Firstgov, General Services Administration

In the midst of the crisis, six staffers working from various locations were able to pull together vital information from all levels of government. They immediately posted data on the site ranging from hospital phone numbers to links to key Web sites, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency's site.

Americans, desperate for accurate information, noticed. FirstGov averages 1 million visitors a month. In the month after the attacks, the number peaked at 7 million. "We felt there was a need to point people to the right resources," says Deborah Diaz, the General Services Administration's deputy associate administrator for the Office of FirstGov. "We also let people know about services they may not have known to ask for, such as information about student loan relief and survivors benefits."

The FirstGov team has focused on giving citizens easy access to information about all levels of government from one location. And the site is evolving. Soon, it will add more information about services available to such groups as seniors and students.

In this category, the judges also praised GSA's Computers for Learning Program, which transfers excess federal computers to classrooms across the nation.