The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About25 - Implementation of Recommendations of the Citizens Technology Task ForceCITY OF NEWPORT BEACH CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT Agenda Item No. 25 September 28, 2010 TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL FROM: City Manager's Office Dave Kiff, City Manager (949) 644 -3000 or dkiff @newporbeachca.gov Dana Smith, Assistant City Manager (949) 644 -3001 or dsmith @newportbeachca.gov SUBJECT: IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CITIZENS TECHNOLOGY TASK FORCE ISSUE: The City Council directed the City Manager to return to the Council with his analysis and proposal for implementing the key recommendations of the Citizens Technology Task Force (CTTF) Report. RECOMMENDATION: Receive and file this report which outlines the City Manager implementation goals and initial steps needed to put into action the Task Force's recommendations. DISCUSSION: The Citizens Technology Task Force (CTTF) was established in April 23, 2010, by City Council Resolution 2010 -24. The Task Force was charged with reviewing the City's use of technology and making recommendations that could improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the use of technology and more wisely manage our capital investments. On July 27, 2010, City Council received and discussed the Committee's report and recommendations. The Council expressed general concurrence with the key recommendations of the report with the understanding that the City Manager's office will provide an implementation plan based on further analysis and development of a detailed strategic plan — one of the major tenets of the Committee's recommendation. I appreciate the time and commitment of the CTTF during their four month review and analysis. The recommendations appear to be representative of best practices in the industry. The key recommendations aptly provide a blueprint for enhancing the City's overall effectiveness at delivering and managing forward thinking use of technology. Below, I have outlined for you the initial steps and general City -wide direction being taken to implement the recommendations. You will see the evolution of this project will Implementation of the Recommendations of the CTTF September 28, 2010 Page 2 be tracked on our newly developing "Project Tracking System" and will be provided to you in my quarterly budget and performance management updates to Council. Kev Task Force Recommendations: 1 — Need for a Chief Information Officer — Vital to the recommendations of the Task Force was the strong suggestion that the City have centralized management and oversight of information technology services. The Task Force recommended that the City Manager "appoint a Chief Information Officer as soon as possible to centrally oversee and facilitate the City's efficient, effective, and productive use of IT resources." I concur with this recommendation and have already begun with a transition plan that includes reclassifying an existing and vacant "IT Manager" position in our IT division to one with citywide oversight of the IT personnel, budget, and strategic direction. The new position titled, "Business Improvement and Technology Manager" will receive direction from the City Manager's office and will have city -wide authority to manage and lead information and technology services. The job description being prepared also calls for this position to focus attention on business improvement processes that can be improved with technology. This will include revamping the way we do business to capture and realize better customer service (e.g. on -line services, transparent and real time access to permits, documents and processes, etc). Appointment of an acting Business Improvement and Technology Manager is being considered. I am sensitive to the specialized technology needs of many departments — including the Library, Administrative Services and Public Safety. Consequently, for the near term, I plan to keep staffing deployed in the same general manner (on site staffing) for an interim period to ensure consistency of support to their respective departments. 2 — Development of a Five -Year IT Strategic Plan — The Task Force was very forceful in their observations that the City needs a Strategic Plan to serve as an "actionable roadmap for Citywide IT operations, priorities, and investments over the next five years ". I agree fully with this recommendation and propose to contract with a knowledgeable consulting firm to assist IT staff and the departments with the preparing the five -year plan. The Consultant will also be required to work with the City's IT Advisory Group (see Item #3) to assist with immediate technology needs such as a service deployment plan, disaster recovery plan, vendor management, consultants, license consolidation strategy and the development of a near term capital replacement plan for significant software and hardware purchases (e.g. Computer -Aided Dispatch (CAD] and Records Management System for police and an Enterprise Document Imaging System). 3 — Establishment of an IT Advisory Group — The Task Force recognized the need for Departments to have a vital role in setting technology priorities, standards (infrastructure, applications, and performance), purchasing coordination, strategic planning and related matters. I agree with this recommendation and have already formed a transitional Business and Technology Advisory Team, a cross - departmental Implementation of the Recommendations of the CTiF September 28, 2010 Page 3 team of IT professionals and end users to work with the Assistant City Manager and outside consultant (once selected) to address immediate technology and business improvement issues. It is currently contemplated that the Business and Technology Advisory Team will have finite mission and will serve for six to nine months. A permanent IT Advisory Group will also be formed within the next six months to take a leadership role of advising the City Manager's office and the Business Improvement and Technology Manager on the development of the strategic plan, establishment of capital expenditure priorities, software purchase coordination, and maintenance and business use of technology. The IT Advisory Group will include key department directors and IT staff. 4 — Strengthen the Accessibility and Transparency of City Government - Both advisory groups will be directed to take a fresh look at ways to improve citizen access and transparency of City government through a greater use of social networking, increased development of Web Applications and, if appropriate, the use of "cloud computing" (offsite companies /servers that host the City's program needs). 5 — Standardize and Consolidate Common IT Infrastructure - The Task Force also recommended developing improved service level agreements and standardizing hardware and processes to taking better advantage of economies of scale. Examples of candidates to be considered for standardization included physical and virtual processing capacity, storage, network, directory and database services, email, and backup and recovery across the Enterprise and consolidating data centers where feasible. These recommendations will be studied and developed into the five year strategic planning effort and if appropriate I will ask the Business and Technology Advisory Team to seek out immediate opportunities to achieve greater efficiencies as suggested by the Task Force. Environmental Review: This action is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act ( "CEQA ") pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, because it has no potential for resulting in physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly. Public Notice: The agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of the meeting at which the City Council considers the item). Implementation of the Recommendations of the CTFF September 28, 2010 Page 4 Funding Availability: No additional funds are required for this transition beyond what has been budgeted for FY 2010 -11. Alternatives: Council could direct staff to return to Council with an alternate action plan if the proposed recommendations do not meet with your concurrence. Prepared by: Dana Smith Assistant City Manger Submitted by: 1::��" v l� Dave Kiff City Manager