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ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: October 8, 2013
Action Agenda
Item No. 5
SUBJECT: Orange County Strategic Information Technology Plan Update
DEPARTMENT: Information Technologies PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) No
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
Orange County Strategic Information Jim Northrup, 919 - 245 -2276
Technology Plan
PURPOSE: To receive an update outlining the status of strategic IT initiatives as defined by the
2012 Orange County Strategic Information Technology Plan.
BACKGROUND: In November 2012 the Orange County Board of Commissioners approved the
Orange County Strategic Information Technology Plan. This Plan offered a frank assessment of
internal and external service offerings. Along with identifying many areas where the Information
Technologies Department excelled, the Plan identified goals and methodologies for both
increasing and improving service offerings such as the County Website, Central Permitting,
paperless initiatives, and mobile applications.
Staff will provide an update at the meeting. Discussion points will include, but will not be limited
to the following items addressed in the Orange County Strategic Information Technology Plan:
• Website redevelopment
• Central Permitting
• IT Staffing Levels
• Mobile Applications
• Social Media
• Paperless Records Management
• IT Project Prioritization and the Information Technologies Governance Council
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with receiving the status update.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Interim Manager recommends that the Board receive the
update, discuss the items presented as necessary and provide direction and feedback to staff.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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Orange County
Strategic Information Technology Plan
2012
Prepared by UNC School of Government's Center for Public Technology
K
Contents
EXECUTIVESUMMARY ......................................................................................... ..............................2
KeyFindings ........................................................................................................................... ............................... 2
SECTION 1: STRATEGIC CONTEXT ......................................................................... ..............................4
GovernmentTrends: .......................................................................................................................... 4
Overall Goals and Philosophy for Orange County .................................................................. ..............................4
Major Government Trends ..................................................................................................... ..............................4
MajorTechnology Trends ..................................................................................................... ............................... 6
SECTION 2: MAJOR ORANGE COUNTY IT ACCOMPLISHMENTS ............................... ..............................8
Citizen Relationship Management Services .......................................................................... ............................... 8
Orange County Operational Services .................................................................................... .............................10
SECTION 3: SERVICE ALIGNED IT INVESTMENT STRATEGY .................................... .............................12
TheVision ............................................................................................................................ ............................... 12
Role and Responsibilities of IT Department .......................................................................... .............................13
Operational Excellence Foundation ...................................................................................... .............................14
SECTION 4: STRATEGIC ENTERPRISE TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENTS ........................ .............................16
Overview............................................................................................................................... .............................16
Commissioners' Strategic Goals ............................................................................................ .............................17
COMMISSIONERS' OBJECTIVES and CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT /RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT ...............19
Strategic Focus Area: Customer Service; Information Accessibility ................................. .............................19
Priority One Initiatives focused by Commissioners' Objectives: ........................................................................ 19
Priority Two Initiatives focused by Commissioners' Objectives: ....................................................................... 21
ProjectDescriptions .............................................................................................................. .............................22
COMMISSIONERS' OBJECTIVES and INTERNAL COUNTY OPERATIONS ................... .............................26
Strategic Focus Area: Efficiency Improvements & Cost Savings; Risk and Liability Management ................ 26
Priority One Initiatives focused by Commissioners' Objectives: ........................................................................ 26
Priority Two Initiatives focused by Commissioners' Objectives: ....................................................................... 28
Priority Three Initiatives focused by Commissioners' Objectives: ..................................................................... 29
ProjectDescriptions .............................................................................................................. .............................30
Conclusion.......................................................................................................... .............................40
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Orange County's Strategic Information Technology Plan is offered as a framework for sustainable,
effective and efficient technology investments, coupled with an unwavering focus and commitment to
providing better County services through a more accessible, transparent and accountable
government. Technology is a tool used to improve customer service but the administration, policies,
and procedures surrounding a given function or process must be revised and fine -tuned in order to
provide the highest quality of service. The Strategic IT Plan maps the vital infrastructure, applications,
and initiatives that will enhance County services and their delivery in mission - critical areas. It also
outlines the steps needed to achieve a County information technology enterprise with a focus on
optimized performance, efficiency and effectiveness gains.
Key Findings
There are several key findings in the Orange County Strategic IT Plan, including areas of noted
excellence as well as areas of improved investment:
• The County is building on a strong technological foundation. The work and investments made
by the government have substantially improved customer service and increased efficiency and
effectiveness.
• Currently, the County has roughly half of the IT staff found in similar -sized counties across
North Carolina, while producing remarkable work efforts. Orange County should increase the
number of IT staff in order to keep pace with the desired level of citizen interaction and
engagement, as well as to offer increased transparency and accountability.
• Orange County offers one of the highest numbers of online services of any county in the state.
• The County website is a source of concern for Commissioners and departmental staff. Design
and layout enhancements, content and information navigation /access, and user department
updating of the website are areas of desired improvement.
• High - quality communications are the hallmark of a high - performing IT Department. Orange
County's IT Department needs to engage in more frequent communications with its end users
and elected officials to facilitate needs assessment and service delivery.
• Employee- focused technology investments will produce substantial efficiency and
effectiveness results, thereby improving citizen service and tax dollar investments.
• Although not included in the Strategic Information Technology Plan, public information and
communication strategies were also paramount to the County. To this end, the County is
examining the establishment of a Public Information Officer position. This plan does address
the need to expand social media offerings from the County.
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• Additional recommendations are found in Section 4 of this report, along with a collection of
tools and sample templates in the appendices.
Through the structure outlined in the IT Plan, Orange County has refined its focus on high - priority IT
initiatives and continues to work toward integration of disparate data and systems into unified, cost -
effective solutions. Additionally, measures of success are offered to ensure a focus on customer
service and delivery. Finally, the plan outlines the required investments in infrastructure and
technology initiatives that will provide a foundation for long -term economic viability and service
enhancement. The investments will identify two main areas of focus, citizen engagement and county
operational efficiency /effectiveness. Both areas of investment are equally important, with specific
timing of the investments outlined to reap maximum benefits.
As Orange County executes the Strategic IT Plan, its citizens will continue to see improvements in the
quality and accessibility of County services. The residents will have their personal information
protected and taxpayers should rest assured that IT investments are being selected, implemented,
and managed wisely. Furthermore, County employees will have the tools needed to provide the
highest - quality services to their customers. Orange County will continue to serve its residents,
businesses, and visitors as effectively as possible by turning this plan into action.
SECTION 1: STRATEGIC CONTEXT
Overall Goals and Philosophy for Orange County
Orange County is an urban county with unique rural areas
surrounding the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Government
The diverse citizenry of the County mandate various services
Trends:
and methods of interaction with the government. The
Accountability
philosophy of the County is based on a deep- seated
commitment to citizen engagement, quality of life
. Benchmarking &
enhancement, and strategic investments that improve the
Performance
lives of residents, businesses, and visitors. In addition, the
Measurement
County is unwavering in its efforts to provide holistic,
equitable, efficient, and effective high - quality services to the
• Customer Service
community. The focus on strategic investments in
technology will help to increase trust, recognition,
• Economic
communication, accountability, innovation, and excellence in
Development
the County.
• Strategic Sourcing
Major Government Trends • Responsiveness
Given Orange County's long tradition of providing customer-
• Transparency and
focused, quality services and its reputation for commitment
Accountability
to excellent, cost - effective government, the County is
encouraged to consider or continue the use of major
. Increased Use of
government trends outlined below. In addition, the list
Technology
includes connections to information technology in order to
enhance the work currently being undertaken in the County.
Benchmarking and Performance Measurement: This trend involves ascertaining current
organizational performance on a variety of key indicators, followed by monitoring and evaluation,
as well as change management in order to facilitate improvement. This document serves as one
example of a benchmark for the information technology department and key indicators collected
as part of this strategic plan should be monitored on a yearly basis to demonstrate improvements.
The County should implement the use of performance metrics in all departments, but a focus on
dashboards will help provide an overview of easily understood metrics.
Customer Service: This trend is centered on create a high - quality product for citizens, businesses,
visitors, and employees. Increased involvement and participation are critical, as is a reorientation
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in the approach to the end user as a customer. The technology department should continue to
engage in providing high - quality services to its customers, both internal and external. In addition,
customer feedback should be solicited at regular intervals to encourage communication and
positive changes.
Economic Development: Without fail, economic development has become a critical topic in
county government. At the heart of economic development is infrastructure, and technology is no
longer an optional infrastructure enhancement, but rather, as central to economic development
recruitment as water and sewer lines.
Strategic Sourcing: Orange County has an incredible cadre of talented public servants. However,
the County has long realized that outsourcing and contracting with subject matter experts is
critical to extend the reach of government. In terms of technology, Orange County should work
with public - private partnerships to enhance technological capacities. Approximately 20 -25
percent of technology work can be successfully outsourced without detrimental effects to the
County. This outsourcing should be strategic and used as a means to supplement the current staff
expertise on short -term projects. Outsourcing is not a viable solution for replacing mission - critical
staff, as a means to reduce permanent headcount. Some tasks to consider for strategic sourcing
include cabling for new and existing facilities and programming needs that only emerge
periodically.
Responsive Government: This trend is characterized by the need to develop a new type of local
government complete with new ways of doing business based on innovation and positive change.
Technology plays an essential role in creating a self- service government that is interactive, timely,
and relevant regardless of the time of access or distance of the customer. For example, citizens
highly regard various forms of self- service, such as online registration for Parks and Recreation
classes, online pet registration, online bill payment, and online citizen request forms.
• Transparency and Accountability: One major trend across the various levels of government in the
US is a renewed focus on transparency and accountability. By allowing citizens greater access to
data and information about the government, its decision - making processes, and its performance
measures, governments seek to enhance public trust and create opportunities for value -add
engagement.
• Use of Technology: Technology is used by forward - thinking governments to continually enhance
service delivery and foster a "work smarter not harder" approach. For example, inspectors and
public safety personnel having access to electronic information in the field can substantially
improve results in each area, with a reduction in downtime due to travel between locations and
the main County facilities for data transfer. In addition, the advent of Social Media has
fundamentally altered the way citizens are choosing to engage with governments. Many residents
use Facebook as a mechanism to gather governmental information and to participate in their
communities virtually.
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Major Technology Trends
ism
In addition to considering the government trends that are making organizations more responsive and
customer service oriented, it is important to consider the major technology trends from the private
and public sectors. A list of some key trends is offered for consideration and inclusion in the future
projects discussion.
Transition to digitally converged world: Almost all aspects of telephony, television, video,
audio, and other communication technologies are converging into single source platforms.
This newly converged medium requires robust, secure infrastructure and mobile applications.
Basic smart phones can now capture video of County Commissioners' meetings and stream the
recordings directly to the Internet without any sophisticated interfaces or equipment.
• Support for legacy systems while migrating to more robust systems: Maintaining legacy
systems while planning for their phasing out is critical. However, large -scale investments are
required to replace such systems with newer technologies that are scalable for the future.
Increased importance of computer and telecommunications security: Technological security,
both physical and logical, is critical to protecting the data and property collected and
maintained by government, but should not limit opportunities for new forms of digital civic or
employee engagement.
• Management of and investment in information technology: Information technology supports
the functionality of government and requires high -level managerial attention, as well as
appropriate investment. Governance structures and IT service management improve the
quality of IT investments. IT service management, as is found in ITIL (Information Technology
Infrastructure Library) best practices, centers on a pervasive service orientation that enables
end users to work more efficiently and effectively, while building a knowledge base of all
technology assets within an organization. This repository of knowledge has a similar positive
impact on IT investments and effective risk management as is found in utilizing asset
management and GPS /GIS to maintain appropriate inventory and rapidly troubleshoot public
works issues, such as broken water mains.
• One of the most exciting, albeit challenging, trends associated with technology is the pervasive
use of personal technology in the workplace. Smart phones have become commonplace as
individuals use them to transact personal business, such as social media interactions, banking,
and online shopping. These devices are changing the role of technology in the workplace by
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making it ubiquitous, irrespective of the associated security and information management
issues.
• Green computing has become a popular term in the technology realm. With the increased
financial pressures on governments due to economic conditions, organizations are working to
improve their energy efficiency by consolidating data centers, moving to virtual platforms, and
investing in cloud computing.
The use of cloud computing to manage basic applications and data stores is becoming an
increasingly useful option for local governments. In particular, private cloud computing with
limited service access and governmental control and ownership of the service implementation
is expected to have positive returns for local jurisdictions.
Information systems are a necessary investment in the overall business planning and as a
requirement to conduct future governmental affairs. Attention placed on governmental and
technological trends provide a foundation and roadmap for examining future technology projects.
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SECTION Z: MAJOR ORANGE COUNTY IT
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
This section outlines the major technology achievements in
Orange County over the past five years. The level of technological
sophistication is particularly impressive in the County, given the
size of the IT Department and the level of funding allocated to
technology endeavors. It should be noted that the listing of
accomplishments noted below do not include upgrades and
replacements of pre- existing services and applications.
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suc�
The list below is solely composed of new accomplishments and IT offerings and is divided into
externally facing services (under the heading, Citizen Relationship Management Services) and
internally facing services (under the heading, Orange County Operational Services).
Citizen Relationship Management Services
Online Services
Orange County boasts 45 distinct online applications and services. This number is staggering, given
the relatively small size of the IT department, and places the County among the leaders in North
Carolina in online service provision.
Development and Support of Parks Locator
The development of a new interactive, Google Maps integrated web tool enables the public to search
for parks available throughout the County, including municipalities. The development and ongoing
support of this tool is an additional service on top of existing web and GIS tools.
Addressing Services
With Enterprise GIS being consolidated into the IT organization, IT is now providing Countywide
(including municipalities) addressing services, allowing citizens to more readily access standardized,
uniform GIS data.
Tax System Support
With the implementation of the new tax system, OCIT is now supporting three enterprise level tools
(collections, assessment and the PIN App) and their integration with other enterprise tools.
PIN /TMBL /Parcel Lookup Tool Development and Support
Although the County has fully transitioned all land based activities to the Parcel Identification Number
system, IT implemented a new web based lookup tool for the public, who may still be using older land
identification systems
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Support of Subscription Services via Website
This added service allows the public to sign up for distributions lists in a number of interest areas, and
the service is integrated into the County website.
Streaming Videos of BOCC Meetings
In providing live and archival video of BOCC meetings, OCIT is supporting new servers, monitoring the
process and serving as technical liaison with the vendor in troubleshooting and support of this
additional service.
Public Wireless Hot Spots
The County IT Department deployed and manages hotspots for public wireless access in all major
County facilities.
Centralized County Website (Management /Support)
Prior to 2006, website management was performed ad hoc, and distributed across all departments.
The Orange County IT Department has deployed a centralized template and standard toolset to
ensure all website authoring be consistent and professional.
National Map Standards Compliance
In 2009, IT undertook an activity to bring county map data in line with several federal and state
standards. In doing so, the County gained significant synergies with data sharing, but it requires
resources to perform the initial conversion and to support the ongoing maintenance of this data as
part of this additional service.
GIS Data Synchronization
In 2009, OCIT implemented real time synchronization of GIS database between Orange County GIS,
Chapel Hill GIS and Carrboro GIS (OC currently provides this service for Hillsborough) for all streets
and addresses, greatly increasing levels of timeliness & accuracy for addressing data, while ensuring
more reliable and effective collaboration between our important municipal partners.
BOCC Meeting Support
IT is now providing pre- meeting setup support for all BOCC meetings, including A/V equipment setup,
public network availability, streaming video services and any other items that arise in preparation for
the meetings.
Online Pet Registration
The IT Department deployed a new Internet based tool with which the public can register their pets.
Online Recreation Registration
The IT Department provides a web -based service for the public to sign up for parks and recreation
classes, team sports and recreational facilities.
PEI
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Orange County perational Services
Strong Password and Laptop Encryption Efforts
Strong password security and laptop encryption projects were implemented to ensure protection of
County data.
Training Room
Orange County IT has outfitted and continues to support a dedicated training facility for technology
based staff training. The ongoing configuration of the training room to meet the specific needs of
each training program, and the support necessary to ensure its smooth operation is an additional
service, added in 2010.
Mobile Email Support
With increasing availability of email on personal mobile devices, IT provides support services assist
staff in configuring their devices to leverage County email.
Document Management System for DSS
IT collaborated with DSS to implement a new document management system for DSS case
management.
Phone System Implementation and Support
OCIT assumed responsibility for telephony services for the County with the installation and ongoing
support of 694 phones and attendant back office equipment (this transition occurred without
movement of existing telephone support staff from the Purchasing Department).
Move Support
Over the past three years, IT has coordinated the technology moves (including network, desktop and
laptop technologies) for approximately 460 employees.
Additional Server Su000r*
In order to support new technologies and ensure existing servers are reliable and up -to -date,
Information Technologies purchased and implemented 38 new servers since 2006, while retiring only
16, a net gain of 22 servers.
Increased Laptop Support
Since 2006, IT has deployed 336 new laptops, while retiring only 84 Laptops, with a net gain of 252
laptops managed by the IT Department.
Increased Desktop Support
Since 2006, IT has deployed 508 new desktops, while retiring 445, with a net gain of 63 desktops.
Audio /Video Support
IT provides support for Audio Video equipment used in meeting rooms across the County.
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Support Requests
Providing technology support to County staff remains one of Information Technologies' most critical
and relied upon services. The tables below illustrated the volume of service request the department
handles, as well our measured performance in satisfactorily resolving those requests. Note the nearly
300% increase in incoming trouble tickets over the time period, while the resolution rates have
remained relatively steady.
This trend of responsiveness is particularly notable, given the increased demands for IT services with
no increase in IT staffing levels. Furthermore, during interviews with department heads and County
staff, all interviewees noted an increase in customer service and responsiveness over the past five
years.
Measure V Significances
�L_j
Measures percentage of time in which
99.92% 99.62%
network connectivity and servers are
available. This includes planned off -hours
downtime for maintenance
This is the total number of service requests
2447 7,232
called into IT from County staff
This is the percentage of Priority One help
87.50% 72.57%
tickets resolved within 4 hour target
This is the percentage of Priority Two help
69.81% 76.89%
tickets resolved within 9 hour target
This is the percentage of Priority Three help
74.94% 82.48%
tickets resolved within 40 business hour target
This is the success rate for data backups. 94% 98.42%
Numbers of emails received from outside 8,110,193 41,482,502
County network
Number of emails received from outside 8,004,328 39,200,807
County network blocked as spam
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SECTION 3: SERVICE ALIGNED IT INVESTMENT STRATEGY
The Vision
The technology vision for Orange County capitalizes on the benefits derived from strategic technology
planning and investment, both for internal departments and external customers. The vision is aligned
with Commissioners' and staff goals, objectives, and strategies in an effort to stay focused on service
aligned investments. In the service aligned investment model, IT investments are driven by citizen
and departmental needs and focus on agility in the provision of services. Success in this service -
aligned model is dependent on a clear understanding of County priorities and how business is
conducted by County departments and the citizens who interact with those departments.
In order to facilitate this understanding, the County IT Department needs to establish Business
Relationship Manager roles within its department. In order to establish these critical roles, additional
IT staff are required to ensure that service levels do not deteriorate as the Business Relationship
Managers work with departments to gather mission - critical knowledge. The Business Relationship
Managers work closely with departments, developing knowledge and understanding of their business
processes, objectives and technology needs. By employing strong business skills to support equally
strong technical capabilities, the IT department can achieve a holistic understanding of how services
are consumed by the business, how IT's actions affect departmental productivity, and how to provide
innovative solutions. The IT Department can review and enhance its service offerings and capacity
using these resources.
Furthermore, it is critical that strategic technology planning become an integral part of each
department's annual planning process, as well as a key component in the long -range planning of the
County. It is important to note that this strategic technology plan is not limited to technological
infrastructure, hardware, and software, but rather, encompasses all strategic information
management functions. Therefore, the strategic technology vision for Orange County includes:
• The adoption of a strategic technology investment strategy that aligns functional County
Commissioners' and departmental goals, objectives, and needs with technological solutions.
In essence, the business of government will become enabled by technology instead of
technology driving the business changes.
• Build upon and extend the utilization of performance metrics and customer service
commitment to ascertain progress.
• Utilize IT service management as a mechanism to provide superior, equitable customer service
and problem resolution.
• Enterprise approaches to strategic IT investments are also central to leveraging economies of
scale and holistic solutions.
• Provide County residents and staff with more convenient, open access to information in order
to facilitate decision - making.
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• Recognize and embrace the value of innovation as a critical means to improving services.
The driving vision for information technology (IT) within the County includes the development of an
enterprise -wide focus on IT, a focus on the customer and the use of IT as an enabler in efficient and
effective customer service.
Role and Responsibilities of IT Department
The guiding mission of the Information Technology Department, in support of Orange County, is to
provide strategic oversight of information technology in order to provide better and more cost
effective services to the public while providing stewardship of the County's digital information assets.
In support of BOCC priorities, Information Technology works with the County Manager and
departmental staff to ensure technology is deployed in a cost - effective manner, while focusing on
improving efficiency, collaboration, reduction in error rates, statutory compliance, and increasing
levels of customer service and services to the public. This plan links the IT Department's goals and
objectives to the goals and objectives of the governmental enterprise, as well as to individual
departments, in order to meet citizen needs using flexible, productive, and innovative approaches.
Furthermore, the County IT Department, along with other County departments, is responsible for
creating a quality- focused, highly productive, responsive organization, which meets and exceeds
customer requirements through continuous improvement of products and services. The goal of the
department is to support the business units within the County through the strategic use of
technology, in a manner consistent with service - aligned IT. In addition, enhanced efficiency,
effectiveness, and service delivery are critical to the Department and the organization at large.
The IT Department is a service organization which operates
solely to meet the needs of County employees, residents,
visitors, and businesses. The projects undertaken by the IT
Department are driven by organizational and departmental
needs and opportunities.
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Operational Excellence Foundation
As service - aligned IT evolves in Orange County, the County IT Department will operate from a
foundation of operational excellence, as outlined in the following table. These criteria are currently
part of the IT department's objectives and are simply noted to offer guidance and reference to the
service - aligned IT model.
Provide
Decision Support
Customer
Service
of Technology
✓
Insure stable and
✓
Set technology
✓
Ensure software
✓
Ensure users
✓ Assist County
productive
direction and
purchases and
are properly
departments in
technology
standards
development are
trained on
assessing
environment that
based on
consistent with
essential
software
supports
service aligned
existing
technologies
purchases
departments in
investment
technology
the performance
methodology
standards
of their missions
✓
Respond to
✓
Staff the
✓
Ensure support for
✓
Provide
✓ Evaluate buy
requests for
County IT
enterprise
tutorials for
vs. build
service within
Governance
solutions
self -paced
software
specified
Committee
learning
solutions
timeframe
✓
Provide
✓
Develop a
✓
Determine
✓
Make e-
✓ Ensure
deliverables
vision for
interface
learning
contractual
within promised
technology in
requirements to
opportunities
standards of
timeframes
the County
existing systems
available
support
✓
Defining clear
✓
Facilitate
✓
Identify emerging
✓
Provide
✓ Assist
scope of
organizational
technologies
documentation
departments in
expectations
process
which will meet
for key
management
with end users
improvements
the organization's
processes
and service
needs
delivery
✓
Assist end users
in identifying
needs and
understanding
requirements
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Operational Risks Due to Staffing Levels
As previously noted, Orange County's IT staffing levels are roughly half the size of comparable
counties in North Carolina. The under - resourced department is a major concern for current and
future project success. While the IT department has accomplished a substantial amount of work with
the limited staff, most projects take longer than would be ideal due to time constraints and pressures
due to the under - resourcing. Additionally, many critical projects that focus on internal efficiencies,
security, and improved functionalities for County staff are not able to be implemented due to the
staffing limitations. Staffing levels must be increased to undertake the recommendations laid forth in
this plan. The following chart provides a comparison of staff sizes for reference and specific position
recommendations are noted under Section 4.
Cabarrus 21 FTEs $1.678 million $1.875 million $3.56 million
None noted
Catawba 27 FTEs $1.586 million $1.948 million $3.534
$1.1 million
million
(licensing and
_
upgrades)
Durham 33 FTEs $2.6 million $1.07 million $4.39 million
$1.7 million
(lifecycle
replacement for
IT equipment)
Pitt 32 FTEs $2.342 million $895,402 (MIS) $3.3285
Fluctuates
(MIS) + +$219,103 million (MIS)
between
$299,013 (GIS)= $1.115 million +$538,103
— $100K -$500K
(GIS) =$2.64 (GIS)= $3.867
annually for
million million
loans for
equipment
Orange 14.7 FTEs (4 $1.193 million $920,260 $2.113
$500,000
are GIS, 10.7 7 on
are IT
L 1
(lifecycle
replacements)
specific)
Notes:
• Catawba: IT Department also oversees the Communications Center /E -911 but those staff
counts and budget numbers are not included in the chart above.
• Durham: DSS (3 staff), Library (2 staff), Mental Health (6 staff), Sheriff's Department (8 staff),
and Register of Deeds (1 staff) have additional IT staff and IT budget not included in the
information noted above.
• Pitt: IT department supports all county departments; DSS, Public Health, and Sheriff budget for
the majority of their hardware needs (PCs, laptops, printers) in their own budgets
so it is not
reflected in IT budget.
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ip
SECTION 4: STRATEGIC ENTERPRISE TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENTS
Overview
The following pages will outline how the recommended IT projects and initiatives', as defined by the
Orange County Board of County Commissioners, the Orange County departments, and the research
team from UNC, fit into the Commissioners' objectives, as well as the IT Department's operational
excellence objectives. Additionally, the projects will be prioritized based on mission criticality, overall
impact, and level of interest expressed by key stakeholders. As the strategic IT plan lays out
prioritized projects in the remainder of Section 4, it is imperative that the following framework is
applied and followed in the order prescribed.
As information technology investments increase across Orange County, there is a marked need to
increase the level of staffing, funding and support for these value -add services. The most critical
components to ensuring the success of the projects in the coming pages are related to the base level
IT investment noted in the schematic below:
Innovation
Business Support
IT Processes
IT Utility
The IT Utility function is the base of support for all technological impacts, including efficiency and
effectiveness gains, as well as innovation and enhanced service delivery. In order to engender success
for current and future IT investments, the County must increase the current staffing level of the IT
department. It is impossible to overstate the importance of increasing the current staffing level prior
to engaging in the majority of the recommended, high- impact projects that will enable the County to
be a leader in citizen service and effective and efficient government. Without increasing IT staff, the
bulk of the projects contained in the following pages should not be undertaken, as they will
increase risks for Orange County in economic, legal, and political arenas.
1 All requested projects from the various interviews with Orange County Commissioners and County staff are available in
Appendix A.
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Goal One: Ensure a community network of basic human services and infrastructure that maintains,
protects & promotes the wellbeing of all County residents.
Goal Two: Promote an interactive & transparent system of governance that reflects community values
Goal Three: Implement planning & economic development policies which create a balanced, dynamic
local economy, & which promote diversity, sustainable growth and enhanced revenue while embracing
community values.
Goal Four: Invest in quality County facilities, a diverse work force, and technology to achieve a high
performing County government.
Goal Five: Create, preserve, and protect a natural environment that includes clean water, clean air,
wildlife, important natural lands and sustainable energy for present and future generations.
Goal Six: Ensure a high quality of life and lifelong learning that champions diversity, education at all
levels, libraries, parks, recreation, and animal welfare.
20
The technology priorities center on specific categories of enterprise projects. Priority rankings of
projects are offered in each categorical area for Orange County to consider. These priorities should be
assessed by the recommended IT Governance Council and be revised as deemed appropriate. Priority
ranking levels are described in the table below:
Priority Description
Level
Ranking
Level One A Level One project should be started within the next
year in order to meet critical business support
requirements.
Level Two A Level Two project should be started within the next
two years in order to further citizen and employee
impact needs.
Level Three A Level Three project should be assessed and started
within the next three years to ensure innovation and
technological advancement are occurring within Orange
County.
As the recommendations are presented, please refer to the following diagram to understand the
multi- faceted nature of IT investments and how many areas outside of the IT department are critical
to making such investments successful.
18
21
COMMISSIONERS' OBJECTIVES and CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT /RELATIONSHIP
MANAGEMENT
Strategic Focus Area: Customer Service; Information Accessibility
Improve citizen communication and transparency
✓ Provide strong reporting capabilities
✓ Ensure accurate information
✓ Interface data between systems
✓ Extract data quickly from internal systems
Priority One Initiatives focused by Commissioners' Objectives:
19
Ensure a V
Promote an
Stimulate
Invest in
Create,
Ensure a
community
interactive
planning and
quality
preserve, and
high
network of basic
&
economic
County
protect
quality of
human services
transparent
development
facilities, a
sustainable
life and
and
system of
efforts,
diverse
natural
lifelong
infrastructure
governance
maintain
work force,
environment
learning
balanced local
and
economy
technology
Website Improvements:
improve the County website to
include more intuitive design,
additional features for citizen
engagement (like RSS and
video feeds), and better
updating mechanisms for
County staff
Comprehensive Licensing,
Planning, and Inspections
Software: upgrade to
sustainable, supported
software suite for licensing,
inspections, and planning
Paperless Agendas and
Tablets for Commissioners:
utilize paperless agendas and
tablet options for
Commissioners when possible
or desired
19
22
20
Ensure a
Promote an
Stimulate
Invest in
Create,
Ensure a
community
interactive
planning and
I
quality
preserve, and
high
network of basic
&
economic
County
protect
quality of
human services
transparent
development
facilities, a
sustainable
life and
and
system of
efforts,
diverse
natural
lifelong
infrastructure
governance
maintain
work force,
environment
learning
balanced local
and
economy
technology
Recording of All
Commissioners and
Committee Meetings: invest in
fixed technology and fixed
location to ensure recordings
of all Commissioners' and
committee meetings in cost -
effective manner
Social Media for Citizen
Engagement: utilize social
media for citizen engagement,
including summaries of
Commissioners' meetings,
advance information related to
hot topics, etc
20
23
Priority Two Initiatives focused by Commissioners' Objectives:
21
Ensure a
Promote an Stimulate
Invest in
Create,
Ensure a
community
interactive ` planning and
`
quality
preserve, and
high
network of basic
& economic
County
protect
quality of
human services
transparent development
facilities, a
sustainable
life and
and
system of efforts,
diverse
natural
lifelong
infrastructure
governance maintain
work force,
environment
learning
balanced local
and
economy
technology
Increase field -based
applications: deploy field -
N`
based applications for County
staff when possible
(inspections, etc)
Public Comment via
Technology: allow public
comment via technology, such
as online surveys, social media
commentary, requests for
service
Increase Access to High Speed
Internet and Cellular Service:
while outside of the IT
department's control, the
County can partner with
organizations and efforts like
Gig.0 to stimulate high -speed
broadband and cellular
opportunities
Mobile Applications: develop
mobile application for County
website and selected County
online services
Access to Real -Time GIS:
citizens and staff need access
to real -time GIS (requires
coordination and involvement
of Register of Deeds)
21
24
PRIORITY LEVEL ONE
Website Improvements and Content Management:
The Website is the hallmark of the County, in terms of its public facing presence. There is substantial
dissatisfaction with the Orange County website according to the County Commissioners and
departmental staff. The site is deemed dated and static. While the County improved the website
within the past three years, making it more functional and user - friendly, continued refreshment and
redesign is strongly encouraged and desired.
First, a comprehensive evaluation, including a usability study and detailed feedback analysis, should
occur to determine the areas of concern related to the website. The County should examine its
website and compare the site to those of similar government units across the country, in order to
determine what upgrades and changes may be valuable to the citizens and provide Orange County
with a more attractive, user - friendly Web presence. The County should also consider establishing a
Website Council composed of employees and potentially citizens in order to gather regular feedback
and suggestions related to the site. The County Website should not be revised until the new Public
Information Officer position is brought on- board, as the Web presence will be of critical importance to
the new position, as a means of communicating with citizens.
In addition, the departments are unsatisfied with the current content update and page creation
process. It is recommended that the County assess its current website and business processes should
be examined to determine how the website update process can be made more efficient, including
investment in a more user - friendly Content Management System. Additionally, the County
departments should be required to commit staff to maintaining and updating the County web pages
specific to each department, as it is not the role of the IT department to perform such content
generation. Finally, pages targeted to specific events within the County which generate significant
citizen, business, and visitor engagement opportunities should be featured and streamlined for easier
access.
Planning, Zoning, Inspections Software:
There is a significant need to invest in a comprehensive planning, zoning, and inspections software
solution with GIS integration. Currently, the department is using an outdated system that does not
share data with other departments and is reliant on custom programming that is not sustainable. A
22
25
comprehensive planning, zoning, and inspections software solution would increase employee
efficiency and responsiveness. The County should conduct an evaluation of software offerings
through the IT Governance Council to determine the most appropriate software solution for the
enterprise. In order to most effectively implement a project of this magnitude and importance to the
County (the comprehensive planning, zoning, and inspections software package), it is recommended
that the County hire a third party, external project manager for this project. The project manager
should report to County administration (County Manager or Assistant County Manager) to ensure that
all parties involved in the implementation and use of the new software system are adequately and
fairly represented.
Paperless Agendas, Tablets, and Recordings of Commissioners' Meetings:
As the County continues to expand its technology initiatives to engage citizens and to improve County
services, improvements are needed related to County Commissioners' meetings and committee
meetings. First, it is recommended that the County select one or two locations for all Board of County
Commissioners' meetings, as well as all committee meetings. The location(s) need to be properly
equipped with state -of- the -art equipment for recording the meetings for live web - streaming,
archiving, and television productions. Furthermore, the design of the rooms should accommodate
technology for both Commissioners and citizens, such as screens and monitors to view presentations
regardless of location in the room. By dedicating a one or two locations with high - quality audio and
video recording systems, the County can effectively capture all Commissioners' and committee
meetings with uniform quality and results.
If the County cannot afford to properly equip two locations with the necessary technology for high -
quality web streaming and television production, it should consider leveraging UStream.ty or some
similar low -cost online application for streaming meetings. Other jurisdictions in the state are using
Ustream plus an iPad with an attached telephoto lens for recording meetings and posting the content
online. Such endeavors will still require someone to set up and staff the recording of the meetings,
but the costs for implementation will be substantially lower than a fully equipped production - quality
room.
In addition, the Commissioners and County should consider implementing true paperless agendas for
all Commissioners, with an option for printed items for selected large- format items or for those
Commissioners desiring hard copy versions. Currently the County spends considerable tax payer
dollars on printing agenda packets for each Commissioner and having those packets hand - delivered
by Sheriff deputies to each Commissioner. Moving to a tablet option with downloadable agenda
packets will save money, improve the environment by printing less paper and eliminating hand
deliveries, and it will demonstrate a commitment to being a progressive, technology -savvy
community. The use of tablets and paperless agendas (and agenda packets) has become
commonplace among North Carolina local governments and is much lauded by elected officials once
they become familiar with the technology and tools.
23
26
Social Media:
Across the country, local governments are utilizing Facebook, Twitter, Nixle, YouTube, and other
forms of social media to engage their citizens, solicit feedback, and provide additional outlets for
information. Orange County currently does not have an official social media presence, but should
consider developing a presence, as well as policies to govern use of social media in the workplace.
In order to most adequately develop the social media presence, the County needs to designate a
Public Information Officer. The position is not part of the IT Department and therefore outside of the
scope of this plan, but consideration should be given to the issue. In terms of the policies governing
social media usage within the County, the Human Resources Department, the County attorney, and
the IT Department have worked together to develop appropriate policies. The IT Department should
only be involved in policy making to the extent that social media poses a technical issue for the
County, like bandwidth consumption, security risks, or virus potential.
In terms of social media presence, Facebook is the most commonly used application in government,
with organizations choosing to create Fan Pages for information sharing purposes. Due to the current
Facebook policies, individuals are allowed to comment on any postings made by the organization,
therefore, it is advisable that Orange County create a Comments Policy that indicates the informative
nature of the forum, as well as articulates what form of commentary is unacceptable and removable.
PRIORITY LEVEL TWO
Field -based (Mobile) Access-
A commonly requested application among all department heads and line staff is mobile field -based
access to critical applications, including laptops, tablets, and a wireless network. Many County
department heads and employees work from remote, field locations, and /or after -hours and desire
the ability to access their programs and files through a VPN client or similar solution. However, the
security issues related to such remote access are important to address and can be managed through a
combination of technical solutions and in -depth end user training. During consideration of mobile
access extension, the County needs to develop a justification process for determining appropriateness
of access requests, including creating legal guidance related to remote access. In addition, many of
the County's current software packages do not support mobile deployment, so as the County replaces
outdated or unsupported software, mobility should be an overarching consideration. Finally, the
County's limited cellular and broadband access in certain areas will make seamless mobile access
difficult and should be recognized as a limitation that is outside the County IT Department's control.
24
27
Public Commentary via i ecnnoiogy:
Orange County should capitalize on its web presence to allow for public commentary and feedback on
County services, pressing issues, and other matters involving County tax dollars. Currently, the County
uses Survey Monkey for online surveying and this effort should be expanded. In addition, concepts
such as mobile service requests with GPS tagging should be considered as a mechanism for citizen
engagement. Finally, the County should leverage its web presence and suggested social media
presence to develop additional feedback channels for citizens, including online public comment about
proposed ordinance or policy changes.
Increased Access to Broadband and Cellular Services-
The County is not able to actively improve the broadband connectivity offerings across Orange
County, nor would such an effort be part of the County IT department work. However, the County
Commissioners, management team, and CIO are encouraged to work with the North Carolina
Association of County Commissioners to help pass legislation allowing counties to incentivize private
build -out of such connectivity or to develop public - private partnerships to address the issues in
coverage. Other efforts, such as Gig.U, should also be followed and explored to determine if those
efforts hold potential for expanding and incentivizing broadband deployment by the private sector.
In terms of cellular coverage, the County is currently investigating building cellular towers for the
public safety needs of the County. If this effort is undertaken, it is advised that the County utilize
those assets as lease options for cellular providers (or wireless Internet providers) as a means of
revenue generation and expanded coverage /offerings.
Mobile Applications:
The County IT Department should continue its excellent work in the delivery of online services by
offering additional County mobile applications. First, the County should create a mobile app of the
County website. Other possible mobile applications include a permitting and inspections application,
complete with QR codes, animal shelter applications related to lost and found pets, and GIS -based
applications offering information about governmental services surrounding a particular address.
Real -Time GIS:
Several County departments noted the need for citizens and staff to have real -time GIS available.
Currently, the Register of Deeds data is not uploaded on a daily basis to allow such real -time access to
deeds, so the County should work closely with the Register to determine how to facilitate the
integration of their data in near -time in order to accomplish this request. The County IT department
does not manage the Register of Deeds data so County management should be involved in the
process to determine how to achieve this important request.
25
COMMISSIONERS' OBJECTIVES and INTERNAL COUNTY OPERATIONS
Strategic Focus Area: Efficiency Improvements & Cost Savings; Risk and Liability Management
✓ Increase productivity & efficiency
✓ Ease inter - departmental
communication
✓ Reduce long term costs
✓ Ensure stewardship of city resources
W
•
Reduce ris s and Tines
•
Avoid penalties of non - compliance
✓
Provide strong user security
✓
Maintenance of software assets
✓
Maintain current releases and system
sustainability
Priority One Initiatives focused by Commissioners' Objectives:
26
Ensure a
Promote an
Stimulate
Invest in
Create,
Ensure a
community
interactive
planning and
quality
preserve, and
high
network of basic
&
economic
County
protect
quality of
human services
transparent
development
facilities, a
sustainable
life and
and
system of
efforts,
diverse
natural
lifelong
infrastructure
governance
maintain
work force,
environment
learning
balanced local
and
economy
technology
Increase IT Staffing Levels:
additional IT staff are needed
to deploy and maintain the
desired projects articulated by
the BOCC and the County
departments
IT Governance Council: ensure
that IT is aligned with the
business and delivers value, its
performance is measured, its
resources properly allocated
and its risks mitigated
Communication Process
Improvements: improve
communications between IT
department and other
departments through multiple
channels, including regular
meetings with department
heads and user meetings
Training for County Staff:
ensure adequate training
(funding for training) for
County staff for all major IT
purchases (software)
26
WO
27
Ensure a
Promote an
Stimulate
Invest in
Create,
Ensure a
community
interactive
planning and
I
quality
preserve, and
high
network of basic
&
economic
County
protect
quality of
human services
transparent
development
facilities, a
sustainable
life and
and
system of
efforts,
diverse
natural
lifelong
infrastructure
governance
maintain
work force,
environment
learning
balanced local
and
economy
technology
Shared Accountability and
Authority: a shared model of
accountability and authority is
necessary for technology
project success
Computer and Network
Replacements: lifecycle
replacement for computers
and network equipment
Connectivity and Network
Expansion: County spends
substantial amount on
network leases, explore
County fiber runs between
facilities (or wireless)
Inventory and Coordination of
Systems between Fire
Departments and EMS: deploy
unified system between
agencies to ensure coverage
and adequate coordination,
including radio /cellular
coordination
SAN Expansion: accommodate
data and information
explosion and ensure data is
available upon request
Virtual Server Hosting Shelves
and Physical Servers: replace
aging equipment to ensure
application and data
availability
Microsoft Office Upgrade or
Microsoft Enterprise Licensing
Agreement: ensure software
is current and supported, with
appropriate licensing for all
County machines
27
30
Priority Two Initiatives focused by Commissioners' Objectives:
28
Ensure a
Promote an Stimulate
Invest in
Create,
Ensure a
community
interactive planning and
quality
preserve, and
high
All
network of basic
& economic
County
protect
quality of
human services
transparent development
facilities, a
sustainable
life and
and
system of efforts,
diverse
natural
lifelong
infrastructure
governance maintain
work force,
environment
learning
balanced local
and
economy
technology
Required Use of Technology:
require departmental staff to
utilize new technology in order
to gain efficiencies in County
_
operations
Business Relationship
Managers: as staff are hired,
develop business relationship
manager roles to facilitate IT
service delivery
ITIL: invest in IT management
strategy (ITIL) to ensure that
customer service is consistent
and paramount, while
accurately capturing all
requests
Service Level Agreements
(SLAs): implement SLAB with
departments to establish
realistic expectations for
service, given IT staffing and
time constraints
Project Justification
Methodology: develop project
justification methodology to be
utilized by IT Governance
Council to set guidelines for
project requests and to assist
with prioritization of projects
Performance Metrics:
implement additional IT
performance metrics to
continually monitor IT inputs,
outputs, and outcomes
28
31
Priority Three Initiatives focused by Commissioners' Objectives:
29
Ensure a
Promote an Stimulate
Invest in
Create,
Ensure a
community
interactive ` planning and
`
quality
preserve, and
high
network of basic
& economic
County
protect
quality of
lip
human services
transparent development
facilities, a
sustainable
life and
and
system of efforts,
diverse
natural
lifelong
infrastructure
governance maintain
work force,
environment
learning
balanced local
and
economy
technology
Location of GIS: GIS should
continue to be centralized,
either as a stand -alone
department or within IT, in
order to ensure maximum
coordination and minimal
duplication of efforts
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure:
utilize virtual desktop
infrastructure to minimize
computer replacement costs,
as well as to centralize IT
servicing efforts on individual
machines
Standardized Applications and
Data: when possible, the
County should move to
standardized applications and
data formats to ensure
seamless integration of
services
29
32
PRIORITY LEVEL ONE
Staffing Needs within IT Department:
There is a clear need for additional staff within the IT Department. In order for the department to
operate as a high - performing organization, sufficient staff is required to complete projects in a timely
manner, as well as maintain operational level support. Without increasing the staff in the IT
department, many of the projects requested and recommended in this plan will not be possible to
implement. Key positions needed in the IT department include: 4 Senior Systems Analysts, 1
Applications Division Manager, 1 Network Engineer, and 1 GIS Addressing Coordinator. Additional
detail on these needed positions can be found in Appendix C.
One noted process area of improvement within IT staffing can be facilitated by establishing a key
Business Relationship Manager roles within the Information Technology Department. In this model,
specific IT staff will rotate between departments to assess business process, gain better working
knowledge of daily operations, and partner with departmental staff to create technical solutions and
enhancements to operational, tactical, and strategic issues. Essentially, the Business Relationship
Managers will assist in developing proactive solutions to business unit problems or challenges, versus
the often reactive process used currently. The adoption of this model does presume an increase of IT
Department's FTEs in order to achieve the level of service expected by the departments.
Information Technology Governance Structure:
IT Governance is becoming an increasingly important topic in the public sector. The role of the
governance is to ensure that IT is aligned with the business and delivers value, its performance is
measured, its resources properly allocated and its risks mitigated. The IT Governance Council is not
directly involved with traditional maintenance and infrastructure projects, but rather, addresses the
various competing demands for IT staff time and IT investment dollars related to enterprise and /or
departmental IT projects. For example, the Governance Council would assess all IT project requests
from various departments during the budget process and then make recommendations for funding
and project prioritization (related to IT staff commitments) in a manner that best serves the needs of
the County as a whole, not the individual desires of competing departments.
The IT Governance structure should be established by the IT Department, but the County should
ensure that senior management is involved in the Governance process, serving as Governance
30
33
Chairperson for at least the first year of the endeavor. In addition, the governance structure should
be composed of selected department heads and senior leadership in order to assist the Information
Technology Department with project prioritization, goal alignment, and risk management. The ideal
size of the IT Governance Council ranges between five and nine individuals. The IT Governance
Council can be established and formalized without additional IT staff. Additional information on the
suggested IT Governance Structure is found in Appendix B.
Communications Process:
One area for improvement is communication, both internal and external to the IT Department.
Improved communication tools and procedures are critical to the continued success of the Orange
County IT Department. The culture within IT is improving, per departmental interviews. However, the
IT staff offer a unique opportunity to discern potential problems or challenge approaches, which can
lead to improved processes and products upon completion. Furthermore, better communications will
improve trust among staff, both with management and with peers.
In order to enhance communications within and outside of the IT Department, regularly scheduled
meetings should be held in order to encourage staff participation and involvement. An investment in
and use of a County Intranet or other collaborative tools should allow ubiquitous employee access to
project materials, contracts, purchase orders, and other forms of documentation. Finally, IT
leadership should develop consistent communications with other department heads, in order to
increase knowledge of County IT policies and procedures. As the IT Department grows, it is essential
for the senior IT staff to regularly meet with the County departments to determine their needs,
analyze their business processes, and offer ideas for innovation and performance enhancement
through technology solutions.
Overall Training and Utilization of Current Investments:
Orange County has made significant investments in a variety of quality software applications. Prior to
the procurement and deployment of new systems and applications, a concerted effort to increase end
user utilization of the full functionality of such programs should be encouraged. Most individuals in
any given organization only use about fifteen percent of a given software's functionality, and the end
users in the County appear to have similar utilization rates, although some departments expressed
significantly lower rates of utilization and understanding of deployed software functionality. End user
training, as well as IT staff training, is critical to improving software functionality utilization rates.
Training for End Users:
Approximately sixty percent of the variance in technology project's success of failure can be attributed
to the training available to end users. However, governments often view training dollars are
expendable resources, not recognizing the connection between training and project success and
return on investment. In order to increase technology adoption and to facilitate successful
31
34
technology solutions for the departments, investments in end user training are critical. Investments
should be made in a variety of technology areas, including the basic Microsoft Office suite, the email
system, the calendaring system, enterprise packages such as Munis, shared technology resources (i.e.,
shared network drives), and department- specific packages. All new technology deployments should
include a detailed training plan that addresses the variety of learning styles within the County.
Training is critical and should be adequately funded using best -of -breed training approaches. A half -
day mandatory technology training session for all new employees should be required within the first
week of employment, along with additional continuing education opportunities to advance the base
worker knowledge of Orange County systems.
Shared Accountability and Authority Model
There are two major issues related to the accountability and authority of the Orange County IT
Department. First, the County needs to take a shared accountability approach to all IT investments.
There are no "technology projects ", only "business projects with technology solutions." As such, it is
critical that senior County leadership and County department heads work together to successfully
implement technology solutions that improve efficiencies, effectiveness, and citizen service delivery.
Within the County departments, it is imperative that specific staff are designated as "Power Users"
and are given the authority to interact with that department's specific software vendor to solve
problems. If those problems are outside the technical reach of the Power User, then the IT
department should be involved in the communications with the vendor. However, it is not feasible to
expect the IT department to interface with the various vendors without departmental involvement to
describe the issues. Together, the shared accountability and authority model, supported by County
leadership, will lead to more efficient and effective service delivery from the IT Department.
Second, the County should implement a mechanism for ensuring adequate project and process
management for all major expenditures of tax dollars. In order to ensure project success, particularly
technology - related, the County needs to enforce a disciplined approach to understanding
requirements, ensuring end user testing, and requiring training and use of new systems. Typically, the
HR department and senior management work with the IT department to determine how to measure
staff participation in these efforts and tie their participation to annual performance evaluations. By
developing a disciplined process and requiring shared accountability, IT expenditures will be
substantially more beneficial to the County.
32
35
Inventory and Standardization of Fire Department Software /Equipment:
Currently, Orange County is undergoing an inventory of fire department software in use by its
volunteer organizations. As the County works with the various departments, it is important to
consider the use of standardized software and hardware between the fire departments and the
County Emergency Management Services. The utilization of one standard software package will allow
data to be shared without substantial manual data entry, and will also allow Emergency Management
to work more closely with the departments by utilizing data analytics and predictive analysis.
Connectivity and Network Extension:
Fiber and wireless networks are the future of the public sector. As the County continues to expand its
service locations and increase service provision, it is essential that investments in capital technology
infrastructure are included in such extensions. Clearly, fiber investments are critical to Orange
County, in terms of connecting geographically dispersed governmental buildings and should be
planned and budgeted for, as part of the capital budgeting process. It is especially critical to consider
the installation of fiber loops across the county, particularly to remote locations, for redundancy,
continuity of business operations, and public safety. As new facilities are built for the County, IT
requirements, such as fiber optics, should be included at the onset of planning. It should be noted
that this network infrastructure is specifically related to County government operations and is not
part of the larger strategy to increase broadband access to Orange County residents.
In areas where there is limited network connectivity or cost - prohibitive fiber installation, wireless
investments (Wi -Fi, Wi -Max, or licensed spectrum point -to- point) may prove to be more cost - effective
than fiber. In addition, the interest in the mobile workforce, as expressed by many departments,
requires the utilization of existing wireless networks or the creation of new networks dedicated to
public sector utilization. A variety of efforts at the federal level are increasing the opportunities for
local governments to access dedicated public sector spectrum for use in the creation of such wireless
networks. The application of wireless networks has demonstrated an incredible return on investment,
in terms of man hours and citizen perceptions. As the network extensions occur, mobile applications
that run on wireless networks should be increasingly procured.
Network and PC Replacement:
The County should continue to invest in PC and network equipment refreshment and replacement to
ensure that that County remains on a stable, supported infrastructure. Replacement of hardware and
equipment (PC, server, and network) is considered to be routine maintenance and is often funded
from a Capital Improvement Fund. Following an industry standard replacement cycle is critical to
maintaining warranties, as well as equipping County staff with sufficient infrastructure to support
their increasingly technology- dependent work.
33
36
Virtual Server Hosting Shelves and Physical Servers:
The County should continue to invest in the consolidation and virtualization of its server environment,
which requires additional virtual server hosting shelves and replacement of physical servers. In server
virtualization efforts, many small physical servers are replaced by one larger physical server, to
increase the utilization of costly hardware resources such as CPUs. Server Virtualization allows for a
reduction in the total number of servers. As a general rule, one virtualized server can replace up to
ten servers. By enhancing its virtual server environment, Orange County can improve its total cost of
server ownership through reduced hardware maintenance costs, and reduced energy costs. In
addition, the movement to a virtual environment is essential for disaster recovery.
Storage Area Network Expansion:
As governments continue to collect data and information at an exponential rate, and subsequently
store that data within the information systems, computing resources become strained. Orange
County should invest in a Storage Area Network (SAN) expansion in order to house the data off the
main technology resources, thereby extending their usefulness and reducing future expansion costs.
Upgrade and Standardization of Microsoft Software:
As the County continues to invest in technology to gain efficiencies, increase effectiveness, and
enhance transparency and accountability, standardization becomes more critical. Stand -alone
systems are still being used across Orange County departments, limiting the utility and cross -
functionality of data sharing and importation between business units. The first area of
standardization should be concentrated on the MS Office Suite and Operating Systems. By moving to
a County -wide standardized platform, there will be substantial increases in speed of deployment of
systems, speed of upgrades, continuity between departmental offerings, and responsiveness of the IT
department to customer needs. The County has two options related to upgrading the Microsoft
environment. Option One is to procure the Microsoft Enterprise Licensing Agreement, which will
allow the County to remain current with respect to Microsoft versions. This option is more costly than
the County's previous model of upgrading only as needed. The second option is to upgrade all County
devices to the current version of Microsoft by procuring individual licenses for each machine. This is a
more cost - effective option but it does not ensure that the County will stay up -to -date on its Microsoft
offerings.
34
37
PRIORITY LEVEL TWO
Required Use of Technology in Departments:
A common misconception stems from the belief that IT departments can enforce user departments to
adopt new technologies to improve work efficiencies and effectiveness. In fact, County
Administration is the proper vehicle to ensure the adoption of new technologies, as the IT department
is a customer service organization, focused on delivering value -add products to its users. By requiring
County department heads and line staff to adopt new or enhanced technologies, Orange County will
significantly improve its technology utilization rate, as well as become more effective in its operations
and citizen services. As County management works with department heads and staff to enforce the
adoption of technology, performance evaluations must reflect such requirements.
Business Relationship Management Model-
One noted process area of improvement within IT staffing can be facilitated by establishing a business
relationship management (BRM) model within the Orange County Information Technology
Department. In this model, key IT staff will rotate between departments to assess business process,
gain better working knowledge of daily operations, and partner with departmental staff to create
technical solutions and enhancements to operational, tactical, and strategic issues. Essentially, the
BRMs will assist in developing proactive solutions to business unit problems or challenges, versus the
often reactive process used currently. The adoption of this model does require an increase of IT
Department's FTEs in order to achieve the level of service expected by the departments.
ITIL (IT Service Management):
One popular way to organize IT Service Management is through the implementation of Information
Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL). ITIL contains codes of practice for quality management of IT
services and infrastructure and it defines quality as "matched to business needs and user
requirements as these evolve." ITIL goals include: services that meet business, customer, and user
demands; cost - justifiable service quality; role and responsibility definition; and demonstrable
performance indicators. Orange County should consider investing in training on ITIL principles to
determine if the framework would add value to the Help Desk and Knowledge Base.
Service Level Agreements:
In alignment with IT Service Management, it is recommended that Orange County move toward the
establishment of Service Level Agreements. SLAB are contracts between a customer and provider that
indicate the terms of service that will be provided. For example, many Technology Departments
create service level agreements with their internal customers (departments) in order to set standards
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around response time to requests, server uptime, or network reliability. Orange County should
consider the role of SLAB in the organization, in particular, as a means of communicating customer
service standards for internal clients.
Additionally, as the County looks toward implementing IT Service Management, Operational Level
Agreements (OLAs) and Underpining Contracts (UCs) should be implemented. OLAs define how the IT
Department (and other IT groups within the County) work together to meet IT service level
requirements. An OLA often includes hours of operation, responsibilities, authorities, response times,
supported systems, etc. OLAs are internal agreements that ensure the IT staff (centralized and within
departments) support the common goal of providing superior customer service. UCs are legal,
contractual agreements between third party suppliers of IT Support to the County IT Department.
These contracts must be kept up to date and ensure that the third party will provide required levels of
support as necessary.
Project Justification Methodology:
Orange County needs a formalized project justification methodology that will be administered by the
IT Governance structure. The project justification methodology should assess issues such as
enterprise impact, timing of the project, cost of project, man hours required to complete, and
mandatory nature (i.e. statutory requirement). Currently, the individual departments, due to the
budgeting structure, are deciding which projects to undertake, without consistent input from the IT
Department. Moving forward, the IT Department should have involvement in all decisions about
technology investments in the County, but the oversight on project selection and prioritization needs
to be conducted by the Governance structure noted above.
IT Performance Metrics:
The following metrics are offered as a means to evaluate County IT performance.
Internal Business Process Metrics:
• IT Support Cost per Employee: IT staff salary and fringes divided by the total number of
County employees they support
• Compare the IT Support Cost per Employee to Local Private Support Firms (to determine if the
cost is lower than outsourcing the work; the comparison must be exact, with the same services
and service levels provided by both groups in the comparison)
• IT Maintenance and Support Cost per Employee: same formula as above, but add in the total
maintenance costs for the County and then divide by the total number of County employees
• Percentage of PCs currently under manufacturer warranty
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Customer /Stakeholder Metrics•
• Customer Satisfaction Survey: conducted annually or every six months
a. Supplement this with monthly customer satisfaction surveys based on help desk tickets
• Infrastructure Incident Resolution Index (SLA): Incidents resolved with SLA /Total Incidents
• Incident resolution within SLA target
• Percentage of problems resolved within 4 hours, 8 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours (per SLA)
• System Availability by application priority level:
• Measured as percentage of employees affected by outages, based on application
priority level (as established by the IT Governance Council)
• Measured as percentage of business hours affected by outages, based on application
priority level (as established by the IT Governance Council)
• Percentage of help desk calls resolved at the time of the call
• Percentage of project requests addressed:
o On time
• On budget
• Within pre- agreed upon scope
• Average time required to repair pc /printer
Continuous Improvement:
• % Costs for Value -Added Services
• Cost - Benefit of Efficiency Improvements, including Cost Savings from Efficiency Improvements
Business Alignment•
• Percentage of IT Hours Allocated by Business Priority
• Percentage of IT Hours By Business Initiative
• Expenditure by Business Initiative
Learning /Innovation Metrics:
• Number of innovations implemented (divided by) Number of innovation ideas generated per IT
employee over a given period
• Training days per employee: demonstrates increased skill -sets
• Certifications per IT personnel: demonstrates knowledge gains
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PRIORITY LEVEL THREE
Location of Geographic Information Systems:
Currently, GIS is decentralized with staff in both the County Planning and IT Departments. As the
criticality of GIS to all departmental and enterprise functions has increased, the location and reporting
structure for the GIS division should be examined. Comparing Orange County with peer counties,
based on size, the scope of GIS work, and the staffing within the GIS division, the most common
location for GIS is within the Information Technology Department or as a stand -alone department.
The County should consider the relocation and restructuring of the GIS department to facilitate
greater service delivery to the various internal departments and external customers of the County.
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (Desktop Virtualization):
Virtualization, as a technology, is fast becoming an in- demand technology solution for local
governments. It allows for local governments to maximize current resources, which is an attraction in
these challenging budgetary times. Virtualized Servers and Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
provide a quick response to the business needs of the organization. These projects also reduce the
cost of business continuity planning and solve major security issues within the organization.
Virtual Desktops can extend the lifecycles of existing computers. Current desktop lifecycles are two to
three years. By implementing a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), computer lifecycles can be
extended to five years or more. Desktop Virtualization will simplify the management of desktop
computers. Virtual Machine (VM) Images can be created based upon the user and departmental
needs. These images are stored on a central server and can be installed (pushed) onto desktop
computer remotely. Desktops can be updated without having any downtime. VDI also saves money by
reducing the amount of computing capacity that is needed for each desktop, which results in lower
requirements for computing which then lowers overall energy cost for the organization. Furthermore,
the VDI model is likely the most realistic mechanism to support "bring your own devices" (BYOD)
approach that many staff desire. In this approach, the individual employees utilize their own devices
(laptops, smart phones, tablets) and access the County's resources through a secure Virtual Desktop
environment. The secure environment is not only critical to the integrity and security of data within
the County's systems, but also makes the BYOD model tenable for IT support of those various devices.
Standardization of Applications and Data:
As the County continues to invest in technology to gain efficiencies, increase effectiveness, and
enhance transparency and accountability, standardization becomes more critical. Stand -alone
systems are still being used across Orange County departments, limiting the utility and cross -
functionality of data sharing and importation between business units, especially between like
functions such as permitting and inspections or tax. Orange County should seek to standardize as
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many applications as reasonable, or at least standardize data elements in order to encourage
seamless data transfer between applications.
In addition, the County should move to a standardized data environment where data is collected once
and utilized many times. This "capture once, use many" concept reduce duplication, inconsistencies
and errors. The standardization of data elements is often the most difficult policy to implement
within disparate business units, but it allows the creation of centralized data warehouses, reduction in
redundant data entry, and more effective management of information flows within the organization.
It is imperative that the County invest in centralized software moving forward.
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Conclusion
The Orange County Strategic Information Technology Plan provides a framework for the effective
management of Information Technology. It offers a customer - focused approach to implementing and
managing IT and uses employee suggestions to provide a roadmap for future technology efforts. The
plan also includes a comprehensive view of County accomplishments over the past decade, as well as
examines the current state of technology in Orange County and its peer local governments.
Information Technology can be used to provide higher quality services in a more cost efficient manner
by providing improved service access, reduced transaction costs, and improved internal efficiencies.
As the County strives to be more customer - oriented and to provide effective services, technology
investments become essential.
Despite the potential impact of technology, it is critical to understand that the application of
technology to poor or inefficient processes will not produce the requisite cost savings or effectiveness
gains. Technology is a tool used to improve customer service but the administration, policies, and
procedures surrounding a given function or process must be revised and fine -tuned in order to
provide the highest quality of service. As a result of this necessary coupling between technology and
business process, it is imperative that all technology projects and investments are tightly integrated
with and continually measured against the Orange County's articulated business goals and vision.
Project Prioritization
The aforementioned projects and solutions are offered for consideration by the County. The projects
noted are largely enterprise in nature and are not comprehensive of all requests made by
Commissioners or departmental staff. The appendices contain the specific requests collected during
the interview process for reference and use by the IT Governance Council. As part of continuous
improvement around engagement and communication with County staff, the IT Department and
County Management will work with the IT Governance Council to verify prioritization of the suggested
projects. In addition, after prioritization is confirmed, cost estimates will be generated for projects
within the prioritization framework by the IT department.
Prior to undertaking the projects requested, it is imperative that additional IT staff are hired in order
to facilitate successful delivery of all prioritized projects. If staff increases are not appropriated, then
the projects should be evaluated against the current requirements of on -going maintenance and
support of the existing infrastructure to determine which efforts are feasible and to establish
timelines which are reasonable and reflective of the over - committed, under - resourced IT department.
Investment Strategies
Although technology investment is necessary as a means of maintaining efficient and effective
services, as well as competing in the local government marketplace, several steps can be taken to
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43
ensure wise investments. First, a cost - benefit analysis of projects should be undertaken, along with a
clear, multi -year understanding of the total cost of ownership for a given project. The total cost of
ownership includes hardware and software maintenance, ongoing training, support and operations
and allows the government to plan its expenditures in an appropriate manner without neglecting the
funding requirements of the project in the years to come. In addition, upgrades and replacement
plans for systems are imperative and must be included in the budget. Ideally, the County should
separate its budget requests and funding for ongoing IT infrastructure and maintenance from the IT
project budget requests and funding (typically focused on user departments).
Orange County is a successful, technology - friendly government and should continue investing in
technology to enhance the internal and external services of the organization. As the County keeps its
eye on growth and the future, it is imperative that technology investments keep pace with that vision.
Orange County is moving into another exciting period of growth and renewal and it is critical that
technology serve as a tool for improving efficiency and effectiveness. Furthermore, technology will
allow the County to grow quickly and respond to increase customer demands.
"The number one benefit of information technology is that
it empowers people to do what they want to do.
It lets people be creative. It lets people be productive.
It lets people learn things they didn't think they could learn before,
and so in a sense it is all about potential."
Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO
41
Orange County Strategic Information Technology Plan
Appendix A:
Commissioners' and
Departmental R
2012
The Center for Public Technology, UNC School of Government
45
COMMISSIONERS' REQUESTS RELATED TO TECHNOLOGY
Ideas Noted During Interviews
1. Improved Internet Access /Cellular Coverage across County
2. Single Unified Database Feeding All Systems and Applications
3. Educate Public about Privacy of Their Personal Information in County Systems
4. Paperless Agenda/iPads or other Tablet
5. Recording /Streaming of All BOCC Meetings (including workshops and committee
meetings)
6. Kiosks for Self- Service across County
7. Inventory and Coordination of Systems between FDs, EMS, etc
8. Need to Be More Progressive Technologically
9. Televise BOCC Meetings Live
10. Website Needs Overhaul
11. Push Meeting Summaries to Citizens by Following Morning
12. Push Actual Agendas to Citizens (not links)
13. Change TV Station to Channel Everyone Gets
14. One -Stop Experience with Planning, Inspections, etc
15. Streamline Processes
16. Handheld Devices in Field for Employees
17. Require BOCC to Use County Email Address
18. Establish Policy on BOCC Responses to Citizen Emails, Calls, etc
19. Kiosk with Public Records in County Building
20. Replace Housing Vouchers with Electronic Means
21. Canned Report Generation for BOCC related to Areas of Interest
22. Plan for Getting Ahead and Continued Refresh
23. Desire Permanent Commissioners' Locations with Full Technology Capacity
24. Utilize Social Media to Engage Citizens
25. Allow Public Comment and Feedback via Technology (Surveys, etc)
26. Need PIO
27. Focus on Public First with Technology, then Internal
28. More Information Online
I
29. Coordinate IT Purchasing with Schools
30. Revive IT Committee & Involve BOCC Member
31. FD Issues with VIPER
32. Need Public Access Locations across County
33. Move Quicker with IT Procurement
34. Invest in Training for IT Purchases
35. Require Dept Heads and Staff to Use Technology
36. Develop IT Governance Process with Prioritization Abilities
37. Public Needs Improved Communications from County
38. Public Needs Information Provided Prior to Events, Meetings, etc
39. Gain Understanding of Budgeting /Priorities for IT Procurement
40. Need Education Campaigns for Citizens
41. Need Strategy for Communicating with BOCC in Emergencies (if systems are down)
47
ORANGE COUNTY DEPARTMENTS' TECHNOLOGY REQUESTS
Requests Noted During Interviews
Requests
Categories
Domain of Responsibility
Paperless Agendas
Hardware, Software,
BOCC, IT, Clerk
Process
BOCC Meeting Room Enhancements
Hardware, Software
BOCC, IT, Clerk
Expanded Video /Audio Capture of
Hardware, Software
BOCC, IT, Clerk
BOCC Meetings
IT Department Needs More Staff
Staff
IT, Manager
Develop System for Prioritizing IT
Process
Manager, IT
Investments
Coordinated Social Media Efforts
Process
PIO?
Need More IT Training for County
Staff
IT, HR
Employees
Departments Want IT Liaisons
Staff
IT, Manager
Increase IT Staff)
Data Sharing Improvements Needed
Process (Outside County
State/Federal
DSS, HD, DoA, CSE, etc
Control
Issues related to Personally Owned
Process, Staff
Legal, IT, Manager
Devices and Government Email
Access (Support From IT?
Utilize New Technology and Be
Hardware, Software,
IT, Manager, Finance,
Progressive
Process, Staff
BOCC
GIS Needs to Be Centralized (several
Process
Manager, IT
depts. want; others do not
Need Improved Munis Functionality
Software
HR, IT
for HR
Need to Implement Munis Self-
Software
HR, IT
Service
Everyone Should Be on Direct
Process
Finance, HR
Deposit
All Employees Need Computer
Hardware
HR, IT
Access in break room, etc
All Employees Need Computer
Staff
HR, IT
Literacy Training
Working to Improve Intranet
Hardware, Software,
IT, HR
consider SharePoint
Process, Staff
Electronic Personnel Records
Hardware, Software,
IT, HR
Management System Needed
Staff
Need Mechanism to Record and Offer
Hardware, Software,
IT
Online Training
Staff
Policy Needed on IT Support for
Process
HR, IT
Alternative Work Schedules and
Telecommutin
Integration of EMS e- Scheduler
Software
EMS, Finance, IT
M
Software with Kronos
Need Programming Staff in IT to
Staff
IT, Manager
Support Customized Applications
Need Defined, Clear Roles Related to
Process
Finance, IT
Credit Card Payments between
Finance and IT
Need Involvement from Departments
Process
Manager, Legal, HR, IT
with Respect to Policy Development
SM Policy)
Need More Field -Based Capabilities
Hardware, Software
IT, Outside Vendors
(Remote Access, Information
Exchange, etc
Need Better Cellular Coverage in
Hardware, Software,
Outside Vendors
County
Infrastructure
Need More Broadband Access
Infrastructure
Outside Vendors
Need More County Hotspots
Hardware, Software,
IT, Outside Vendors
Infrastructure
Need AVL in All County Vehicles
Hardware, Software
IT?
IT Should Support All Specialized
Staff
IT, Manager
Department- S ecific Software
County Website Needs Overhaul
Hardware ?, Software,
IT, PIO?
Process, Staff
Need Mobile Interface for County
Hardware, Software,
IT, PIO
Website
Process, Staff
Department Should Not Have to Ask
Process
IT, Finance, Manager
IT for Permission to Buy Software,
Hardware, etc
Need Better Replacement PC Process
Hardware, Software,
IT
communication, roll -out, etc
Process, Staff
Need New Permitting & EH Software
Hardware, Software,
Planning, Environmental
(Single Point of Failure due to
Staff
Health, IT
Custom Code Developed Outside of
IT
Need Interactive GIS Deployed in
Hardware, Software
IT, Consolidated GIS?
Field ESRI ELA
Need Listsery Capability for
Software
IT, PIO?
Customer Communications
Need Options for Webinars
Software
IT
Need Replacement Process /Cycle for
Process (then Hardware,
IT, Finance
Grant - Funded Equipment (Library
Software)
Public Access Terminals
Need IT to Manage Public Access
Staff
IT, Manager
Terminals in Libraries
Need Increased Web -Based Services
Hardware, Software,
IT
Process
Need Increased Bandwidth for
Hardware, Software
IT
Library
Need Network Segmentation for
I Hardware, Software
I IT
i •
Library
Need Integrated Library Software
Software
Library, IT
Hosted Solution
Need Help Desk Software for IT
Software
IT
Department and End User Interface
Need New EMS CAD Vendor
Hardware, Software
EMS, IT
Need Improved Process to Procure
Process
IT
Software & Hardware
Need to Prepare for NextGen 911
Hardware, Software,
EMS, IT
Process
Need Consolidated Paging System
Hardware, Software,
EMS, Fire, IT
Process
Explore Lease Options for Specific
Process
EMS, IT
Servers (Z 11 Servers
Need Backup for 911 Center
Hardware, Software,
EMS, IT
Process
Health Communications Wants to Be
Process
Health, IT, PIO
Part of Government Channel
Programming
Need Increased Ability for Online
Software, Process
IT
Interactions (Surveying, etc
Environmental Health and Citizens
Hardware, Software,
Register of Deeds,
Need Access to Current, Real -time
Process
Consolidated GIS, IT
GIS and Deed Information
Need Additional Loaner Laptops with
Hardware, Software,
IT
Longer Loaner Periods
Process
Exploring HD Software Options
Hardware, Software,
Health Department
Outside of HIS
Process
Wireless Access Is Issue in Other
Hardware, Software
IT
County Facilities
Need to Deploy Tablets to
Hardware, Software
IT
Departments
Need to Stay Current with
Hardware, Software,
IT
Windows/Microsoft Versions
Staff
Need Power Users with Specific
Process
IT, Manager
Admin Rights and Training in Each
Department or Building
Need Regular IT User Group
Process
IT
Meetings
Invest in New Technologies &
Hardware, Software,
IT
Modernize County Operations
Process, Staff
Virtual Desktops, SharePoint, etc
Need to Improve Engagement of
Process
IT
Employees and Public in Identifying
New Technologies
Need Microsoft Enterprise License
Software
IT
Need Adobe Enterprise Agreement
Software
IT
or additional licenses for key staff)
50
Need Document Management System
Hardware, Software,
IT, Manager
Process
Need to Change Domain of Website
Process
IT
and Email Addresses
Need Network Access Control
Hardware, Software,
IT
Solution Deployed
Staff
Need to Explore Unified Messaging
Hardware, Software
Legal, IT, Manager
Orange County Strategic Information Technology Plan
Appendix B:
IT Governance
2012
The Center for Public Technology, UNC School of Government
52
Appendix B: IT Governance 12012
The IT Governance Council (ITGC) will coordinate all Orange County IT projects through a managed
process. At any given time, there are projects of various size and complexity levels being evaluated,
planned, or worked on throughout the County. Different projects are at different stages of their
lifecycle and require different levels of involvement from the various Information Technology (IT) and
functional project team members. The ITGC should include standing members: the County Manager
or Assistant County Manager, the HR director, the Financial Services Director, the Emergency
Management Services Director, the CIO, and ad hoc members: two additional County department
heads appointed by the standing members.
Among the many benefits of coordinated project governance is the increased ability of Business
Stakeholders, IT Staff, Project Managers, and Subject Matter Experts to monitor project progress and
resources. Additionally, coordinated project governance provides management with a single,
comprehensive list of projects requested and underway.
The proposed management processes involve:
1. Initial Request to IT Governance Council (ITGC) for IT Project Approval
2. Technical review by Technical Subcommittee, including resource and support requirements
3. ITGC review and approval of project for Goal Alignment based on County priorities
a. Determination of funding availability, if requested without funding source
4. Allocation of IT Project within Project Schedule, based on prioritization ranking
The following diagram outlines the IT Project Approval Process.
Funding Secured
technical veracity,
internal technology
alignment and support
IT Project Approval
F T Project Schedule
sed on prioritization
Funding Needed
Evaluate Project for
technical veracity,
internal technology
alignment and support
requirements
Funding Availability
Determined
53
Appendix B: IT Governance 12012
Project Classification /Criteria
The project classification approach focuses on gauging project complexity and impact to ensure the
appropriate levels of review and stakeholder involvement are undertaken. Under this methodology, a
project charter must be submitted, approved and assessed for funding availability if it meets one or
more of the following criteria:
IT Project Investment Criteria
• The project's development schedule, consisting of the analysis, design, programming, testing and
integration components, is estimated to exceed 4 calendar months.
• The total project cost is estimated to exceed $10,000. If the system is being built in- house, this
would include labor hours.
• The proposed solution will consist of installation of or expansion of software, voice, video
networks facilities or services other than those routinely acquired through the Information
Technology (IT) Department.
• The project will consist of the development, acquisition or installation of technologies not
currently supported by the IT Department. The proposed solution could be enterprise in nature or
consist of the development and /or purchase of a system that involves more than one department.
• Projects that may not rise to these criteria but are mission critical to a particular department may
still be submitted as a IT Project request.
The final approved Project Charter will require both Stakeholder and IT approval.
54
Appendix B: IT Governance 2012
Project Prioritization and Management
To guide the allocation of resources, a prioritization process is utilized for all information technology
project requests. Understanding the factors utilized at this level of prioritization will assist County staff
in understanding the rationale for determining how and why resources are assigned to specific
projects. By definition, higher priority projects will receive higher levels of resources (time, staff, and
finances).
A certain amount of flexibility will always be a component of the project prioritization process.
Management must be able to adjust the process when necessary to achieve critical outcomes.
However, routine use of basic guidelines will help members understand the evaluation process by
which projects are prioritized.
Factors that are considered when
prioritizing projects include:
Weight
N
Score
(1 -10)
Total
(score * weight)
1. Statutory Compliance
15%
2. Citizen Service Improvements
20%
3. Positive Financial Impact: Cost Savings /Revenue
Generation
25%
4. Alignment with Comprehensive Plan or
Commissioners' Goals
10%
5. Internal Service Improvements
20%
6. Enterprise Scope
10%
Total
100%
55
Appendix B: IT Governance 12012
Description of Factors:
Statutory Compliance: 15%
Statutory Compliance is meant to provide priority to projects that are mandated by state, local or
federal statute. This does not cover process improvements for functions that are mandated by law
or replacement of systems which have a viable alternative. Credit for process improvements is
afforded in other sections of the scoring model.
Weight: A 10 (10 being the highest) in this area would be appropriate if the Project is mandated by
a new law, and it must take place in the current year of the submission. If it is mandate to take
place in year 3, it might score a five. If it is not mandated at all, it might score a 0. A system which
supports compliance that has reached end of life or must be replaced will be considered the same
as a new law and afforded a score of 10.
2. Citizen Service Improvement: 20%
Any project that provides our citizens with a new service or way to transact business with the
County is considered a Citizen Service Improvement. If the service currently exists and the Project
represents significant improvements, it will be weighted the same as a new service.
Weight: Improvements such as creating a new web application for citizens to conduct business
with the County might score a 10. A significant improvement in to an existing application might
score a 7. A process improvement for a department may only score a 5. If the IT Project is
externally focused but improves on a process, it may score a 3.
3. Positive Financial Impact
This is as much determined by the financial impact as it is by the ability to realize that impact within
a specified period of time. A project that creates revenue or saves money on a new or existing
process is considered to have positive financial impact.
Weight: A new revenue source that also provides citizens a convenience, such as online tax bill
payment, might score a 10. A change to an existing business process which results in a cost savings
might score an 8. RO1 and time required to recover the investment is an important aspect of this
area. If a payback of less than 12 months is planned, it may score a 10. A payback time of 2 years
would score a 5, and no anticipated payback period may score a 0. Cost avoidance (if quantifiable)
shall be considered the same as a new revenue source, for purposes of this scoring and calculation
of ROL
4. Alignment with Comprehensive Plan or Commissioners Goals:
10%
The ideal score would be for an IT Project submission to have a significant impact in an area
defined as a County Commissioners Strategic Goal or County Manager's identified priority.
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Appendix B: IT Governance 12012
Weight: If the project can be demonstrated to meet one Board of Commissioners objective, it
would score a 5. If it meets 2 or more, it will score a 10. If the project is aimed at meeting a new
statute, but is not driven by any County goal, it would score a 0.
5. Internal Service Improvements:
A project that applies new technologies to existing processes often yields dramatic, quantifiable
internal improvements.
Weight: Improvements such as standing up a new help desk, automating forms, or implementing a
new system, especially when it streamlines operations between business units, in this example it
might score a 10. An improvement in process in just one business unit might score a 7. A process
improvement within a workgroup may only score a 5. If the TIP is by nature externally focused but
improves on a process, it may score a 3.
6. Enterprise Scope:
10%
An enterprise systems is one which fills a business need as a standard solution in the County and
one for which no other solution will be offered. The scope of the enterprise system is measured by
how many departments, customers and employees use the system. In all cases, the enterprise
system represents the only solution offered.
Weight: If the scope of the enterprise system is fewer than 5 departments, up to 4 points may be
awarded. If more than 10 departments are in scope, up to 10 points may be awarded. For a
department to be in scope, the business need must exist, even if there is no funding to support the
implementation. If the system is not enterprise in nature, no points are awarded.
In addition to the above objective measures, the ITGC may introduce subjective measures into the
decision over project approval. The IT Department, Board of Commissioners, and County Management
will provide "alignment factors" for the ITGC to consider which may include:
• If any division or department exceeds 60% of the approved projects, it would require approval by
the leadership team.
• Determine Max % of spend per technology edge (trailing, leading, bleeding). We do not want to
invest in trailing technologies.
• Any project not started in the fiscal year in which it was approved, or has had a change in scope is
subject to review.
• The goal would be to reduce the project backlog and ensure IT expenditures are invested rather
than sitting idle.
Finally, the ITGC may "force rank" alignments given the dynamic environment in which the County
operates. A project's priority can change over the lifetime of the project. The ITGC will be advised of
any major changes in project status that affect the portfolio.
W
Recommended New Positions
In order to support growing demand for technology -based citizen interaction and engagement,
and the level of technology services desired by the Board of County Commissioners, County
management and departments, the following positions need to be added to Orange County
Information Technologies:
Senior Systems Analysts (4)
Orange County IT currently has 5.7 Systems Analysts. Two of those are in the Operations
division, dedicated to network and server maintenance and support. One of those is a
dedicated Security Analyst and Database administrator. Another is a web developer. That
leaves 1.7 to act as Project Manager /Business Analyst to interface with departments. In order
to provide the level of direct technology engagement expected by departments, 4 additional Sr.
Systems Analyst positions should be added to Orange County Information Technologies'
Applications division.
Applications Division Manager
With the expansion of the Applications division from 3.7 FTEs to 7.7, and the concomitant
increase in Business Relationship Management, the Applications division needs dedicated
division management. This Manager will coordinate development projects, ensure consistency
in business engagement and provide oversight for project management adherence.
Network Engineer
The Operations division currently has one Network Analyst, who also is responsible for
overseeing the data backup systems. Given the geographic distribution of County facilities and
the resulting complexity of the County's data network, additional dedicated engineering
resources are needed. A Network Engineer would provide pro- active planning and
implementation services for the County network, not just reactive break -fix services currently
provided by the Network Analyst.
Addressing Coordinator
With the implementation of the County's addressing ordinance, the GIS organization is strained
to handle detection, enforcement and tracking of the many addressing violations that will result
from the ordinance going into effect in January of 2013. GIS consolidation, phase I has brought
many benefits, but these gains may be significantly eroded if GIS must redirect resources to
cover address assignment and enforcement.