State governments are expected to spend $47.4 billion this year, the sixth year in a row in which IT spending will increase. According to recent Center for Digital Government* surveys, cybersecurity, shared services, cloud computing and staffing are priorities for states. Local governments are predicted to spend even more money — $52.3 billion, a figure demonstrating that local budgets have now reached pre-recession levels. Cybersecurity, open and transparent government, mobility, and staffing represent the top four priorities for local governments.
SECURITY: JOB ONE
The importance of cybersecurity across jurisdictions was evidenced by the panelists assembled. Indiana CIO Dewand Neely is working on securing funding for cyberhygiene and awareness efforts.“You can put the big fence up all around the neighborhood, but if your users are just going to hand away the key, it’s not going to do any good for you,” he said.
Missouri CISO Michael Roling weighed in on the potential — good and bad — that the Internet of Things (IoT) represents. “I view it [IoT] as an opportunity but also a tremendous challenge.”
Reporting on the state of cybersecurity funding in Missouri, Roling said the outlook is positive. So positive, in fact, that he’s aiming to offer around-the-clock instant response capabilities.
STAFFING UP
The oft-cited government staffing crisis was highlighted with the following stat: 1 in 4 government employees were eligible for retirement as of September 2015. Many Beyond the Beltway panelists referenced specific strategies for bringing on more technology expertise. To compete for top talent with Silicon Valley tech giants located in his backyard, San Francisco CIO Miguel Gamiño announced that the city has hired a dedicated tech recruiter. He also mentioned the recent addition of a full-time chief information security officer to the city’s payroll — a stand-alone role not often found in local government.In Illinois, CIO Hardik Bhatt discussed plans to hire a chief data officer for the state, while Indiana’s Neely said he’s making the case in his state for a chief privacy officer with the authority that comes with a direct line to the governor.
INFRASTRUCTURE REIMAGINED
On the heels of Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner’s January announcement that the state would undergo a massive consolidation effort to overhaul IT, CIO Hardik Bhatt outlined “Creativity Within Constraints,” a plan to streamline technology systems and realize efficiencies in a state now entering its ninth month without a budget. The detailed plan, described as “pre-decisional,” will aim to hit 75-day milestones, a benchmark deemed doable given that it mirrors the period of time between a November presidential election and the following January’s inauguration. “We are trying to run IT like a business going forward,” Bhatt said, using high-value, customer-centric technology.Local government has its eye on infrastructure too, as both Baltimore CIO Jerome Mullen and San Francisco’s Gamiño underscored the foundational nature of broadband connectivity.
“The broadband conversation is huge,” Mullen said, pointing to the city’s recent appointment of a broadband coordinator, as well as a 50-mile fiber ring project, 20 miles of which were funded by the NTIA’s Broadband Technology Opportunities Program.
"Sound infrastructure can never be disrupted," said San Francisco's Gamiño, "and in our era, that infrastructure is connectivity.”
*Editor’s Note: e.Republic Inc. is the parent company of both the Center for Digital Government, referenced in this story, and Government Technology.
