The GovReport

On the future of government

Will Keys

Bailey-Crimmins Appointed State CIO and CDT Director

by

Gov. Gavin Newsom has appointed Liana Bailey-Crimmins Director of the California Department of Technology and State Chief Information Officer, the Governor’s Office announced. 

Bailey-Crimmins had been serving as the State Chief Technology Officer since 2021, following a two-year stint as the Chief Information Security Officer at the California Public Employees’ Retirement System. 

Her 34-year career with the state began with an internship and has spanned eight different departments, including prior information technology roles with California Correctional Health Care Services. 

The new role requires Senate confirmation and includes a $206,797 annual salary for Bailey-Crimmins, who is registered without party preference. 

Russ Nichols, who has been CDT’s acting director and State CIO since the departure of former director Amy Tong to GovOps, will continue with the department as deputy state CIO and chief deputy director of CDT.

Back in 2021, Bailey-Crimmins provided testimony when she was confirmed by the Senate as the State Chief Technology Officer. 

In that confirmation, she shared crucial insights on technology-related issues including the belief that an iterative approach is the best way to carry out large-scale IT projects.

“We believe that by putting these things in modules, we are delivering good functionality to our constituents and to our business partners. It shows. . .that we’re building upon our successes,” Bailey-Crimmins said. 

Above all else, Bailey-Crimmins has maintained the perspective that the overarching goal of her job and all of tech is to serve the community.

“I believe walking a mile in our customers’ shoes is extremely important. . .not just focusing on the technology, but actually walking out into every single institution.”

Image: LinkedIn

Adam Dondro Appointed OSI Director

by

Gov. Gavin Newsom has appointed California Health and Human Services (CalHHS) Agency Information Officer Adam Dondro as Director of the Office of Systems Integration (OSI), according to a press release.

Dondro has been with CalHHS since 2017, where he served as Agency Chief Information Officer for nearly five years. Prior to joining CalHHS, he served as Assistant Director of Horizontal Integration at the California Department of Social Services from 2013 to 2017, Assistant Secretary for External Affairs at the California Department of Technology from 2010 to 2013, and Budget Committee Consultant and Legislative Aide at the California State Assembly from 2005 to 2010.

Dondro will replace outgoing OSI director Dan Kalamaras, who was appointed by Gov. Newsom in 2018.

“OSI will be the trusted leader in the management and delivery of large, complex technology projects, enabling improved service delivery to the people of California,” says the office’s website.  

Education Data System Announces Data Sharing Agreements

by

California’s developing education data system has signed legal agreements with 15 agencies and education organizations to pave the way for new data sets on student progress throughout the state’s education system, the Cradle-to-Career System announced.  

“Thanks to the unprecedented collaboration and leadership of more than a dozen California agencies, departments, and organizations, we are now poised to build out a landmark data system,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “Bringing this information together will enable a greater understanding of barriers students face and empower Californians to build more equitable futures.”

The legal agreements will allow the new system to create tools that give users access to data while having the authority to enforce security standards. 

The state will spend the next five years developing such tools, according to the announcement.   

Working in concert with Cradle-to-Career include: 

  • Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities 
  • Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education 
  • California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office on behalf of the California Community Colleges Board of Governors 
  • California Department of Education 
  • California Health and Human Services Agency
  • California State University Board of Trustees
  • California School Information Services
  • California Student Aid Commission
  • California Labor and Workforce Development Agency

The Office of Cradle-to-Career Data is currently working to procure the technology platform that will securely house the data set.  Earlier this month, the state released a solicitation for proposals to use an “iterative, cloud-first approach,” to develop the system with a goal of selecting a vendor by late summer 2022.

Newsom Signs Blockchain Executive Order

by

Crypto assets and blockchain technology make up $3 trillion on the global market. Around 16 percent of adults have invested in or traded cryptocurrency. 

Gov. Gavin Newsom is bringing some regulation to a burgeoning, wide-open market. On May 4, Gov. Newsom signed an executive deal that will begin to create a regulatory approach that will foster an industry and workforce that utilizes blockchain technology in California. 

“California is a global hub of innovation, and we’re setting up the state for success with this emerging technology – spurring responsible innovation, protecting consumers, and leveraging this technology for the public good,” said Governor Newsom. “Too often government lags behind technological advancements, so we’re getting ahead of the curve on this, laying the foundation to allow for consumers and business to thrive.”

The state has identified seven major priorities in the executive order. Within those directives, there is an emphasis on “California values” like equity, inclusivity, and environmental protection. 

The state also has the desire to “exercise statutory authority,” that will protect consumers (balancing risks and benefits). 

Perhaps the most intriguing priority is to “explore opportunities to deploy blockchain technologies to address public-serving and emerging needs, working with the private sector, academia, and community to present pilots for innovative policies, programs, and solutions that demonstrate and showcase the potential of adopting blockchain technologies to respond to specific challenges identified by state agencies.”

The opportunity to capitalize on the untapped potential of an emerging sector is spelled out explicitly, but most of the order is concerned with regulation. 

According to the executive order itself, the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation will assume a host of responsibilities, including publishing consumer protection principles, collect and review consumer complaints, and work in tandem with law enforcement agencies to address criminal activity. 

Gov. Newsom’s executive order follows two months after President Biden’s March 9 executive order on “Ensuring Responsible Development of Digital Assets.”  

 

CDT Kicks off Round Two of the Technology Modernization Fund

by

The California Department of Technology announced round two for proposals to be funded by the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF).

The $25 million TMF was created in the 2021-02 budget that will “allow CDT to provide quick funding to state departments to invest in technology modernization efforts or to stabilize IT systems at risk of failure.”    It will fund small efforts that can quickly provide high-value services and fund urgent needs identified by the state’s Stabilization Service.

In the first round of the TMF, five of 21 project applications were chosen to pitch their ideas to a committee of state executives. Four of the five pitches were chosen to move forward:

  • The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is integrating state HR systems with commercial job boards and recruitment platforms. If the project is successful, it will be extended to other state departments. (Budget: $3.5 million/two years.) 
  • The California Environmental Protection Agency is developing a geospatial dataset to protect Californians from hazardous waste. (Budget: $1.5 million.)
  • The Department of Food and Agriculture is moving their system that tracks companies who can test and repair weight and measurement equipment online. (Budget: under $1 million.)
  • The Department of Consumer Affairs Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology & Hearing Aid Dispensers Board is moving application, processing, and payment for 13 license types from paper to online. (Budget: $400,000.)

Work on these four projects began back in Jan. 2022. 

State entities will have until April 8 to submit proposals for the innovative grants. 

According to the CDT website, “Projects must have clear, concrete goals, a viable and quick path to delivery, and strong support from the requesting entity’s executive leadership.  Proposals submitted will be evaluated based on their probability of success, replicability, and support of statewide goals.”

What will motivate the next generation of public servants?

by

Public and private sector leaders from across California met on Feb. 22 in Sacramento to share ideas and network at Government Innovation California, a one-day event put on by Public Sector Network. 

The event featured presentations from over 50 speakers, including several panel discussions, one of which discussed the ways the public sector can reach out and recruit from upcoming generations.

The panel, titled “Developing the Next Generation of Public Sector Workforce,” was moderated by Rebecca Friedman, founder and president of Koru Strategies.

Three panelists, Brendan Murphy, Chief of Administration for CalHR, Jennifer Carver, Deputy Director for FiSCal, and Jaclyn Padilla, Deputy Director of Human Resources at California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation, tackled a few pressing issues regarding the future generation of public sector workers.

Friedman posed a basic question: “Will future public service workers be interested in performing meaningful work with tangible evidence of social responsibility and impact?”

Jennifer Carver made salient points about the importance of branding the public sector as a way to give back to Californians directly, appealing to Gen Z’s (generalized) sense of social responsibility. 

Furthermore, being digital natives, the up-and-comers have a quicker learning curve in technological pursuits.

“[Gen Z] has IT in their blood,” Carver said.

Despite being a late fill-in to the panel, Brendan Murphy shared his off-the-cuff insight on the younger generation.

“Their sense of purpose is driving them regardless of what venue they’re looking at,” Murphy said. 

Because of the wide breadth of agencies and departments to choose from, it’s easy to find an appealing niche in the public sector. 

“Your sense of purpose can be found here,” Murphy added.

Recruitment is still a challenge, especially in the midst of a global pandemic. That said, advancements in the way of virtual job fairs and target recruitment via data has bridged the divide in recent years.

Gov. Newsom Appoints Amy Tong as GovOps Secretary

by

Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Amy Tong as the new Secretary of the Government Operations Agency (GovOps), according to a Monday press release.

“With her keen focus on creating a culture of innovation, commitment to public service and proven track record, Director Tong’s leadership is integral to continue implementing our vision for bringing government technology into the 21st century with more accessible, responsive services to meet the needs of Californians,” Gov. Newsom said in the release.

From 2016 to 2021, Amy Tong, 48, served as director for the California Department of Technology and has been serving as director for the California Office of Digital Innovation since 2022.

Tong replaces incumbent GovOps secretary Yolanda Richardson, who recently announced she will be leaving her current role to become the new CEO at San Francisco Health Plan.

How Can California Prepare Itself for the Inevitability of AI?

by

When the Little Hoover Commission authored its 2018 report Artificial Intelligence: A Roadmap for California, they captured a state that was ill-prepared to face the inevitable changes that AI will bring to the economy and work landscape in the near future.

California is home to Silicon Valley and the fifth largest economy in the world. They should be leading the pack when it comes to quickly (and ethically) developing AI, but at the time of the Commission’s report, the state was well behind.

The report highlighted labor representatives that were concerned about job displacement, wage inequality, and a stunted middle class exacerbated by AI. It foreshadowed the inevitability that workers’ lives would change. California needed to prepare for a future where workers would be redeployed en masse. If not, they would be unemployed en masse.

“Some workers will have to be retrained to work alongside AI directed machines, while others will have to be redeployed within the company or elsewhere in the economy; businesses have a vital role to play in aiding these transitions,” the McKinsey Global Institute was quoted as saying in the report. “This will require changes in skills, mindsets and culture as we transition into a world where ‘coworkers’ include machines as well as other people.”

In the three years since the Commission published their report, California has made strides towards realizing a statewide strategy that can prepare its citizens for a major shift as AI assumes a more prominent role in the workspace.

In the fall of 2020, the California Department of Technology (CDT) launched the Artificial Intelligence Community of Practice, a quarterly virtual forum “open to anyone interested in engaging and collaborating on how to responsibly adopt AI technologies.”

Additionally, GovOps, CDT and CalData hosted an AI Risk Assessment Workshop that can help the state mitigate risks emerging from AI applications.

The state needs to move from discussion to action. In a Jan. 25 press release, the Little Hoover Commission provided four recommendations for the state to shape an AI policymaking agenda that can promote accountability and transparency in the development and utilization of AI.

Those recommendations include:

  • Appoint an AI special advisor within the Governor’s cabinet that will create a strategic plan ensuring “the safe and transparent deployment of AI in the state.”
  • Form an AI Commission composed of AI experts from various sectors to provide leadership.
  • Require state agencies to create strategic plans that create an ethical AI framework that promotes “economic, social, and environmental good.”
  • Improve data collection from the Employment Development Department that can identify jobs that are “at risk” of being made obsolete due to AI.

“Lawmakers must seize this moment by prioritizing policies that will safely and effectively harness the power of this innovative technology,” the Commission warns.

AI implementation is on the horizon and approaching quickly. The state must be prepared as the landscape shifts and harness this technology responsibly and ethically.

Amy Tong Appointed Director at Office of Digital Innovation

by

State CIO and California Department of Technology Director Amy Tong has been appointed to a new post, to serve as director of the Office of Digital Innovation, according to an announcement from the Governor’s Office.  

Starting Jan. 1, 2022, Tong will move to the new position, formerly occupied by Udaya Patnaik, who was appointed to the position in May 2020.

Deputy CIO Russ Nichols will assume the role of acting CIO.

Tong is California’s longest-serving State Chief Information Officer, spanning two administrations since her original appointment in 2016 by Gov. Jerry Brown.  She was reappointed to her position by Gov. Newsom in April 2020. 

Upon entering office, Newsom created the Office of Digital Innovation (ODI) in 2019 to improve the way California used technology to serve people, “[with] the authority to develop and enforce requirements for departments to assess their service delivery models and underlying business processes from an end-user perspective. Establishing the Office will improve the accessibility and reliability of the state’s vital services by focusing on business process reengineering and leveraging digital innovation, where appropriate,” according to his first budget proposal.

Since then, the office has grown to nearly 30 staff, and as of July of this year, has an aggressive agenda to take on more projects aimed to improve the way Californians interact with their state goverment.

Since its inception, the ODI’s mission has been confused with the role of the California Department of Technology (CDT).  In July of 2019 after the Governor’s first budget was introduced, the California Department of Technology’s Office of Digital Innovation changed its name to the Office of Enterprise Technology to avoid confusion with the newly created ODI.  “The Office of Enterprise Technology will be a sister organization to the new ODI,” said Tong at the time in a press release.   Both departments are part of the California Government Operations Agency.

Earlier this year, former Google executive Rick Klau was appointed to serve as CDT’s deputy director for the Office of Enterprise Technology. He is among a number of new high-profile appointments at CDT including:

  • Chi Emodi, Chief Project Officer (November)
  • Michael Cave, Chief Product Officer (September)
  • Phoebe Peronto, Deputy State Chief Technology Innovation Officer (September)
  • Pamela Haase, Deputy Director of Strategic Initiatives  (August)
  • Scott Adams, Deputy Director for Broadband and Digital Literacy (April)
  • Russ Nichols, Chief Deputy Director (February)
  • Liana M. Bailey-Crimmins, Deputy Director of the Office of Technology Services and State Chief Technology Officer (February)
  • Rick Klau, Deputy Director of Office of Enterprise Technology (OET) and State Chief Technology Innovation Officer (February)

During her time as CIO and CDT director, Tong championed a user-centered design approach, data-driven decision making, and an agile project management approach, as evidenced by her work with Child Welfare Digital Services (CWDS). 

Prior to becoming CIO, Tong assumed multiple roles within the California Department of Health and Human Services, as well as serving as CIO for the California State Lottery. Tong also spent time with CalPERS, the Water Resources Control Board, and earned an MBA from California State University, Sacramento.

Tong is also a member of the California Northstate University Board of Trustees, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Asian Pacific State Employee Association, and National Senior Advisor for Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association. 

Image: Twitter: @darrel_ng “Three unsung heroes of the state’s #COVID19 vaccine efforts celebrating the reopening of the state with their previously virtual teams.” June 16, 2021

She was instrumental in more successful aspects of California’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the rollout of a new COVID-19 reporting system following the failure of the state’s infectious disease registry CalREDIE to accurately report testing data. 

In addition to rolling out a replacement for the state’s infectious disease registry, Tong led efforts alongside the California Department of Public Health to pilot and roll Exposure Notification Express, the state’s COVID-19 Exposure Notification App. 

During her time as CIO and CDT director, she faced multiple IT project crises, most notably at DMV and the Employment Development Department (EDD). 

In Aug. 2019, the California DMV suffered a data breach that allowed federal agencies illicit access to the Social Security information of 3,200 Californians. Around the same time, the DMV also suffered glitches in its “motor voter” program that included tens of thousands of errors, unknowingly registering citizens to vote or making mistakes in their registration status.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, EDD failed to deliver unemployment benefits to claimants while also being defrauded to the tune of billions of dollars. 

In a Jan. 2021 statement, the department noted that “between March 2020 and January 16, 2021, EDD processed 19.5 million claims and paid out $114 billion in unemployment benefits. EDD confirmed that 9.7 percent of payments have been made to fraudulent claims.”

In response to a number of failed and stagnant IT projects in California, Tong argued for more resources and oversight authority at CDT.

“We are, in many times, operating like an ER doctor,” Tong told Assemblymember David Chiu in a Feb. 2021 budget hearing. “If we can actually have more visibility to the database expenditure, the decision-making, and be more embedded with the department, we can be more into what I call preventive care as opposed to emergency responsive care in terms of the health of the IT investment at the particular program department.”

In this year’s budget, the Legislature approved $25 million in grants to create CDT’s Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) that will allow the department to “provide quick funding to state departments to invest in technology modernization efforts or to stabilize IT systems at risk of failure.”

As State CIO, Tong is the chair of the California Broadband Council, a governing body that is working to close the digital divide within the state. 

Following a recommendation from the Little Hoover Commission, Gov. Newsom and legislative leaders agreed to a $6 billion bill that would expand the state’s broadband infrastructure and establish the Office of Broadband and Digital Literacy within the Department of Technology. Tong chairs the Middle Mile Advisory Committee formed to monitor the development and construction of a new broadband network designed to reach unserved and underserved Californians, 

Tong’s compensation is $214,284. She is registered without party preference.

Newsom Announces Cradle-to-Career Data System Governing Board Appointments

by

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced seven new appointments on Friday, including four new appointments to the Cradle-to-Career Data System Governing Board.

Lande Ajose, Catalina Cifuentes, Gavin Payne, and Robert Tagorda were all appointed to a Cradle-to-Career Data System Governing Board. The board is made up of representatives of data providers and stakeholders that can track, interpret, and utilize the data collected by the system.

Each of the four appointees have held positions within the education system and are accepting no compensation to join the Governing Board.

According to the Cradle-to-Career Data System’s website, the governing board “would set the strategic direction and ensure that the system is supporting the state’s goals.”

“Two advisory boards would support the governing board, one to ensure that the system includes actionable data and the other to ensure that the intended audiences are aware of the data system and know how to use the information it provides,” per the data system’s website.

GovOps launched the Cradle-to-Career Data System earlier in 2021, creating a comprehensive program in which policymakers and other interested parties such as educators and parents can keep tabs on student progression and employment outcomes within the state.

In early 2021, the Legislative Analyst’s Office noted that the data system should seek to answer questions regarding the efficacy of various education programs and how they correlate to student success from early education to employment.

The Cradle-to-Career Data System has named some of its goals, including streamlining access to college applications, improving financial aid access, identifying structural factors that shape long-term education outcomes, and streamlining access to data.

State Calls for First Round of Technology Modernization Proposals

by

The COVID-19 pandemic pushed California toward a more digital state government, and the state is eager to continue its efforts to modernize public services, according to this year’s state budget. 

Approved this summer, the budget allocates funding for the California Department of Technology (CDT) to grant $25 million as a part of its Technology Modernization Fund (TMF), which “allows CDT to provide quick funding to state departments to invest in technology modernization efforts or to stabilize IT systems at risk of failure.”  

Departments can take part in a competitive, multi-stage application process for a TMF grant by proposing how they will use the fund to optimize government services over the course of one year. 

CDT will grant multiple rounds of investment throughout 2022. The first round of submissions are due by Nov. 12, according to an announcement posted on Wednesday. 

Assembly to Hold Hearing on EDD Reform

by

On Monday, Oct. 25, Assembly Budget Subcommittee  No. 4 on State Administration and Assembly Accountability and Administrative Review Committee will hold an informational hearing to update the public on reform at the Employment Development Department (EDD). 

The hearing will include an update on the implementation of audit recommendations and an update and response from the Employment Development Department with comments from Department of Finance and Legislative Analyst’s Office. 

In Sep. 2020, in the wake of unprocessed unemployment insurance claims and billions of dollars lost to fraud, Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed a strike team, led by Government Operations Secretary Yolanda Richardson and Code for America Founder Jennifer Pahlka, to address and implement necessary reform within the department. 

In early October, accounting firm KPMG won a $5 million dollar contract with the state to redesign EDD’s claims processing system. 

The hearing will be held between 11:00 A.M. and 1:00 P.M. at the State Capitol, room 4202. Written testimony from the public can be sent to BudgetSub4@asm.ca.gov. Written testimony will be treated as public comment and may be read into record. 

 

KPMG Wins Contract to Redesign EDD Claims Processing

by

The State of California intends to award a multi-million dollar IT Services contract to KPMG, LLC, for Business Process Re-Engineering (BPR) at the Employment Development Department, according to state procurement records.

KPMG will be tasked with retooling the way Californians access and track their unemployment benefits, overhauling a system that failed disastrously during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving vulnerable citizens in the lurch.

In August, EDD issued a Request for Proposal that “seeks to assess, analyze, and redesign the business processes that impact the customer experience into a customer-centric business framework that leverages improvements and supporting technologies to deliver world-class customer service.”

EDD wants to improve service delivery, eliminate unnecessary complexity in their service process, and reduce administrative burden, among other needs, according to the RFP.

Since the early days of the COVID-19 Pandemic, EDD has been criticized for failing to deliver unemployment benefits and losing over $10 billion in unemployment fraud, according to a Jan. 2021 statement.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Gov. Newsom signed more than 40 bills that “will enable the Employment Development Department to bolster fraud prevention, further protect claimants from identity theft and better position the state to respond to future economic downturns.”

California Launches Dedicated Small Business Portal

by

Small businesses make up 99.8 percent of businesses in California, and in order to help them thrive, the state wants to make its publicly-funded resources easier to access.

The California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA) announced that it has launched calosba.ca.gov, a portal for small business owners to seek out critical resources such as permits, financing information, and technical assistance.

“Small business is big business in the state of California and to that end, my department is meeting the needs of the more than 4 million small business owners by making resources easier to find, access, and use. Our new website can be thought of as a gateway to opportunity,” CalOSBA Director Tara Lynn Gray said in a press release.

Additional resources include information on tax and credit, incentives, access to procurement and supply chain programs, as well as a Business Learning Center that “helps business owners navigate the varying stages of the business development process.”

CalOSBA.ca.gov divides its resources into three tabs: start-up, manage and grow. Each tab contains a multitude of guides and resources that help small business owners start with the basics such as making a business plan, manage an existing business with how-tos on training employees, and growing a business with step-by-step on how to establish an online presence.

In addition to those resources, CalOSBA also offers free one-on-one consulting that will help small business owners learn to fund their businesses, enter new markets, and to strengthen their operations.

According to data collected from 2018 to 2020, CalOSBA’s network has helped over 330,000 small businesses and created over 11,000 new jobs.

Prior to the opening of CalOSBA’s new portal, the Office announced three additional rounds for the California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program.

Bill to Regulate Algorithm Bias Dies in Senate

by

Legislation aiming to eliminate algorithm bias in state IT systems has died in the State Senate. 

AB 13 by Assemblymember Ed Chau passed in the Assembly on June 1, 2021 and has been amended multiple times before it was placed on suspense last week. 

Introduced in December 2020, AB 13, also known as The Systems Accountability Act, sought to eliminate bias within automated decision systems that serve the public.

“If thoughtfully designed and implemented, algorithm-driven decision systems can assist government by improving operations and in the delivery of services,” said Assemblymember Ed Chau. “However, government also has the responsibility to ensure these systems do not harm the legal rights, health and well-being of individuals. It is therefore necessary to establish criteria for the procurement of high-risk algorithms to minimize the risk of discriminatory impacts resulting from their design and application.”

AB 13 would require the Department of Technology to establish public guidelines that identify high-risk automated decision systems as defined by the measure and to submit a report to the Legislature within two years of passage, repeating the process every two years.  The original date for the first report was set for July 31, 2023, with follow-up reports set for 2025 and 2027. 

The report would specify each high-risk automated decision system, how it functions, whether it poses any risks to privacy or security of personal information, and whether it poses any potentially discriminatory impacts on the basis of the Unruh Civil Rights Act. 

Opponents of the bill cited changing definitions of what constituted an ADS and said the reporting requirement for vendors would negatively impact the state’s procurement process.

Senate Confirms California Chief Technology Officer

by

Confirmed by the State Senate on August 26, California’s new Chief Technology Officer Liana Bailey-Crimmins last month appeared in front of a friendly Senate Rules Committee, outlining her priorities and perspectives on how the state should approach technology to serve constituents.  With 30 years in state service, she brings a broad range of experience to the role of chief of the Office of Technology Services within the California Department of Technology.

Here are five takeaways from her Senate Rules Committee confirmation hearing in July:

Optimizing, before automating: When asked about the state’s difficulties managing large-scale projects, Bailey-Crimmins noted the importance of relationships between the private and public sectors. Automation requires a sound process, she says.

“I first look at when we’re deploying change in an organization or looking at large projects, making sure that we have the right knowledge in an organization to be able to do that,” Bailey-Crimmins said.  “So a lot of times it’s private and public partnerships, making sure that we have the right business sponsorship, and that we’re willing to look at the future of where our process needs to be on behalf of the residents and making sure that that’s what we’re automating.”

Incremental steps: Also regarding large-scale mismanagement, Bailey-Crimmins believes an iterative approach is an answer to many of the state’s large projects.

“We believe that by putting these things in modules, that we are delivering good functionality to our constituents and to our business partners. It shows. . .that we’re building upon our successes.”

Capability: Innovation can’t take place without the willingness to go the extra mile, says Bailey-Crimmins. Finding the right processes is one thing, but follow-through is another.

“We. . .need to make sure that we have the capability that we’re willing to do the hard work necessary.”

Empathizing with the customers: Innovation serves a purpose, and at the heart of that purpose is the community being served. Bailey-Crimmins noted the importance of spending a day in the life with those being served and discovering how technology is being applied in a real-life setting.

“I believe walking a mile in our customers’ shoes is extremely important. . .not just focusing on the technology, but actually walking out into every single institution.”

Fixing the digital divide: The COVID-19 pandemic and the reliance on remote work and learning highlighted the digital divide in California. The creation of the Office of Broadband and Digital Literacy is a step towards closing that divide, while expanding broadband networks is another.

“We have had a significant gap in our knowledge, digital biases, cyber societal divide, and I think it’s time that we address it, head on.”

Watch her testimony from July 14, 2021 below:

EDD Seeks Firm to Help Improve Business Processes and Modernize Benefits System

by

With the hope of improving customer service after an unprecedented surge and backlog of claims, the Employment Development Department is retooling the way Californians gain access to unemployment insurance benefits.   Earlier this month, the California Department of Technology issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to hire a firm that will provide Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) Services as it works to replace EDD’s beleaguered claimant benefit system.

According to the RFP, the department “seeks to assess, analyze, and redesign the business processes that impact the customer experience into a customer-centric business framework that leverages improvements and supporting technologies to deliver world-class customer service.”

As part of its Re-Imagining Benefit Systems Modernization project, EDD wants to improve service delivery, eliminate unnecessary complexity in their service process, and reduce administrative burden, among other needs, says to the 281page document.  

The department has faced ongoing criticism during the most critical juncture of the COVID-19 pandemic, failing to deliver unemployment benefits to claimants as well as falling victim to fraud.

In a Jan. 2021 statement, the department noted that “between March 2020 and January 16, 2021, EDD processed 19.5 million claims and paid out $114 billion in unemployment benefits. EDD confirmed that 9.7 percent of payments have been made to fraudulent claims.”

The recently approved state budget includes $11.8 million from the General Fund to “reengage the planning and modernization of the EDD’s information technology systems” after years of planning and lessons learned from the pandemic.   The department first started modernization efforts in 2015.

In Sep. 2020, Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed a strike team, led by Government Operations Secretary Yolanda Richardson and Code for America Founder Jennifer Pahlka, to address and implement necessary reform within the department. 

In a report from the Richardson-led strike team, it’s noted that the backlog of unprocessed claims can be attributed to issues related to workflow and logistics.

In his revised state budget, Gov. Newsom acknowledged that “the pandemic has exposed many of EDD’s antiquated processes and outdated infrastructure, resulting in a delay or inability for many Californians to access (unemployment) benefits.”

The RFP seeks to hire a firm for a nine-month engagement with a firm that will start the project by the end of September.

 

State Broadband Infrastructure to Get $5.25B Expansion

by

Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders have agreed to a budget trailer bill on Monday that will increase state broadband infrastructure spending by $5.25 billion, according to a press release from the Governor’s Office.

The bill (AB/SB 156) was announced by Gov. Newsom, Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego), and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) and will expand the state’s broadband infrastructure, bringing open-access internet connectivity to Californian households and businesses in need. 

“This legislation will yield vital, broadened access for California families by prioritizing the unserved and underserved areas, facilities, households, and businesses that remain disconnected in the digital era,” Gov. Newsom said in the announcement. 

The bill, originally introduced in Jan. 2021, establishes the Office of Broadband and Digital Literacy within the Department of Technology, as well as a “broadband czar” and a nine-person council within the department. 

The bill allocates $3.25 billion to build and maintain high-capacity fiber lines and another $2 billion for “last-mile infrastructure” to connect homes and businesses with local networks.

State Capitol: Major Changes Ahead for California Tech

by

California’s future is heavily invested in innovative technology, but numerous legacy IT systems across the state struggle to modernize, exceeding the budget, schedule, or both.  Moreover, the state lacks enterprise collaboration, with countless siloed platforms such as the often-cited example of 79 separate case management systems across 22 departments.

Assembly Bill 1323, introduced by Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco), aims to centralize all IT modernization projects through the California Department of Technology, giving them statutory authority to “identify and prioritize the stabilization and modernization of legacy IT systems across all agencies and departments.”   Now pending in the Senate, the Assembly recently passed the measure with no opposition.

Existing law states that the chief information officer of each state agency is responsible developing their agency’s enterprise architecture as it relates to legacy system modernization and other IT maintenance. If passed, AB 1323 would transfer the responsibility from the agency CIOs to the review and analysis of CDT.

At present, CDT only has the authority to fix problems rather than prevent them.  “Currently, CDT operates reactively to fix problems that have already occurred, and no central agency proactively plans and oversees IT projects,” according to a legislative analysis.

Additionally, CDT would be required to identify legacy IT system modernization efforts across the state actively and submit an annual report to the Legislature containing “an explanation of how CDT is prioritizing legacy IT system modernization efforts across state government; an estimate of the annual and total preliminary costs for each effort and for the entire state modernization portfolio; and the impediments and risks that could, or issues that already have, led to changes in how CDT identifies, assesses, and prioritizes modernization efforts.”

According to the analysis, the legislation:

  • Would require CDT to identify, assess, and prioritize legacy information technology system modernization efforts across state government.
  • Would require CDT to submit an annual report to the Legislature that includes: an explanation of how CDT is prioritizing legacy IT system modernization efforts across state government; an estimate of the annual and total preliminary costs for each effort and for the entire state modernization portfolio; and the impediments and risks that could, or issues that already have, led to changes in how CDT identifies, assesses, and prioritizes modernization efforts.
  • Would require all state agencies and state entities to submit all of their current IT service contracts to CDT before May 1, 2022.
  • Would require CDT to analyze the contracts submitted pursuant to the section above, and use the information obtained from that analysis to assess state IT investment in order to identify types of uses that are candidates for statewide contracts for commonly used or shared services; to create a replicable analytic approach to better understand user demand; and to inform management approaches regarding demand and supply.

AB 1323 is not without potential hazards or concerns. Primarily, the scope of the task to funnel all IT modernization efforts through one department remains daunting and logistically problematic.

The author hopes to prevent future IT failures, citing examples with FI$CAL, DMV, and EDD.

“When government websites and online systems don’t work, they have very real impacts on our residents,” Assemblymember Chiu said in an April press release. “This bill begins the process of reforming and unraveling the complicated web of antiquated and duplicative technology systems across state agencies.”

Meanwhile, in his May Revise Budget, Gov. Newsom has proposed a one-time $50 million increase CDT to identify and approve projects to quickly repair critical infrastructure in need of modernization.  State agencies will submit proposals to CDT and the Department of Finance to fund solutions that “allows for immediate remediation of risks through quick and efficient solution implementations.”   The effort calls for assessments of existing critical systems, and solutions to be considered for the greatest impact, such as risk reduction, return on investment, and quality of service improvement.

The modernization fund is part of CDT’s Vision 2023 initiative that will also fund projects on an iterative and ongoing basis to support teams that show quick progress.   The department is working with the Office of Digital Innovation to improve the customer experience for Californians.

Aspen Institute: Three ways California could improve tech project oversight

by

As part of a presentation by Aspen Institute’s Tech Policy Hub and the Tech Talent Project held on May 11, three teams presented concepts on how to improve California’s Project Approval Lifecycle (PAL), the state’s oversight process for large-scale technology projects. The recommendations are part of the California Department of Technology’s Vision 2023 initiative to improve the way state government uses technology to serve Californians.

The teams of technology experts spent a few weeks analyzing the complexities of PAL before proposing a solution that could improve the overall process.

The first speaker, Kleiner Perkins entrepreneur Tejash Unadkat, tackled the issue of adapting PAL to the size and scope of projects. Specifically, larger projects total over $25 million in funding and have a greater chance of sinking.

“We dug further and found that the larger the project, the higher the probability that would increase the budget and potentially fail,” Unadkat said.

Ultimately, Unadkat and his colleague Colin Jenkel proposed that all projects be capped at $25 million with a length of four years, requiring numerous validation and proof of concept checkpoints in the very early stages of project planning.

“This will encourage smaller, more iterative projects to move forward,” Jenkel said.

The second proposal focused on the state’s COVID reporting system as a “success story,” establishing a basis to create the California Technology Fellowship program.

“The California Department of Technology, and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) decided to band together with their two bodies of knowledge to successfully partner and acquire a new COVID-19 reporting software,” innovation ecosystem builder Erika Cheung said. “That really begs the question of how is it the case of this COVID-19 reporting software was acquired in two weeks?”

Cheung and her colleague, software engineer  Rohit Chandra, found that one of the keys to a quick and efficient digital procurement was cross-departmental collaboration, as was exhibited by the two departments.  Executing such collaboration across agencies will require public workers to develop new technology skills, Cheung said.

“What we suggested is creating a 12-month program, where you embed 12 Senior professionals that work across 10 different state departments to come into the CDT office and work on procuring some subset of innovative technology products.”

Such a program would need championing from state higher-ups, such as Gov. Newsom and CDT officials, but could pay off in the way of quicker delivery times and projects running under budget.

The third team presented a tool called the “PALPro Planner” to align project planning with the state budget process.  “The tool allows project owners to easily schedule deliverables around key budget cycle dates, and improve the PAL workflow to keep teams on track. Implementing this tool will ultimately enable faster project approval under the PAL process,” says the proposal.

The PAL process, which includes four stages, (business analysis, alternative analysis, solution development, and project readiness and approval) was introduced during the Brown Administration as an alternative to feasibility study reports (FSR) that were used in the past to take technology projects from concept to production.

Watch the hour-long presentation here: https://youtu.be/kqRKHVGVldE

 

Subscribe

Subscribe

Subscribe to our email newsletter focused on climate change, energy, infrastructure, and technology. 

You have Successfully Subscribed!