01/16/2009 GAAS:017:08 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Print Version |
Gov. Schwarzenegger Announces Plan to Increase Government Efficiency through Reorganization of State’s Information Technology
Today, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced the
Governor's Reorganization Plan (GRP) to consolidate statewide information
technology (IT) functions under the Office of the Chief Information Officer
(OCIO). By creating a central IT organization, the state will leverage
California's IT program for greater coordination and efficiency while reducing
costs - saving the state approximately $1.5 billion over the next five years. In
addition to the IT reorganization, the Governor is proposing 17 other ways to
make government more efficient, as outlined in the attached document.
"At a time
when California families and businesses are cutting back and tightening their
belts, state government must do the same - we have a responsibility to ensure
government is working efficiently with taxpayer dollars," said Governor
Schwarzenegger. "My administration is proposing a plan to consolidate things
like software contracts, networks, servers and data centers across the state,
resulting in increased coordination, efficiency, energy savings and an overall
reduction in costs to taxpayers. We have a unique opportunity to make the
state's technology systems work better and more efficiently for the people of California."
"With
more than 400 online services available, Californians are increasingly
interacting with government through Internet browsers instead of offices,"
said Teri Takai, California's Chief Information Officer. "Californians can now
register their vehicles or pay their taxes online, and they can stream
real-time traffic information or apply for research grants online. We need to
build upon this strong foundation by making strategic investments to meet
growing public expectations for access to services
and information 24 hours a day, seven days a week."
The
GRP is based on a recent Little Hoover Commission report that proposed
realigning IT resources, including the Department of Technology Services (DTS)
under the leadership of the OCIO, to enhance efficiency and bolster
performance. The reorganization will create more accountability and
provide a framework to enhance the IT workforce that supports our computer
systems, among other things.
Specifically, the GRP proposes
to:
- Integrate four agencies - the Office of the State Chief Information Officer (OCIO), Office of Information Security and Privacy Protection (Office of Information Security), Department of Technology Services and the Department of General Services - Telecommunications Division - into an expanded OCIO.
- Provide the State Chief Information Officer with authority for IT procurement policy and enterprise IT management.
- Achieve consolidation of software contracts, office automation tools, data centers/computer rooms, servers, storage and networks over the course of five years. This is estimated to achieve a cost savings and cost avoidance of $1.5 billion.
- Preserve program-specific IT systems and budgets at the agency level.
The GRP will be submitted to the
Little Hoover Commission (LHC) next week. The LHC will then have 60 days to
issue a recommendation to the legislature on the proposal. The GRP will also be
submitted to the legislature 30 days after it is submitted to the LHC. The
legislature will have 60 days during which to review the GRP and allow it to
take effect or take up a negative resolution in either house to reject it.
To more effectively oversee
information technology in state government, the Governor signed SB
90 in August of 2007 to establish the OCIO as a cabinet-level agency with
statutory authority over information technology policy. The office establishes
and enforces information technology strategic plans, policies, standards and
enterprise architecture, as well as approves information technology projects
for all state departments.
