3 Pillars of an IT Strategic Plan
By Abhijit Verekar
The role of government in our society has traditionally been one of facilitation, collective expenditure, law and order, and generally looking after the well-being of its residents, businesses, and employees. These stakeholder groups have traditionally not expected much from their respective governments, certainly not efficiency and transparency. However, times have changed, and these stakeholder groups now demand and expect excellence from their elected officials and the managers they appoint. In some jurisdictions, demand for government services outpaces available supply of such services. Doing more with less has always been the government’s aspirational goal, but only now do the stakeholder groups expect real action. It is conceivable to say that citizens, businesses, and employees expect the same level of service they get from a private bank and the same facilities (online payments, video meetings, etc.).
The frequently used phrase, “the future is now,” is even more applicable today for technology. Government agencies are acting on increasing demands and modernizing their operations at a rapid pace. Cities and Counties are poised to latch on to modernization opportunities that not only improve internal operations but revolutionize how City and County services are delivered to their citizens.
For any long-term technology strategy to be sustainable and successful, its foundations must be laid on the following pillars:
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity and its importance cannot be over-stated in 2021. Multiple times in 2020, we have seen the havoc a cyber-attack can have on City and County offices worldwide. While we have to be prepared to respond to cyber threats and security events, the best course of action here is the oldest – “prevention is better than the cure.”
Ransomware, phishing, crypto-scams, and many other threats will not stop in the near future. If anything, data shows that our adversaries and their “armies of robots” are only getting stronger, smarter, and more persistent with launching attacks and enhancing threats to our public infrastructure. The best way to start your prevention initiatives is to put safety first in your Information Technology (IT) Strategic Plan with a Cybersecurity pillar.
A few questions come to mind when developing your Cybersecurity pillar in your strategic plan:
Are we resilient to cyber threats?
Are our employees educated and form the first line of defense?
Can we recover from a cyber event quickly?
Infrastructure
Much like our roads, schoolhouses, and administrative buildings, a City or County IT infrastructure needs modernization and resiliency. Gone are the days of fixing what is broken with “duct tape and baling wire” because we cannot find the money for a real long-term fix. Today, we do not have the option to be non-resilient, and surely in the future, this will be even truer. Our roads need a capital improvement plan, so do our fiberoptic networks, servers, storage, computers, firewalls, etc. Just like our schoolhouses, we should not wait if there is a need for a repair.
Is our infrastructure modern, stable, and scalable? Think about this question while reviewing the following strategies for infrastructure resiliency:
Disaster Recovery Plan – we will know how to recover from a disaster that takes down critical infrastructure
IT Services Management – we will deliver services in line with industry best practices and standards
IT Asset Management – we know what we have when it needs to be replaced and how to perform such work
IT Software Deployment – will happen seamlessly and without disruption to end-users, citizens, and business
IT Policy and Procedures – will be documented, agreed upon, adopted, publicized, and enforced
Mobile Device Management – mobile devices deployed will be standardized, tracked, and managed proactively
Standardization – we will not buy something because it is cheap or because we like the sales pitch. We will buy according to our standards and pay for value and service
Email – cloud-based, encrypted email will eliminate the need for server purchased every few years while keeping our emails secure, fast, and accessible from virtually anywhere
Fiberoptic Footprint – we will identify and deploy high-speed networks across the City or County buildings and around the area.
Enterprise Systems
Any organization that uses enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems for its daily operations collects data. When a vehicle tag is paid for or permits issued, a data set is created. When a resident pays their utility bill, a data point is created. While thousands of data points are created continuously and stored in databases, they serve no purpose unless they are analyzed and dissected to identify the meaning behind the collection of the data sets.
Using data to make executive decisions is not a new science. However, we now have the tools that allow us to have more data points to make these decisions more accurate. With these highly customizable tools we must stop and ask the following questions:
Do we have the right set of enterprise software tools to empower our employees to deliver services efficiently?
Are we receiving support for our end-users and system need from our vendor?
Do we have the data we need to make accurate and informed decisions?
Curating a Tailor-Made IT Strategic Plan
An IT Strategic Plan will guide your organization in planning, procuring, implementing, and managing current and future technology investments and resources over the next three (3) years. Within the plan, action items with detailed strategies are drafted to create a roadmap for IT Modernization.
If assessing your organization is not something that seems feasible due to staffing or resources, we strongly suggest partnering with a knowledgeable consultant, like Avèro. As your partner, our team will help document your current state, map your organization’s vision in the future-state, and curate a detailed roadmap with IT Modernization strategies that cater to immediate, short-term, and long-term needs.
Don’t wait to start putting these three (3) foundational pillars into place. Contact Avèro to assess your organization’s IT Strategic Plan or simply to discuss where to begin.