7 Reasons to Update Your IT Strategic Plan
Information technology is advancing at an unprecedented rate, and every year seems to bring some radical new solutions, systems, or software. Consider a few of the more remarkable trends in government technology in recent years. Autonomous transit systems would have seemed like the stuff of science fiction not long ago, but now we’re seeing the reality unfold before our eyes. When construction forced office workers to use distant parking lots at a building site in Reston, Virginia last year, automated shuttles were installed to ferry them back and forth. Similarly, Dubai is in the early stages of implementing city-wide driverless “electric pods,” with a long-term goal of making 25 percent of all travel in the city be made through driverless transport by 2030. In a world of self-driving consumer vehicles, this goal no longer seems far out of reach.
The last few years have also seen a startling rise of artificial intelligence tools which make information far more accessible than ever. Remember when we were all amazed that IBM’s Watson could compete on the game show Jeopardy in 2011? Now, machine learning algorithms are a routine part of both the public and private sector, and many local governments rely on them for connecting the dots between disparate data sources.
With all of these advances, it is more important than ever for governments to refresh their old IT strategies and make sure they align with current trends and needs. Recommendations made just five years ago might now be obsolete, so evaluate your IT strategic plan to see if it’s still valid. You may be farther behind than you realize!
Actually, there are at least seven good reasons why you should update your IT strategic plan as soon as possible:
1) Avoiding Complacency
Nobody falls behind on purpose, but it’s all too easy to become complacent. When you examine your existing IT strategic plan, you may find that you’ve already completed every task and achieved every goal you’d set forth, and as a result, you’re no longer striving toward that next improvement. That’s exactly what the city of Baltimore found when they decided to revamp their IT strategic plan in 2018. The city had launched a cutting-edge data analytics program in 1999 called CitiStat that was intended to pave the way for the government to “improve performance through data transparency and civic analytics.” However, the program was still in operation almost twenty years later, and by then data analytics had far surpassed CitiStat’s capabilities. They’d relied on it far too long and fallen behind as a result. Fortunately, city leaders have addressed the matter and implemented broad and sweeping changes to their IT strategic plan. While your past IT successes should not be forgotten, they simply can’t sustain you indefinitely, nor should they satiate your hunger for improving your ability to deliver services to your citizens. Commit your organization to continual improvement.
2) Adapting to Change
It’s possible that recent changes to the services you provide have necessitated some operational adjustments. During the COVID-19 crisis, citizens are craving access to up-to-date information, as well as safer means of transacting with government services. You don’t have to look far to see examples of local governments adapting to meet these needs by providing new digital tools and processes.
For example, Philadelphia’s Department of Public Health introduced a “situation and risk” webpage with COVID-19 data tracking, the latest testing guidelines, as well as resources for those in need or those who want to volunteer. Portland, Oregon’s Development Services Department has created new touchless drop-off locations for payment services, and the city of San Diego revamped their residential inspection process by allowing for the submission of photos instead of in-person physical inspections.
While you may be addressing the changing needs in your own organization due to the current situation, you also need to revisit and revamp your IT strategic plan accordingly. Of course, the need to adapt is by no means limited to the current pandemic. You never know what the future holds, and there will always be a need to revisit your IT strategy and adapt to changing circumstances.
3) Utilizing Your Players
Personnel changes are inevitable, but when you bring team members on board, they provide opportunities to utilize new knowledge, skills, or a fresh perspective to make progress on your IT initiatives. Are you making the most of your team members’ knowledge and skills with your current strategy? In particular, bringing an effective project manager into your organization can be a game-changer, enabling you to successfully and efficiently follow through on projects that have either stalled or lingered on the back burner for a while. Take advantage of this fresh burst of enthusiasm, because quick progress will provide encouragement for your entire team.
Adding a new team member from the outside can bring a fresh perspective to your team on how to improve performance within their functional area, and a consultant with an elevated skillset can open up doors and possibilities for how your departments utilize technology to improve service delivery.
4) Reducing Vulnerability
In recent years, cyber-security has not received as much attention as it deserves, but a rash of attacks during the COVID-19 crisis are bringing it to the forefront. According to the US Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), there has been a dramatic increase in attacks by “malicious cyber actors” during the current pandemic. Observed threats include phishing attacks and malware distribution that use the pandemic as a lure. As a recent alert from CISA warns, “Individuals and organizations should remain alert to increased activity relating to COVID-19 and take proactive steps to protect themselves.”
Unfortunately, many cities have overlooked cyber-security, so they are ill-prepared to deal with these opportunistic attacks. However, you can’t afford to have a relaxed view of potential threats at a time like this. If your IT strategic plan doesn’t include sections dealing with cyber-security, it needs to be reevaluated and updated.
5) Paying Less for More
There is no lack of competition for software providers or IT equipment these days, so as you make improvements to your IT strategy and infrastructure, don’t just go with the first option. Of course, every organization would love to pay less and get more, and fortunately, as research from Gartner indicates, IT equipment has been getting cheaper in recent years, so it’s easier than ever to find competitive pricing.
No matter your IT needs, you can find the right products for the right price if you’re willing to look around or get expert advice from a third party. If your usual partners won’t give you a competitive price on equipment, it may be time to look somewhere else. Paying less for the right gear or software also comes down to leveraging government/education specific pricing from vendors like CDW-G. However, knowing what to buy, especially the services that come bundled with equipment is critical.
6) Settling for the Best
Technology is ever-evolving, and what works for you today may not work for you tomorrow. That means a system that was recommended to you several years ago is almost certainly no longer the best solution on the market. This is exactly what Baltimore realized in updating its IT strategic plan, as its CitiStat program, which was ahead of its time when adopted, proved to be years behind current analytics solutions. Even if your current technology or recommendations seem acceptable, it is worth re-evaluating what they have to offer in light of the most recent tech developments.
You may discover inadequacies in your existing solution that you hadn’t realized were there, which can help your organization focus on finding a product that far surpasses it in terms of functionality and pace. Only settle for the best.
7) Considering New Perspectives
As technology advances, you don’t want to work with a consulting firm, (or worse, a technology vendor) that is behind the times because they are likely to recommend solutions that are no longer optimal. Fortunately, most consulting firms that work closely with government technology are continually building out their subject matter expertise as they keep pace with changes.
Having a firm with industry-leading skills evaluate your organization’s IT strategic plan can provide helpful insights about the direction you need to go. At the same time, bringing in a fresh set of eyes to evaluate the current state of your plan will provide the guidance you need to follow through on relevant recommendations while abandoning the ones that have fallen victim to time.
A Desire for Continuous Improvement
Instill a desire for continuous improvement throughout your organization, so your team is always looking for a way to improve the services you provide to citizens. Don’t allow satisfaction over past accomplishments to smother your ambition, and watch out for complacency, which can creep in over time and stall your progress.
If your IT strategic plan was created more than three years ago, its usefulness has probably expired in the wake of new competition. It’s time to bring your team together and reevaluate your strategy, system, and available solutions, so you can keep moving forward. There may be new tools and technology on the market that you have yet to explore, better solutions that could help you work smarter and skilled people who could contribute to your team in amazing new ways.