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In 1997, the National Electronic Commerce Coordinating Council (eC3) was formed after what ended up being its first annual conference, held in San Antonio, to facilitate cooperation between states and the private sector as government moved toward electronic commerce. Founding Board members were the National Association of State Comptrollers (NASC), the National Association of State Procurement Officers, and the National Association of State Information Resource Executives (a group representing state chief information officers – now known as NASCIO). This conference was catalyzed by the success of the 1996 organization of several states, spearheaded by the then Comptroller and CIO of Massachusetts and CIO of Texas, to establish cross-jurisdictional standards for the use of public key cryptography for digital signatures and secure electronic governmental transactions. A cooperative multi-state RFP resulted in the formation by the National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA) of the CARAT Task Force (Certification Authority Ratings and Trust Task Force) to establish rules and standards for the use of PKI technology across jurisdictional, organizational and back-end technology boundaries.
The Information Technology Association of America, and NACHA, who are still supporting Board members today, were early NECCC supporters, representing private sector companies looking for ways to provide the best assistance to public sector organizations as they traversed this new frontier. In 1999, NASC’s parent organization; the National Association of State Comptrollers, Auditors and Treasurers took over their role and the first Board Chair was elected. Associations who contributed to eC3’s success have changed over the years to reflect the landscape and imperative of cross-boundary government and the issues of the day. Specifically, eC3 has moved from an association primarily made up of state associations, to one that seeks to reflect all levels of government and the opportunities for change management in the business of public service. Where technology can play a catalyzing role, eC3 provides value in the depth of IT experience held by the award-winning organizations and leaders who make up the Board of Directors of this unique not-for-profit think tank.
In the summer of 1999, eC3 convened its first symposium, setting out to answer the question: “What should I be doing today to ensure a successful transition to e-commerce.” With the assistance of the Center for Digital Government, this symposium resulted in the much utilized Electronic Commerce: A Blueprint for States. Every year, eC3 convenes at least one symposium, providing industry and government leaders an opportunity to debate hot topics and develop strategies and recommendations to guide practitioners and funders. In 2006 two symposia were held: focusing on transforming “back-office” functions and investigating the role of digital archiving in preserving institutional memory and culture.
In 2000, eC3 published the first set of year-long workgroup offerings in a series of white papers on emerging topics in electronic government designed to identify case studies and best practices to guide legislators and practitioners in maximizing the value of investing resources in technology and change management. Papers that year included Critical business issues in the transformation to eGovernment and Privacy Policies - Are You Prepared? A Guidebook for State and Local Government. This output represented the collaboration of thought leaders in both the public and private sectors in the development of practical tips and lessons learned. Another milestone that year was the significant addition of the National Association of Secretaries of State as a key signatory partner.
For the past nine years, eC3 has held an annual conference to focus on current and future challenges as well as address more efficient ways to undertake day-to-day functions by presenting actual cases and candid discussions on the pros and cons of roads taken. Presenting the results of eC3’s symposia and workgroups, attendees hear nationally recognized speakers and panelists from the transformational government arena including local, state and federal officials, as well as important partners from academia and the private sector. The 2006 Conference will be held in Sacramento, on December 3-6, 2006.
Today, eC3 is a consortium of national organizations and public & private sector leaders identifying best practices for strategic change within government. This diversity of members allows collaboration and partnership among and between all facets of government agencies and their private sector partners and offers a broader perspective of issues that surround each government agency as they continue to improve services to their constituents.
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