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Description of Focus Group Sessions and Strategic Statements

Plenary Sessions

  • Session A—Process and Expectations (Tuesday Morning): An opening session to welcome attendees, describe the programs objectives and expectations, discuss some key themes that will guide the sessions, and to review logistics for the tree days.
  • Session M—Enterprise IT, Governance, Cooperation (Thursday Morning): See discussion under Strategic Statement #4 below.
  • Session N—Business Needs and IT Management Practices (Thursday Afternoon): See discussion under Strategic Statement #5 below.
  • Session O—Closing Session (Thursday afternoon): A re-cap of the topics covered in the sessions, a review of key observations, and a discussion of what happens next.

Strategic Statements Aligned with Focus Group Sessions

Session A—Process and Expectations (Tuesday Morning)

An opening session to welcome attendees, describe the programs objectives and expectations, discuss some key themes that will guide the sessions, and to review logistics for the tree days.

Session B—IT Staffing: recruitment, training, retention, and sourcing

Statement: The State will have an IT workforce with the skills to develop, manage, operate and maintain the State's IT resources.

People are key to the successful implementation of the State's IT Strategy. Attracting and retaining new talent present ongoing challenges for industry and government. Adding to this challenge is the fast-approaching retirement of the "baby boom" generation. This translates into the loss of critical skills, knowledge and IT leadership. There is and will be a continuing need for IT staff with mainframe skills. Further, there is the major task of retooling skills for new technologies, i.e. the Internet. The State has encountered barriers in attracting IT talent in the marketplace. Technical staff must be trained in new technologies and new methods for system's development and implementation. Moreover, technology training must be provided to the users of technology to achieve desired results from IT investments. State-sponsored training programs like STEPS, the COBOL Coop Program, and the IT Coop recruiting program have helped. Still, more has to be done.

Questions: a) How can the State improve its recruiting practices? b) How can the State retain its best talent? c) How can the State work creatively with Vendors to ensure the enhancement of internal skills and knowledge transfer to state staff? d) Are IT technical and support positions in State government adequate and responsive to needs? e)How can training programs be enhanced? g) Can some enhancement of IT educational programs at colleges, universities, and secondary schools in the state support development of talent and a larger, better trained workforce? What are appropriate areas for outsourcing of services or partnerships with the private sector?

Session C—Access/sharing/integration of data and applications

Statement: In order to improve the State's delivery of services, data sharing among agencies will integrate data and applications to solve human, natural, and economic resource problems.

Human, natural, and economic issues are inextricably linked in every aspect of the government. Data and application integration are difficult in a decentralized IT environment. Integration of data and applications across the organizational boundaries of human, natural, and economic resource agencies is key to resolving problems that cut across those boundaries. Improving access to data, and promoting data sharing eliminates duplication of effort. The ability to ensure the accuracy, validity and consistency of data paramount to the success of this endeavor.

Questions: a) How have past practices in IT development hindered information sharing and what are the benefits for better integration? b) Do the state data centers operate effectively to support information sharing and integration? How can they be improved? c) How can more effective approaches for agency collaboration support better information sharing and system integration? d) Are there Core Enterprise IT Technologies for which integration and common standards should be a key concern? e) what are some current systems or systems in development or planning, for which inter-agency information sharing should be more actively pursued? f) are there any apparent, enterprise databases, supporting multiple agencies, that should be developed and maintained centrally? Is there a role for data warehouses as a means for consolidating and providing access to data? g) How should/does the State engage local and federal government participation in State data integration efforts? h) How does one demonstrate the value of data integration efforts? i) What type of metric(s) should be used to demonstrate efficiencies of data integration?

Session D—IT Security

Statement: The State of Oregon will establish polices and programs designed to ensure the integrity and survivability of information technology resources entrusted to the State by the citizens by protecting them from unauthorized access, modification, destruction, or disclosure and to ensure the physical security of these resources. These policies and programs will be developed in compliance with the ISO/IEC 17799 standard.

The essence of Government to Government (G2G) relationships is exposing internal processes and connecting them to partners' systems and services. However, such openness can become a liability when a single security incident wipes out the efficiencies gained by these collaborative connections. On the other hand, if security controls are too onerous, the end result is often the same: inefficient or crippled information exchange, and customer frustration. Security risk is increased as the number and types of access are increased. We must balance these risks against the need to allow access to information. The state's success in this area will be directly related to deploying enough security to maintain trust, but not impeding legitimate business functions or discouraging use of connectivity with our partners.

Questions: a) Do security software and hardware products alone solve the problem? What else is needed? b ) How can IT and business professionals in Oregon Government work together more effectively and efficiently to address these issues? c) Does a government only network and/or internet make sense? d) In light of the increased terrorist threats how would you assess the increased the risk of cyber attacks or the need for restrictions on open access to public information? e) How should the state prepare itself to deal with more assaults and increased network and Internet security requirements?

Session E—IT Procurement

Statement: The State will have a procurement process, which efficiently acquires IT commodities and services through streamlining requests, solicitation processes, legal reviews, and where appropriate, leveraging agencies' purchasing power.

The State's current procurement methods used to buy IT are obsolete. Rules enacted over time to protect the State from contractual abuses have led to complex procedures that consume time and money, and often result in the procurement of outdated technological solutions. The State's newly adopted legislation, House Bill 3399, proposes to enhance and streamline the IT purchasing process. For example, it: a) considers the value of total cost of ownership, rather than just purchase price in evaluation of vendor offerings; b) allows and encourages vendors to offer innovative and creative solutions to business problems, rather than over-specifying technical requirements; and c) implements strategic partnerships with vendors. The state has a need to review and streamline its procurement oversight and review processes. It is in the State's best interest to craft enabling policies and procedures that recognize the overarching principles expressed in this law. It is important to evaluate, wherever possible, total cost of ownership as a part of cost projections and to have a mechanism to inventory and track IT assets.

Questions: a) How effective have existing IRM policies and guidelines been in supporting effective IT procurement and development (e.g., Statewide IT Policies, IT Standards Directory, IRM Management Guidelines, IRM Planning Instructions, b) How can the IT community effectively provide input into the rulemaking process for the newly enacted procurement reform legislation? c) Does HB 3399 provide a basis for effective improvements in procurement procedures? d) What can be done to improve the legal review processes for contracting and monitoring IT services from the private sector? e) What role and authority should be granted the IRMD and its oversight bodies in directing, approving, overseeing IT procurements and projects? f) What procedures and tools are needed to allow for evaluation of total cost of ownership (TCO) and for tracking of IT assets?

Session F—Government's ability to respond to changes in technology together with increasing citizen expectations.

Statement: The State will respond to changes in technology and citizens' expectations, while maintaining accountability for scarce public resources.

Government must take steps to keep pace with a world operating at Internet speed. Citizens expect 24X7 access to services provided by the private sector. They expect this same level of service from government. Traditional service delivery methods and channels are changing. Government must also change. State government must eliminate the barriers that prevent it from operating in the world as it exists today. It must acquire and implement new technologies before they become obsolete. Our IT governance processes must be adaptable to changing requirements and demands, and decision making around IT must be expedited to take advantage of the opportunities we have today, not two or three years from now. IT portfolios should contain projects measured in weeks/months not years.

Questions: a) What are the key trends that will impact information technology initiatives in the State? b) Should the State be on the leading edge of technological changes? c) How does the State keep pace with the ever changing technological environment?

Session G—Consolidation/Centralization vs. decentralization of IT

Statement: The State will consolidate/centralize IT services where a business and economic justification exists.

Recently, the Legislature directed state agencies to examine ways to consolidate certain IT services, i.e. wide area networks, central imaging services, and consolidation of web resources. This directive was meant to create operating efficiencies and avoid unnecessary duplication of effort. Consolidation or centralization can, in some cases, provide operational efficiencies to state government without a corresponding loss in service. Conversely, there may be legitimate reasons where consolidation or centralization does not make good business sense. In any case, when examining whether consolidation/centralization is prudent, analyses that carefully examine/weigh the true costs and benefits will need to be done.

Questions: a) What are possible areas for service centralization/decentralization?, b) What pluses and minuses have you observed in current and past practices for centralization/decentralization of IT services? c) What must be done to motivate agencies to look for efficiencies through consolidation/centralization? d) How do agencies develop sound business case analyses for decision making? e) How should procurement standards (IT hardware, software) impact central coordination/approval of IT projects?

Session H—Confidentiality and Privacy of information

Statement: The State will prudently address confidentiality, privacy, and security of the public's data and information resources in conformance with legal and state policy requisites.

The issues surrounding data sharing and use are complex. Further, the opinions about how to deal with these issues are often strongly held. Key concerns are the issues of security, privacy, confidentiality, liability, and data ownership. The potential for misuse and abuse of the public's data resource increases as the value of the resource increases. Confidentiality and privacy are not just an IT issue… prudent business practices and processes are key in responsibly addressing these issues.

Questions: a) What databases or systems, currently in operation or development, contain data for which privacy/confidentiality issues are important? b) What specific laws and policies are you aware of that influence restrictions on access to information? c) How does the State assure for a systematic evaluation, and balancing of privacy and confidentiality concerns while it continues to pursue electronic government Initiatives? d) Is there a need for new or revised IT policies to guide response to privacy and confidentiality concerns? Does this include internal procedures for state employees concerning there use and access to confidential data or use of the Internet?, e) What does the State communicate to the public today respecting these issues?

Session I—IT Funding

Statement: Information technology will be funded, whenever possible, from a lifecycle perspective so that expenditures are planned and predictable. Further, funding for multi agency projects will be encouraged throughout the budget and funding process.

Currently, funding and budgeting for projects is focused primarily through system implementation. It is not, traditionally, focused on the entire lifecycle of the investment including user and system's administration training, maintenance and support of the system and ultimately the cost of retiring and disposing of the system.

Further, there is no specific mechanism for funding applications that serve multiple agencies, and facilitate data sharing. Inter-governmental cooperation creates opportunities for shared funding between state and local government. Lacking alternatives, funding trends tend to be, of necessity, short-term. This short-term approach does not address the needs of large, complex projects that may go on for years.

Questions: a) How can state agencies and local governments be encouraged and be given a mechanism to seek joint projects with other agencies when needs overlap? b) What practices need to be put in place to better plan for long-term costs for system development and on-going operation and maintenance? c) What are some ways to fund IT creatively in Oregon? d) How can we create processes that help maximize federal or outside participation in the funding of IT? e) What methods of partial funding by vendors are there? f) What can be done administratively to support more creative and long-term funding mechanisms? g) What requires legislation?

Session J—E-Government (Use of Internet and Intranet Technologies)

Statement: The State will offer information and services through the use of the Internet and Intranet technologies where a business and economic justification exists.

Electronic government both enables and requires rethinking how government is organized from the view of the citizen. It also requires rethinking the functions of government that serve the needs of its citizens. An electronic government system, based on customer demands rather than agency jurisdiction, will lead to a more intuitive and efficient process of government-provided services, where information is collected once and government functions are integrated.

The state has elected to use the cooperative partnering model to manage its e-government program. Under this model the state will leverage existing agency resources and will centralize e-government elements that make appropriate sense to centralize.

Going onto the Web, though, is going to change the public's expectation of what government can do and how quickly it does it. And that, in turn, will inevitably change how government agencies work. Existing business processes, policies, laws and regulations may be inadequate to address new kinds of internal and external relationships that are enabled by e-government.

Questions: a) What is the status and near-term plans for the state's E-government initiative? b) How does the State assure that its E-Government initiatives are citizen-centric? c) Who are the main "customers" and what are the high-priority services that the state should provide over the Internet? d) What business processes need to be re-engineered to allow efficient provisioning of internet based services to citizens? e) What Intranet initiatives should be pursued by the State? f) What technical hurdles influence the E-government direction (e.g., Internet security, access speed, statewide access points, digital signature/verification) g) What E-government elements should be centralized and provided as a utility to the rest of the enterprise, and which items should be managed independently by each agency?

Session K—Technical and IT Methodology Standards

Statement: The State will have a standard desktop environment by July 2007. Where feasible, the development environment, network hardware and software, and centralized computing hardware, software and processes will also be standardized.

The creation of a standard computing environment for the enterprise will reduce costs, improve the availability and performance of applications, allow interoperability, improve the ability to share data, and reduce training of staff who build, support, and use applications. Decisions about IT have been decentralized for decades. Therefore, much diversity of technology exists throughout the enterprise. Creation of a standard environment will not happen overnight. Movement toward a desktop standard is probably feasible within five years. However, standardizing development tools, network management tools, middleware, servers, networking hardware, database engines, and environmental software in computer centers, will need to be phased in beyond this five-year horizon.

Questions: a) What are IT standards and how do they impact system development and use? b) What types of IT standards should be established for all state agencies? c) Are the current IT Standards and Statewide IT Policies helpful? d) Should the state prescriptively adopt and mandate standards or be more reflective of those products, tool sets and methodologies in use? e) What procedures should be put in place for standards development and adoption? Does the current IT governance structure support standards development? f) How should agencies be held accountable for compliance? g) Should the State set specific timelines for standards compliance? h) How should the state pursue the creation and adoption of a common Enterprise IT architecture? i) What IT methodologies and practices should be adopted (application design and development, quality assurance, formal lifecycle procedures) and how should they be applied?

Session L—Disaster Recovery/Business Continuation Planning

Statement: The State will ensure that mission-critical business processes, computer resources, and data can be restored in the event of a natural disaster or other business interruption.

The Y2K experience demonstrated that, in the event of disruption to our computer resources, agencies must provide many basic services manually. Business Continuation Plans (BCP) should be established and maintained for all existing mission-critical business functions and systems. BCP and disaster recovery should also be part of new system development. All mission-critical computing resources should have disaster recovery plans to ensure expedient resumption of service following loss of computing facilities. Agencies should work together to provide backup for each other, if possible, or combine resources in negotiating disaster recovery services. Disaster recovery services should include data communications. Copies of all critical data owned by the State should be securely stored at remote sites, and be readily accessible in the event of data loss at primary processing facilities.

Questions: a) What are agencies doing today to address system back-up disaster recovery issues? b) Is there a need to inventory existing and planned systems and identify those that are "mission critical" and therefore subject to improved disaster recovery procedures? c) Should solutions be developed on an agency by agency basis? d) Should there be a single, State-provided solution to disaster recovery?

Session M—Plenary: Enterprise IT, Governance, Intra/Intergovernmental cooperation/collaboration

Statement: Oregon government will, through collaboration, achieve efficiencies in collecting, using, networking and maintaining information. The State will establish a business-driven, IT governance structure that enables development of IT policy, strategy, prioritization and funding that encourages effective IT implementation and collaboration.

Today, more than ever, citizens and their legislators expect their government to be responsive, efficient and effective in protecting citizen interests. Every public entity relies upon information resources, and must coordinate such resources in order to acquire and use them to their maximum potential. To that end, the State requires management of its information resources in an enterprise environment. Using an enterprise, collaborative approach can effectively address coordination needs and issues. Such an approach can ensure that state information resources operate in concert to the net benefit of its citizens. Identified projects that meet these objectives will be prioritized and supported by the enterprise. IT governance must be driven by and owned by the State's executive managers. Decisions regarding IT strategy, direction, funding for major initiatives, allocation of resources, etc. must be timely, and well-balanced against other needs of government. A governance structure should be established, which encourages intra-governmental cooperation, maximizes success of IT initiatives, and prudently manages risk.

Questions: a) Who are the main stakeholders in Oregon's Enterprise IT environment? b) How do we define Enterprise IT within the context of information management in Oregon? c) What incentives drive agencies to work cooperatively with one another and how can this be encouraged? d) Does the current governance model work? Can you think of improvements? e) What routine communications are necessary to promote and support agency participation in an IT enterprise? f) What other support roles are necessary to create a viable and functional IT enterprise? g) Are agency IT managers aware of enterprise IT decisions made through the Governor's IT Roundtable? h) What are some real-life examples today of inter-agency cooperation? i)To what extent should state agencies seek partners for IT projects among local governments, federal agencies, or the private sector? j) What procedures, guidelines, or tools need to be developed to support more effective IT project collaboration? k) What are some examples of other type(s) of governance models that may be more effective?

Session N—Plenary: Business Needs and IT Management Practices

Statement: Executive leadership in state agencies will assure that agency planning and implementation of IT is in alignment with the State's Enterprise IT Strategy. Further state agencies will pursue joint IT planning with their business partners wherever possible. Enterprise business needs will be incorporated into the enterprise strategic plan, where priorities are set and resources are allocated from an enterprise perspective. Projects must be managed and track well to ensure that originally stated objectives are being met.

Agency level planning for IT implementation should be carried out within the context of the State's overall IT Strategy and there should be a clear mechanism to support and encourage this. In order successfully meet the business needs of the agency, and of the enterprise, IT must have executive sponsorship and active support. Executive leadership must understand enough about IT to make policy decisions. They must understand the business needs around IT and must exhibit commitment to IT as a mission-critical function. IT development must be executed according to a plan and agencies should have a clear format for preparing plans and justifying them for approval. Business needs must be identified; joint planning with other business partners should take place wherever possible; IT alternatives must be defined; tradeoffs must be identified; priorities must be set; and resources must be allocated. Finally, on-going project management must follow accepted procedures to ensure that projects meet objectives and there should be procedures and practices to measure and track results.

Questions: a)Do the Strategic Issues (the topics covered by these Focus Groups) provide a sound framework for defining Strategic IT Goals and Objectives? b) How can agency IT planning be carried out within the context of Statewide Strategic Goals, c) Have existing IRM Planning Instructions been useful in guiding agency IT plans? How can they be improved? d) What are the obstacles faced by IT professionals when enlisting executive-level support for IT initiatives? How might those obstacles be overcome? e) What are the obstacles faced by IT professionals when considering joint planning with other business partners? How might those obstacles be overcome? f) Is there a need for an improved format and guideline for evaluation of costs and benefits and preparation of a business case document for IT projects? g) What enterprise-level initiatives could be instituted to encourage/facilitate joint IT planning and to obtain executive-level understanding and support for IT? h)What problems are you aware of in IT project management? i) How can IT project management procedures and tools be improved?

Session O—Closing Session (Thursday afternoon)

A re-cap of the topics covered in the sessions, a review of key observations, and a discussion of what happens next.

Common Questions for Each Focus Group (if applicable)

  • What actions could be take to address this strategic policy? Please include alternative options and approaches with pros and cons where possible.
  • What are the benefits to state government/citizens to do or not do this?
  • What current initiatives support this policy?
  • What are the barriers that prevent us from accomplishing this?
  • What are the cost implications for the enterprise/agencies?
  • What are the human resource implications for the enterprise/agencies? What legislative action, if any, in the 2003 session will be needed? What would be the arguments for and against this legislative action?