GovReport

On California's Future - Energy, Technology, and Infrastructure

Will Keys

Senate Confirms GovOps Secretary Yolanda Richardson

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On June 22, the California state senate confirmed Yolanda Richardson as Governor Newsom’s appointee as secretary for the Government Operations (GovOps) Agency. 

Richardson was appointed in January to lead the super agency that oversees the Departments of General Services, Human Resources, and Technology, among others that fall under GovOps’ oversight. Richardson becomes the second-ever GovOps secretary, succeeding Marybel Batjer, who had previously served in the role since GovOps’ creation in 2013 under Governor Jerry Brown. 

During her Senate Rules Committee confirmation hearing on June 11, Senator Scott Wilk asked Richardson how she expects technology to serve Californians in the future, particularly in the era of  COVID-19.  “I’ve read the Governor’s book, Citizenville, which was during his time as mayor where he took a lot of information and data and programs online to empower citizens,” he said.  “Do you believe that the Department of Technology should prepare for a potential onset of new IT projects, and what are we going to do to guarantee that they’re successful?”

“They should prepare for that,” Richardson said. “The California Department of Technology has realized some successes with using [the Project Approval Lifecycle (PAL)] with IT projects . . . the last 20 IT projects that the California Department of Technology has had oversight for that has utilized [PAL] came in at budget with no creeps in scope.”

Richardson also underscored the importance of the new Office of Digital Innovation, citing California’s new COVID-19 website as a recent example of successful digital innovation.

Veteran Agency CIO Andrew Armani to Retire

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After 30 years of service to the state, Information Technology Deputy Secretary for Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency (BCSH) Andrew Armani will retire at the end of this month, he told the GovReport.

Image: Twitter

In his role with BCSH, Armani was responsible for setting policies as well as overseeing technology activities for the Agency, a consolidation of agencies that assist in licensing and regulation for businesses and professionals. 

Prior to his current role, Armani served as the director of the office of eServices, where he led initiatives that expanded service delivery via the California State Portal. Armani says one of his greatest accomplishments with eServices was creating a sense of consistency throughout the state’s online services.

“I was able to bring a uniform look and feel and branding to all executive branches’ websites,” Armani said. “This was accomplished by bringing a handful of state staff volunteers to design and develop templates and provide all the tools necessary to agencies.”

Armani graduated from California State University, Chico with a degree in Electronics and Computer Technology, which led him to a career in the private sector managing software engineers in the development of enterprise applications and network architecture. 

Across multiple roles and decades in information technology, Armani noted that “change is the only constant in IT.” 

The most significant change from the beginning of his career, he said, was “moving on from [on-premises software] to cloud,” a mass migration that has taken place largely in the last three years. 

One of the most significant and challenging tasks in that migration was the switch to cloud email services for California state workers.

“As the Co-chair for implementing statewide email consolidation, we were able to bring CAmail which was the first-ever private cloud email service to the state of California,” Armani said. “It took several years and many meetings with the various departments to accomplish the task.”

When asked what advice he would hand down to a potential successor, Armani provided a number of useful maxims gleaned from a long career with the state.

A good reminder to anyone working in technology, Armani urged that “vendors are not the enemy, establish a good relationship with them.” 

As for maintaining good standing as an executive, he said, “don’t let the power go to your head . . . [and] employees will go to any length to do what you ask them, if they respect and trust you and know you have their backs.”

Armani cites one adage above all that guided him throughout his professional career: nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.

Armani’s retirement will become effective June 30. 

New Policy Aims for 75 Percent of State Workers to Telework, Report Says

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Just as California state offices began reopening on Wednesday in the wake of the COVID-19 shutdown and the recent protests sparked by George Floyd’s death, the California Department of Human Resources announced that Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration wants 75 percent of workers to telework, according to a report by the Sacramento Bee.

SEIU Local 1000 included such a proposal in its negotiations with the Newsom Administration over budget cuts which asked for “departments to have 75 percent of their Local 1000 represented staff on telework. [The proposal] Would also require that departments with employees ineligible to work from home provide flexibility around schedules though [sic] alternative work weeks and/or flexible work hours,” according to its website.

In his budget proposal announcement on May 14, Gov. Newsom introduced the idea of increased teleworking, spurred on by the working adaptations forced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This transformation will allow for expanded long-term telework strategies, increased modernization and delivery of government services online, reconfigured office space, reduced leased space, and when possible, flexible work schedules for employees,” Newsom said.

The expansion of state teleworking, called telecommuting in statute, is not just a direct consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The idea was mentioned by Legislature in 1990 as a way to navigate working through emergencies and to ease traffic congestion and environmental problems caused by work commutes.

In the California Telecommuting Pilot Program report, published in 1990, the Department of General Services (DGS) found that teleworking effectiveness exceeded their expectations, improving the quality of work life for telecommuters and cutting down on aforementioned traffic and environmental problems.

The report also recommended the state establish a State Telecommuting Advisory Agency. However, three decades later, no such agency has been created, and statutory authority for telecommuting policy belongs to DGS.

Despite plans for increased teleworking moving forward, state offices must remain open from at least 8 a.m to 5 p.m. to conduct business, per California law.

CHP Chief Information Officer Scott Howland to Retire

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After nearly 30 years of service, California Highway Patrol (CHP) Chief Information Officer (CIO) Dr. Scott Howland will retire effective July 1, the department has confirmed.

Howland began his career with the CHP in 1990, training to become an officer and eventually rising to the rank of captain in 2004, where he served as the CHP’s representative to California State Legislature and United States Congress for four and a half years.

Howland served as the department’s assistant chief for close to five and a half years before assuming his current position as CIO, where he has served since May 2014.

While serving as CIO, Howland has overseen IT policy and procurement for the CHP and led the implementation of the California Accident Reporting System, the state’s automated collision reporting system.

Howland also oversaw the redesign of the CHP’s website and worked to deter cybercrime as leader of the Computer Crimes Investigation Unit.

Prior to joining the CHP, Howland worked from 1985 to 1990 in various roles at Oakland’s KTVU 2 news, while simultaneously earning his bachelor’s degree in radio and television at San Francisco State University.

Furthering his education, Howland enrolled at the University of La Verne in 2011 to earn his master’s degree in business and later an educational doctorate in organizational leadership.

The CHP has chosen Assistant Chief Chris Childs to succeed Howland as new CIO in command of the Information Management Division, effective on Howland’s July 1 retirement.

CDT Hires Carlos Isaac Cabrera as Geographic Information Officer

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The California Department of Technology has appointed Carlos Isaac Cabrera as the state geographic information officer (GIO), a newly-created position tasked with overseeing the regional distribution of technology funding and service delivery throughout the state.

The appointment of Cabrera follows the recommendation in 2019 by the Little Hoover Commission (LHC) to create a GIO position to coordinate the state’s geographic information systems (GIS), which collects geo-spatial data and allocated technology services accordingly. 

In their Oct. 2019 report titled “Mapping a Strategy for GIS,” the LHC also recommended the state create a GIS advisory council comprised of “government leaders and other stakeholders” and noted that the state’s GIS strategy was “inconsistent, and lacks centralization and coordination.”

The state originally named a GIO when the GIS program was created in 2009, but the position was absorbed by the chief information officer until the state began recruiting for a full-time GIO this past February.

Cabrera, an alumni of California State University, Fresno, most recently served for over four years as the GIS administrator for Contra Costa County where he managed a broad-based enterprise GIS used by various departments across the county.

Pedro Nava, chair of the LHC, applauded Cabrera’s appointment as GIS, saying in a statement released on April 28 that “we called for a dedicated, full-time GIO position, and we’re pleased to see Mr. Cabrera’s appointment. Though we hope to see the position elevated as outlined in our report, we are encouraged by this action and wish Mr. Cabrera the best as he steps into this critical role.”

 

State partners with tech to provide connectivity and devices for remote learning in response to COVID-19

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The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the closure of schools across California, which has necessitated adequate internet access and technology to continue the school year remotely, something one in five students do not have.

Following his call to action earlier this month, Gov. Newsom announced during his Monday press conference that the state will be partnering with the private sector to provide high-speed internet and adequate computing devices to students in need. 

“School may be physically closed, but class is still in session,” Newsom said on Monday. “It is imperative that California addresses the inequities in access to computers, technology tools and connectivity to ensure that online learning can in fact reach all of California’s children.”

According to a parent survey conducted earlier this month, 50 percent of low-income families, 42 percent of families of color, and 20 percent of total families answered that their children lacked a device to access their ongoing curriculum during the state-wide shutdown. 

The state, led by First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, State Board of Education President Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, is partnering with the following private companies and business leaders:

  • T-Mobile is donating 13,000 tablet devices
  • Amazon is donating 10,000 tablet devices
  • Apple is offering free coaching sessions to teachers to help them teach remotely and is offering special pricing for iPads with cellular
  • Verizon is providing 250,000 students with discounter unlimited internet service
  • The Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative is donating $1,000,000
  • Jack Dorsey (Twitter CEO) is donating $1,000,000
  • Ann & John Doerr (venture capitalists) are donating $1,000,000

CDT Hires New Deputy Director for Project Management Office

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The California Department of Technology announced that Carolyn Nordstrom will become the new deputy director of the Project Management Office (PMO).

Nordstrom has worked over two decades in both the private and public sector, including positions in IT consulting services, the California State Lottery, and most recently as executive consultant for Alexan RPM, a Sacramento-based risk and project management advisory service provider.

From 2015 to 2019, Nordstrom served as chief of staff to the chief information officer at her alma mater, UC Davis, where she graduated in 1990 with a bachelor’s degree in applied behavioral sciences. At UC Davis, Nordstrom “spearheaded an effort to develop and implement IT governance for the University,” said CDT spokesman Bob Andosca in an email.

In her new role in the PMO, Nordstrom will be tasked with leading teams that manage project-related data and analytics as well as providing consulting services for various statewide IT projects.

The CA PMO develops, implements and maintains statewide project management policy, methodology and standards to strengthen and mature project and portfolio management practices and improves the overall success of the State’s IT project portfolio, according to Andosca.

Nordstrom takes over as deputy director for Andrew Wertin, who was recently promoted to Deputy State Chief Project Officer within the Office of Statewide Project Delivery. She will report to Andrea Spears, the chief project officer in the Office of Statewide Project Delivery.

OSI Hires Brian Wong as Chief Deputy Director

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Brian Wong, former CIO and Deputy Director for the California Department of Social Services (DSS), has been hired as the new Chief Deputy Director at the Office of Systems Integrations (OSI), Wong has confirmed via email.

Effective March 16, Wong will replace the previous chief deputy director, Matt Scheuller, who had been acting in that role since Dec. 2017.

A graduate of Long Beach State, Wong worked for the California Department of Motor Vehicles for nearly nine years in a variety of positions, including his role as Project Director for IT Modernization, during which he oversaw the modernization of the DMV’s legacy application infrastructure. 

Wong left the DMV in Aug. 2017, beginning his previous role at the DSS where he served for nearly three years.

As Chief Deputy Director for OSI, Wong will lead the department’s IT projects dedicated to delivering health and human services to Californians. 

Current OSI projects include California Health Eligibility, Enrollment, and Retention System (CalHeers), Case Management Information and Payrolling System (CMIPS), and Child Welfare and Digital Services (CWDS). 

State Outlines IT Service Evaluations as AB 971 Takes Effect

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The Department of General Services and the California Department of Technology issued a joint Broadcast Bulletin outlining the new requirements for IT contract post-evaluation forms as mandated by AB 971.

As stated by the bill, all IT services totaling $500,000 or more must be followed up with a post-evaluation form. All post evaluations must use standard form STD 971 found in the Statewide Forms Directory, adhere to the new procurement policy demonstrated in the State Contracting Manual (SCM) and State Administrative Manual (SAM), and follow procedures unique to each state department.

Additionally, while not required, the DGS and CDT encourage state departments to use STD 971 in order to complete post-evaluation forms on IT services that total under $500,000.

The bill designates that the CDT be the central depository for STD 971 forms. Detailed procedures on how to submit post-evaluation forms to the CDT can be found in the new sections of the SCM.

The new sections include “Do’s and Don’ts of Contract Administration” in the SCM and “Post Award Activity” in the SAM.

AB 971, which was approved by the governor on Oct. 3, 2019, took effect on Jan. 1, 2020. All qualifying IT services completed after Jan. 1 will require post evaluations as specified by the bill.

Audit Report Cites Concerns with Fi$Cal Timeline

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In a status letter to Governor Gavin Newsom and Legislature, the California State Auditor expressed its concern that, due to an updated project proposal, the Financial Information System for California (Fi$Cal) will reach its planned end on June 30, 2020, before it is able to implement several crucial features.

The letter outlines concerns over Fi$Cal’s ability to implement functionality features such as bond and loan accounting, and expresses skepticism regarding the project’s unrealistic schedule and a low estimation of the project’s contract and staffing costs.

The governing entities of Fi$Cal, including CDT, DGS, and Finance, have released eight project updates between 2006 and 2018, each of them gradually reducing key system features that were originally supposed to be implemented.

The letter also states that since its inception, Fi$Cal has failed to meet target completion dates, increased its budget by $400 million over the last seven years, and could incur increased borrowing costs for the state due to inefficiency.

The California State Audit recommends the Legislature draft a ninth project plan update that includes an amended budget that allows key features to be implemented past 2020, a more realistic project timeline, and ongoing reports from the Fi$Cal project office to the Legislature disclosing all unanticipated costs.

Fi$Cal was initiated in 2005 in an effort to update California’s budget systems and combine them with the state’s accounting, cash management, and procurement operations.

The project is expected to cost $1.06 billion by its proposed 2020 end date.

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