Technological Change in the Public Sector, 2000-2002 - ARCHIVED

For 2002, the rate of technology adoption in the public sector stood at close to double that of the private sector: 82% versus 42%. Quite obviously, not all turn-of-the-century technological change within the public sector was directly linked to the Year 2000 phenomena. Rather, public sector organizations appear to refresh their technologies on a continual basis. It also appears that the public sector remains committed to supporting the acquisition of significantly improved technologies through training.

This paper is based on information from the 2002 Survey of Electronic Commerce and Technology (SECT) and concentrates on the acquisition of significantly improved technologies in the public sector. To provide context, comparisons are made with the private sector, with special attention given to employment size groups. The paper outlines the methods employed to acquire new technologies. It also provides an overview of three sectors within the public sector: educational services, health care and social services, and public administration.