GovReport

On climate, energy, infrastructure, and technology

Digital

New report confronts shift in workplace amid economic crisis

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With a backdrop of economic crisis and a massive shift toward telework due to the global pandemic, a new report confronts unemployment, unequal wages, and a fast-changing job landscape.

Governor Newsom’s Future of Work Commission published its findings after 18 months of meetings across the state and staff work that identifies challenges faced by businesses and government.   While started before COVID-19, the study says 2020 accelerated conditions and pushed leaders to form a “New Social Compact” for workers.

California Business Roundtable President Rob Lapsley said that it’s too soon to tell if we are beyond an economic tipping point. In a panel discussion hosted online by Capitol Weekly, Lapsley was joined by Newsom’s former economic advisory Lenny Mendonca, labor leader Caitlin Vega, and Evan White, executive director of the California Policy Lab.

“We’re going to see a fundamental shift coming out of the pandemic of what work looks like, for California companies. And that starts with telecommuting,” said Lapsley.  “What does that mean? Are workers going to be connected to California companies, but working out of state? What does that mean for housing? What does that mean for commuting? What does that mean for real estate?”

The 55-page report examines the future of work in California by the year 2030, as well as economic trends related to automation and job displacement across the state.

“The challenges we all faced in 2020 both fast-tracked the trends shaping the future of work and shifted predictions to current reality,” Commission co-chairs Mary Kay-Henry and James Manyika said in a press release announcing the report. 

The report offers five “moonshot” goals to work towards in the next ten years. 

  • Ensure sure there is a job for everyone willing to work, prioritizing job creation and job access. 
  • Eliminate the poverty faced by nearly 45 percent of Californians living with at least one working family member. 
  • Create a worker benefits model and safety net that meets the upcoming work arrangements of the 21st century.
  • Raise the standard of quality jobs to address the pre-COVID dilemma regarding the plateau in wage growth despite low unemployment rates.
  • Ensure jobs are “future-proofed” in anticipation of economic shocks that could be related to technological or climate-related transformations. 

The report also proposes several initiatives, which include:

  • Creating one million jobs that accelerate the deployment of clean energy.
  • Expanding opportunities for small businesses and entrepreneurs through education and training programs and procurement. 
  • Extending employment social enterprises to groups who face high barriers to work.
  • Calling on the federal government to follow suit and enact a “Job Guarantee” that incentivizes private-sector job creation. 

Meanwhile, California state government has adapted to the pandemic by implementing a telework policy across most agencies.  Gov. Newsom has called for telework to be permanent cost-savings and efficiency measure.  A new statewide comprehensive telework policy has been developed, according to this year’s state budget proposal, and will presumably be announced.

PPIC report measures California’s digital divide

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In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, a record-high 84 percent of Californians are using high-speed internet at home—up 10 percent from 2017. The pandemic has shifted many, if not most, activities to online; Californians are using the internet for activities like accessing financial services, telecommuting, job hunting, distanced academic learning, or virtual job training.

However, according to a recent report by the Public Policy Institute of California, there are still significant broadband-access gaps. Broadband subscriptions rates in the African-American (81 percent) and Latino (79 percent) communities are lower compared to the statewide average of 84 percent—with the most affected being adults 65 and older, and anyone living in rural, low-income, and/or less-educated households.

This is further compounded by most households having multiple internet users. The average size of households with school-age children is four people, requiring additional bandwidth for reliable access to distance learning or videoconferences.

There are also demographic gaps in having access to computing devices at home. In 2019, more than 10 percent of Californians did not have a computing device at home such as a desktop or laptop. 20 percent of African American and Latino households, and nearly 200,000 households with school-age children, did not have home access to a device. This limited connectivity may reduce access to telehealth, which significantly affects rural areas since they already face shortages of physicians and mental health providers.

Fortunately, the federal and state governments are actively taking steps to bridge the digital divide. $7 billion of the recent federal stimulus package was dedicated to broadband infrastructure and connectivity. The FCC also awarded $9.2 billion to internet services providers for constructing rural broadband networks over the next 10 years—with California receiving $695 million.

Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order in August 2020 requiring state agencies to collaborating in closing the digital divide, having the advantage of federal support.

Gov. Newsom appoints senior positions at CDT

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Governor Newsom on Tuesday appointed two California department CIOs and a Googler to senior positions at the California Department of Technology.

CalPERS Chief Information Security Officer, and former CIO, Liana Bailey-Crimmins has been appointed chief technology officer, Google Ventures Senior Operating Partner Richard Klau has been appointed chief technology innovation officer, and Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation CIO Russ Nichols has been appointed chief deputy director for the department and deputy state CIO for the State of California.   Details of the announcement include:

Liana M. Bailey-Crimmins, 51, of Sacramento, has been appointed State Chief Technology Officer at the California Department of Technology. Bailey-Crimmins has been Chief Information Security Officer at the California Public Employees’ Retirement System since 2019, where she was Chief Health Director from 2017 to 2019 and Chief Information Officer from 2013 to 2017. She was Chief Information Officer at California Correctional Health Care Services from 2010 to 2013, where she was Deputy Chief Information Officer from 2008 to 2010. She is a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $180,000. Bailey-Crimmins is registered without party preference.

Richard “Rick” P. Klau, 49, of San Ramon, has been appointed State Chief Technology Innovation Officer at the California Department of Technology. Klau was Senior Operating Partner at Google Ventures from 2011 to 2020. He was Product Manager at Google from 2008 to 2011 and Strategic Partner Development Manager there from 2007 to 2008. He was Vice President of Business Development at FeedBurner from 2005 to 2007. Klau was Vice President of Socialtext from 2004 to 2005. He was Vice President of Vertical Markets at Interface Software from 2001 2004. Klau was Director of Industry Marketing at iManage Inc. from 1999 to 2000. He was Vice President of Marketing and Development at TrailNet from 1997 to 1999. Klau was Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Inherent.Com from 1996 to 1997. Klau earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Richmond School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $180,000. Klau is a Democrat.

Russell J. Nichols, 53, of Cameron Park, has been appointed Chief Deputy Director and Deputy State Chief Information Officer at the California Department of Technology. Nichols has been Director of the Division of Enterprise Information Services at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation since 2015, where he served as Acting Director in 2015 and was Project Director of the Strategic Offender Management System from 2012 to 2014. Nichols was a Data Processing Manager at the Office of California Correctional Health Care Services from 2010 to 2012 and at the California State Controller’s Office from 2007 to 2010, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection from 1999 to 2007 and the Employment Development Department from 1997 to 1999. He served as an Associate Information Systems Analyst for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection from 1992 to 1997, where he was a Programmer from 1990 to 1992. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $186,648. Nichols is a Republican.

Can California get ahead of IT project failures?

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California government is trying to get ahead of state IT project failures, said Chief Information Officer Amy Tong last week at a budget hearing.

Answering questions from Assemblymember David Chiu, a frequent and vocal critic of failed state IT projects such as recent examples at the EDD and DMV, Tong made her case for more resources and oversight authority.

“Just like you [Chiu] described, we are in many times our operating like an ER doctor is because the fact that on a day to day basis, each of the departments, and there are 130 plus state entities, each one of them has their own IT shop, and each one of them has their IT budget and makes IT project investment decisions, with the exception, the ones that are over a certain threshold, which is what you see in the overall IT project tracking list,” said Tong.

The Newsom Administration is requesting 17 additional positions and $11.4 M in 2021-22, $9,4 M in 2022-23, and $6.4 M ongoing to “invest in proactive measures to stabilize critical services and enhance performance statewide, particularly in light of the challenges faced during COVID-19.”

“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,” Tong continued. 

The budget proposal is part of a plan laid out in CDT’s “Vision 2023,” California’s technology strategic plan released on Jan. 15,  which offers key goals that include delivering easy-to-use and inclusive public services and creating “challenge teams” to begin work early in 2021.

“I absolutely support your budget request,” Chiu said. “I actually think the state would be better served if we did a better job of centralizing the thought process, the strategy, [and] budget oversight within your department.”

Generally supportive of the budget proposal, the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) expressed concerns over a lack of key details such as the length and scope of deep-dive service assessments, the transition from short-term crisis management to long-term IT project planning, and reporting mechanism to the Legislature and other stakeholders. 

Bill would require all public meetings to have online option

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The global pandemic has inspired a new legislative proposal to permanently provide public access, via internet-based and call-in options, to all public meetings across California.

Assemblymember Alex Lee (D-25) and Assemblymember Cristina Garcia (D-58) introduced AB 339 last month to require local and statewide government meetings are available through online services, such as Zoom, for anyone to participate.

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, the California Legislature adopted such options for the public to participate in hearings at the State Capitol.

The bill also requires translation services for major languages spoken by constituents and creates standards for posting meeting agendas and participation instructions.

 

New CHHS unit seeks to leverage people-related data across the state

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With a mission to deliver health and human services, the state’s largest agency has created a new unit to use its vast amount of data with more efficiency and sophistication.   

The Health and Human Services Agency (CHHS) is proposing to fund a new program called the Center for Data Insights and Innovations (CDII), according to a budget change proposal (BCP) submitted to the Legislature on Jan. 10.

In a blog post announcing the establishment of the CDII, Director John Ohanion said that one of the department’s key principles is to “put the person back in person-centered” and to “see the whole person.” 

The purpose of establishing CDII is to leverage data in a way that improves program delivery through four main objectives: institutionalizing and leveraging analytics, using in-house data intelligence to cut outsourcing costs, optimizing department success, and serving as a model for analytical excellence.

CHHS argues in the BCP that data has not yet been fully utilized in an agency that affects the public health and welfare of all Californians, and more robust use of data and analytics within CDII would allow the agency to increase efficiency and optimize the use of resources, reach underserved populations, and address socioeconomic health disparities. 

“Together, we must act as one government, breaking down silos and building a culture that focuses on delivering services that are person-centered and not program-centered,” Ohanion continued.

The role of data is key in shaping policy and the COVID-19 response, according to the post.  Data from the Department of Public Health and the Department of Health Care Services was utilized to identify COVID-19 risk factors along with demographic, socioeconomic, and geographic lines.

According to the BCP, CDII will be cost-neutral, redirecting positions and funding within CHHS, California’s largest agency.

 

Image by Alexander Sinn on Unsplash

 

Golden State’s tech vision explained

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Amid a surging pandemic that has ravaged the livelihoods of millions of Californians, and as the state struggles to fix flaws in the unemployment claims system, the state Department of Technology (CDT) has released its strategic plan. It envisions “easy-to-use, accessible and reliable public services that are ready and available wherever and whenever needed,” according to state Chief Information Officer Amy Tong.

With three guiding principles — put people first, continuous, timely improvement, and working together beats working alone — Vision 2023 lays out five goals:

  1. Deliver clear, fast, secure and dependable public services
  2. Ensure public services are equitable and inclusive
  3. Make common technology easy to use, access, share and reuse across government
  4. Build digital government more quickly and effectively
  5. Build confident, empowered multidisciplinary teams

Released alongside the 2020 CDT annual report and the California Broadband Action Plan, Vision 2023 was developed through a process that engaged consumers, state employees on the frontline, vendors and other stakeholders to ensure that every user’s experience is taken into account, said CDT Chief Strategist Justin Cohan-Shapiro, who led Vision 2023.

“Twenty or 30 years ago state tech was about running services and provisioning hardware,” he said. “Now it is the underpinning of how we deliver government services, whether it’s paying your taxes or getting a driver’s license. The reality is that everyone has an interest in the way we use, design and build it, and we need to make sure they understand it and bring them along.”

Vision 2023 lists several challenges for each goal, put in the form of questions. For Goal #1, for example: “What must we do to ensure critical public services and technology infrastructure are ready for surges, and are resilient and dependable?”

But Vision 2023 does not address how the challenges, like the surge in unemployment cases in 2020 which exposed vast inefficiencies in the state’s antiquated system designed to process claims, might be overcome nor does it list specific initiatives. Instead, the report invites feedback and asks people to join teams and work together as “leaders, doers or advisors” to solve the challenges, which are housed on GitHub to allow the broader technology community to engage in the process, Cohan-Shapiro said.

State Assembly Member Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters), whose Internet for All Act of 2021 would extend and expand funding for broadband connectivity in underserved areas, said she was pleased to see the issue included as part of Goal #2 in Vision 2023. Although she has championed broadband for many years, she said the COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the profound impact of inequitable access as industry, education and other services moved online.

“The inequities raised their ugly head, and we realized how many don’t have access for distance learning, jobs, small businesses and health care,” she said. (The administration) understands the frustrations. They realize the importance of having access to the internet and are very interested in getting something done this year.”

Cohan-Shapiro did not discuss in detail specific challenges or potential solutions but said the gaps exposed during the pandemic, wildfires and other crises have informed the planning process. And he said the state’s response to the crises has demonstrated that it can quickly innovate, even working remotely, to address immediate needs of consumers and government through collaborative, often experimental approaches to problems.

While planning and prioritization are critical in achieving the state’s goals to modernize its technology, he said, velocity is equally important. Rather than invest $1 billion in the overhaul of a system that could fail or become obsolete before it goes online, he said, the state should be able to innovate, test for functionality and quickly create something that can be improved continuously.

That process, he said, needs to be equitable and inclusive, to be effective.

“The more voices we have building our technology that reflect and look like the rest of the state, the better we can meet the moment when it matters most,” he said.

 

‘My Turn’ site launched to track vaccine eligibility

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The State of California has launched a new data system that will inform citizens when they are eligible and how to schedule an appointment to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.  

The new system, called ‘My Turn,’ helps Californians track vaccination data and sign up for notifications to know when and where they can get their first and second shots,” according to an announcement from the Newsom Administration.

The site was launched in partnership with Salesforce, according to a tweet from CEO Marc Benioff.  “Millions of Californians will turn to Salesforce’s ‘My Turn’ a new site for Covid-19 vaccinations that will allow residents to learn when they are eligible & find a place to make an appointment,” said Benioff.

In addition to Salesforce, technology companies Skedulo and Accenture are part of the site’s development and implementation, according to an announcement from Newsom’s office.  The site is being piloted in Los Angeles and San Diego counties and will be available statewide in early February.

Californians can visit www.myturn.ca.gov to learn more.

Image: by CDC on Unsplash

 

 

 

Digital future envisioned in governor’s budget

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In his 2013 book “Citizenville: How to Take the Town Square Digital and Reinvent Government,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom, laid out a bold vision for transformation of the state’s aging – and often failing – technology infrastructure. The goal was to improve how state services function and are delivered to better meet the needs of state government and of Californians.

While several projects have been launched since Newsom took office, the focus in 2020 has been on response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which not only drove home the need for modernization, but led to rapid deployment of some innovative solutions.

In the newly released Governor’s Budget Summary for 2021-22, the Government Operations Agency (GovOps), Department of Technology (CDT), Office of Digital Innovation (ODI) and Department of General Services (DGS) set out a comprehensive modernization agenda.

“The events of 2020 highlighted the urgent need to modernize government services in an online environment,” according to the summary. “The state recognizes the need to optimize technology infrastructure and investments, foster digital services, and use data to inform decision-making.”

The budget proposal includes over $31 million to enhance the state’s information technology infrastructure so that it’s secure and more stable to prevent future failures and enable easier recovery when they do occur.

Modernization projects proposed for the next budget year include: Development of a new CA.gov portal where digital state services can be found on a single website; a digital ID system for use across all state departments; acceptance of credit card payments for all public-facing departments; a move from paper to electronic forms; and an all-electronic process for regulations submitted for approval to the Office of Administrative Law.

With an eye toward making state processes and policies more equitable, GovOps also is proposing a $290,000 to establish the first Chief Equity Officer to oversee the creation of equitable policies, practices and metrics for hiring and procurement.

The state also aims to transform its procurement processes for a better vendor and state agency and department experience, according to the budget summary.

“The state needs to leverage its buying power as a force for economic recovery and equity, while also achieving better outcomes,” it states. “On the project delivery side, the state will no longer pursue large “rip and replace” capital IT projects. Instead, it is adopting a modular and iterative approach…”

In the immediate wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, ODI, established in 2019 to improve the online experience for people interacting with state government, moved quickly to support the state’s multi-faceted response.

COVID19.ca.gov was created in four days to serve as the web portal for all news and information related to the pandemic. The EDD Strike Team was set up to respond to multiple deficiencies in the online system for filing unemployment claims, working to understand and fix the problems that have led to massive pandemic-related fraud and frustration for users. ODI also created a prototype for a redesigned Ca.gov website, which utilized user research and efficient technology to make information easier to find and understand.

Because of challenges in transitioning employees to remote work during the pandemic, GovOps and DGS also launched an online resource to provide telework strategies and other support to agencies and departments. The budget summary anticipates an increase in telework over the long time, which is predicted to save money and conserve energy.

Broadband Action Plan Aims for Equity

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The future is already here, it’s just not evenly distributed, said Economist writer William Gibson.  The same idea applies to broadband connectivity in California, and the state’s latest action plan aims to literally bring all citizens up to speed.

On December 30, the California State Broadband Council (CSBC) released its “Broadband Action Plan” in response to executive order N-73-20 to provide broadband access to all Californians at home, schools, libraries, and businesses.

“Californians’ ability to access and use broadband became the difference between being able to fully engage in like, and being cut off,” said the CSBC in a letter replying to California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Though, the plan has not come without facing several challenges on top of the current Covid-19 pandemic.

One challenge is availability, with regards to speed and reliability. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) defined broadband internet as 200 kbps in 1996, which is only fast enough to send and receive email. The FCC’s last updated definition of broadband increased to a minimum of 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload, which was intended for people engaging in light to moderate internet use. Since then, Californians’ need for high-performance internet has drastically increased.

Another challenge is affordability—at the end of the day, price matters. The CSBC says that it must “account for all of the components in its price tag,” which includes taxes, surcharges, rental equipment charges, service costs, and the cost of devices for getting online. Broadband in the United States is expensive relative to the cost in other countries. The action plan notes how “for a family with a tight budget, it is easy to see how paying for food, electricity, rent, and other necessities would take precedence over purchasing internet services.”

The action plan has three focal points: providing high-performance broadband at homes, schools, libraries and business; giving all Californians affordable access to broadband and devices necessary to connect to the internet; and providing all Californians access to training and support to “enable digital inclusion.”

The council notes that in order to achieve these goals, they must pull from all the state’s available tools, including policy, programs, funding, partnerships, and collaborations with other governments.

According to the action plan, the state needs to further update and modernize their state broadband definition, which will optimize its financial toolkit, simplify deployment, leverage existing assets, and set reliability standards for critical infrastructure. The state must also identify opportunities with government and philanthropic partners to maximize their finances for new infrastructure.

The Council believes that it can make significant progress to help Californians enroll in existing affordable internet programs. For starters, they must work toward developing a framework to define essential broadband service affordability standards and thoroughly evaluate them relative to other essential service costs. Promoting existing state contractual vehicles with internet providers can help support cost savings.

The CSBC will continuously update the plan on an annual—or more frequent—basis through 2025 as directed by Governor Newsom, as the plan will be a live, iterative document. Lead organizations will regularly report their ongoing progress and to the CSBC, and the council will meet with these agencies quarterly to determine the next steps. The council also welcomes and appreciates public input during the plan’s preparation.

Little Hoover Commission Pushes for Sharing of Healthcare Records

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The sharing of data and records between California healthcare providers has grown in the last decade, but there’s still plenty of work to be done, says the state’s Little Hoover Commission.

Despite the growth of programs that incentivize and fund the sharing of records among health care providers, the Little Hoover Commission found that just 26 percent of Medi-Cal providers are connected to one of eight qualified Health Information Organizations (HIO), which securely share data and records.

Since 2011, programs like the California Technical Assistance Program and Medi-Cal Promoting Interoperability Program have poured over $1 billion in state and federal funds into helping Medi-Cal professionals purchase, install, and use electronic records.

California has also dedicated $50 million in state funds to the California Health Information Exchange Onboarding Program (Cal-HOP), which aims to increase the number of Medi-Cal providers exchanging data, bolster data-exchanging capabilities for Medi-Cal providers that already participate in HIOs, and provide access to Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES) prescription drug monitoring database.

In addition to increasing access to healthcare records, the Little Hoover Commission urged policymakers to follow through on customer service recommendations it made in 2015 to expand and improve delivery platforms. Read

What’s the future of blockchain in California?

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For better or worse, this year’s pandemic will have a permanent impact on government operations, including the promise of a more efficient, environmentally-friendly telecommuting workforce, and a stress-tested digital infrastructure to support staff and serve Californians. Will this spirit of resilience and innovation translate to other areas in the Golden State?

Earlier this year, a state working group issued a 178-page report recommending three pilot programs to consider the government’s use of blockchain technology, most commonly associated with cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.

The group, which studied the topic for a year, was established by the Government Operations Agency after passage of Assembly bill 2658 (Calderon) in 2018, which grew out of the Governor’s overall plan to improve government operations, accountability and program effectiveness through innovative technology solutions. Its diverse group of industry experts, government agency representatives and legislators met a half dozen times to discuss and develop their recommendations.

The report defines Blockchain technology as a domain of technology used to build decentralized systems that increase the verifiability of data shared among a group of participants that may not have a pre-existing trust relationship. It serves as the platform allowing users to operate without a central authority. Instead, a publicly available computer file, known as a hyperledger, keeps track of encrypted transactions.

Different states have different postures on the technology; Wyoming stands out as a leading proponent, using it to cut costs, streamline administrative processes and lure business to the state.

Camille Crittenden, PhD, chair of the Blockchain Working Group and the Executive Director of CITRIS and the Banatao Institute, outlined the three pilot projects to test possible blockchain solutions to develop:

· A digital wallet for individual identification, a common blockchain platform for tracking a vehicle’s lifecycle, and a fine-grained security structure for sharing driver records across states for the Department of Motor Vehicles

· A system to more quickly trace the source of food-borne contamination for the Department of Food and Agriculture

· An online platform to increase accessibility and storage capacity for the hundreds of state agency documents for the Secretary of State’s Archives Division

The DMV put the pilot project on hold as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the report. It is unclear whether the Secretary of State or Department of Food and Agriculture will initiate pilot projects based on the recommendations.
“There is a lot of potential across a wide range of areas – even the things we didn’t dive into we made suggestions as to where future research might be useful,” said Crittenden. “I think there would be a lot of applications. It’s a combination of where do you find systematic opportunities and where do you find individual champions?”

Crittenden acknowledged that there are plenty of obstacles and challenges to overcome before implementation of blockchain technology in state government.

“Like any state-procured service we have to be really confident it will be worth the investment,” she said. “That means not only the software or hardware, but training IT staff and making sure we have the professional capacity to keep it going at the appropriate level and for the purposes we intended it to serve.”

Other challenges for blockchain technology include whether it is fast enough and whether it would utilize too much energy, she said. Ensuring security and privacy are major concerns, as well. The Governor vetoed a recent bill in the California legislature to set up another working group to explore use of blockchain technology to communicate COVID-19 test results, creating a portable electronic health record. Newsom cited cost and existing statewide systems for COVID-19 testing and reporting.

Crittenden said she hopes the Blockchain Working Group Report is used as a resource for any state agency considering use of blockchain technology.

“Other priorities may have intervened, but because it was a well-researched project and included a diversity of voices from different sectors,” she said, “I am hopeful it will be a good starting point for anyone who wants to go back and look at what we did.”

Report: 2.3 Million Californians Lack High-Speed Internet

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Although the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed internet access into a must for workers and students across the state, the Little Hoover Commission has found in their issue brief that 2.3 million Californians lack access to high-speed internet.

The Little Hoover Commission found that while California offers accessible, low-cost broadband coverage, its speed is considered much slower than in other states. Americans on the whole pay more for slower speeds compared to their foreign counterparts, which the Commission attributed to a lack of competition among internet service providers.

Without offering specific policy suggestions to correct what they call the “digital divide,” the Commission concluded that weakened or no internet connectivity is barring Californians from opportunities in education, work, as well as accessing government resources and services.

Solutions could include California municipalities starting more fiber broadband networks in the state to compete with traditional internet service providers, using either a public or public-private model. Such initiatives have proven successful in Santa Monica, but have failed in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

New site tracks grid outages

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The California Independent System Operator (ISO) launched a 2021 Summer Readiness webpage to help the public understand the August 2020 outages. The webpage offers quick access to data and reports as well as provides the causes and recent evaluations of the rotating power outages implemented in August.

It includes updates on actions and initiatives to protect and ensure reliable system operations and is housed on the caiso.com website. Additionally, the webpage serves to monitor the outages’ impact to reinforce grid reliability and help prepare for next summer’s weather.

“We are committed to providing the public with the most comprehensive and up-to-date information on the challenges the system faced this past summer, and the steps we are taking to lessen the impacts of heat-related stress on the grid,” said Elliot Mainzer, president and CEO of the ISO.

In a preliminary root cause analysis conducted by ISO, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the California Energy Commission (CEC) found that extreme heat, compounded by inadequate resource planning, combined to create supply gaps.

Mainzer states that ISO is coordinating with the Governor’s office and other state agencies to make improvements that will “protect grid reliability going into another potentially very hot summer.”

California outlines future of artificial intelligence

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The State of California has taken initial steps to consider how artificial intelligence will play an inevitable role in delivering services to the people of the Golden State.

Legislation passed in 2019 called for California to work with stakeholders and develop guidelines by January 2021.

At a recent vendor forum by the California Department of Technology, Chief of Statewide Technology Policy CDT Pam Haase gave an update on the department’s initiative, which began earlier in the year but was slowed down considerably by constraints caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Image by Michael Dziedzic, Unsplash

Haase laid out three broad objectives regarding the implementation of AI to state departments, each of which has a varying level of understanding and experience with AI technology.

Those objectives include:

Demonstrating how AI can improve delivery and digital services. CDT has partnered with the CITRIS Policy Lab to study industry use of AI and produce a report that outlines basic recommendations for AI adoption within state government.

Providing guidelines for the ethical and responsible use of AI. CDT wants to establish trust from the public in their ability to implement AI in an ethical manner.
Providing a practical approach to implementing AI. This includes creating an AI vendor pool, training for both the business and technical side of procuring and implementing the new technology.

Haase also noted that she expects a concrete policy framework regarding the use of AI to become available by the spring of 2021 following input from the public via a listening session.

In an effort to cater to varying needs statewide, Haase stressed that AI will provide value to any and all departments regardless of their awareness and experience level with the technology.

“The deliverables are going to provide something of value to everyone no matter where you’re at, whether you’re brand new to AI, or whether your department is already currently using it,” Haase said.

Further, according to CDT’s Chief Technology Innovation Officer Manveer Bola, who also spoke at the forum, one of the major priorities regarding the implementation of AI technology is to tailor digital services to meet “specific user needs.”

Part of that includes using AI to promote web diversity by quickly and accurately translating websites as well as providing customer service mimicking a one-on-one chat with an employee.

Another goal Bola mentioned was to use AI to gather COVID response surveys, even reading into them further than one would expect from AI.

“We’re looking at AI to try to help us boil down those responses into much more meaningful output that we can consume easier, maybe even measuring sentiment,” Bola said.

California chief data officer announces statewide data strategy

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California has a new statewide data strategy that boldly challenges some established ideas in the civic tech community, Chief Data Officer Joy Bonaguro announced on Thursday.

“The concept of a strategy is overused and often trite. But if used wisely, it can lead to durable change and it starts with goals.  The mantra ‘the strategy is delivery’ frequently appears in the civic tech and data space. And while the delivery of a strategy is important, that alone is not enough,” she said in an article she posted on Medium.

The 21-page document outlines a strategy, goals, governance, and overall approach to California state government’s use of data to serve people of the Golden State.   As a first such strategy, it is a “necessary best guess,” that the state plans to iterate and learn as it’s implemented.

“California’s statewide data strategy is structured around the analogy that in order to successfully navigate the ‘data landscape’ we need to intentionally build the roads, craft the rules of the road, and boost the drivers. Much like in the real world, we want to avoid data roads that lead to nowhere, are poorly maintained, or confuse our drivers,” according to the introduction.

She states that goals answer the question “are we there yet” and that a well-written strategy serves as glue, alignment, and a filter. A goal that is not aligned with the strategy should either be discarded or placed low on the list of priorities.

High-level goals include:

  • Goal 1. Streamline data access – build the data roads
  • Goal 2. Improve data management and governance – craft the rules of the road
  • Goal 3. Spur data use and ability –  boost the drivers

“Good use of data is the tool we can use to navigate that complexity and ensure that our programs and services are working well for all Californians,” says Bonaguro in her article.

She gave a preview of the strategy in August via a Zoom with the CalData community. 

 

California launches cannabis licensing system

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California cannabis-licensing authorities—BCC, CDFA, and CDPH—launched a unified licensing search platform on September 16, 2020. The platform was produced through a collaboration between the authorities and the California Department of Technology, the California Health and Human Services Agency Office of Innovation, and the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development.

According to the Bureau Chief, Lori Ajax, the platform makes it easier to access cannabis license information without going through each licensing authority, and it will help consumers find retailers near them.   “This unified license data search tool will make it easier for the public to access cannabis license information without having to inquire with each licensing authority separately,” Ajax said in a press release. “This will also help consumers identify licensed cannabis retailers near them.”

The search platform features an interactive map and geolocation tools. Users can submit a survey offering feedback on its usability for the authorities to refine it. The platform is updated every 24 hours.

Governor Gavin Newsom plans to improve access to cannabis licensing by consolidating the authorities into a single Department of Cannabis Control, with the search platform being a part of the overall plan.

California Universities to Test COVID-19 Exposure Notification App

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The California Department of Public Health (CPDH) and the California Department of Technology (CDT) are partnering with UC San Diego and UC San Francisco to pilot an app that could inform individuals when they may have been exposed to COVID-19.

Photo by Brian McGowan on Unsplash

The mobile app, called Exposure Notification Express, has been designed by Apple and Google to use bluetooth technology to confidentially alert individuals when they are in close proximity to someone who has tested positive for the virus, provided that the individual has shared their test results with the app.

Faculty, staff, and the student body at both UC San Diego and UC San Francisco will test the app in a month-long trial period beginning at the end of September.

While the app does not collect data or share user information, individuals would need to opt-in to use the app if and when it becomes available to the public, according to CDT Director Amy Tong.

The Exposure Notification Express app will serve as a necessary supplement to California’s COVID-19 testing system, which failed to register roughly 750,000 positive tests back in August.

California Partners with Chan Zuckerburg Initiative to find COVID-19 Cures

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California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) and the Chan Zuckerburg Initiative (CZI) are collaborating to advance scientific efforts in developing treatments and cures for the COVID-19 virus. CIRM will combine its data and infrastructure with CZI’s expertise in technology to find ways to treat the disease, the state announced this week.

“This will allow us to leverage our respective investments in genomic science in the fight against COVID-19.” said Maria T. Millan, President and CEO of CIRM in a press statement.

The collaborating entities share scientific data about COVID-19 for their researchers to build off each other’s work, accelerating toward understanding and finding treatments for the virus.

Additionally, the CIRM Board approved $5 million in emergency funding in March 2020 that currently supports 17 projects aimed at studying the impact of the virus at the single-cell level. CZI supports five projects studying the progression of COVID-19 in patients.

The data generated by the collaboration will be available to the scientific community via open-access datasets and portals.

California to Roll Out New COVID-19 Reporting System in October

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California will roll out a new COVID-19 reporting system in October after it awarded a renewable six-month, $15.3-million contract to healthcare technology OptumInsight, Inc., the state announced this week.  The announcement follows a recent failure of the state’s infectious disease registry CalREDIE to accurately report testing data, which reportedly resulted in the Department of Public Health director’s resignation last month.

“This system will reduce labor-intensive collection processes and minimize delays in reporting data so that public health experts across the state have swift access to the tools and data they need to prevent COVID-19 transmission and respond to new cases and outbreaks,” said State Chief Information Officer Amy Tong in a statement.

California will soon have plenty of test results to report, store, and analyze. Last week, Gov. Newsom announced a $1.4-billion contract with Massachusetts-based diagnostics company PerkinElmer to increase California’s COVID-19 testing from 100,000 to 250,000 per day.

CalREDIE suffered a significant glitch in July that caused COVID-19 cases to be underreported, which in turn led Gov. Gavin Newsom to prematurely announce “early good signs” in an Aug. 3 press conference.

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