During the closing session of the 2009 National Governors Association (NGA) Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C., Esri received a Public-Private Partnership Award for its work with the State of Maryland Office of the Governor. Governor Martin O'Malley nominated Esri for its role in developing the innovative, GIS-based performance measurement applications MD iMap and GreenPrint, which he spearheaded.

From left, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, Esri President Jack Dangermond, and NGA Chair and Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell.

"MD iMap and GreenPrint were possible because of our partnership with Esri," says Governor O'Malley. "These tools have the potential to revolutionize the way citizens learn about government operations and how state and local governments share information. They encourage fact-based decision making and result-oriented policy development in addition to transparency in government. I hope other states will create similar initiatives based on these examples."

MD iMap (mdimap.com/imap) is a Web portal that provides an authoritative basemap of Maryland and allows government and citizens to assess information about state, local, and municipal performance. GreenPrint is a planning tool designed to help government staff, conservation organizations, and individual citizens make good decisions about land conservation and growth. GreenPrint is accessible via MD iMap.

Both MD iMap and GreenPrint build upon other GIS-based accountability programs O'Malley has started in the state, including StateStat and BayStat. Those initiatives allow government staff and citizens to evaluate the effectiveness of state government projects and assess Chesapeake Bay restoration projects. All these applications are based on the pioneering concepts of CitiStat, which O'Malley established when he was mayor of Baltimore, Maryland.

"We are honored to receive this award for our work with the governor's office in Maryland," says Esri president Jack Dangermond. "For the first time, a state has developed an online reporting system that uses geography and statistics to show citizens and government stakeholders hard data about government goals, activities, and progress. It was a privilege to work closely with Governor O'Malley and his staff on these groundbreaking accountability tools."

The Public-Private Partnership Awards recognize NGA Corporate Fellow companies for noteworthy partnerships with governors and states. The awards honor companies that have partnered with governors' offices to implement programs or projects that positively affect the citizens of those states.

More Information

For more information, contact Emily Vines, Esri (e-mail: evines@esri.com).

See also Maryland Improves Government Transparency, Accountability with GIS.