Government Technology
Government Technology: State & Local Government News Articles

Strategic Planning and Project Management are Focus for California CIO



Print
Comment
Takai from Video

May 27, 2008, By Steve Towns

Business as usual is coming to an end in California -- both for state agencies and technology vendors.

That was the message from state CIO Teri Takai, who signaled her intention to bring a more strategic and unified approach to state government IT at GTC's Conference on California's Future earlier this month.

"The legislation that created my office includes the authority to set statewide standards and policies for IT, and we will be exercising that authority," she told an audience of technology industry executives on May 15.

Takai became California's first Cabinet-level CIO in January, after spending five years as CIO of Michigan.

Beginning this year, Takai will require all California Cabinet agencies to submit plans outlining their technology projects and investments for the next five years. These plans should tie agency business objectives to IT investments, she said. The plans also will play a major role in the project approval process.

For technology vendors, the changes will mean much better direction from the state on IT projects and purchases, Takai said. On the other hand, the new approach also will reduce the amount of selling done to individual agencies and boost the use of enterprise agreements.

In addition, Takai said she will focus on strengthening project management and improving communication with state lawmakers.

Although the state's size makes IT projects difficult to deliver, California has a better technology track record than it gets credit for, said Takai, pointing to more than 90 successful IT projects over the past four years. But these successes haven't been well publicized, she added, creating the perception that state technology projects are destined to fail.

"In Sacramento, there's a pall over IT. Many state legislators see IT as a problem, and that perception has to change," Takai said. "We need to promote the good things we're doing. It's absolutely important. We have to get the message out that technology is not something to be scared of."

One by-product of California's risk-averse climate is multiple layers of project oversight intended to prevent failures. But the state's current fixation on reporting and third-party monitoring -- known as independent verification and validation -- is counter-productive, she said.

Instead, the state needs to manage risk more effectively. "We need to focus on risk mitigation, not risk elimination," Takai said. Project managers must learn spot problems early and in some cases, pull the plug on troubled projects quickly -- a strategy Takai called "fail fast and fail small."

"We need to increase the skills of state employees," she said. "And we need state IT staff to own projects instead of vendors."

AL

If You Liked This Article, You May Also Like...

  Watch Video: GTC Report: California''s Future Pt 2
Interviews with Teri Takai, and Vint Cerf speak about the future - from a few months to 27 years from now.

  Watch Video: GTC Report: California''s Future Pt 1
The 2008 Conference showcases ideas and technologies for solving the challenges and strengthening the future of the Golden State.


Latest Government Technology News


Industry Solutions for Government

Read real world deployments of technology in government from our sponsors.

View All Industry Solutions

Related Products and Services

Marketplace



This section
brought to you by:


Mobile Communications Survey Executive Summary

More than 200 responses were captured to help gauge the effectiveness and types of communications and situational awareness capabilities currently deployed for emergency response. View the Executive Summary Now!

Dispatch Operations and Interoperability

A New Era in Public Safety BlackBerry® smartphones running on Sprint networks deliver a wide range of applications that are transforming public safety operations.


Hurricane Preparedness Tips When a hurricane hits, are you prepared to keep in touch?


Case Study - Morris County, New Jersey The Morris County Communications Center upgraded to a new trunked radio system with the benefits of a cellular network, extending coverage beyond county lines


Case Study - Iredell County, North Carolina Spanning over 570 sq miles, it became imperative that the Iredell County Emergency Communications, Operations and Management extend it's communications systems to enhance reliability, security, and coverage.


Case Study - City of Anaheim, California The City of Anaheim saw an opportunity to leverage existing GST and partner with nearby cities to enhance safety operations through data interoperability.


Case Study - Charlottesville, Virginia Fire Department Taking advantage of a range of interoperability solution, the Charlottesville Fire Department has achieved a network that can serve as backup to their existing public safety network.


Sprint ERT Go-Kit with GST Optima Rapid, interoperable communications for emergencies, drills and field exercises.


Optimal Interoperability Until recently it was not possible to cost effectively connect commercial networks to LMR systems. Improvements in communications technology have resulted in greatly enhanced operational capability and have reduced the log-term cost of communications system ownership.


Multi-agency interoperability for Public Safety Establishing cross-agency, real-time situational awareness is critical to effective incident management as well as daily resource management.


Video


DHS Grant Links

DHS Grants and Assistance Programs Link to overview of available grants administered by The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)


Fact Sheet: Fiscal Year 2008 Preparedness Grants Major changes in funding and focus for 2008 DHS grant programs


Remarks on 2008 Homeland Security Grant Guidance DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff and FEMA Administrator David Paulison


$1.8 billion in DHS Homeland Security Grant Program Awards


Funding Public Safety Communications Whether you are a law enforcement agency, looking for funding to support an interoperable communications solution or a school, seeking to improve communications between building administrators, grants may provide the funding you need to implement a robust, scalable communication system.


Yes! I would like more information about Sprint's dispatch operations and interoperability solutions.