BETTER GOVERNMENT THROUGH TECHNOLOGY
Technology Times
By Jack Markell
June 2002
Here in Delaware, we are changing the very nature of how we manage technology. We are also reinventing government through effective use of technology.
In her second day in office, Governor Ruth Ann Minner asked me to lead an effort to recommend improvements in the way our state government manages information technology projects. We spend more than $190 million annually on IT, and taxpayers have not gotten the bang for the buck that they deserve.
Our Information Services Task Force interviewed almost 100 people and in just a few months made recommendations that are now being implemented. These recommendations may not seem like much to those of you in the private sector, but by government standards they are a big deal.
The recommendations are as follows:
- Redefine the role of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and hire an executive with the appropriate
skills. As previously structured, the position did not have the required stature. - Establish a Technology Investment Council to evaluate and prioritize statewide IT spending and
projects. There was no clear, consistent methodology to evaluate the merits of IT projects on a
statewide basis, nor was there an appropriate forum for such evaluations. - Create the Department of Technology and Information. It
functions largely as a "general contractor",
whose mission is to assure delivery of technology capabilities, including more extensive management
of relationships with strategic business partners. - Change funding methodologies to allow more fiscal and management efficiencies. Tracking funds
spent on technology projects is currently very difficult. The overall funding process must be simplified. - Develop a new structure for managing and compensating technology employees. The state has many
excellent technology employees. We need to create a better environment to retain them and to attract
new employees.
Many people were cool to the ideas outlined in the Task Force report. The idea of making employees exempt from the civil services rules was particularly controversial.
On the other hand, there was a clamor for change. And as a result, the legislature acted, the new department was formed last July and the new management team, led by former Verizon executive, Thomas Jarrett, is taking shape. They're doing a terrific job.
But we're not interested in technology for its own sake. The real question is how we use technology to transform government.
One year ago, we unveiled the state's new "e-government" portal at www.delaware.gov. We indicated that we are out to reinvent state government.
In this new century, it no longer makes sense to organize government around bureaucratic distinctions that mean little to the average citizen. Instead of running a government that is centered around state agencies, we ought to build a government oriented to the needs of citizens. Hence, the "intentions based" design of our state government, on-line, where citizens find topics and activities that interest them, rather than just a listing of state agencies. Early returns make us optimistic: use of our portal has surged since we unveiled the new capabilities from 4 million hits per month to 10 million.
Our prediction: 10 years from now, Delawareans will look back and not recognize state government as it is organized today. It will be increasingly user-friendly and effective.
Progress toward that objective is made day by day, step by step. Over the last year, on-line services have expanded beyond paying state taxes, locating voter poling places and applying for state jobs to include:
- Notice of environmental releases
- Information about professional license requirements, rules and regulations
- Automatic notification of school closings for snow days
- The state driving manual in both English and Spanish
- Campground reservations
- Real-time travel advisories
So where do we go from here? We are pursuing a three-pronged strategy to improve e-government:
First, we are making investments in the infrastructure of Delaware's technology capabilities. For instance, we are developing an "e-payments" solution to make it cost-effective as possible for various agencies to accept payments electronically.
Second, we will be assessing the real needs of citizens and businesses through focus groups, surveys and the like as we further develop our Web-based capabilities.
Third, we will work closely with state employees to make Web-based functionality an integral part of the way they deliver state services.
As government officials we will be judged in part on our success in making government more effective. We have an incredible opportunity to succeed.
