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Michigan Using Technology to Make Government Accessible and Transparent
March 14, 2018
March 14, 2018
Making government more accessible and transparent has been a top priority for Gov. Rick Snyder since assuming office in 2011. Taking advantage of continued advancements in technology, the state of Michigan has made government more open and accessible for residents and businesses through online resources and databases at Michigan.gov.
“Michigan is leading the nation in government transparency,” said DTMB Director and State CIO Dave DeVries. “We’ve taken great strides in providing online access to information to our businesses and residents, and there is more to come. As technology advances, and security improvements come with it, Michigan will continue to provide innovative new ways to share useful and important data.”
The official state website, Michigan.gov, features numerous transparency portals on its homepage, allowing users to track spending, view progress on large projects and assess accountability measures. The site also features an open data portal that allows researchers to create their own views for analysis and display and offers mobile app creators the resources to incorporate government information in their products.
At any time, visitors to Michigan.gov can verify a license for childcare workers, corporations, telecommunication providers and more. The Michigan State Police’s Sex Offender Registry provides up-to-date information on registered sex offenders in the state and the Department of Corrections allows searches of any offender who is, or was, in a Michigan prison, on parole or probation under the supervision of the department. These are just a few examples of the hundreds of online services that put data at users’ fingertips.
The most recent Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) ranking of government transparency graded Michigan an A+ in providing online access to government spending data. In their report, PIRG stated, “The state makes it easier for researchers, citizen watchdogs and reporters to analyze the spending data and track spending patterns.”
Recently, the state created user-friendly mobile apps such as MiEconomy and MiFuture. These allow users to hold state government accountable for results, and they show what state government is doing to improve lives in the areas of economic growth, health, education, infrastructure and government operations.
To view more information about Michigan’s transparency efforts visit michigan.gov.