Getting the most from technology spending.

• Author: Kinney, Anne Spray
• Position: Editorial

As the economic downturn makes it increasingly difficult to find money for projects, it becomes even more important for governments to get the most out of their technology spending. In many cases, technology can be the key to gains in operational efficiency In this issue of Government Finance Review, we focus on ways in which technology can help jurisdictions improve performance and save money.

The key to getting the maximum value from technology investments is information technology (IT) governance, as Shayne Kavanagh and David Melbye explain in Picking Winners: Shrewd Investing in IT Assets through IT Governance. Effective IT governance allows organizations to recognize the IT projects that hold the greatest potential value and fund them accordingly.

In Low-Cost Tech Solutions for Small (and Larger) Governments, Louis J. Boglioli III provides a wealth of tips for keeping expenses down and getting the most out of the technology the organization already has.

Geographic information system (GIS) technology has become a standard business tool for many governments, supporting a huge variety of applications and services. In GIS as an Enterprise Municipal System, Greg Babinski provides an overview of GIS to help finance officers think about ways in which this technology might fit...