Top 5 e-gov sites revealed

The Brookings Institution has ranked the top federal Web sites, with USA.gov coming out on top. Brookings ranked 61 government sites based on their effectiveness at using interactive features to engage the public and provide services.The top five:The bottom slot on the list included the Web sites of various federal courts, the Office of Management and Budget and the Federal Election Commission. The e-government initiative has been one of the most successful elements of the President’s Management Agenda according to some analysts, although agencies have also developed sites on their own outside of the program.But it hasn’t had as much success as it might yet, said Larry Allen, president of the Coalition on Government Procurement. “E-government expansion has been somewhat limited due to security concerns and the war on terror,” he said. “There are new tools, but there has not been the cross-government integration that I think many would have hoped for.”Brookings researchers used a formula to assign points from 1 to 100 based on sites’ content, accessibility, privacy policies and the number of transactions that can be performed online.USA.gov received 92 points, the same score it achieved in the 2007 survey when it claimed the top slot.The sites were evaluated for features that included online publications, online databases, audio and video clips, foreign language material or translations, advertisements, premium fees, user payments or fees, disability access, and privacy and security policies.Brookings also reviewed 1,476 state government Web sites and ranked each of the 50 states. Researchers said the five states that made the best use of e-government services were Delaware, Georgia, Florida, California and Massachusetts. New Mexico came in 49th, and Mississippi was ranked last.