State Releases Roadmap for Transforming Technology

By Wendy Osher

Image from cover sheet of Baseline Assessment conducted by Science Applications International Corporation.

The state has completed the first phase of an initiative to modernize the state’s information technology systems.

The multi-year initiative was launched earlier this year with the establishment of the Office of Information Management Technology (OIMT) and the appointment of Chief Information Officer Sanjeev “Sonny” Bhagowalia.

As part of the first phase, the governor released an information technology assessment report today compiled by the Science Applications International Corporation.

The findings and recommendations from the report will now be developed into a comprehensive strategic plan for technology transformation, anticipated for delivery in 2012.

In addition to the report, Governor Neil Abercrombie issued an Administrative Directive to all Executive Branch Department Heads announcing that the OIMT now has authority over the design and implementation of all Executive Branch IT infrastructure and shared services.  The order exempts the University of Hawai’i, the state Department of Education, and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

By modernizing the state’s information technology systems, the Abercrombie Administration hopes to improve services and reduce costs at the same time.

“The massive undertaking to bring the technology of government into the 21st century is critical to our commitment to transform government,” Governor Neil Abercrombie said. “This first-of-its-kind assessment of the state’s IT assets, policies and procedures is a major milestone for Hawai’i under the leadership of our new Chief Information Officer, Sanjeev ‘Sonny’ Bhagowalia. The findings and recommendations in this report give us the basis for moving forward with confidence.”

The report explains that the state’s budget reductions over the last decade and how that has impacted integration of services, and resulted in both redundancies and duplication of efforts.

“A complete transformation of technology – from where we are today to where we want to be –will probably take eight to 10 years of working collaboratively with all stakeholders to realize the full benefits,” Bhagowalia said.

“Given the state’s budget constraints, we need to prioritize our next steps in order to maximize the funding opportunities and resources that currently exist,” he said.

Among the initiatives planned over the next nine months is the identification of opportunities for a statewide data center and disaster recovery solutions.