Provided by Prince William County Office of Communications
Prince William County received second place in the 2022 annual Digital Counties Survey sponsored by the Center for Digital Government (CDG) and the National Association of Counties (NACo) in the 250,000-499,999 population category. The survey identifies the best technology practices among U.S. counties, including initiatives that streamline delivery of government services; encourage collaboration; enhance cybersecurity; and apply innovative and emerging technologies to county priorities. Last year, the County received third place.
“Prince William County’s recognition two years in a row as a top 10 digital county is an honor and is evidence of the commitment and investment the county has made in technology to better serve all our residents, businesses and workforce,” said Ann Wheeler, chair of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors.
The County earned its promotion from third to second place this year by demonstrating a continued commitment to improving government through technology. Key initiatives that were cited as contributing to the recognition included:
- A new, automated agency budget request system using the ServiceNow platform that improves decision-making and speeds approvals, including requests for $90 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding.
- Measurable progress on the County’s Technology Inclusion Initiative, including detailed canvassing of areas unserved or underserved by broadband that will be used to prioritize and eliminate gaps; expanded broadband service through public/private partnerships; and a successful pilot project offering free technology classes.
“Our IT Department’s continued focus on improving government operations, efficiencies and services through modern and innovative technologies, programs and solutions makes a difference every day to our residents, businesses, visitors, and employees,” said Acting County Executive Elijah Johnson.
The Department of Information Technology’s continued focus on IT transformation also contributed to the recognition. Key initiatives included: expanding broadband capabilities; extending fiber connectivity between the County’s data centers and colocation facilities; increasing capacity of fiber lines without having to add more fiber; cybersecurity enhancements; and a series of new application and platform initiatives, enhanced IT governance, process improvement, policy development and strong IT acquisition practices.
“I admire all of my colleagues in the IT Department for their commitment to excellence and transformation as they strive daily to deliver positive outcomes to our community,” said Rob Mancini, CIO and director of Information Technology. “The County’s leadership team, together with the Board of County Supervisors, actively support, inspire and encourage innovation. This enables our team to continually focus on excellence, efficiency and value for the residents, businesses, visitors and workforce of Prince William County.”
In its 20th year, the Annual Digital Counties Survey Awards recognize the top 10 counties in each population size category. Eleven counties in the Commonwealth of Virginia received awards this year, placing Prince William in good company and ranking Virginia among the top states in the nation for IT innovation. Learn more about Prince William County’s recognition and this year’s winners.
