example, lack of budget/skills, aversion to risk).
How the nominee solved those challenges by thinking differently or doing the unexpected.
The results of their efforts and how they will impact future work.
What to Highlight
Website of the Year
For organizations that enhanced their website to meet the needs of modern citizens.
This award goes to organizations that used a data-driven approach to strengthen the relationship between government and citizens through a modern mobile-friendly website.
Provide an overview, backed by website data, explaining citizen needs.
Tell us how your new website was designed to meet those needs.
Examples may include enhancements for mobile device users, better accessibility, improved website navigation, elimination of office visits.
What to Highlight
Include the positive metrics that resulted from the enhancements.
Digital Government Experience Award
For organizations that improved the end-to-end government experience for their residents, including information, online services, and ease of experience.
This award recognizes organizations that improved public service to enhance the citizen experience. For example, an organization may have shifted key services online, provided greater transparency into requests and their status, and/or adopted a new and innovative approach to communicating services to their residents.
Which new or enhanced digital services were launched.
How citizens are interacting with these services.
Any promotion methods used to drive adoption of the digital services.
How the outcomes are helping you meet high-level objectives.
What to Highlight
Digital Efficiency Award
For organizations saving money, time, the planet — or all the above.
This award is for organizations serving as models in government efficiency. Whether you’ve found ways to reduce paper use or to streamline labor-intensive processes, you're using technology to help government run better, faster, and leaner.
Background on the previous, less-efficient process or method.
What improvements were implemented.
How the improvements have transformed efficiency.
Specific metrics (reduced paper use, staff hours saved, etc.)
What to Highlight
The Difference Maker Award
For organizations using digital methods to impact the lives of citizens.
Whether saving lives or feeding the hungry or any other mission where success is crucial, this award recognizes creative organizations improving digital engagement and impacting citizens through a unique campaign purpose, effective content, and exceptional methods.
Provide an overview of the campaign, content, & outreach methods.
Share why this effort stands apart from the status quo.
Include specific outcomes or metrics of how citizens were impacted.
What to Highlight
Nominate Now
govDelivery is not only easy to get started with (in fact, it comes with professionally designed templates for your specific organization), but it can grow with you as your communications become more sophisticated. govDelivery is commonly used by multiple departments in the same community to engage citizens on a variety of important topics.
Communications that's easy and scalable.
Winners Announced!
Nominations are now closed.
STR Compliance Award
For organizations that are making the short-term rental market work for everyone.
This award is for organizations that have addressed the sharing economy in innovative and creative ways for their communities. Whether it’s ensuring responsible short-term rental hosting, efficient collection of tax and permit fees, or everything in between, you've helped make sure your residents are receiving the maximum benefits of this growing industry.
Background on short-term rental regulation or compliance efforts in your region.
The improvements you implemented, and the goals of those improvements
How the improvements benefited your community.
Specific metrics (compliance rate before and after, additional tax collected, staff hours saved, etc.).
What to Highlight
Best Short Term Rental Program Results
For organizations that are making the short-term rental market work for everyone.
This award is for organizations that have addressed the sharing economy in innovative and creative ways for their communities. Whether it’s ensuring responsible short-term rental hosting, efficient collection of tax and permit fees, or everything in between, you've helped make sure your residents are receiving the maximum benefits of this growing industry.
Background on short-term rental regulation or compliance efforts in your region.
The improvements you implemented, and the goals of those improvements.
How the improvements benefited your community.
What to Highlight
Communications Resilience Award
For federal organizations that best adapted their communications strategies to focus on digital.
The Communications Resilience Award recognizes federal professionals who made the shift to digital communications and virtual operations during the earliest days of the pandemic. Achievements include applying existing technologies to minimize gaps in service, adopting new tools such as video conferencing and digital agenda distribution, and displaying unwavering dedication to the public in the face of extraordinary circumstances.
Creative uses of existing tools.
New technologies you implemented, and their impact.
Which innovations you plan to continue using once in-person activities resume, and why.
Attach up to three resources (images or video) to bring your story to life.
What to Highlight
Most Impressive Subscriber Growth
For federal organizations that experienced a significant increase in digital communication subscribers
Reliable and trustworthy communications from federal offices have never been more critical. Eligible nominees should be able to demonstrate considerable growth in the number of subscribers opting into a particular type of communications, such as SMS or email; an increase in the number of subscribers who indicate an interest in specific topics; or significant growth in the overall number of subscribers across all topics and channels.
Statistics showing growth percentages over the past calendar year.
The most popular topics or channels (email, SMS, etc.) among your subscribers.
Positive feedback you received from subscribers.
Interesting trends you observed as subscriptions increased.
What to Highlight
Positive outcomes and/or any unexpected results.
Digital Communications Innovator of the Year
For federal organizations that introduced innovative communication solutions to keep citizens (and staff) safe and informed.
Communication tools have changed rapidly over the last year, but the need for effective methods of communicating with constituents and staff members remains constant, especially when it comes to critical information such as public health updates and crisis comms. Achievements in this category include developing and implementing creative solutions that prioritize public safety while ensuring that critical messages are still received, as well as using existing tools in new ways to minimize gaps in information or service.
Innovative ideas that helped you distribute messages to citizens through digital channels.
Outreach activities you implemented to ensure coverage and access among underserved populations.
Positive results or feedback you received as a result of these activities.
Tools and technologies you will continue using as normal in-person operations resume, and why.
What to Highlight
Specific metrics (compliance rate before and after, additional tax collected, staff hours saved, etc.).
Communications Resilience Award
For federal organizations that best adapted their communications strategies to focus on digital.
The Communications Resilience Award recognizes federal professionals who made the shift to digital communications and virtual operations during the earliest days of the pandemic. Achievements include applying existing technologies to minimize gaps in service, adopting new tools such as video conferencing and digital agenda distribution, and displaying unwavering dedication to the public in the face of extraordinary circumstances.
Creative uses of existing tools.
New technologies you implemented, and their impact.
Citizen engagement metrics and/or improved efficiency.
Which innovations you plan to continue using once in-person activities resume, and why.
What to Highlight
Attach up to three resources (images or video) to bring your story to life.
Most Impressive Subscriber Growth
For federal organizations that experienced a significant increase in digital communication subscribers.
Reliable and trustworthy communications from federal offices have never been more critical. Eligible nominees should be able to demonstrate considerable growth in the number of subscribers opting into a particular type of communications, such as SMS or email; an increase in the number of subscribers who indicate an interest in specific topics; or significant growth in the overall number of subscribers across all topics and channels.
Statistics showing growth percentages over the past calendar year.
The most popular topics or channels (email, SMS, etc.) among your subscribers.
Positive feedback you received from subscribers.
Interesting trends you observed as subscriptions increased.
Positive outcomes and/or any unexpected results.
What to Highlight
Digital Communications Innovator of the Year
For federal organizations that introduced innovative communication solutions to keep citizens (and staff) safe and informed
Communication tools have changed rapidly over the last year, but the need for effective methods of communicating with constituents and staff members remains constant, especially when it comes to critical information such as public health updates and crisis comms. Achievements in this category include developing and implementing creative solutions that prioritize public safety while ensuring that critical messages are still received, as well as using existing tools in new ways to minimize gaps in information or service.
Innovative ideas that helped you distribute messages to citizens through digital channels.
Outreach activities you implemented to ensure coverage and access among underserved populations.
Positive results or feedback you received as a result of these activities.
Tools and technologies you will continue using as normal in-person operations resume, and why.
What to Highlight
Nominate Now
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Nominations close on March 26th.
Winners
Tech Trailblazer Award
For an organization charging forward with digital transformation.
City of Hollywood, Florida
Winner
(in honor of Dean Decker)
Innovator of the Year Award
For individuals who extend our definition of what’s possible.
Winner
Kevin Goodwin
(City of San Antonio, Texas)
Winners Announced!
Website of the Year Award
For organizations that enhanced their website to meet the needs of modern citizens.
Winners
City of Raleigh, North Carolina and Aten Design Group
Virginia DEQ
Winners
STR Compliance Award
For organizations that are making the short-term rental market work for everyone.
Piper Jones
Winners
Maureen Stuhlman
Tori Waters
Nashville and Davidson County
City of Nashville
Bob Osborn
South Lake Tahoe
Walton County, Florida
City of Sugar Land, Texas
Digital Efficiency Award
For organizations saving money, time, the planet — or all the above.
Winner
City of Lynnwood, Washington
Silicon Valley Clean Energy
Winner
Winner
Arizona DEQ
Winner
Winner
State of Hawaii Deptartment of Transportation
Digital Government Experience Award
For organizations that improved the end-to-end government experience for their residents, including information, online services, and ease of experience.
Winner
Oakland County, Michigan
Pandemic Response Award
For organizations that demonstrated nimbleness and agility in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Winner
Arizona DEQ
Superior Civic Engagement Award
For organizations that demonstrated an unwavering commitment to inspiring and facilitating civic engagement, often in the face of extreme challenges.
Federal Award Winners
Communications Resilience Award
Federal organizations that best adapted their communications strategies to focus on digital.
Winners
Whitney Spivey & Brenda Fleming
LANL National Security Science Magazine
Veterans Affairs My HealtheVet
Winner
Chip Harman
Most Impressive Subscriber Growth Award
Federal organizations that experienced a significant increase in digital communicatons subscribers.
Veterans Health Administration Office of Health Equity
Winner
Shannon Jordan
Innovator of the Year Award
Federal organizations that introduced innovative comms solutions to keep citizens (and staff) safe and informed.
