While Envision 2026 is the tech blueprint for state government as a whole, the California Department of Technology has its own department-specific strategic plan, Bridge to the Future 2023-2026.
Liana Bailey-Crimmins, the state chief information officer and director of the California Department of Technology, provided Industry Insider — California* with an overview of the new plan, responding to six questions:
1. What inspired Envision 2026, and how does it build on the foundation established by Vision 2023?
Bailey-Crimmins: Over the next three years we will serve the people by leveraging California’s role as a global technology leader, accelerating technology-driven progress to benefit all. This strategic journey is powered by the principles of transparency, collaboration and innovation. Our approach prioritizes people first, ensuring their needs are met while maintaining unwavering commitment to security.
The strategic window of 2021-2023 brought unprecedented challenges, which were met with technology solutions throughout the state, brought about by collaboration among departments, public and private entities, and educators, demonstrating that the state can increase its speed of change. Value gets delivered to the people of California when the technology community and the business of government roll up their sleeves together to navigate unprecedented threats and huge disruptions. We continue to learn from each other every day and own our successes as we grow through our challenges.
Looking ahead, we can keep the momentum going by operationalizing the focus, resilience and collaboration that enabled the speed of statewide change that we experienced in our responses to emergencies and mandates.
Vision 2023 was a strategic call to action for collaborating across organizational boundaries to address state government technology strategies. The emergencies of 2021-2023 required the strategic approach called for in Vision 2023. The vision for Envision 2026 is based on the idea of operationalizing the best practices that delivered successful technology-driven change to address the emergencies.
2. Please describe some of the goals of Envision 2026 and how they apply to California’s technology ecosystem?
Bailey-Crimmins: The statewide technology strategy plan focuses on enhancing cybersecurity, improving digital services delivery, optimizing IT operations, fostering innovation, strengthening California’s public-sector technology workforce and ensuring equity and accessibility in technology across California state government.
Envision 2026 has five goals that focus state government technology strategy, from digital experience to future-proofing the business of government. It includes security, strengthening the workforce and aligning technology strategy throughout the state.
3. How will Envision 2026 enhance cybersecurity and digital service delivery for Californians?
Bailey-Crimmins: The plan’s aim is to simplify and streamline the delivery of digital government services to all residents, making the delivery of those services more equitable, accessible, efficient and secure. It also prioritizes the enhancement of data privacy and security measures to protect residents’ information.
The digital experience of Goal 1 is protected by the cyber-hygiene, -resilience and -maturity of Goal 2, so that residents can have people-centric, accessible and responsive services.
4. With more than 1,700 stakeholders involved, how was the collaborative effort incorporated into the strategic plan?
Bailey-Crimmins: Envision 2026 was developed collaboratively by the California Department of Technology (CDT) and several public- and private-sector partners. The plan was informed by more than 1,700 touchpoints with stakeholders including state, local and federal government agencies, private-sector vendors and technology experts.
We had over 1,700 touchpoints, including Executive Sponsor Sessions, State Technology Council meetings, the CIO Academy, one-on-one interviews, surveys and existing authoritative sources that helped to define the ecosystem.
It was important for this plan to have input from the business and technology communities. Our agency information officers and chief information officers reached out to our secretaries, undersecretaries, directors and chief deputy directors for feedback from business.
We captured and analyzed the feedback and had some compelling recurring themes that stood out that we used as a foundation for the development of Envision 2026. The themes included people first, digital accessibility, statewide alignment, strategy maturity, emerging technologies, and collaboration and partnerships.
We used surveys, focus groups and interviews to connect with the latest strategic perspectives and research of materials associated with targeted strategies, initiatives and statewide challenges.
5. How will California measure the success of Envision 2026, and how will the state track its progress?
Bailey-Crimmins: To facilitate successful implementation, the strategy will be supported by performance management and improvement processes. Annual road maps for 2024, 2025 and 2026 will guide execution, with progress monitored through quarterly dashboards and annual reports.
The performance management program for state government technology strategy management will be extended to include annual road maps that drive quarterly dashboards of progress that feed annual accomplishment reporting.
6. What role do public-private partnerships play in Envision 2026? How can they accelerate California’s technology transformation?
Bailey-Crimmins: Envision 2026 encourages public-private partnerships to serve the people by leveraging California’s role as a global technology leader to achieve its goals, ensuring efficient and cost-effective implementation.
This Q&A was edited lightly for style.
*This story first appeared in Industry Insider — California, part of e.Republic, Government Technology's parent company.
