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This “extended enterprise” is critical in the development and implementation of state IT policy and standards and also in the development and use of shared technologies. This extended enterprise includes the State’s agencies and our business partners, including vendors, other government workers, minority business enterprises, and not-for-profit agencies, as well as our customers. OIT will lead the effort to prioritize IT investment across agencies to ensure the State is optimizing enterprise technology investments. The statewide enterprise will recognize the identity of the individual state agencies and their respective needs and priorities, but will also consider investments across Communities of Interest, where agencies responsible for related missions examine IT initiatives together. Communication and collaboration among agencies and partners will be a critical element for the success of the plan.
Secure access to information and technology resources is of highest priority for state employees, business partners, and the public. Employees will have access to tools that will enable them to perform their jobs more efficiently. Business customers and state citizens are entitled to systems in an IT environment that are readily available, maintain data integrity, confidentiality, and protect personal data and financial transactions.
The enterprise will embrace the concept of best practices in its daily operations. An environment will be developed that encourages new ideas and innovation, yet focuses on best practices. Technology initiatives will emphasize business case analysis and systematic planning. Initiatives will be assessed on the basis of timeliness, responsiveness, and how they enhance the portfolio of investments. Tools will be evaluated against benchmarks prior to being purchased and deployed. Processes will be streamlined, efficient, and well-structured. Performance will be evaluated, and success will be measured against best practice standards. These standards will be obtained from national and international standards organizations.
Technology initiatives will respond to the needs of all customers. Efforts will
be made to understand the requirements of the State’s customers prior
to undertaking these initiatives. An appropriate spectrum of service delivery
methods will be utilized to ensure that solutions will meet the needs
of the users for which they are implemented. While maintaining this focus,
the enterprise will balance customer needs with its duty to manage public
funds responsibly on behalf of the citizens of Ohio.
The
enterprise will employ effective governance processes throughout its operations.
The statewide enterprise will promote joint ownership of the statewide
IT strategy among all agencies and across communities of interest to strengthen
participation. A governance process that drives toward consensus will
be used wherever possible, but decisions will be made to keep the process
moving forward. In addition, the statewide enterprise will strive to maximize
efficiency and eliminate redundancy, thereby optimizing investment by
avoiding stovepipe approaches and seeking to share resources where applicable.
The enterprise will promote technical interoperability to facilitate all types of cross-agency interaction. This interaction may take the form of “open systems” and standards, resulting in agencies using data sharing, common applications and/or components behind a common user interface. Fostering this critical principle and the associated actions is the first step toward specification of an appropriate level of architecture structure for the enterprise.
In order for the State to achieve its vision, its employees need to be empowered to act. The work environment will measure individual as well as group performance. Managers and staff will be held accountable to deliver results. Empowerment increases motivation, and increased motivation leads to improved employee productivity, job satisfaction, and ultimately retention.
The statewide enterprise will focus on developing the existing workforce to prepare for the challenges involved with its initiatives. Training will be a priority, ensuring staff are equipped with the skills necessary for fulfilling Ohio’s technological vision and goals for the future. In turn, the staff will be responsible for delivering results. Along with training, appropriate tools will be provided to do the job effectively. Finally, the State will seek to lower its workforce management risk profile by consciously working to retain workers and/or planning for succession of its workforce. This involves providing employees with opportunities to add value and gain job satisfaction as well as developing programs that acknowledge and reward excellent performance.
Often, innovation begins with a creative idea that is eventually implemented using today’s reliable technology. While there is a clear need to look ahead and exploit new business technologies and foster innovation, a properly-prepared business case will be the foundation for determining which initiatives to fund. Decisions to move forward with advanced technologies will not be made on the basis of technology alone.
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