HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-07-2012 b1itstrategicplancounci lj aGenda uEpoRt
Meeting Dat e
August 7, 201 2
Item Number B 1
CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISP O
FROM :
Charles Bourbeau, Director of Finance & Information Technolog y
Prepared By :Steve Schmidt, Information Technology Manage r
Rachel McClure, Administrative Analys t
SUBJECT : CITYWIDE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY STRATEGIC PLAN AN D
ASSESSMEN T
RECOMMENDATION
Review and adopt the Citywide Information Technology (IT) Strategic Plan and IT Assessment .
REPORT-IN-BRIEF
At its most basic level, technology promises to reduce the costs associated with delivering services .
At the next level, when technology is fully leveraged across an organization, it has the potential t o
significantly improve and enhance service delivery and staff productivity . Technology also has th e
potential of enhancing transparency and accessibility of city services to the community . The
Information Technology Strategic Plan guides the City's use of technology over the next five year s
with this objective in mind. The planning effort resulted in major recommendations in three ke y
areas : governance ; structure ; and project prioritization .
The City faces a significant challenge over the next few years to implement and manage technolog y
programs . As technology advances and reduces costs of service delivery by creating efficiencies fo r
operating departments, there is an ongoing transfer of workload to the IT Division whose staff i s
responsible for maintaining the software applications and associated hardware . While keepin g
existing technology services operating efficiently is a top priority, ongoing investments in hardware ,
software, and staffing will be required to meet the City's technology vision .
DISCUSSION
Background
As part of the Fiscal Year (FY) 1999-2000 Financial Plan, Council authorized updating the City's
existing IT Strategic Plan (ITSP). That ITSP updated an existing plan and added a wireless
communications strategic plan . The following five initiatives were recommended as part of the F Y
99-00 plan :
1.Implement a document management system .
2.Rebuild the City's radio system .
3.Replace the City's public safety dispatch console .
4.Implement a public safety mobile data computer (MDC) system .
5.Rebuild the City's water and sewer telemetry systems .
With the exception of the document management system, the City has accomplished all of th e
strategic initiatives set forth in the FY 99-00 ITSP .
In the 2009-11 Financial Plan, the Council authorized updating the existing ITSP . The City issue d
an RFP, received proposals from several consulting firms, and after extensive evaluation, selecte d
NexLevel Information Technology,Inc .,in May 2011 to perform an IT assessment followed by th e
strategic plan . NexLevel was selected because of its extensive knowledge about informatio n
technology, expertise in local government and public safety, and favorable past work experienc e
with local agencies .
Information Technology Assessmen t
A comprehensive understanding of the City's current technology use provided the foundation upon
which the ITSP was built . NexLevel completed its Information Technology Assessment in Octobe r
2011 prior to completing the ITSP . The Assessment focused on how effectively the City wa s
leveraging technology to attain its stated mission and vision, and evaluated whether the City's
Network Services infrastructure and support organization were prepared to support the future need s
of the City . This is consistent with the City's organizational values to improve services, be open t o
innovation, be flexible to change and use City resources wisely .
Purpose of the Strategic Plan
The purpose of the ITSP is to provide a roadmap to guide the City's management and acquisition o f
information technology, both hardware and software, over the next five years . The ITSP identifie s
and makes recommendations regarding governance, structure, and specific projects that will tak e
the City's technology from where it is today to where it needs to be to meet current and futur e
demands . The ITSP is a valuable tool to ensure technology is procured, implemented and manage d
in a cost-effective approach that maximizes the benefits to the City and its citizens and businesses .
To develop the ITSP, NexLevel and City staff participated in the following tasks :
■ Assessment of the City's current use of technology .
■ Identification of new departmental technology projects that will improve customer service ,
increase staff productivity or increase public access to information .
■ Prioritization and phasing of identified projects from a Citywide perspective .
ITSP Recommendation s
As mentioned above the ITSP is intended to guide the City's use of technology over a strategi c
planning period . The ITSP's major recommendations are broken down into three key areas :
governance ; structure ; and project prioritization .
1 . Governanc e
IT Governance is generally defined as the leadership, reporting structure and, resource allocatio n
processes that ensure that the organization's information technology sustains and extends the City's
strategies and objectives .
As evident from the number of projects in the proposed ITSP, the City faces a significant challeng e
over the next five years to implement and manage technology . As many organizations have come to
realize, the cost and risks of implementing technology can be significant . The ITSP recognizes thi s
and places a high level of importance on implementing a formal IT governance process to hel p
manage and provide oversight to technology implementations .
Currently, the City is using a basic IT governance structure to guide the City's IT activities . Th e
current IT Steering Committee (ITSC) is chaired by the Assistant City Manager and include s
department heads as voting members . NexLevel recommends the City formalize the ITSC to ensur e
it functions as the oversight body responsible for providing strategic direction and guidance to th e
IT Division and City departments . The ITSC should be responsible for establishing the priority o f
technology projects, and ensuring the allocation of IT resources accordingly .
In order for the ITSC to function as a policy making body, it is important to delegate the technica l
aspects of projects and initiatives to the IT Division to perform a review and analysis of the specifi c
technical components . The IT Division will be charged with the responsibility to review al l
technology requests prior to submittal to the ITSC for prioritization . The IT Division will ensur e
that the plan for the requested technology fits within the existing infrastructure, aligns with th e
City's technology standards, and ensures adequate ongoing support and maintenance . Onc e
approved by the IT Division, the project will be submitted to the ITSC for review and prioritization :
2 .Structur e
NexLevel completed a comprehensive assessment of the City's use of technology that resulted in a
set of recommendations that are compatible with the City's existing technical environment (i .e ., IT
Division staffing, infrastructure, network, supervisory control and data acquisition [SCADA],
applications, and technical standards and policies). To better align the City with industry best
practices, the Assessment also identified the need for additional Network Services staffing as wel l
as migrating key application support functions from the operating departments to the IT Division .
As detailed in the ITSP, NexLevel recommends increased staffing for help desk and tier-on e
technology maintenance .
1)Establish a formal help desk function that will serve as the primary point of contact fo r
all department requests for service . This resource should be provided with the tools an d
training to be capable of resolving basic desktop requests . The objective should be t o
resolve as many desktop requests as possible, allowing the network administrators t o
focus on more complex requests . This resource will also be critical to documentin g
activities that will allow the IT Division to track and report on support activities, as well
as create a knowledge base to help resolve future requests .
2)As budget allows, identify additional resources capable of performing applicatio n
support and project management .
a. Establish a formal project management role within the IT Division . The
responsibilities of this function will include the development, distribution, an d
training on a high-level project management framework that will includ e
processes, methods, and tools/templates (i .e . Charter, Project Schedule,
Resource Management, Issue Management, Risk Management, etc .).
Staffing and Workload Measure s
Prior to implementation of the FY 99-00 ITSP, Network Services had a total of four full-tim e
equivalents (FTEs). In addition to the staff in Network Services, there was one full-time position in
Police to support public safety applications ; one full-time position in Fire to support organization -
wide radio and cell phone users ; and one full-time position in Utilities to support water and sewe r
telemetry systems . The City implemented the FY99-00 ITSP recommendation to transfer th e
wireless communication support responsibilities in Fire (radios and cell phones) and Utilities (wate r
and sewer telemetry system) to Network Services . A Telecommunications Supervisor and an
additional Network Administrator were also added . However, other FY99-00 ITSP staffin g
recommendations, including the addition of a Web Architect, a Strategic Systems Supervisor an d
another Telecommunications Technician, were never adopted by the City due to budget constraints .
The implementation of these recommendations resulted in eight FTEs in Network Services : Radio
Technician; Telemetry Technician ; four Network Administrators ; Telecommunications Supervisor ;
and IT Manager . It should be noted that the Police Department still had its own full-time I T
Technician . However, over the course of the last 12 years, several of these positions-Radio an d
Telemetry Technicians, one Network Administrator and the position in the Police Department —
have been eliminated as cost saving measures, but the support responsibilities have remained i n
Network Services . This has resulted in a greater workload and fewer staffing resources to manage it .
In 2010, the Geographic Information Services (GIS) program was transitioned to the IT Divisio n
from the Public Works Department . As this program supports the planning and mapping technolog y
needs of multiple operating departments, it was a logical fit with the IT Division. However, th e
highly technical work of capturing, manipulating and analyzing geographically reference d
information requires specialized skills that are not transferrable to the work of the Network Service s
Division.
Today, Network Services has 6 .3 FTEs . A final FY99-00 ITSP recommendation was implemente d
in 2011—a full-time Database Administrator position was added, utilizing funding from th e
elimination of a three-quarter time GIS Specialist position. That same year, a Networ k
Administrator was promoted to the vacant Network Services Supervisor position . However, th e
Network Administrator position was not backfilled so today there are fewer Network Administrator
positions than there were previously . The table below shows the Network Services support staffin g
levels over the last 12 years .
1999-00 2003-04 201 0-I
IT Assistant / Help Desk 0 0 0 .7 5
Radio Technician 0 1 0
Telemetry Technician 0 1 0
Database Administrator 0 0 1
Network Administrator 3 4 3
Network Services Supervisor (formerly
Telecommunications Supervisor)0 1 1
IT Manager 1 1 1
Total *I 4 8 I 6 .75
*Note : For consistency these figures do not include GIS or temporary salaries which equated to $10K or approximatel y
.25 temp employees for IT in 2011-12 .
B1-4
Twelve years after the FY99-00 ITSP, Network Services has fewer staff members and a
considerably larger and more complex workload, as well as a greater number of technica l
equipment and applications to maintain .
The table below illustrates how the City's technology support requirements have grown over th e
last 12 years .
1999-00 2010-1 1
Telephone Lines 650 91 9
Databases 6 4 5
Servers 10 9 1
PC's and Laptops 290 48 0
Software Applications 50 17 0
Network Switches 32 7 3
Citywide Security Cameras 0 3 8
Cell Phones 100 19 6
Public Safety, Public Works, Utilities MDCs 0 5 7
Smart Phone, Air Cards, Data Modems 0 6 9
Data Backed Up (GB)65 15,127
City Sites Supported 19 30
Major project delays have been a result of limited staffing, increased technology use by th e
departments, and the concurrent growth of IT infrastructure to support City needs . An example is
the delay of the desktop computer Windows 7 implementation . Additionally, Network Services staff
is increasingly unable to perform routine services, many of which are essential to maintain th e
integrity and security of the City's technology infrastructure . Examples of these services includ e
network switch code upgrades, radio equipment firmware upgrades, and patches for Microsoft an d
application servers, firewall firmware and policy cleanups for City Hall and the Police Department .
Not performing these services potentially leaves the City vulnerable to external threats an d
unauthorized intrusions that cause system down time . Failing to maintain and upgrade the City's
hardware and software increases the risk of network failures and service degradation . Network
Services has been able to avoid system failures in the past or keep them to a minimum through th e
use of overtime . However, this is not a sustainable solution long-term .
Help Desk Functio n
There is a large amount of help desk requests (approximately 145-165 per month), ranging from te n
minute fixes to multi-day installations . NexLevel indicates this level of support and the volume o f
equipment supported would requires the attention of 3-4 FTEs by industry standard . Since there i s
only one three-quarter time IT Assistant, who also has other responsibilities, responding to thes e
largely routine technology tasks, Network Administrators must also handle them, minimizing thei r
ability to focus attention on IT projects and servicing the network . This situation creates the nee d
for additional staffing assistance to handle these routine tasks and avoid service disruptions an d
system failures which result in down time and service degradation .
For several years, the three-quarter time IT Assistant / Help Desk Technician has been workin g
hours beyond the budgeted 30 per week to complete necessary help desk tasks . As this is what i s
required of this position and not the result of a temporary workload increase, staff will b e
recommending in the next financial planning process that this position be budgeted to the actua l
hours needed . Staff has researched the possibility of using contract services for the Help Des k
function . The findings have consistently shown that contracting for a smaller City like San Lui s
Obispo would be far more expensive and not provide the quality of service to City users as using in -
house staff.
Project Managemen t
The Information Technology Division is currently involved in several high priority softwar e
implementations, including EnerGov and the Computerized Maintenance and Management Syste m
(CMMS), with more planned for the future . The docket of upcoming Network Services projects i s
full and includes ; paperless City Council agendas ; Windows 7 implementation ; City websit e
upgrade ; enterprise document management system ; e-discovery solution ; City Hall datacenter
power upgrade ; Finance/Payroll/Human Resources system upgrade ; capital improvement projec t
(CIP) planning and management software ; mobile data computers (MDC) and in-car vide o
replacement ; streaming video to dispatch ; RecWare upgrade ; transit radio upgrade ; Citywid e
wireless access upgrade ; and telemetry system upgrades .
This project sampling represents a variety of complex and highly technical projects that must b e
managed and maintained by Network Services . A total of 39 major City IT projects were identifie d
in the proposed ITSP . This workload does not include trouble reports, hardware and softwar e
maintenance and upgrades, infrastructure installation and proactive system maintenance . In
addition, in 2010 application support was moved from the operating departments to Networ k
Services so staff will now track and administer application support, version upgrades and on-goin g
replacement budgets .
Current software implementation projects such as EnerGov and CMMS have demonstrated the nee d
for dedicated Information Technology project management resources to ensure their success . Unti l
the project management function recommended by NexLevel can be more formally supported, th e
IT Manager will be responsible for the project management for all software implementation s
utilizing contract management consulting firms such as NexLevel and Woolpert to assist .
3 . Project Prioritizatio n
The projects addressed in the . proposed ITSP were prioritized by City Senior staff and the I T
Steering Committee. Projects were prioritized based on criteria such as financial impact, health an d
safety impact, customer service impact, business operations impact, alignment to City goals ,
business vision and mission, and technology obsolescence . In addition to these criteria, the Plan als o
considered the limited resources (both human and capital) available to implement and manag e
technology projects .
The ITSP strives to set reasonable expectations as to when projects will be completed . However,a
project's ultimate start date will be based on funding or budget approval as well as the capacity o f
staff to successfully implement the project . It is the intent of the ITSP to support the City's annua l
capital planning and budgeting processes by providing direction and input necessary to justif y
expenditure .
It is important to note that the ITSP does not include detailed specifications, requirements, o r
recommended vendor solutions . When a project is initiated, the Plan assumes City staff will follo w
traditional project planning and management processes that would include detailed requirement s
analysis, formal procurement and selection, and implementation processes . With the rapid change i n
technology and vendor solutions, the City is best served by carefully evaluating the market solution s
available at the time a project is scheduled for procurement .
As evident from the number of upcoming IT Division projects, the City faces a significant challeng e
over the next five years to implement and manage technology . As technology advances and th e
world becomes increasingly digitalized and mobilized, these programs become a part of the dail y
workload for IT Division staff While keeping existing technology services operating efficiently is a
top priority, ongoing investments will be required to fulfill the City's technology vision . NexLeve l
strongly recommends that all future City projects that include a technology component be manage d
by the IT staff, and if necessary, include the help of contract consultants or temporary employees .
SUMMARY
The City's current technology environment represents a complex system that consists of numerous
applications and infrastructure that support more than 400 employees . As with any complex system ,
the addition or modification of any component has the potential to impact other parts of the system .
The ITSP includes projects that are aimed at improving business applications, technolog y
infrastructure and governance . As projects are implemented, it will take careful coordination an d
planning to manage the change introduced and to ensure the projects do not adversely impact othe r
components within the City's technology environment .
Implementing technology of the nature and to the degree that the City desires requires a
corresponding investment in personnel resources to maintain it . Although technology can reduce th e
costs associated with delivering services by providing efficiencies for the departments that us e
them, there is a transfer of workload to the IT Division whose staff is responsible for maintainin g
the software applications and associated hardware (servers, mobile devices, etc .). Additionally,
although the implementation of a project may be one-time in nature, the management and suppor t
for the program is ongoing and requires dedicated resources to keep it running effectively . One
example of this is the new Public Safety Communications Center . Although this project is complet e
and the Center is fully operational, significant Network Services support is required for the ongoin g
maintenance of the technology equipment . In fact, one Network Administrator spends 80% of hi s
time handling Communications Center and public safety issues .
The City recognizes that technology is critical to performing many day-to-day business functions .
In addition, the City recognizes the importance of leveraging technology to meet its growin g
business needs in the most cost effective manner . The ITSP is a valuable tool to ensure technolog y
is procured, implemented and managed in a cost-effective approach that maximizes the benefits t o
the City and its customers .
CONCURRENCE S
The IT Steering Committee (ITSC) and IT Division staff concur with the strategic direction an d
recommendations provided in the ITSP .
FISCAL IMPACT
It is important to stress that the ITSP is a plan ; it is not a budget . The ITSP identifies and prioritize s
major Information Technology projects, but does not allocate budget resources . Current and future
IT projects will compete for limited IT Division staffing resources and scheduling prioritization .
Project costs should include funding for project management . The IT Steering Committee wil l
determine the priority for all City IT projects .
The ITSP supports the concept of resourcing IT hardware and software needs through th e
establishment of an IT replacement fund for hardware and software that is independent of th e
existing Equipment Replacement Fund . It is envisioned that the ITSC will prioritize the use of th e
fund similar to how the CIP committee recommends priorities for the use of CIP funding . Staff
anticipates recommending the establishment of a comprehensive IT Replacement Fund as part o f
the 2013-15 Financial Plan . The amount to be recommended is not known at this stage of financia l
planning process but implementation of this objective will certainly be a high priority given th e
previous direction received from the City Council .
As indicated above, the ITSP recommends increasing the IT Division's help desk capability in orde r
to enable Network Administrators to focus on their higher level functions . The cost to add an I T
Assistant/Help Desk position and to increase the hours of the existing IT Assistant from a three -
quarter time position to a full-time position would be $95,400 per year as shown below . Staff
anticipates submitting a significant operating program change during the 2013-15 Financial Pla n
process for consideration . In the interim, F&IT staff will utilize existing resources and savings fro m
resources from the current budget to enhance help desk support and increase the efficiency of th e
network services function on an interim basis .
ALTERNATIVE S
Do not adopt the proposed ITSP .If the plan is not adopted, the City will not have a roadmap
for implementing future Information Technology initiatives and projects .
2 .Refer the ITSP back to staff for further study .The Council can refer the plan back to staf f
for further analysis . However, based on the extensive work throughout the organization that ha s
gone into preparing this plan, staff does not believe this is likely to result in an improved pla n
unless Council has specific changes it desires to make . In this case, adoption of the plan at thi s
time with changes as directed by the Council is the preferred approach .
ATTACHMENT S
1 Proposed ITSP Citywide Information Technology Strategic Pla n
2 . IT Assessmen t
t:\council agenda reports\2012\2012-08-07 \adoption of citywide info tech strategic plan (bourbeau-schntidt)\council agenda report - it strategic plan .docx
January 2012 Information Technology Strategic Pla n
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents 1
1 Introduction 3
1 .1 City Profile 3
1 .2 Background 3
1 .3 Technology as an Enabler 3
1 .4 Project Purpose and Benefits 4
2 Approach 7
3 Assessment 9
3 .1 Current Environment 9
3 .2 Findings 10
3 .3 Recommendations 1 3
4 Roadmap 1 7
4 .1 Plan Enablers 1 7
IT Organization Structure 1 7
IT Governa nce 1 8
Technology Refreshment 1 9
4 .2 Projects 1 9
4 .2 .1 Project List by Department 2 0
4 .2 .2 Timeline and Costs 2 8
Conclusion 31
Page 11
Information Technology Strategic Pla n
NexLevel Informatio n
Technology, Inc. assisted
the City of San Luis Obisp o
in the development of this
Information Technology
Strategic Plan to use as a
roadmap to be followe d
over the next three to five
years to ensure
information technolog y
effectively supports th e
City's current and future
needs.
January 2012 Information Technology Strategic Pla n
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January 2012
Introduction A Final ITSP
Information Technology Strategic Pla n
1 .1 City Profil e
The City of San Luis Obispo (th e
City) serves as the commercial ,
governmental and cultural hub o f
California's Central Coast . Wit h
a population of approximatel y
44,000, the City is located eigh t
miles from the Pacific Ocean an d
is midway between Sa n
Francisco and Los Angeles . San and businesses.
Luis Obispo is a full-service city
that provides police, fire, water ,
sewer, streets, transit, parking, planning, building, engineerin g
and parks & recreation services to the community .
1 .2 Backgroun d
Based on rapid changes in technology, and the need to utiliz e
technology to enhance staff productivity,in 2011, the City
released a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for an Informatio n
Technology Strategic Plan (ITSP). According to the RFQ, th e
ITSP was to contain the following components :
® An assessment of the City's current IT environmen t
Results of interviews with department representative s
3 A Draft ITSP for Information Technology Steerin g
Committee (ITSC) review
As a result of the procurement, the City selected NexLeve l
Information Technology, Inc . (NexLevel) to complete the ITSP .
NexLevel is an IT Management Consulting company tha t
specializes in helping California municipalities plan for an d
implement technology . This document presents the resultin g
ITSP .
1 .3 Technology as an Enable r
Like most cities, the City of San Luis Obispo has been face d
with decreasing budgets and resources . At the same time ,
technology is progressing at breakneck speed, and citizen s
have become more technology savvy and expect increased an d
more efficient services - services that provide informatio n
where and when it is convenient for them . While traditiona l
face-to-face connections will always be an option, citizens hav e
been increasingly turning to voice, data, video, and other socia l
technologies as their means of connecting not only with eac h
other, but with their government .
In order to maximize service delivery to its citizens, the Cit y
needs to maximize its use of technology - technology tha t
supports specific business objectives, and that would promot e
employee productivity and operational efficiencies .
To be effective, this approach to and use of technology need s
to be supported not only by the City's executives ,
management, and staff, but also by the City Council .Th e
technology and its infrastructure must not only support th e
City's mission and vision, but also the City's goals an d
objectives .
Recently named th e
'Happiest Place in the
USN' by National
Geographic -Intelligently
implemented technology
solutions will further
January 2012
While keeping existin g
technology services operatin g
efficiently is a top priority ,
ongoing investments will b e
required to meet the City's
technology vision . While som e
of the investments will come
from currently identifie d
operating funds, much of i t
must come from additiona l
capital resources, based on the !Where Are We Going?Into ther..
benefits outweighing the costs .Lture with a Design
The detailed roadma p
pertaining to how the City can get from where it is today t o
where it wants and needs to be can be found in this ITSP .
1 .4 Project Purpose and Benefit s
Over time, cities typically struggle to keep up with technology
demands . Technology needs and reliance exceeds what ca n
be delivered based on the supporting IT organization's
resources and capabilities . As shown in Figure 1, the ITS P
provides a roadmap that will help the City close the ga p
between current and future IT needs .
Information Technology Strategic Pla n
Hig h
Lg w
20i1 Time 2015
Figure 1 - Technology Ga p
In order to complete the ITSP, NexLevel's strategic plannin g
process provided an opportunity for City management and staff
to review, discuss, and integrate its technology needs into a
common framework . It promoted a common understanding of
the City's technology plans and priorities, and served as a too l
to provide the City with an overall picture of what is to b e
accomplished and why .
For the City of San Luis Obispo, the ITSP describes th e
technology projects, plans, strategies, actions, and initiative s
that will provide for the successful operation and modernizatio n
of technology within the City IT Department, as well as the othe r
City operating departments, for the next three to five years . Th e
projects typically do not support only one department, bu t
instead, multiple departments or the City as a whole .
San Luis Obispo Style—Quality
With Vision
Who Are We? People Servin g
p People
What Do We Stan d
For? Quality in all Endeavors —
Pride in Results
Technology Gap
The IT
Stre ga Plen
Provides e
a-Roedmepto
Proncthrely
Manageth e
Gap
Current Capabilities/Systems -"Status Quo
January 201 2
The ITSP also includes a project timeline, which addresse s
project priorities,as well as City fiscal-year budget cycles .
Completion of the projects will help the City to enhance an d
advance the adaption to, and use of, technology to better serv e
the citizens and businesses of San Luis Obispo, as the City wil l
become more efficient and effective through the automation o f
city and department functions .
To maximize its technology investments, the City must procure
technology from an enterprise view understanding the value o f
leveraging existing systems, resources, and expertise . Thi s
approach will allow the City to :
Promote a common understanding of its technolog y
challenges and prioritie s
~Q Provide a technology framework from which to buil d
Increase the likelihood of attaining the desired result s
from the implementation of technology
Ensure that current technology investments are mad e
within the context of the needs of the entire Cit y
Ensure efficient use of technology resources an d
operations
Develop an open technology infrastructure capable o f
supporting information sharing between departments
and external entities (e .g . County, State, and othe r
agencies)
•mom Assist management and staff in budgeting an d
forecasting the impacts of technology
Information Technology Strategic Pla n
Create an increased awareness of the costs, effort, an d
time required in implementing and supportin g
technology solution s
Increase accountability for technology implementation s
Promote information sharing through the improve d
integration of disparate systems, especially acros s
multiple platforms and operational environment s
The adoption and utilization of this ITSP will provide the Cit y
with a number of benefits including :
4)-Improved business operation s
Improved customer servic e
Reduced operational cost s
Increased staff productivit y
Improved succession plannin g
4:$Improved IT project decision makin g
NexLevel developed this ITSP recognizing the City's budge t
realities ; however, through careful planning and coordination ,
the City will be able to maximize the return on its technolog y
investment .
Note that the City should complete annual updates to the ITS P
to ensure it keeps the City pointed in the right direction . By
evaluating progress, while also revisiting goals and objectives ,
the annual updates will identify any adjustments necessary t o
keep the City focused on the best outcomes for its citizens .
Page 15
January 2012 Information Technology Strategic Pla n
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January 201 2
2 Approac h
The ITSP development proces s
was a City-wide effort involvin g
more than 30 City staff
representing all departments .
It focused on identifying th e
current IT and GI S
infrastructure, curren t
technology issues and needs ,
and forecasted future
technology needs . A goal of
the planning process is to identify a "business driver" for eac h
technology need . To support prioritization and planning, it i s
important that the business impact of any proposed project i s
well defined because ultimately the return on the investment i n
technology is defined in business terms .
The information gathered during the planning process, alon g
with data about how other cities are addressing technolog y
needs, was used to identify specific technology projects tha t
provide the basis for this plan .In developing the Plan, wher e
applicable, NexLevel provided expertise regarding bes t
practices and industry standards .
Figure 2 identifies the major activities and general timing of th e
activities performed to develop the ITSP .
Information Technology Strategic Pla n
JULY JANUARY
Use of a structure d
planning methodolog y
that was inclusive o f
every City departmen t
ensures a true city-wide
plan .
Figure 2 - Timeline of Major Project Task s
In developing this ITSP, NexLevel facilitated the followin g
activities as organized by the major tasks shown in Figure 2 :
Project Initiation :
Developed Project Kickoff Meeting material s
Conducted Project Kickoff Meeting with Cit y
management and staff
Assessment :
4-Reviewed existing IT Division infrastructure and support
organization, including applications, vendors ,
documentation, policies, procedures, processes, staff ,
organizational structure, and budge t
Assessment
Strategy Developmen t
Finalize and Publish Pla n
Page l7
January 2012 Information Technology Strategic Pla n
Conducted face-to-face interviews with the Director o f
Finance/IT, the Information Technology Manager an d
the GISand Network Supervisor s
Conducted face-to-face meetings with IT staff within th e
support groups
Administered web-based IT user survey, with response s
from 242 computer users (45% response rate), to
identify current technology service levels, concerns ,
issues, and need s
Conducted department interviews to discuss results o f
survey and identify technology need s
Completed industry and peer City research and analysi s
as necessary
Completed a comprehensive IT Assessment Report tha t
provides detailed observations and recommendation s
specifically related to improvements within the I T
Divisio n
Strategy Development :
Developed Project Listin g
Facilitated a Project Prioritization meeting with all Cit y
departments
Finalize and Publish Pla n
Developed Draft ITSP for review by stakeholders
Developed Final ITSP
A comprehensive
understanding of th e
current technology
infrastructure and us e
provides the foundation
upon which to plan.
Assessmen t
To complete the assessment ,
NexLevel used all the processe s
and data identified in th e
previous section as part of it s
strategic planning process .
This information was compared
against research regarding ho w
other cities are addressin g
technology needs, and against
a series of operational bes t
practices or Assessment Dimensions that represent the role s
and responsibilities of a public agency IT organization including :
-<• Governance - The leadership, reporting structure ,
management overview, and consistent tracking o f
technology services that ensure end-user busines s
needs and requirements are met .
Service Delivery - The function of coordinating th e
processes involved in providing robust custome r
technology support including training, helpdesk, an d
service delivery management frequently based o n
established service level agreements (SLAs).
Applications - The software applications supporting th e
City, including the individual department operation, b y
analyzing the application's strengths and weaknesses ,
as well as the ability to support future needs .
Infrastructure The technology equipment, operating
systems,support software,and communications
network services used within the City to provid e
computer services to end users .
Security - The effective application of policy an d
standards, user conduct, software tools (filtering ,
monitoring, etc .), and audits to validate that the City's
material and software resources are used only for it s
intended purposes .
Administration - The management of the I T
infrastructure in terms of budgets, maintenanc e
agreements, and software licenses .
Documentation - The development and maintenance o f
current and accurate documentation on all technolog y
activities such that processes can be completed in th e
absence of any one individual while promoting cros s
training, enabling backup and recovery, and reducin g
the risk that can be associated with change .
3 .1 Current Environmen t
The City has over 500 employees that manage the day-to-da y
operations of the City's business . Over the last several years ,
the City has built a robust technology infrastructure to suppor t
the staff and business and operational activities the Cit y
performs . The following information provides a high-leve l
overview of the City's technology infrastructure :
•~~ IT Division consisting of 9 .3 FTEs
Major business applications including Finance/Payrol l
(Pentamation), Utility Billing (ACS*), Asset Managemen t
(Hansen), SCADA (Genesis),GIS with integration to
FoxPro, Business License (HDL), Recreation (RecWare),
Public Salley (Spillman),Time Keeping (IntelliTime),
Permitting (EnerGov), and Imaging (LaserFiche)Qcrosrnnnc
*ACS is currently being replaced with Springbrook .
Wide and local area network infrastructure tha t
connects 400+ desktops and laptops most are Del l
hardware and Microsoft software (desktop - MS Offic e
and server - SQL Server) 70 Smartphone/Blackberr y
devices, 82 printers, 30 scanners, and 49 MDC's
Voice/voice mail system (850 phones), radio syste m
(390 radios )
Dispatch center (24x7x365 operation )
Internet access
Service Deliver y
Applications
Infrastructure
Security
MS Exchange Emai l
The IT Division staff is located in several different work areas .
The IT Manager, Network Supervisor, and Applicatio n
Administrator are located in the Finance/IT Department are a
(lower level of City Hall). The Network Administrators and Hel p
Desk Technician are located on the first floor of City Hall . Th e
GIS staff is located at the Public Works and Communit y
Development Departments facility .
3 .2 Finding s
NexLevel evaluated the IT Division's use and management o f
technology and plotted related performance, by dimension a s
identified earlier in the plan, on a color scale . Figure 3 provides
the results of our findings .
Figure 3 - IT Best Practices Dimension Rankin g
With regard to reading the scales, if the IT Division performe d
consistently within industry standards, it would be at the gree n
end of the scale . If, on the other hand, the IT Divisio n
performed at a level that may jeopardize security, risk dat a
loss, computer operations, or service delivery, it would be at th e
red end of the scale . Any measurement between the soli d
green and red would indicate the IT Division is not performin g
at an optimum level, and weaknesses exist that keep it fro m
performing at a higher level .
Applications is one of the most critical assessmen t
dimensions, as the effective selection, implementation, an d
management of the City's software applications is critical to
Page 110
January 2012 Information Technology Strategic Pla n
attaining a high-level of staff productivity, cost-effective servic e
delivery, efficient business processes, and a return on th e
City's technology investment . The sum of the City's
applications is called the City's Application Portfolio .
To help evaluate the effectiveness of the City's Applicatio n
Portfolio, NexLevel plotted core applications on a chart wher e
the vertical axis represented "Application Capabilities" (i .e .
features and functionality) and the horizontal axis represente d
"User Effectiveness" (i .e . how effectively is staff leveraging th e
application). Figure 4, on the following page, plots the City's
current application effectiveness .
The chart provides the ability to quickly understand whic h
applications are being effectively leveraged and which ar e
failing to effectively support the City business and operationa l
activities .
Page (11
January 2012 Information Technology Strategic Pla n
Effective Technology (High ROI )
High
People/Process Constrained (Med ROI)
Clas s
fiier5oc i y~lilrrc n I Itet(itime /
7eio,t .,l i
=Ti ring Prco k
RecW
Square
Rigger Hdl_
(ti Hansen n
uR 'cc
Ho nnie Aep >
Low
Ineffective Technology (Low RO Technology Constrained (Ailed ROI )
Low 1 High
User Effectiveness (i .e . People / Process / Trainin g
Figure 4 - Application Effectiveness Diagram
January 201 2
3 .3 Recommendation s
Based on the results of the Assessment, NexLevel determine d
that the IT Division performs well in many areas as describe d
below :
The assessment did not identify any critical I T
operational issues with regard to the City's use o f
technology . The IT Division performs well in servic e
delivery and has a well documented environment .
The IT Division is staffed with technically competent
individuals who strive to provide excellent custome r
service - IT users are generally satisfied with IT Divisio n
support and services .
The City's technology infrastructure (wide area network ,
storage area network, servers, desktops, etc .) an d
security practices are strong and performing a s
intended .
Many of the City's core business applications are eithe r
currently using commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS )
solutions or are in the process of migrating to COT S
solutions . The COTS solutions that are eithe r
implemented or in the process of being implemente d
are with proven companies (i .e . Springbrook, HdL,
Laserfiche, Energov, Spillman, ESRI, CLASS, etc .) an d
will meet the majority of the user needs.
City management's commitment to the use o f
technology is strong .
On the other hand, while not immediate threats to technolog y
support and service, the IT Assessment did uncover areas for
Information Technology Strategic Pla n
improvement . NexLevel's recommendations, by Assessmen t
Dimension, are shown in the following table .
It is important to note that some of these recommendations wil l
be incorporated into the ITSP as strategic projects while othe r
recommendations will be addressed at the IT Division o r
department level . These non-strategic projec t
recommendations will be addressed by staff over time . Som e
will be implemented quickly, while others may take significan t
planning, hardware/software purchases, and additiona l
personnel resources to execute .
g e 113
January 2012 Information Technology Strategic Pla n
Dimensio n
IT Governance
Key Recommendation s
*._Re-organize the IT organization structure to recognize a Tier I and Tier II help desk role, allowing more experience d
resources to focus on more complex and higher value work requests .
v Re-organize the IT Division into three components ; infrastructure, application, and customer service .
`.*Implement a formal IT Governance structure that includes re-orienting the current IT Steering Committee to alig n
with best practices for IT Governance .
=4=Implement formal Project Management framework, processes, and tools that will work in concert with the I T
Governance structure, thus ensuring projects are implemented as authorized by the IT Governance process .
Service Delivery •Consider implementation of a formal training room .
•:+Implement Help Desk reporting structure to improve communication, prioritization, and interaction wit h
departments .
*:•Evaluate alternative (off-hour) system maintenance to minimize impact to users .
•®•Implement basic IT infrastructure change management processes .
•~$Leverage Solarwinds to monitor system performance .
•T.•Perform root cause analysis to evaluate system anomalies and assist in future problem resolution .
Centralize system log files to retain full event history .
v Establish application upgrade policy to keep applications current .
Applications •:•Continue to keep effective applications current in terms of releases and patches .
v Continue implementation of Class and the Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS).
_:=Consider migration of SquareRigger to CMMS or EnerGov .
v Plan Pentamation replacement .
Implement new website based on proven CMS technology .
Continue migration of custom developed applications (Bonnie Apps) to Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) solutions .
e.*Implement test environments to support core applications .
Establish long-term support structure for the existing and future Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA )
application and associated PLCs .
Page 114
S tyr -
4 '
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January 201 2
Dimension
Information Technology Strategic Pla n
Key Recommendation s
Infrastructure ~.~Evaluate the implementation of department collaboration tools (i .e . Intranet, SharePoint, etc .) to help improve inte r
and intra department communication and project coordination .
*+°Complete a Business Continuity Plan and update the Disaster Recovery Plan to include a business impact analysi s
to help guide recovery strategies and expectations .
*>•Relocate the City Hall data center/server room (located outside the Finance Department in the public hallway) to a
more secure and suitable location . Make the existing City Hall data center a fiber switching closet .
®,m Install adequate emergency power generator to sustain City Hall data center operations and allow for orderl y
shutdown .
.a.Add additional web filtering categories for more effective Internet usage .
®a•Evaluate policies and procedures for remote computer access .
-2•Reduce equipment refreshment cycles back to best practice ranges as budget permits .
•.*Upgrade Cat 3 and Cat 5 wiring with current standards .
Security Contract to have a network vulnerability analysis and penetration test performed and remediate identified issues .
v Consider removing desktop administrative rights for users to prevent unauthorized software installation .
_«•Implement processes/tools to regularly scan desktops and identify recently added software and review results .
Implement disk-to-tape backups with off-site storage .
Continue strong antivirus/antispyware practices .
+,•Implement a patch management approach and application .
Implement an Intrusion Detection System (IDS).
Administration ~.*Establish a budgetary amount for hardware refreshment in each budget cycle .
:•Have the IT Steering Committee, with IT Division input, enforce software and hardware procurement policies .
Conduct an annual review of technology contracts to ensure the terms reflect the current needs of the environment .
*:r Routinely inventory all software and compare to original license agreements for compliance .
PZ*Routinely inventory technology hardware to support the hardware refreshment budget .
P a g e 115
of Sas:.
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;.?.~y.'n~T .
January 2012 Information Technology Strategic Pla n
Create technical documentation for all aspects of the IT Division's day-to-day operation and store in centra l
repository.
Add documentation requirements to IT job descriptions .
Update the IT Policies and Procedures Manual .
Develop new technology polices .
January 2012
4 Roadma p
The ITSP focuses on th e
identification and definition of
citywide strategic IT projects .A
citywide strategic IT project is on e
that has the potential to provid e
significant benefits to the Cit y
and/or its citizens/businesses .A
strategic project may streamlin e
existing processes, enable new
capabilities to improve servic e
delivery, improve operational processes to allow staff to b e
more productive, reduce costs to meet budget demands ,
and/or improve public safety . The primary focus of th e
strategic planning process is to publish a roadmap tha t
identifies strategic projects that will be implemented over th e
next three to five years .
4 .1 Plan Enabler s
The IT Assessment recommendations will be addressed by th e
IT Department over time . However, NexLevel believes there ar e
several recommendations that are critical to the overal l
success Of the ITSP, and that these should be addressed a s
soon as possible to provide the best chance for ITSP success .
These deal with IT Organization Structure, Governance, an d
Technology Refreshment .
Information Technology Strategic plan
IT Organization Structure
The IT Division reports to the Director of Finance, is staffed wit h
approximately 10 full-time equivalents, and is occasionall y
supplemented with the use of interns when needed . Overall, i t
appears that the current IT Division resources are able t o
nlaintaina good level of support and are meeting the essentia l
needs of the City . However, due to the current structure ,
processes, tools, and workload, the IT Division is challenged t o
be proactive in performing day-to-day maintenance and suppor t
activities, as well as new technology project support . Wit h
regard to new technology project support, the IT Division need s
to be able to provide appropriate technology consultation to
departments to fully support the applications, procurement ,
selection, and project management .
NexLevel makes the following recommendations in terms of th e
IT Division's organizational structure :
+ Establish a full-time help desk representative who wil l
function as the primary point of contact for al l
department requests for service . This resource shoul d
be provided with the tools and training to be Capable o f
resolving basic desktop requests . The objective shoul d
be to resolve as many desktop requests as possible ,
allowing the network administrators to focus on mor e
complex requests . This resource will also be critical t o
documenting activities that will allow the IT Division t o
track and report on support activities, as vvell as creat e
a knowledge base to help resolve future requests .
Re-organize the IT Division to include the following :
O .IT Manager - The IT Manager will continue to be
responsible for overall IT Division operations an d
ThaITSPprovides a 5
year roadmap to take the
City's technology fro m
where it is today to wher e
it needs to be to meet
current and future needs .
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"I
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January 2012 Information Technology Strategic Pla n
service delivery (i .e . staff management, servic e
delivery oversight and direction, issue resolution ,
budget, etc .). In addition, the IT Manager will b e
responsible for strategic planning, technology
selection/procurement support, IT Governanc e
facilitation, Project Management oversight, an d
policy enforcement .
b.Customer Service - This organization will includ e
help desk (Tier I and selected Tier II troubl e
tickets), project management, and projec t
planning support (i .e . requirements gathering ,
feasibility analysis, procurement and selection ,
etc .). Customer Service should provide a
centralized help desk to ensure all requests ar e
entered into a help desk system and eventuall y
resolved . The help desk function will escalat e
tickets to both application support an d
infrastructure .
c.Application Support - This organization will b e
responsible for working with the departments t o
maintain and manage business and operatio n
applications . This organization will be heavil y
involved in the implementation of ne w
applications and will work with the department s
and vendors to ensure successfu l
implementation . In addition, Application Suppor t
resources will monitor the application/database s
to ensure they are running as intended and tha t
applications are kept current in terms of releases
and patches . It is assumed that the GI S
resources would become part of this group .
d.Infrastructure - This organization will b e
responsible for the IT infrastructure to includ e
network, servers, data centers, radios, telephon e
system, backups/recovery, etc .
As budget allows, identify additional resources capabl e
of performing application support and projec t
management. The current IT Division does not hav e
adequate resources to perform these functions .
As new technology purchases are considered, the Cit y
should carefully evaluate the required support from th e
IT Division staff to ensure successful implementatio n
and reliable ongoing support . If additional burdens o n
the IT Division staff are a bi-product of th e
implementation of new technology, the City will need t o
augment IT staffing levels .
Perform a review of IT staff job titles/descriptions an d
compensation packages based on re-aligne d
responsibilities . This is important to ensur e
compensation is competitive with current market to ai d
in staff retention and reflect contributions to th e
organization .
IT Governance
Governance is generally defined as the leadership, reportin g
structure, and processes that ensure that the organization's
information technology sustains and extends the City's
strategies and objectives .
Currently, the City is using a basic IT governance structure to
guide the City's IT activities . The current IT Steering Committe e
is chaired by the Assistant City Manager and includes
department Directors . The current IT Steering Committee i s
helpful in ensuring open lines of communication and providin g
a forum to guide the City's IT direction . However, the I T
Steering Committee appears to be lacking a formal charter tha t
clearly outlines the purpose, processes, roles, and objectives o f
the Committee . There is no visible method for prioritizing an d
scheduling IT projects or initiatives from an enterpris e
perspective . While the IT Division certainly understands th e
underlying technology infrastructure, it has a difficult tim e
placing major technology acquisitions in a business-base d
priority for the City .
NexLevel recommends the City formalize the IT Steerin g
Committee to ensure it functions as the oversight bod y
responsible for providing strategic direction and guidance t o
the IT Division and City departments . The IT Steerin g
Committee should be responsible for establishing the priority o f
major technology projects, thus ensuring the allocation of I T
resources to the highest priorities .
In order for the IT Steering Committee to function as a polic y
making body, it is important to delegate the technical aspect s
of projects/initiatives to the IT Division to perform a review an d
analysis of the specific technical components . The IT Divisio n
will be charged with the responsibility of reviewing an d
approving all technology requests prior to submittal to the IT
Steering Committee for prioritization. The IT Division will
ensure that requested technology fits within the existin g
infrastructure, meets current City technology standards, an d
will be maintained at an appropriate level . Once approved, th e
project will be submitted to the IT Steering Committee .
Due to the current project activity, the IT Steering Committe e
should meet on a monthly basis with a formal agenda that
includes a review of existing project activity (i .e . status, project
schedule, resources, issues, risks, etc .), a review of IT Divisio n
service level results, and a discussion of departmen t
technology needs and issues . The IT Steering Committe e
should provide a forum for the interchange of ideas, review o f
technical implementations, and facilitate intra-departmenta l
communications concerning project status and IT Divisio n
operations .
Technology Refreshmen t
The City must continue to invest in the ongoing maintenanc e
and replacement of existing technology . This includes timel y
replacement of computer (i .e . servers, desktops, laptops, etc .)
and network (i .e . switches, routers, etc .) equipment. I n
addition, it includes timely updates,via software releases an d
patches, of software applications to remain current with vendo r
support agreements . The technology refreshment will b e
evaluated and budgeted for on an annual basis with input fro m
the IT Steering Committee .
4 .2 Projects
The technology planning process culminated in th e
identification and prioritization of technology projects that wil l
help ensure that the City's technology environment support s
current and anticipated business needs . These projects spa n
across all departments and will improve services, operations ,
and/or increase the security and reliability of the existin g
technology environment .
Projects were prioritized based on criteria such as financia l
impact, health and safety impact, customer service impact,
business operations impact, alignment to business vision an d
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January 201 2
mission, and technology obsolescence . In addition to these
criteria, the plan also considered the limited resources (bot h
human and capital) available to implement and manag e
technology projects .
The ITSP strives to set reasonable expectations as to when th e
projects will be completed . However, a project's ultimate star t
date will be based on funding or budget approval .It is th e
intent of the ITSP to support the City's annual capital plannin g
and budgeting processes by providing direction and inpu t
necessary to justify expenditure .
The ITSP does not include detailed specifications ,
requirements, or recommended vendor solutions . When a
project is initiated, the Plan assumes City staff will follow
traditional project planning and management processes tha t
would include detailed requirements analysis, forma l
procurement and selection, and implementation processes .
With the rapid changes in technology and vendor solutions, th e
City would be best served by carefully evaluating the marke t
solutions available at the time a project is scheduled fo r
procurement .
Information Technology Strategic Pla n
4 .2 .1 Project List by Departmen t
Table 2 lists the projects by department . In addition, the tabl e
provides a brief description of each project .
Information Technology Strategic Pla n
Table 2 - Project Lis t
Sponsorin g
Department
New City
Website
Administration This project is to replace the current City website with a solution that aligns with best practices and i ssupported by a proven content management solution . The City's current website is difficult to navigate o rlocate information quickly, limited in functionality, includes "dead links". and presents an inconsistent loo kand feel when navigating between departments . This project will also address the City's use an dmanagement of social media (i .e . Facebook . Twitter, etc .). As the City implements new business an doperational applications (i .e . EnerGov, Cityworks . Springhrook, etc .), the ability to extend these application sthrough the City's website will he increasingly important .
Agend a
Management This project is to implement a proven commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) agenda management solution t omanage the creation and publishing of Council agenda items . The solution should allow the City tostreamline the process for managing agenda items, staff reports, and other attachments for Boards ,Commissions, and City Council meetings .
Custome r
Relationshi p
Management
(CRM)
Alt :att))aThis project is to implement a customer relationship management (CRM) solution to improve the completio nand tracking of service requests received by the City . Such a solution would improve customer satisfactio nand streamline the processes for routing and tracking requests received through the City Manager's Office o rany other City department . Requests would be tracked through resolution and available for future reference .
Enterprise
Document
Management
This project is to establish an enterprise wide document management strategy and implement an enterpris edocument management and retrieval system .The City is currently using several solutions to support thes efunctions. Consequently, in today's environment, staff can be frustrated and find it time consuming to locat eCity documents .To avoid the City incurring the maintenance and support costs for multiple systems,as wel l
as to support a single data repository for city documents,the City should implement a proven commercial-
off-the-shelf (COTS)solution . This project should include the hardware,software,integration/interfaces ,migration of current documents, staff training, and associated policy and procedures statements .
Information Technology Strategic Pla n
Administration This project is to evaluate opportunities for the City to leverage emerging social media channels t o
communicate and interact with citizens and business . The scope of this project would be to establis h
policies, procedures, and methods to leverage social media environments . The importance of social medi a
to support communication with citizens and business is rapidly evolving and become a preferre d
communication channel for many individuals and organizations .
This project is for the replacement of the existing Intranet with a new citywide Intranet solution to suppor t
cross-department collaboration and communication . The Intranet will provide the ability for staff t o
collaboratively work on projects by providing a site that supports document sharing ,
routing/alerting/workflow, editing, and version control . In addition, the Intranet would provide a secur e
location for City policies, standard forms and templates, employee handbook, information about medica l
providers, contact lists, and any other information staff needs to access . The project would includ e
necessary hardware, software, requirements determination, Intranet design, and user training .
This grant-funded project is to create opportunities to connect residents with special interests into the City 's
activities . Consideration pertaining to the manner it which all applications could be leveraged to provid e
efficient public access to information is included in the project scope .
This project will implement a solution to help the City manage claims activity and provide a centralize d
repository of information . In today's environment,when a claim is received, staff is assigned to investigate
and research the incident that occurred . The claims process and information collected is managed usin g
informal processes (i .e . email, file storage, hardcopies, etc .). The City should explore risk managemen t
solutions, as well as investigate the capabilities of existing software solutions to determine if a module exist s
that can support this .Another alternative would be leverage the Intranet .
This project is to implement a formal IT Steering Committee to replace the current IT Governance structure .
The project will include defining formal rolesresponsibilities, processes, and procedures to support I T
Governance structures . The goal will be to implement a best practices IT governance structure to provid e
high-level direction and guidance for IT planning . management, and execution .
Administration
Administratio n
Administratio n
Administration
January 2012 Information Technology Strategic Plan
This project is to complete the implementation of the EnerGov Permitting and Land Management modules .
The project includes the hardware, software, data conversion, integration (GIS, LaserFiche),documentation ,and staff training .
This project is the follow on phase of the initial permitting and inspection system (EnerGov) implementation .
The focus will be to implement additional features and capabilities of the EnerGov solution such a s
enhancing the City's web site by implementing EnerGov Citizens Access Portal . This would provide the abilit y
for citizens to obtain a simple building permit he . a water heater), provide search capability for developers ,
and add the ability to make payments online .
This project is to implement a system to support the City's in-house litigation activities . The system shoul d
be capable of supporting case management activities, schedules, and documents from initiation throug hresolution.
This project is to implement a contract management solution (i .e . Hummingbird) that would improve th e
creation, routing/tracking . versioning, and storage of contract materials .
This project is to implement an e-Discovery solution to streamline existing processes to research, identify ,
and produce public records requests or support legal research requests . Since the City currently store sinformation in many repositories (i .e . LaserFiche, MuniMetrix,file folders, email,Intranet,etc .), it can requir emanyhoursto perform a comprehensive search and this reduces the confidence that all relevant materia lhas been identified . A typical e-Discovery solution wile help identify, collect, and preserve critica linformationassets; produce, retrieve, and review all discoverable data on demand with a repeatable an d
defensible electronic evidence discovery strategy ; reduce risk and costs related to electronic discovery ;
manage data from its creation to deletion across all repositories, and leverage searches across multiple datatypes.
Community
Developmen t
City Attorney,
Finance/IT
Information Technology Strategic Pla n
Finance! IT The City's current backup power at City Hall is insufficient to ensure adequate time to recover or perform a n
orderly shutdown to prevent data loss or damage due to unplanned power outages . This project woul d
provide suitable emergency power iuninterruptable power supply/UPS . generator) to protect the equipmen t
and to allow user access to systems to continue even during a prolonged power outage .
The City's current solution (Pentamation) is approaching end of life,as the current vendor (SunGard) n o
longer actively markets this application . The Pentamation solution supports the City's core financia l
functions and payroll needs . The City would benefit by implementing a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS )
solution proven for municipalities . Project scope will include supporting finance, payroll, and HR busines s
functions . Major functionality will likely include General Ledger, Project Accounting, Budget, Contrac t
Management, Fixed Assets, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Purchasing,Payroll,and Huma n
Resources . The project will include software, hardware, interfaces, training, conversion, and busines s
process improvements . It is anticipated that in the next three to five years,the City may be forced to conside r
procuring a new solution that would provide long term support and brings best practices in terms of finance ,
payroll,and human resource .
This project is to replace the existing legacy utility billing software with a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS )
solution . This project will include hardware . software, data conversion . documentation, and training . Th e
City has selected and is implementing the Springbrook solution which went live on January 30 . 2012 .
This project is to complete the implementation of IntelliTime Systems time reporting application . Thi s
application will automatically transfer information to the Pentamation Payroll for payroll processing . I n
addition, IntelliTime will interface with the Fire staff scheduling and time tracking system (Telestaff).
The City's GIS is used extensively throughout the organization to support not only daily operational activitie s
but long-range planning efforts . The value GIS brings is that it links information from City databases (i .e .
utility billing . permitting and inspection, asset management . etc .) with the physical location . The City's GI S
technology and tools are becoming dated . Because of the importance of GIS to support operationa l
functions, as well as the need to effectively integrate GIS with core City applications (i .e . EnerGov .
Springbrook, Cityworks, etc .). the City needs to develop a GIS Roadmap that guides future development an d
decisions related to the implementation and management of GIS .
Information Technology Strategic Pla n
Sponsoring .
Department \
Mobil e
Computin g
Business
Continuity an c
Disaste r
Recovery Pla n
Project
Managemen t
Support
Project
Managemen
Software
Finance/IT This project is to establish mobile computing standards and processes to support field staff in accessin g
information, as well as supporting the electronic collection of information to reduce paper-based processes .
This project will focus on providing the field staff with tools to allow them to work without coming back to th e
office and would increase their efficiency by being in touch and having information available to perfor m
duties . Many of the best practices solutions the City is seeking (i .e.EnerGov, GIS, Utility Billing, CMMS,etc .)
rely on mobile access to attain full benefits .
This project would establish a portal for interactive citizen mapping on the City's web site using current GI Stechnologies.
This project'will create GIS map layers for the Water Reclamation Facility . Interns will assist with this project .
This project is to develop, test, and implement a disaster recovery plan to ensure the City's technolog y
infrastructure can respond to an adverse event according to the timeline needs identified by th edepartments.The project will include completion of a business impact assessment to determine recover y
requirements by the departments, assessment of the options and cost to meet those requirements, and th e
implementation of an IT disaster recovery plan to support established requirements .
Project management isthe discipline of planning,organizing, securing, and managing resources to achiev especific goals . Ineffective project management can result in extended timelines,budget overruns,an dproject failure . Project budgets should include project management resources .
Project management software provides a centralized standard for resource allocation, timelines, budget, an d
documentation to support project activities and oversight . This project would procure a project managemen tapplication; provide user training and on-going support .
This project is to complete the implementation of the Telestaff solution for the Fire to support staffschedulingand time reporting.
Page 125
January 2012 Information Technology Strategic Pla n
Fire/Police This project will replace the mobile data computers (MDC's) used in the Fire and Police vehicles, and replac e
the in-car video equipment in Police vehicles .
This project will evaluate the effectiveness of the Speedshift staff scheduling application . Availabl e
application upgrade(s) would be reviewed, followed by procurement activity to replace the application i f
significant deficiencies exist .
This project will provide the ability to feed live streaming video from any location to the Dispatch Center . Th e
completion of this project would provide more information to the Dispatch Center and the EOC in the even t
of a major incident . The initial phase will be to complete a feasibility analysis in order to determine if ther e
are cost or technology constraints that would prevent this from being implemented .
This project is to replace the unreliable and dated audio, visual equipment used in the Police intervie w
rooms .
This project is to upgrade the existing Parks and Recreation system from RecWare Safari to Active Network .
This project will provide additional features and enhancements, and offer additional capabilities supportin g
class registration, facility reservations, point of sale at the golf course, and production of
brochures/schedules .
Parks c
Recreation
The City's use of digital cameras to support daily operations is increasing as staff recognizes the value o f
having a digital photo repository . However, the size of a typical photo file and the growing volume of photo s
being stored creates long term storage and retrieval challenges . The City needs a photo managemen t
application that allows easy upload of photos . allows easy search and retrieval, supports basic editing, an d
provides efficient storage .
January 2012 Information Technology Strategic Pla n
Public Works This project is to complete the implementation of an asset management solution to support the Public Work s
department. The City anticipates leveraging the CMMS (Cityworks) solution to meet this need .
This project is to implement Cityworks to support improved inventory tracking and management of the City's
street signs.
This project will replace the radios installed in the transit buses, and the mobile and handheld radios used b y
transit staff. The project includes the installation of a new radio transmission site and three receiver sites .
The project is grant funded .
This project is to replace the existing Hansen CMMS application used by Utilities . The City evaluate d
upgrading Hansen to the current release, but determined it would be a major project in terms of cost an d
staff level of effort with inadequate return on investment . In addition . Utilities was seeking best practic e
features and functions related to long-term asset management, preventative maintenance, mobile access ,
service/work order management, etc .. and as such, selected Cityworks to provide a solution that would b e
integrated to the City's GIS (ESRI), Utility Billing (Springbrook). and Permitting/ Inspection (EnerGov )
applications . The scope of this project will include hardware, software, integration, documentation ,
business process improvement, data conversion . and staff training .
This project is to upgrade the existing SCADA technology (i .e .GE's Fix32 to iFix)used to support wastewate r
and recycled water .
January 2012 Information Technology Strategic Pla n
4.2 .2 Timeline and Cost s
To be successful, the ITSP must establish a realistic an d
achievable schedule as to when projects can be completed .
The project timeline presented in Table 3 provides a clea r
roadmap for the City in terms of project planning an d
budgeting.
During the Prioritization Workshop, NexLevel employed a
structured ranking and priority methodology that allowed Cit y
management to actively participate in establishing the project
implementation sequence using a combination of priority score ,
staff resources, risk to the City, and budget .
For each project, NexLevel included a planning and evaluatio n
period . It is during this time that City staff will define detaile d
requirements, develop and release an RFP, evaluate vendo r
solutions, complete the procurement, and oversee th e
implementation . In addition, several of the projects involv e
ongoing processes that will follow after the implementatio n
period, and these have been identified as such .
It will be critical for the City to identify and quantify an y
potential staffing or support requirements prior t o
implementing each project . This includes identifying necessar y
training of staff to ensure ongoing support of the technology
implemented . To implement projects without addressin g
staffing requirements will jeopardize support and service levels .
Estimated Cost
{in 000's)
Low High Q 1 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4
FY 2011/201 2
Permitting and Inspection Sv°ster n
i Time Tracking Syste m
Tetestaff for Fire
CM M S
City e, oriks Street Sign Manage
'Transit Radio Upgrade __Springbrook Utility Billin g
New City Website
SCACA System Upgrades
Neighborhood definitio n
interview Room Audio/Visual Upgrades
GIS Technology Roadma p
RecWare Upgrad e
Total Estimated Cost Range for FY 11/1 2
FY 2012/201 3
Water Poclamatior GIS Mappin g
Business Coniinuiiyand Disaster R4e1 oteiy
Agenda Management
Phase II City orksAsset Managemen t
Enterprise Document Managemen t
Contracts Management Solutio n
Intranet/Project Collaboratio n
Total Estimated Cost Range for FY 12/13
300 $ 850 .100^7
300, $400 •
1t7$3 0
214 210
150 1 5
75
50 ,._ 150
i 25 .75
15 ;.
$
.3 0
$1,8 5 $2,42 0
75 1
100
7 5
15 0
Table 3 - IT Project Timelin e
Page 129
January 2012 Information Technology Strategic Pla n
Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q 4
FY 2013/2014
Projects
Estimated Cos t
($`s in 000`s )
Low High
FY 12/13 FY 13/14 14/15 EY 15/1 6FY11/12
Q1 Q 2 Q3 04
F1' 155/1 6
Customer Relationship Managemen t
Project Management Softwar e
Financ e./Pa rn11/H R System.ii
Mobile Computin g
Ponce Scheduling Revie
w Permitting and inspection System Phase I I
Total Estimated Cost Range for FY 13/1 4
FY 2014/201 5
Online Public .Access Ma p
Total Estimated Cost Range for FY 14/1 5
FY 2015/201 6
Saciai Media i uac ri a r
City Hall UPS :Datacenter Powe r
Photo Mana gement Syste m
Litigation Syste m
e-Discovery Solution
Claims/Risk Managemen t
Total Estimated Cost Range
1__
Rf
cr 700
50 12 5
50 $ _50
50 :10350$._ 7
5
50 $.5
50 $/5
-)1 V
1 r ti t 20 0
50 $7 5
50$~15 0
25§$5 0
$ 235 510
Future
^area i t
SPS Equipment Upgrade
885 $1,250
Page 130
January 201 2
5 Conclusio n
At its most basic level ,
technology promises to reduce
the costs associated wit h
delivering services . At the next
level, when technology is full y
leveraged across a n
organization, it has the potentia l
to significantly improve and enhance service delivery .
The City recognizes that technology is rapidly becoming critica l
to performing many day-to-day business functions . In addition ,
the City recognizes the importance of leveraging technology t o
meet its growing business needs in the most cost effective
manner . The ITSP is a valuable tool to ensure technology i s
procured, implemented, and managed in a cost-effectiv e
approach that maximizes the benefits to the City and it s
customers .
As evidenced from the number of projects in the ITSP, the Cit y
faces a significant challenge over the next five years t o
implement and manage technology . As many organization s
have come to realize, the cost and risk of implementin g
technology can be significant . The ITSP recognizes this an d
places a high level of importance on implementing a formal I T
Governance process to help manage and provide oversight to
technology implementations .
The ITSP is a result of a comprehensive, City-wide plannin g
effort that provides the opportunity for management and staf f
to review, discuss, and integrate their technology needs into a
common framework . It provides a common understanding of
Information Technology Strategic Pla n
the City's technology priorities, and serves as a tool to delive r
an overall picture of what is to be accomplished and why .
The City's current technology environment represents a
complex system that consists of numerous applications an d
infrastructure . As with any complex system, the addition o r
modification of any component has the potential to impac t
other parts of the system . This ITSP includes projects that ar e
aimed at improving business applications, technolog y
infrastructure, and governance . As projects are implemented ,
it will take careful coordination and planning to manage th e
change introduced and to ensure that the projects do no t
adversely impact other components within the City's technolog y
environment.
The creation of the ITSP represents the culmination of only on e
step in the planning process . It also marks the beginning o f
another step - one through which City leaders must wor k
together to create an environment that supports the ITSP. Th e
IT Division along with technology vendors employed by the Cit y
must now work closely with City executives, leaders, and staff
as they begin a journey to create an organizational sense o f
purpose that goes much deeper than any vision statement ,
mission statement, or plan can communicate .
The potential is significant, but so too are the challenges . Th e
City has the opportunity to transform the enterprise into a n
environment where each office has the information it needs t o
function at peak performance, while the government and it s
constituents are well connected and interact together in a
seamless, effective manner .
Technology can provide a
cost effective alternative
to traditional servic e
delivery approaches
resulting in improved
customer service .
Page 131
C m e t w Information e n
ss r
ty o San Luis Obisp o
ode°
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
B1-43
city 0~.
m Luis o&~spo
Prepared By
General Information
NexLevel Information Technology, Inc .
Start Date July 2011 Est . End Date November 201 1
Contact
NexLevel Contacts
Engagement Manager Delivery Consultan t
Name Terry Hackelman Cindy Abbot t
Title Managing Principal Managing Consultan t
Address 6829 Fair Oaks Blvd .,Suite 100 6829 Fair Oaks Blvd ., Suite 100
City, State, Zip Carmichael, CA 95608 Carmichael, CA 95608
Phone 916-692-2000, ext . 201 (714) 270-358 2
E-mai l
Contact
Name
terry .hackelman(cDnexlevelit .com cindy .abbott aC~.nexlevelit .com
City of San Luis Obispo Contact s
Primary
Steve Schmidt
Secondar y
Miguel Guardad o
Title IT Manager Network Services Superviso r
Address 990 Palm Street 990 Palm Stree t
City, State, Zip San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 San Luis Obispo, CA 9340 1
Phone (805) 781-7570 805-781-701 7
I E-mail sschmidt(a,slocity .orq mquardado .slocity .or q
Document Contro l
This is a controlled document produced by NexLevel Information Technology, Inc .
(NexLevel). The control and release of this document is the responsibility of the NexLeve l
document owner . This includes any amendment that may be required .
Owner Detail s
Name Terry Hackelman, Managing principa l
Company NexLevel Information Technology, Inc .
Contact Number 916-692-2000, ext . 20 1
E-mail Addres s
Issue e
terrv .hackleman ci nexlevelit .co m
Revision History
Author Comment s
1 .0 August 15, 2011 C . Abbott Initial Rough Draft
2 .0 September 16, 2011 T . Hackelman Edit and Modificatio n
3 .0 November 2011 T . Hackelman Final Draft
November 2011 1
City Of
ti.iis OBISPO
Confidentiality Statemen t
The information contained herein is for the exclusive use of NexLevel and the City of San Lui s
Obispo . This information is not to be made available to any third party without the express writte n
permission of NexLevel or the City of San Luis Obispo and should be considered confidential .
November 2011
MY 0
Table of
1 Executive Summary ."7
1-1
1 .2
1 .3
1 .4
1 .5
1.6
1.7
Purpose T
Assessment Framework 7
Primary Tonko 8
!TUser Survey Results Summary U
Assessment Findings 1 0
Analysis 1 1
Recommendations 13
2 [TGovernance 15
2 .1
2 .2
2 .3
2 .4
Organizational Structure 1 5
IT Oversight 1 8
!TPlans 20
Project Management 2 0
3 Service Delivery —2l
3 .1 Training 2 1
3 .2 Help Desk 2 1
3 .3 Service Hours of Support ..—...----.—^................................2 2
3 .4 Change Management 2 2
3 .5 Network Management Tools 22
3 .6 Root Cause Analysis ondIssue Documentation 23
3 .7 Log Files 2 3
3 .8 Service Delivery Management 23
3 .9 IT Service Delivery Outsourcing Considerations 23
4 Applications —.~_.--.—.---..—..--...--...—..----—...----.—..._--2 5
4 .1 Application Portfolio Effectiveness 2 5
4.2 Quadrant Analysis 2 m
November 2011 3
city o f
at tins OBISpO
4 .3 Standards :3 0
5 Infrastructure 3 3
5 .1 Network Operation 33
5 .2 Internet Access 3 4
5 .3 Intranet 34
5 .4 Remote Access 3 4
5 .5 Servers 3 5
5 .6 Desktop/Laptop/Mobile/Printer 3 5
5 .7 Data Center Operations 3 6
5 .8 Equipment Refreshment 3 7
6 Security 3 9
6 .1 Network 3 9
6 .2 Physical 3 9
6 .3 Data 4 0
6 .4 Desktops 40
6 .5 Backup 4 0
6 .6 Business Continuity 4 1
6 .7 Virus/Spam Protection 4 1
6 .8 Patch Management 4 1
Administration :43
7 .1 Budget 43
7 .2 Procurement 4 3
7 .3 Contract & Vendor Management 4 3
7 .4 Software License Management 4 4
7 .5 Inventory Management 44
Documentation 4 5
8 .1 Repository 4 5
8 .2 Policies & Procedures 4 6
November 2011
B1-47
city o fSan1:u1S OI'1Sp u
On-Line Survey 47
Appendix A -IT Infrastructure 7 4
Appendix B -Software Application Listing 7 5
A ppendix C - Survey Detailed Responses 7 7
November 2011 5
City()j =
SA1I tuts OBISpO
THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLAN K
November 2011 6
cl OL
S A11 LUIS O131Sj.O
Executive u mary
L1 Purpos e
The City of San Luis Obispo (City) contracted with NexLevel Informatio n
Technology, Inc . (NexLevel) to complete a Citywide Strategic Technology Pla n
(CSTP). An important step in the creation of that plan is an assessment o f
current information technology (IT) operations .
The IT Assessment provides a high-level objective review of the City's current I T
infrastructure along with a set of recommendations that are compatible with th e
City's existing technical environment (i .e . IT infrastructure, network, SCADA ,
applications, and technical standards and policies).
The IT Assessment focuses on how effectively the City is leveraging technology t o
attain its stated mission and vision, and evaluates whether the City's I T
infrastructure and support organization are prepared to support the future need s
of the City . This is consistent with the City's organizational values to improv e
services, be open to innovation, be flexible to change, and use City resource s
wisely .
The IT Assessment also provides a platform from which the IT Division may buil d
a comprehensive technology roadmap and more effectively provide technolog y
support to City staff .
1 .2 Assessment Framewor k
The IT Assessment provides a view of all IT operations . To achieve best practice s
for IT management, an organization needs to be measured against a number o f
operational best practices, or dimensions, and their related components a s
illustrated in Figure 1-IT Assessment Framework .
November 2011 7
US OBISPO
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Figure 1-IT Assessment Framework
NexLevel utilized this framework as the basis of our assessment .
1 .^,, 1.3 Primary Task s
The IT Assessment was completed between July, 2011 and November, 2011 and included th e
following primary tasks :
~ Face-to-face interviews with the Director of Finance/IT, the Informatio n
* Face-to-face meetings with IT staff within the support group s
Web-based IT User Satisfaction Survey, with responses from 24 2
computer user s
Site tour and observatio n
Follow up interviews and queries with IT staff to resolve or clarify issue s
Interviews with department staff members
1 .4 IT User Su r~~~Results Summar y.
The IT User Satisfaction Survey is an important assessment tool . NexLevel provided City employee s
with an electronic user satisfaction survey in order to gather their observations relative to IT Divisio n
service delivery . Table 1 — IT User Satisfaction Survey Results provides a summary of the surve y
responses related to the City's IT delivery and support . The table also provides a comparison agains t
peer organizations and best practices .
November 2011 8
Cl't;y of:
.SAFI LUIS OBISp O
In Table 1, the San Luis Obispo percentages shown are based on a total of those respondents ratin g
each question a 4 or 5 on a scale of 1 (low satisfaction) to 5 (high satisfaction).
The "Peer Average"is the average score of all surveys conducted by NexLevel within other Californi a
governmental jurisdictions . The Peer Average percentages shown are based on a total of thos e
respondents rating each question a 4 or 5 .
The "Best Practice Goal" is based on the NexLevel team's collective experience with Californi a
municipal entities . Our experience shows that an effective, well-balanced IT organization will fal l
somewhere within the Best Practice Goal . Falling slightly below the Best Practice Goal indicates a
well-run organization, but specific areas of operational improvement may be recommended . Fallin g
significantly below the Best Practice Goal indicates the organization should implement remedia l
action to prevent severe impact to IT service delivery . Falling in the high end of the goal indicates th e
organization is well-run and meets most, if not all, industry defined best practices for the are a
covered by the question .
Table 1-IT User Satisfaction Survey Result s
How satisfied are you with the overall technical knowledge of the IT staff ?
How satisfied are you with IT staff understanding of your departmen t's
business functions ?
ow satisfied are you with IT staff understanding of the City of San Lui s
bispo 's business objectives ?
How satisfied are you with the IT Division's control of viruses and malware?93 .3 90 .0
ow satisfied are you with the IT Division's control of spam (unwanted email)?91 .5 32 .3 90 .0
`How satisfied are you with the IT Division's time to respond to your reques t
for service ?
ow satisfied are you in the time it takes the IT Division to satisfy you r
iquest for service ?
How satisfied are you with the City's communications network reliability (Doe s
the network run when you need it)?
low satisfied are you with the speed of the City's communications network I s
t responsive to your needs)?
How satisfied are you with the communications you receive from the I T
Division relative to project status, service metrics, outages, and scheduled '
maintenance ?
November 2011 9
rittioi .j (it
How satisfied are you with IT staff ability to solve your technical issue the firs t
time you call for help?88,4
ow satisfied are you with the overall service you receive from the I T
ision?
93 .1 84 .0 85 .0
76 .5 62 .0 75 .0
85 .6 63 .3 75 .0
85 .6 73 .5 80 .0
86 .1 75 .3 80 .0
$7 .6 76 .9 90 .0
68 .4 85 .0
30 .5 85 .091.4
B 1-52
0 }
S,M LUIS OI ISPO
77 .5 N/A 80 .0
69 .8 61 .1 80 .0
68 .3 64 .9 80 .0
61 .5 49 .0 75 .0
77 .0 55 .7 80 .0
69 .5 57 .7 85 .0
67 .8 80 .0
62 .0 66 .7 75 .0
How satisfied are you with the services received from the City 's GIS Division ?
How satisfied are you with the IT Division's process of checking back with yo u
on service provided ?
How satisfied are you with the equipment (computer, printer) you use i n
performing your job ?
How satisfied are you with the amount of training you have received in the us e
of the equipment and programs ?
How satisfied are you with the IT Division 's management of technolog y
projects ?
How satisfied are you with the technology leadership and planning initiative s
provided by the IT Division ?
How satisfied are you that the City 's computer programs are meeting you r
business needs ?
How satisfied are you with the version level or system compatibility of th e
computer programs you use ?
1 .5 Assessment Finding s
NexLevel took the information gathered as part of the assessment and compared it against th e
following IT assessment framework dimensions as shown previously in Figure 1 :
Governanc e
Service Delivery
Application s
Infrastructur e
Security
Administratio n
Documentatio n
NexLevel evaluated the City's use and management of technology and plotted related performance ,
by dimension, on a color scale . Figure 2 - IT Best Practices Dimension Ranking provides the result s
of our findings .
i31
San i up s 4I31S O
Governanc e
Service Deliver y
Application s
Infrastructure
Adminlstra tlo n
Documentation
Figure 2 -IT Best Practices Dimension Rankin g
If the City is performing consistently within industry standards,we rated that performance at th e
green end of the scale . If, on the other hand, the City is performing at a level that may jeopardiz e
security, risk of data loss, computer operations, or service delivery, we rated that performance at th e
red end of the scale . Any measurement between the solid green and red indicates the City is no t
performing at an optimum level, and weaknesses have been identified that keep it from performin g
at a higher level .
1 .6
Analysi s
Based on our assessment,the IT Division performs well in many core assessment dimension s
including Service Delivery, Infrastructure, Security, Documentation, and Administration . Whil e
performing well in these areas,there are still opportunities for improvement . The IT Division is no t
performing as well in the Governance and Applications areas .
The City's IT Division is staffed with a group of technically competent employees . It is clear that th e
IT staff has the best interests of the City at heart and strives to provide quality technical service t o
City technology users . The City departments are supportive, understanding, and generally willing t o
follow the instructions and guidance provided by IT Division staff . The City's IT staff members ar e
well respected and users report the IT staff has a high-desire to provide excellent customer support .
Their technical competence was noted in user meetings and in the IT user satisfaction survey .
While the IT Division has succeeded in providing an infrastructure that is particularly strong whe n
compared with peer public agencies, the IT Division's ability to continue to support effective I T
service delivery may be challenged because of the following :
IT Division provided project management services for the design and installation of the state -
of-the-art Dispatch Center, which opened in August 2010 . This was a significant investmen t
B1-54
CI of
San LUIS or ispo
for the City and required planning, oversight, and management . These new technologies
require more support than was previously required .
The City's long-term reliance on a local resource to design custom software at the direction o f
the users, and the unavailability of that on-going support, has resulted in an urgent need t o
replace core applications, resulting in noncurrent technology projects and implementations .
, The departments indicated a need to do more with fewer staff resources . There is th e
expectation that this is the new norm and not a temporary situation . Recognizing that
properly implemented technology can make staff more effective, there is a strong push t o
procure and implement technology tools to support the staff, which is causing additiona l
unplanned staff workload .
The hardware refreshment cycle has been extended as a result of budget constraints .
Consequently, older hardware still in use typically requires more support and users becom e
frustrated when their desktop equipment is slow or becomes unreliable .
In the past, department-level IT support staff was moved to the IT Division . The perception by
the departments is their budget continues to pay for dedicated department support ; however ,
because the IT staff provides centralized shared support, dedicated support does not reall y
exist .
Forward-thinking City staff is embracing new technology and expects the IT Division to support
implementation and ongoing management of the new technology .
While the IT staff strive to provide a high-level of support, there is a risk they will over commi t
on project activity, which may sacrifice ongoing support and maintenance and adversel y
impact overall service levels .
Although the City has an active IT Steering Committee, the current governance structure an d
processes may not be adequate to manage the priorities and risks of current and planne d
projects .
At a higher level, NexLevel identified a number of other issues that should be addressed for the Cit y
to obtain full value of its current and future technology investment :
Inconsistent project management approach and processes, and lack of project managemen t
standards and guidelines.
* Lack of formal IT Governance structure . While there is an IT Steering Committee today, it is
not operating in a best practices manner .
IT organization structure inhibits current and future effective practices . As an example, the I T
Division lacks a Tier 1 Help Desk support role . Consequently, more advanced Networ k
Administrators perform basic desktop and printer support rather than higher value networ k
administration duties . Another example is the lack of application support focus or clearl y
defined roles and responsibilities related to application support between the IT Division an d
departments .
* Informal and inconsistent technology procurement and selection processes . Today's comple x
technology purchases require an enterprise perspective that often times requires input fro m
numerous departments . The importance and value of tightly integrated business an d
operations applications is well understood ; however, the complexity, cost, and security
associated with attaining a successful integration are not fully considered .
Lack of defined application owners and specific roles and responsibilities for ongoin g
maintenance and management of core applications . Currently, application suppor t
responsibilities are divided across the organization and inconsistent in level of support
provided .
(AY 0
sail Luis osispo
Use of customized, unsupported business and operational applications ("Bonnie" apps). Th e
City has recognized this weakness and is in the process of migrating to commercial off th ecommercial-off-the -
shelf (COTS) applications . NexLevel strongly agrees with this direction and considers this a
high priority effort .
1 .7 Recommendation s
Based on the assessment activities, as well as NexLevel's collective experienoo . Table 2 - I T
Assessment Recommendations summarizes the key recommendations for the City's consideration .
NexLevel recognizes that current resource and budget constraints may prohibit implementing thes e
recommendations, but they should be prioritized along with current and future project activities .
Table 2 - IT Assessment Recommendations
Key Recommendation s
�Re-organize the IT organization structure to recognize a Tier I and Tier II help des k
role, allowing more experienced resources to focus on more complex and highe r
value work requests .
�Re-organize the IT Division into three components ; infrastructure, application, and
customer service .
+implement a formal IT Governance structure that includes re-orienting the curren t
IT Steering Committee to align with best practices of IT Governance .
�Implement formal Project Management framework, processes, and tools that wil l
work in concert with the IT Governance structure, thus ensuring projects ar e
implemented as authorized by the IT Governance process .
8orVke Delivery + Consider implementation of a formal training room .
Dimensio n
IT Governanc e
(IT Assessment
Section 2 )
(IT Assessmen t
Section 3 )
_,
.NOVember 2011 .
+Implement Help Desk reporting structure to improve communication, prioritization ,
and interaction with departments .
+Evaluate alternative (off-hour) system maintenance to minimize impact to users .
+Implement basic IT infrastructure change management processes .
*Leverage Solarwinds to monitor system performance .
�Perform root cause analysis to evaluate system anomalies and assist in futur e
problem resolution .
Centralize system log files to retain full event history .
Establish application upgrade policy to keep applications current .
,+ Continue to keep effective applications current in terms of releases and patches .
+Continue implementation of Class and CMMS .
*Consider migration of SquareRigger to CMMS or EnerGov .
w Plan Pentamation replacement .
w Implement new website based on proven CMS technology .
+Continue migration of Bonnie Apps to COTS solutions .
+Implement test environments to support core applications .
p Establish long-term support structure for the existing and future SCAD A
(application and associated PLCs) and determine the organization best able t o
provide this support .
13
city v 1
san Luis 0l'>lSj)O
Fallaslimension,+.-X l
Infrastructure a Evaluate the implementation of department collaboration tools (i .e . Intranet ,
(IT Assessment SharePoint, etc .) to help improve inter and intra department communication an d
Section 5)cross department project coordination .
•Complete a Business Continuity Plan and update the Disaster Recovery Plan t o
include a business impact analysis to help guide recovery strategies an d
expectations .
Relocate the City Hall data center/server room (located outside the Financ edepartment in the public hallway) to a more secure and suitable location . Mak e
the existing City Hall data center a fiber switching closet .
+Install adequate emergency power generator to sustain City Hall data cente roperations for a limited time and allow for orderly shutdown .
3 Add additional web filtering categories for more effective Internet usage .
Evaluate policies and procedures for remote computer access .
Reduce equipment refreshment cycles back to best practice ranges as budge t
permits.
+Upgrade Cat 3 and Cat 5 wiring with current standards .
Contract to have a network vulnerability analysis and penetration test performe d
and remediate identified issues .
+Consider removing desktop administrative rights for users to prevent unauthorize dsoftware installation .
s Implement processes/tools to regularly scan desktops to identify recently adde d
software and review results .
•Implement disk-to-tape backups with off-site storage .
+Continue strong antivirus/antispyware practices .
+Implement a patch management approach and application .
+Implement an Intrusion Detection System (IDS).
Administration + Establish a budgetary amount for hardware refreshment in each budget cycle .
(IT Assessment ♦ Have the IT Steering Committee, with input from the IT Division, enforce softwar eSection 7)and hardware procurement policies .
+Conduct an annual review of technology contracts to ensure the terms reflect th e
current needs of the environment .
+Routinely inventory all software and compare to original license agreements fo rcompliance.
+Routinely inventory technology hardware to support the hardware refreshmen tbudget.
Create technical documentation for all aspects of the IT Division's day-to-da yoperation and store in central repository .
Add documentation requirements to IT job descriptions .
•Update the IT Policies and Procedures Manual .
Develop new technology polices .
The remainder of this report provides a detailed explanation of the operational dimensions evaluate dduring the IT Assessment . The evaluation and subsequent recommendations will improv e
technology management, reduce risk of change, improve customer service, improve communicatio n
with users, and better prepare the City to meet the challenge and projects identified in the Citywid eStrategic Technology Plan .
Security
(IT Assessmen tSection 6 )
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IT Governance
Governance is generally defined as the leadership, reporting structure, an d
processes that ensure that the organization's information technology sustain s
and extends the City's strategies and objectives . More specifically, Governanc e
helps ensure that:
IT is aligned with the business (strategic alignment )
IT is a business enabler and maximizes benefits (performanc e
measurement )
IT resources are used responsibly (resource management )
IT risks are managed appropriately (risk management )
IT delivers value to the organization (value delivery )
In today's environment, industry studies completed by respected research firm s
have suggested that as high as 20% of all IT investment is wasted each year .
When you factor in the potential wasted investment, along with the annua l
expenditure of an entity on technology, the importance of IT governance i n
managing and ensuring an adequate return on investment is significant .
The overall success of an IT organization is generally measured by their ability to
help the organization achieve their business goals . And, as an organization's
dependence on technology to support day-to-day business goals increases, th e
importance of a strong IT governance structure becomes more critical .
This dimension evaluates the organizational management of technology service
delivery within the City . A strong delivery structure, management overview, an d
consistent tracking of technology services will ensure end-user business need s
and requirements are met .
2 .1 Organizational Structur e
The IT Division reports to the Director of Finance and is staffed wit h
approximately 10 full-time equivalents . Figure 3 - IT Division Organization Char t
illustrates the current structure of the IT Division .
November 2011
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Figure 3 -IT Division Organization Char t
The IT Division staff is located in several different work areas . The IT Manager, Network Supervisor ,
Administrative Analyst, and Application Administrator are located in the Finance/IT Department area
(Lower level of City Hall). The Network Administrators and Help Desk Technician are located on th e
first floor of City Hall . The GIS staff is located in the Public Works and Community Developmen t
Departments . While having distributed resources can challenge an organization in terms o f
communication and fostering teamwork, to date, it appears that the IT Division has done a good jo b
managing the adverse impact .
In Appendix A - IT Infrastructure and Appendix B - Software Application Listing, we identify th e
hardware and software supported by the IT Division . With the current structure above, it is difficult t o
obtain a clear alignment between the technology management and operation functions . The current
organization structure requires some staff to wear many "hats" (i .e . help desk, desktop, network ,
application, project management, etc.) in their day-to-day functions . This is not an uncommon model
for municipalities similar in size to the City . However, as technology expands and becomes more
complex, it will require the IT Division to evolve to allow staff to specialize in order to bring th e
expertise required to maintain a reliable, secure, and robust technology environment . In addition, a s
the technology environment complexity increases, it will become more difficult to recruit qualifie d
resources because the job breadth will be too wide (generalist vs. specialist). This organizationa l
challenge should be a point of focus for the IT Division in the coming year, as it will allow it t o
consider strategically re-organizing as opportunities present themselves .
An increasingly critical function performed by the IT Division is management and operation of th e
City's GIS technology . Many departments have a heavy reliance on GIS to support day-to-day
CI 1
Sant U1S o&ispo
operations and planning functions . The City is either in-process (EnerGov and Springbrook) o r
procuring (CMMS/Asset Management) core applications where an accurate and robust GI S
infrastructure is required . The City has significant resources dedicated to GIS, but based on th e
importance of the GIS technology to operations, this appears justified .
Overall, it appears that the current IT Division resources are able to maintain a good level of support
and are meeting the essential needs of the City . However, due to the current structure, processes ,
tools, and workload, the IT Division is challenged to be proactive in performing day-to-da y
maintenance and support activities, as well as new technology project support . With regard to ne w
technology project support, the IT Division needs to be able to provide appropriate technolog y
consultation to departments to fully support the applications, technology architecture/analysis ,
procurement, selection, and project management .
Recommendation s
NexLevel makes the following recommendations in terms of organizational structure :
1)Establish a full-time help desk representative that will function as the primary point o f
contact for all department requests for service . This resource should be provided wit h
the tools and training to be capable of resolving basic desktop requests . The objectiv e
should be to resolve as many desktop requests as possible, allowing the networ k
administrators to focus on more complex requests . This resource will also be critical t o
documenting activities that will allow the IT Division to track and report on suppor t
activities, as well as create a knowledge base to help resolve future requests .
2)Re-organize the IT Division to include the following organizations :
a . IT Manager - The IT Manager will continue to be responsible for overall I T
Division operations and service delivery (i .e . staff management, service delivery
oversight and direction, issue resolution, budget, etc .). In addition, the I T
Manager will be responsible for strategic planning, technolog y
selection/procurement, departmental outreach, IT Governance facilitation ,
Project Management oversight, and policy enforcement .
Customer Service - This organization will include help desk (Tier I and selecte d
Tier II trouble tickets), project management, and project planning support (i .e .
requirements gathering, feasibility analysis, procurement and selection, etc .).
Customer Service should provide a centralized help desk to ensure all requests
are entered into a help desk system and eventually resolved . The help des k
function will escalate tickets to both application support and infrastructure .
c.Application Support - This organization will be responsible for working with th e
departments to maintain and manage business and operation applications .
This organization will be heavily involved in the implementation of ne w
applications and will work with the departments and vendors to ensur e
successful implementation . In addition, Application Support resources wil l
monitor the application/databases to ensure they are running as intended an d
that applications are kept current in terms of releases and patches .It is
assumed that the GIS resources would become part of this group .
d.Infrastructure This organization will be responsible for the IT infrastructure t o
include network, servers, data centers, radios, telephone system ,
backups/recovery, etc .
November 2011 17
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3)As budget allows, identify additional resources capable of performing applicatio n
support and project management . The current IT Division does not have adequat e
resources to perform these functions .
4)Coordinate with the City's Human Resources Department to perform a review of IT staff
job titles/descriptions and compensation packages based on the proposed re-aligne d
organization responsibilities and to ensure compensation is competitive with curren t
market to aid staff retention and reflect contributions to the organization . This is
necessary to understand the fiscal impact of the proposed reorganization .
2 .2 IT Oversight
Currently, the City is using a basic IT governance structure to guide the City's IT activities . Th e
current IT Steering Committee is chaired by the Assistant City Manager and includes departmen t
Directors . The current IT Steering Committee is helpful in ensuring open lines of communication an d
provides a forum to guide the City's IT direction . However, the IT Steering Committee appears to b e
lacking a formal charter that clearly outlines the purpose, processes, roles, and objectives of th e
committee . It is unclear as to the authority and role the IT Steering Committee has with ne w
technology implementations (i .e . EnerGov, Springbrook,CMMS, etc .). A primary purpose of an I T
oversight or governance function is to ensure the City's technology systems are well planned and co -
coordinated to the full benefit of the City .
In today's environment, IT infrastructure projects and priorities are driven by IT Divisio n
recommendations and budget authorizations, which can be driven at the department level or by th e
IT Division . It appears that most departments understand the importance of obtaining input an d
guidance from the IT Division, but this tends to be an informal process versus a well-defined proces s
that ensures decisions are being made with an enterprise-wide view . A new technology projec t
should not be initiated without theknowledge and agreement of the IT Steering Committee and th e
IT Division .
There is no visible method for prioritizing and scheduling IT projects or initiatives from an enterpris e
perspective. While the IT Division certainly understands the underlying technology infrastructure, i t
has a difficult time placing major technology acquisitions in a business-based priority for the City . T o
be effective, technology direction setting must support the business priorities of the City and b e
managed by the key decision makers within the City's organizational structure .
Recommendation s
Formalize the IT Steering Committee to ensure it functions as the oversight body responsible fo r
providing strategic direction and guidance to the IT Division and departments . The IT Steerin g
Committee should be responsible for establishing the priority of major technology projects, whic h
ensures the allocation of IT resources to the highest priorities .
In order for the IT Steering Committee to function as a policy making body, it is important to delegat e
the technical aspects of projects/initiatives to the IT Division to perform a review and analysis of th e
specific technical components . The IT Division will be charged with the responsibility to review an d
approve all technology requests prior to submittal to the IT Steering Committee for prioritization . Th e
IT Division will ensure that requested technology fits within the existing infrastructure, meets curren t
City technology standards, and will be maintained at an appropriate level . Once approved, projects
will be submitted to the IT Steering Committee .
Due to the current project activity, the IT Steering Committee should meet on a monthly basis with a
formal agenda that includes a review of existing project activity (i .e . status, project schedule ,
resources, issues, risks, etc .), a review of IT Division service level results, and a discussion o f
department technology needs and issues . The IT Steering Committee should provide a forum for th e
November 2011 18
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Sat1 LUIS 0&isp O
interchange of ideas, review of technical implementations, and facilitate intra-departmenta l
communications concerning project status and IT Division operations .
More specifically, the scope and responsibilities of the IT Steering Committee should include :
City-wide Strategic Technology Plan (CSTP) - The IT Steering Committee will provide input to ,
and review of, the CSTP . The IT Steering Committee will establish technology project prioritie s
and timelines .
Strategic Direction/Alignment - The IT Division or departments will lead and manage all I T
projects and initiatives . However, the IT Steering Committee will provide input and feedbac k
relative to each activity . This dialog will ensure appropriate priority, and efficient and effective
use of IT systems and services .
IT Project Review - The IT Steering Committee will review IT projects for consistency an d
compliance with the City's CSTP to ensure that the City's business systems are supported b y
the existing platforms and that they can be easily integrated, as needed, with other Cit y
applications . This will be a collaborative effort to ensure technology solutions are solving rea l
business needs and that the requirements of all impacted departments are addressed .
Policy Guidance - The IT Steering Committee will review technology policies and guidelines a s
created by the IT Division and will approve these policies, communicate them to staff, an d
ensure City-wide compliance .
Platform Usage - The IT Steering Committee will discuss how new technologies will be use d
and provide input to the IT Division relative to performance metrics, equipment utilization, an d
hardware/software acquisitions .
Technology Information - The IT Steering Committee will receive updates and status report s
relative to technology issues, information security and evolving technology trends from the I T
Division . Members will disseminate this information, when appropriate, to their respectiv e
staffs .
Since the IT Steering Committee will oversee the City's IT strategic direction, it is important tha t
membership consist of department heads or senior management personnel from the followin g
organizations :
Administratio n
City Attorney
City Clerk
Fire
Police
Finance
Community Developmen t
Public Works
Utilitie s
Parks & Recreatio n
Human Resources
IT Division (ex officio)
CIty
S.V1 tUIS OUISp O
2 .3 IT Plan s
The City has embarked on a project to create a Citywide Strategic Technology Plan (CSTP). This I T
Assessment is one portion of that plan, which will be delivered by fall of 2011 . As technolog y
continues to expand and play a vital role in the delivery of services, there must be a clear lin k
between the CSTP and the City's business goals and objectives, in that all technology plans mus t
reflect and support the objectives of the City's business mission . In addition, regular plan update s
will be necessary to reflect project implementations, environmental changes and on-goin g
technology initiatives .
2 .4 Project Managemen t
The City does not utilize a formal project management methodology . Project management of ne w
technology implementations and upgrades has been handled inconsistently depending upon staff
assigned . During the IT Operational Assessment process, it became apparent that current an d
upcoming projects lack suitable planning and project management artifacts (i .e . project schedules,
task lists, charters, issues, risk, and resource plans). Since projects are initiated without a forma l
project charter, project management artifacts, and status reporting, it will be difficult to determine if
projects have been completed on-schedule, on-budget, and whether they met original expectations .
It will also be difficult to proactively manage the solution vendors to their commitments, which put s
the projects at a higher risk of failing to meet expectations .
The project management responsibility for new technology or upgrades may be handled by the I T
Division, the department, or the vendor . Prior to a project being authorized, it is important tha t
project management responsibilities are clearly defined and appropriate resources are assigned th e
responsibility for carrying out the project management function . Best practices for projec t
management includes the development of a project charter, schedule, budget, identification o f
milestones and responsible parties, establishing the process for managing changes to the origina l
project and identification of risks and project assumptions . Face-to-face meetings and regular statu s
reports with project sponsors are important and can clarify or resolve issues and measure progress
toward goals.
Most municipalities do not have the budget resources to implement a formal project managemen t
office (PMO) to achieve a best in class project management framework . However, basic projec t
processes such as charters, meetings, and status reporting would not be too costly and would resul t
in better use of resources, lower risk, and a higher chance of success .
Recommendation s
Establish a formal project management role within the IT Division . The responsibilities of thi s
function will include the development, distribution, and training of staff on a high-level projec t
management framework that will include processes, methods, and tools/templates (i .e . Charter ,
Project Schedule, Resource Management, Issue Management, Risk Management, etc .). In addition ,
this function will be responsible for :
Supporting the IT Steering Committee by reviewing project planning documentation to ensur e
it is complete and accurate .
Supporting assigned project managers as project manager subject matter experts to suppor t
all phases of a project (i .e. initiation, execution, and closing down).
Briefing the IT Steering Committee and management as necessary on project status, risks ,
and issues .
Performing hands-on project management as needed .
November 2011 20
C ISan LUIS OIMSPO
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This dimension identifies core competencies that are the foundation of all I T
organizations . To be successful, the IT organization must be capable o f
addressing these areas and effectively balance and plan resources to ensur e
coverage in all capacities . NexLevel evaluates the daily operation of the I T
service delivery environment including training, Help Desk, and service delivery
management.
3 .1 Trainin g
The City has a local training resource that provides Microsoft Office applicatio n
training . The training resource has also supported training activities for othe r
applications and is regarded by staff as an effective trainer . Contracting fo r
training services allows the City to procure training on an as needed basis whic h
is cost effective . When needed, the IT staff converts conference rooms t o
training rooms using PC's kept in storage . IT staff have attended technica l
training classes .
Recommendation s
Ensure training is a key component of every technology purchase . Whe n
implementing new technology, training should include system administration ,
application administration, and application use (user training). In addition t o
planning and budgeting for adequate training resources on new technologies tha t
are implemented, departments should also budget for refresher training on cor e
applications .
As applications evolve (i .e . releases, upgrades, etc .) and new staff is brought o n
board, application use may become less than optimal . In addition, as staff
becomes more familiar with newly implemented technology, refresher trainin g
may identify opportunities to improve usage that were not implemented originall y
due to limited knowledge of the application . IT staff should continue to atten d
technical training classes in order to stay current with enhancements an d
changes in technology .
Due to the number of technology implementations on the horizon, the City shoul d
strongly consider establishing a formal training room so the IT Division does no t
have to perform a training room set up each time training is required . In addition ,
the training room could be used for acceptance testing activities with ne w
technologies implementations .
3 .2 Help Des k
The Help Desk provides assistance to users requiring support for hardwar e
issues, use of software applications, or assistance with other technology systems .
Ideally, as the single point of contact, the timely resolution of issues is the goal ,
and best practice is to resolve the issue during the user's first call to the Hel p
Desk .
November 2011 21
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city 01sv~this ot'lspo
In November 2010, the IT Division implemented Kbox, which is a software application to trac k
requests for service . Help Desk software is an important tool for managing and assigning tickets an d
for measuring activity . Analysis of reports can assist with identifying trends or problem areas .
Recommendation s
The Help Desk reports should be provided to the IT Steering Committee in order to increase th e
understanding of user activities and resource requirements . In addition, it provides an opportunit y
for the IT Steering Committee membership to understand how their organizations are using the I T
services .
33 Service Hours of Suppor t
The IT Division staff (specifically the network administrators and IT assistant) work-stagger hours s o
they can provide the City support from 7 :30 AM to 6:30 PM . In addition, the network administrator s
rotate on-call duties for one week periods to provide as-needed emergency support for the Dispatc h
Center on a 24x7x365 basis .
Some maintenance duties that require servers to be down temporarily are performed by the Networ k
Administrators during non-business hours . Since the current work schedule does not provide tim e
for maintenance during non-business hours, the City would incur overtime charges for thes e
activities .
Recommendation s
With limited staff, it is often difficult for IT departments to support extended hours and off-hou r
maintenance activities without incurring overtime charges . As the City continues to expand the us e
of technology, the IT Division should continually evaluate staff schedules to minimize overtime .
3 .4 Change Managemen t
Modifications to the infrastructure are required to support hardware and applications due to change s
in the organization and for the installation of vendor patches and upgrades . Best practices
establishes a formal manner in which changes are planned, communicated to impacted staff, hav e
contingencies identified, and the actual changes recorded . The City does not have a forma l
methodology for managing changes, but relies on informal methods .
Recommendation s
The IT Division should implement basic change management processes that ensure timel y
communication with users, effective planning and management of risks associated with change s
being introduced, and creation of supporting documentation for future reference . The processe s
should ensure changes are well planned and fully documented to include change management log s
that record the who, what, where, and when of changes made . Most IT organizations of similar siz e
to the City use basic desktop tools (i .e . MSWord, Excel, and email distribution lists) to suppor t
change management. While there are software solutions to help in this area, it is recommended th e
City initially keep it simple by maintaining a repository of logs and emailing users of changes vi a
distribution lists :
1,5 Network Management Tool s
The IT Division recently installed Solarwinds, a network and server management tool to proactivel y
identify capacity and performance issues . This tool will allow evaluations between the current
environment and historic information beginning with the application's installation . This tool will
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provide the ability to report current disk usage with date comparison ability, which will assist wit h
capacity planning .
Recommendation s
The IT Division should continue to leverage Solarwinds to support network management .
3 .6 Root Cause Analysis and Issue Documentatio n
Operational anomalies can occur for a variety of reasons and are likely not anticipated . Determinin g
the cause of the event (root cause analysis) provides valuable insight as to what caused the even t
and presents an opportunity to prevent the issue from occurring again . Due to the current workload ,
the IT Division performs minimal root cause analysis . As such, the cause of issues and thei r
resolution may not be documented for future reference .
Recommendation s
Allocate the necessary time to perform root cause analysis for operational anomalies . The results of
the root cause analysis should be stored for quick reference by other IT Division staff .
3 .7 Log File s
Log files are maintained on each server that contain information about server anomalies . Th e
information can prove invaluable when troubleshooting . As the log file size increases, the error s
write over the previous information . In the event that an issue repeats, the initial information can b e
lost. Therefore, it is important that log files are maintained to prevent overwriting .
Recommendation s
Centralize log files to prevent overwriting .
3 .8 Service Delivery Managemen t
Based on the results of the survey, the IT Division received favorable ratings on criteria such a s
problem resolution, technical knowledge, understanding of department business functions ,
virus/malware control, time to respond to requests for service, communications network reliabilit y
and speed, communication regarding status, and overall user satisfaction .
As with any IT organization, there are areas for improvement that can help increase the overal l
satisfaction level, as well as the performance level . The survey indicates the majority of user s
contact the Help Desk for assistance once or twice a month, and the primary reasons are related t o
desktops, printers, and email . This supports the recommendation to establish full-time Help Des k
representation to allow the network administrators to focus on more complex requests and networ k
administration duties .
Recommendation s
Implement an application upgrade policy and communicate the policy to the users . The low level o f
satisfaction with applications meeting the business needs should be noted and supports the City's
efforts to replace and upgrade applications .
3 .9 IT Service Delivery Outsourcing Consideration s
It should be noted that an alternative to the traditional in-house staffing of an IT organization is
through the use of outsourcing . A detailed evaluation of its use for the City of San Luis Obispo i s
November 2011 .23
City o .
SA11 LUIS OB1SP O
beyond the scope of this IT Assessment . However, as the reliance and cost of technology increase s
for the City, it is a consideration that should be evaluated .
The IT outsourcing service model provides technology delivery based on pre-determined servic e
levels, staffing levels,consulting, and application support . Outsourcing contracts can be structure d
to provide full or partial support and normally include all technology vendor relationships,
maintenance contracts, service delivery, and project management . Typically, personnel recruiting ,
benefits management, training, and personnel performance management are the responsibility o f
the outsourcing vendor .
As an alternative to outsourcing all technology services,some public agencies are evaluatin g
selective outsourcing that might be limited to IT functions such as desktop support, data cente r
services, and network monitoring and management . This can bean effective strategy to extend a n
organization's service hours, gain access to best practices, or obtain increased expertise (i .e.
security, system administration, database, etc .) through vendor leveraged resources (i .e . remote hel p
desk or shared help desk).
Based on NexLevel's experience in evaluating and working with municipalities that outsourc e
technology services, while a valid delivery alternative for the City, we believe, at this time, tha t
outsourcing would likely not yield adequate savings or increased service levels to offset the inheren t
short-term andlong term risk associated with outsourcing a strategic service . The City's curren t
infrastructure appears to be meeting the day-to-day needs of the users and we believe the City's I T
resources are leveraged effectively to cover all core services . This has resulted in what we believe i s
a cost effective IT support organization that is delivering service levels consistent with many pee r
organizations .
However, NexLevel does recommend that the City carefully evaluate alternative service models whe n
procuring business and operational applications . Vendors should be asked to provide pricin g
information for traditional technology purchases (i .e . licenses and professional services to install o n
City infrastructure),as well as for models such as hosted applications, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS),
Application Service Provider (ASP), and others . On an opportunity by opportunity basis,the City ca n
evaluate the cost vs . the benefits of considering an alternative service delivery model .
November 2011 24
C|t\0/{UIS 03|SpO
This dimension evaluates the City's core software applications supporting the Cit y
business and department operations by analyzing their strengths an d
weaknesses, as well as the ability to support future needs .
Collectively, the City's applications make up an application portfolio . Managing
this portfolio has many similarities to how afinan%* portfolio may be manage d
For instance, the application portfolio owner should be continually evaluating th e
performance of each individual asset (appHeaton) n terms o delivering value t o
the City, as well as evaluating the risk associated with the portfolio (technolog
y obsolescence,patchrl e se management, etc .). In addition, the applicatio n
portfolio owner needs to carefully analyze and assess the impact of ne w
applications with recognition that all applications execute on a share d
infrastructure .<.:..
The City's Application Portfolio investment is significant, both in terms of the 2 \~
original investment (licensing, implementation, training, etc .) and ongoing «
maintenance and support . In addition, the true return on investment of the City's
technology infrastructure (network, desktops/laptops, seBeers data centers, etc .)
is largely realized through the effectiveness of the Application Portfolio . A stron g
Application Portfolio running on a weak technology infrastructure leads to hig h
user frustration and underutilized assets . In turn, a weak Application Portfoli o
running on a strong technology infrastructure results in poor leverage of the City's
investment . It is ffor this reason tha t a h igh priority must be placed o n
implementing the right applications (in terms of features, functions, compatibility ,
vendor roadmap and support) to realize the maximum benefits from the City's
investment in technology
¢*important note that the scope of the 7Assessment in terms o f
"Applications" is to provide a high-level analysis and recommendations .
Subsequent phases and activities of the CSTP will further define the details o f
recommended actions to be prioritized and incorporated into the pla n
4 .1 Application Portfolio Effectivenes s
The effective selection, implementation, and management of the application s
included in the City's Application Portfolio is necessary to attain a high-level o f
staff productivity, cost-effective service delivery, efficient business processes ,
and a return on the City's technology investment .
To help evaluate the effectiveness of the City's Application Portfolio, NexL v l
plots core applications on a chart where the vertical a is represents `"Applicatio n
Capabilities" (i .e . features and functionality) and the horizontal axis represent s
"User Effectiveness` (i .e . how effectively is staff at leveraging the application)
. The chart provides the ability to quickly understand which applications are bein g
effectively leveraged and which applications are failing to effectively support th e
City business and operations activities .
November 2011 2 5
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For those applications that are failing, the chart also provides a method to quickly identify th e
reasons for underperforming applications such as poor technology (i .e . limited features an d
functions) or weak user effectiveness (i .e . poor processes, lack of training, etc .). Chart 1 -
Application Portfolio Effectiveness plots the City's current application effectiveness .
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High
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LOW
Ineffective Technology (Low R01)Technology Constrained (Med RO1 )
Low ~► Hig h
User Effectiveness (i .e . People /Process / Training )
Chart 1-Application Portfolio Effectiveness
~fec>Gav
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November 2011 27
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4 .2 Quadrant Analysi s
An analysis of the Application Portfolio Effectiveness chart allows the City to quickly identify specifi c
applications within four quadrants :
Effective Application Leverage (Green) -Indicates the application is relatively current wit h
today's best practice features/functions, and the vendor has a published roadmap t o
continue to evolve and support the application . In addition, it indicates the City is effectivel y
leveraging the application through well trained users, strong processes, and alignment t o
business objectives .
Possible High-Level Recommended Actions - Continue to invest in the application, kee p
current with vendor releases, use standard operating procedures that maximize th e
application's capabilities, and obtain occasional refresher user training .
People/Process Constrained Application (Yellow) -Indicates the application is relativel y
current with today's best practice features/functions, and the vendor has a publishe d
roadmap to continue to evolve the application . However, the application effectiveness is no t
fully realized due to user ineffectiveness . User ineffectiveness may be driven by lack o f
training or application knowledge, work processes that do not align with the application, lac k
of integration with other key systems, and/or inconsistent adoption by the user community.
Possible High-Level Recommended Actions - Determine if additional training, integratio n
and/or process re-engineering will enable "Effective Application Leverage ." If yes,the n
continue to invest in the application . If no, then consider replacement as budget an d
resources allow . Such a replacement would probably not be a critical project .
Application Constrained (Yellow) -Indicates that staff is currently effectively leveraging th e
application features and functions, but the application lacks the capability to effectivel y
support business practices or efficient business processes .
Possible High-Level Recommended Actions - Evaluate whether the application is current i n
terms of releases/patches, request increased vendor support or modifications, evaluat e
technology infrastructure if performance related, or evaluate integration to other applications .
If application constraints cannot be overcome, then the City may want to conside r
replacement.
Ineffective Application (Red) -Indicates that the application lacks features and functions t o
support efficient business processes, as well as the users are not prepared to fully leverag e
the application .
Possible High-Level Recommended Action - Determine specific business requirements an d
needs and proceed with procurement to replace application as budget and resources allow .
Avoid additional investment unless critical issue arises .
Effective Application Leverag e
Based on the IT Assessment activities and user department interviews, the following applications ar e
viewed as effective in supporting the City's business and operational needs :
NeoGov (Online Recruiting )
Spillman (Fire and Police CAD and RMS )
GIS (integrated with applications )
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HdL (Business License )
Springbrook (Utility Billing ; implementation in process )
Intellitime (Time Reporting )
Telestaff (Fire Staff Scheduling and Time Reporting )
EnerGov (Replacing Several FoxPro Applications )
Class (Class scheduling )
LaserFiche (Document Management/Imaging )
It should be noted that although an application is in this quadrant, it does not mean there are no t
opportunities to improve the application leverage via more effective integration with other cor e
technologies, increased user training,or business process re-engineering . If an application does no t
continue to evolve, along with user adoption of new features/functions, then eventually tha t
application will fall into an ineffective state . As an example, as the City's reliance on GIS (driven b y
the anticipated integration with the EnerGov and CMMS applications) increases, the underlining GI S
technologies need to continue to evolve to current software releases .
People/Process Constrained Application s
Based on the IT Assessment activities and user department interviews, the following applications ar e
viewed as not fully effective in supporting the City's business and operational needs due largely t o
user ineffectiveness :
RecWare - This application is currently being replaced by Clas s
4 Hansen - This application is currently being replaced by a COTS CMMS solutio n
SquareRigge r
SCADA - The Utilities Department is currently preparing RFPs to replace existing system .
High-Level Recommended Actions -The City is proactively addressing these applications . The Cit y
currently has projects for, or plans to address, RecWare and Hansen . SquareRigger functionality
may be able to be addressed through the City's CMMS procured solution .
The Utilities Department SCADA systems support the water, wastewater, and reclaimed water facilit y
operations . The SCADA is a critical system for monitoring and managing the utility operations . Th e
current SCADA system is aging and lacks features (i .e . specific alarming, command and control o f
tank levels, reporting, etc .) that would assist the staff in managing water assets . The Utilitie s
Department is currently developing RFPs to address the SCADA system .
However, the Utilities Department identified the IT Division's limited knowledge and expertise in th e
SCADA environment as a support issue . While the IT Division has the expertise to address networ k
and server hardware level issues, they lack the specialty knowledge and expertise to fully support th e
SCADA system . Historically this support was provided within the Utilities Department, but this rol e
was transitioned to the IT Department, which no longer has the staff expertise required to suppor t
the SCADA system without assistance from outside support resources . In today's environment, th e
City sometimes has to rely on outside service . In the procurement and implementation of a ne w
SCADA system, the City should carefully consider how it will establish a sufficient support structur e
that ensures long-term system support . In NexLevel's experience, the SCADA system support i s
primarily handled by utility department staff that has the utility process and infrastructure knowledg e
to adequately support the maintenance, configuration, and issue resolution .
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Ineffective Technologie s
Based on the IT Assessment activities and user department interviews, the following applications ar e
viewed as lacking the features and functions to support City business and operational needs . I n
addition, significant people and process issues exist that prevent applications from being mor e
effective in supporting City business .
Pentamation (Finance/Payroll )
Websit e
FoxPro "Bonnie Apps" (approximately 35 applications )
ACS Utility Billing - This application is currently being replaced by Springbroo k
Pentamation, while still meeting basic needs of the City, is an application that is no longer bein g
actively sold or marketed to public agencies . As a result, eventually, vendor support of thi s
application will be unavailable or increasingly expensive . In addition, since the vendor is not actively
investing in research and development of the application, the City will not benefit from enhance d
features and functions that would be available if using another proven application . NexLeve l
recommends that the City consider replacement of this system in the next three to five years . In th e
meantime, the City may benefit from considering other available modules within Pentamation to hel p
streamline current processes .
The City's website is not very user friendly and is difficult to navigate . A quick audit of the websit e
identified dead links and inconsistent use of themes and standards . The City has identified this a s
an issue and is evaluating options . NexLevel recommends that the City procure a new website tha t
includes a content management system (CMS) that allows City staff to easily update and ad d
information . There are proven vendors that have strong qualifications in delivering effectiv e
websites for municipalities . The City would benefit from using a proven toolset (CMS) and leveragin g
the expertise of a proven vendor solution to implement a fully functional website .
The City has established a plan and is actively migrating the "Bonne Apps" to COTS solutions .
NexLevel agrees with this strategy and encourages the City to continue to decommission the Bonni e
Apps .
High-Level Recommended Actions -The City should actively pursue replacing the above application s
with commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions that have a strong product development roadmap .
Application Constraine d
Based on the IT Assessment activities and user department interviews, there were no cor e
applications in this quadrant .
4 .3 Standard s
The City should continue to procure software and services from vendors capable of providing on -
going support and have a strong product roadmap that is supported by a commitment to researc h
and development (R&D). When implementing technology, the City should ensure adequat e
testing/training environments are available to users to support release and patch management .
Testing includes technical and user tests prior to production execution . If the software change i s
considered major, the IT Division and the user department should create a project schedule to pla n
and manage the various tasks associated with the upgrade .
SanW1S 0131S W
Recommendation s
Implement test environments for all core applications to reduce the risk of patch and release
management .
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nfrastructure
This dimension focuses on the effectiveness and management of the City's I T
infrastructure . The activities evaluated in this dimension are the daily, weekly,
monthly, and yearly tasks that ensure a reliable, robust, and high performing I T
infrastructure . Areas of review include the network architecture, Internet an d
Intranet access and usage, remote access management, server administration ,
desktop standards, operational procedures, environmental considerations, an d
equipment refreshment planning .
5 .1 Network Operatio n
The City's wide area network (WAN) connectivity is provided using fiber opti c
cable . The implementation of fiber optic cable is the best approach to supportin g
remote locations because there are no on-going costs for leased lines and th e
bandwidth is much higher, which results in faster data communication speed .
The expanded use of fiber optic cable is a significant accomplishment for th e
City . The vendor that installed the City's fiber certified the installation, and a
single responsible support resource is a great advantage to the City and remove s
the possibility of finger pointing should an issue with connectivity arise .
The WAN fiber installation was designed with an East and West route betwee n
City Hall and Fire Headquarters, which are the two locations of the City 's majo r
data centers. In the event the fiber cable is damaged, data communication woul d
continue automatically . This design increases the reliability of th e
communication network .
Through the implementation of VMWare server virtualization, the two dat a
centers are capable of supporting each other in the event of a major hardwar e
failure . This redundancy reduces the possibility that a single point of failur e
would result in a major system impact .
In addition to the City's data networks, the IT Division also supports the City's
Avtec radio network which includes the radios that are installed in every Cit y
vehicle .
The IT Division receives notification to set up new employees with network acces s
from staff at the supervisory level within the departments .
A weakness that exists with the City's current network infrastructure is th e
continued use of Category 3 and 5 (Cat 3 and Cat 5) wiring in some facilities .
This results in user frustration due to slow response rates .
Recommendation s
Access to the City's network should be tightly controlled for security reasons .
Separated employees should be immediately removed from the network ,
telephone, and voice mail systems . In addition, a more formal process should b e
implemented for new user access that includes the HR department .
The IT Division should identify those areas of the network still using Cat 3 and Ca t
5 wiring and schedule upgrades to current standards .
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5 .2 Internet Acces s
All City employees are provided with access to the Internet . A web filtering product, Marshall 8E6, i s
used to prevent access to general categories that do not support the City's business (i .e . gambling).
The exception to this is the Police Department, as law enforcement typically requires unrestricte d
access to Internet sites in the course of performing their duties . Monthly Internet usage reports ar e
provided to the department directors showing staff Internet usage, which allows the department t o
monitor the appropriate use of the Internet by their staff . NexLevel's assessment did not identify an y
significant issues or constraints with regard to Internet access or connectivity speed .
Recommendation s
NexLevel recommends the City consider adding additional categories to the web filter to minimiz e
blocking issues with users (i .e. the category of "games" may be needed for the Parks and Recreatio n
Department, but inappropriate for other departments). Establishing additional filters would requir e
fine-tuning to meet the specific needs of the various departments .
5 .3 Intrane t
An Intranet is similar to a web site, but access is only available internally and not through th e
Internet . An Intranet can be a valuable resource for staff to easily access internal informatio n
including policies and procedures, forms, employee manuals, and a source for updates to be poste d
about current City issues . In addition, an Intranet can provide a valuable tool for departmen t
information sharing and collaboration .
The City's Intranet was described as "containing a hodgepodge of information" that may not b e
relevant and inhibits the use of the Intranet . In addition, forms that are on the Intranet may also b e
on shared network files ; however, it is difficult for users to know which versions are the most current .
It appears that the Intranet is used lightly by staff and is not providing the benefits one would expec t
from a citywide Intranet (i .e . collaboration, information sharing, centralized information resource ,
etc .).
A well designed Intranet can enhance staff productivity by supporting document versioning,
collaboration, workflow/alerts, dashboards, calendaring, forms, etc . If an Intranet does not includ e
features and functionality to increase staff collaboration and information sharing, then they tend t o
become stagnant and eventually go unused . A recurring theme from the department interviews wa s
a need for an Intranet to support cross-departmental communication and projects, as well as t o
serve as the official source for all city forms and templates .
Recommendation s
The City should implement a full feature commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) Intranet solution and inves t
in citywide training on use of the system . The content on the Intranet should be current ,
comprehensive, and easy to find to encourage staff use . Ideally, when starting up a user deskto p
browser application, users should be launched into the Intranet as their home page . An example o f
a solution that the City should strongly consider is Microsoft's SharePoint, as it aligns well with th e
existing technical infrastructure and has a strong vendor support commitment .
5 .4 Remote Acces s
Approximately 70 City staff use remote access when away from City offices to access City systems .
The current remote access solution is reported as easy to use . The City uses an industry recognize d
solution (GoToMyPC) that supports this important need . Current processes require departmen t
director approval to have remote access capabilities .
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Recommendation s
While remote access is convenient for staff, it does pose an increased security risk to the City's
systems and network . NexLevel recommends that the IT Division review the list of staff using remote
access on an annual basis to validate the continued need for remote access . The remote use r
access list should be proactively managed to prevent or restrict unauthorized use . In addition, it i s
important that remote access users recognize that they are connecting tO the City's secure networ k
and could potentially introduce a virus to the network . Users should be instructed to maintain stron g
security practices on the equipment that is being used to connect to the City's network . At a
minimum, the remote access devices (i .e . home desktop or laptop) should be adequately protecte d
with antivirus software and kept current in terms of operating system patches .
5 .5 Servers
The City has successfully leveraged emerging technologies such as virtualization to minimize th e
need to purchase additional servers and rack space as new technologies are implemented .
Virtualization also provides benefits in terms of power usage and administration (i .e . backups, etc .).
Today, the City has four local area network servers and 38 virtual servers . The virtualization solutio n
(VMWare) is an industry leading solution that is proven effective . The City has done a good jo b
standardizing on a proven server hardware platform (Hewlett Packard) As a result, the City's serve r
operations appear to provide reliable and secure services .
The implementation of VMWare server virtualization has allowed IT staff to remove older file servers
from production by creating "virtual servers ." Server virtualization increases efficiency throug h
enhanced management features and reduces the overall cost of support by reduced power, ai r
conditioning, and hardware maintenance expense .
The {]is ahea d ~ of many similar sized organizations ~n the use of VMWare to provide fail-over to a
hardened secondary facility. This level of redundancy is important as the City continues to leverag e
technology and access to City systems becomes critical to virtually all City operations
. The City has standardized on the Microsoft operating system and Microsoft SQL database . The City's
use of the Microsoft suite of products is consistent with what most similar sized public agencies d o
today .
The data on the servers is backed up using snapshot technology available with the VMWar e
virtualization suite . Tape backups provide the ability to restore services from tape . Tape backup s
can be removed off-site by a service provider that stores tapes in a secure location wit h
environmental safeguards (i .e . earthquake, power failure, temperature control).
While the City has backup and recovery procedures in place, the City lacks a formal, tested disaste r
Recommendation s
recovery processes to support the plan .
The City has 348 desktop workstations, 37 GIS/CAD workstations, and 35 laptop computers . Th e
City has standardized on Dell PC's and laptops using Microsoft XP operating system and Office 2003 .
The City is currently planning an upgrade to Windows 7 operating system and Microsoft Office 2010 .
The City has 82 printers and 4 plotters, and Hewlett-Packard is the City standard .
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The City's desktop environment is consistent with what most similar sized municipalities hav e
implemented . A consistent, standardized environment allows staff to become familiar with th e
hardware and software, which results in more efficient support and resolution to trouble tickets .
Recommendation s
NexLevel agrees with the City's current efforts to migrate to Microsoft Windows 7 and Office 2010 .
In addition, the City should continue to standardize hardware and software to the extent possible t o
keep support costs low .
5 .7 Data Center Operation s
The City has two primary data center locations -one at City Hall and the other at the Dispatch Center .
The data centers are neat, orderly, and the equipment/wiring is well labeled . The equipment in eac h
of the data centers is seismic braced and overhead trays support the cable . The IT Division shoul d
be recognized for understanding the importance of maintaining a professional data cente r
environment.
The City Hall data center is contained in two separate areas . The larger of the two rooms is locate d
within the Finance/IT work area and is large and well organized . There is a storage area large
enough to contain pallets of equipment in a secure environment and sufficient work space t o
uncrate and prepare hardware for configuration and deployment .The radio equipment is located i n
a separate area of the room . The servers and communication equipment are located in a corner o f
the room .
The second data center at City Hall near the finance/IT Department is accessed through a door in a
public hallway . This data center, while well organized, is more cramped and has power limitation s
and environmental issues (i .e . water pipes above the server racks).
In the event of a power outage, a generator would provide power to the equipment located in the Cit y
Hall data centers and to the emergency lights in the building. However, in the event of a powe r
outage, there would not be power for desktops to access the servers . This is a limitation and
enhancements to power and the generator are recommended .
The computer room at the Dispatch Center is well designed and consistent with best practices. Th e
City received the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) 2011 Horizon Awar d
for this facility . APCO noted the technology includes CAT6 data cable and fiber, blade PC's, AT&T
Viper 911, virtual server clusters, text to voice fire station alerting system, and city-wide emergenc y
simulcast/digital radio system . The dispatch consoles are designed to allow access to technolog y
from the side panels, rather than requiring thedispatcher to leave the workstation while th e
technician accesses equipment underneath the desktop .
The configuration is designed so that in the event of a failure of a major component, the remainin g
equipment will continue to operate . The Dispatch Center has six redundancy levels for planne d
efficiency in the event of a disaster . The generator supports the entire facility .
Recommendation s
The City has done a good job of building and maintaining high quality data center environments tha t
recognize the critical nature of the systems enclosed in them . As funding allows, NexLeve l
recommends that the City migrate away from the City Hall data center due to security (public access )
and environment issues (i .e . power and water pipes). If migration to another facility is not feasible ,
then it is recommended that the City move the data center to the adjacent room (IT lab and storage )
and install a glass wall to provide a controlled access environment that is more secure than th e
current location . In addition, this would remove the issue with having water pipes running above th e
server equipment . It should be noted that the City's fiber currently terminates in the existing dat a
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center. Since it would be expensive to relocate the fiber, the City could simply make the existin g
data center a fiber switching closet .
The City's current backup power situation at City Hall is insufficient to ensure adequate time t o
recover or perform an orderly shutdown to prevent data loss or damage . The City needs to install a n
adequate backup power generator to provide back-up power suitable to sustain basic operations fo r
a limited time and/or allow for an orderly equipment shutdown . Implementing suitable emergenc y
power should be factored into the movement of the data center .
5 .8 Equipment Refreshmen t
The City's refreshment policy for desktop and laptop computers was recently extended from a thre e
year replacement cycle to a four to five year cycle . This change in the equipment refreshment i s
consistent with what many similar sized public agencies have had to do as a result of budge t
constraints . During the IT Assessment, City staff reported they do not know when their computer s
were going to be refreshed, and because of a "trickle down" policy, they may receive a use d
computer. The refreshment policy is not well understood by City staff .
It should be noted that as equipment ages, it becomes less reliable and replacement parts may b e
difficult to locate . Typically, older hardware is not capable of supporting newer software versions .
This can impact IT staff productivity and user productivity when systems fail due to age . A n
equipment refreshment process allows for an orderly replacement of equipment determined by a
pre-established cycle .
Recommendation s
Based on current budget challenges, NexLevel understands and concurs with the strategy o f
extending the historical refreshment/replacement of desktop and laptop equipment . Until th e
budget situation improves, a four to six year replacement cycle can be managed with the recognitio n
that IT support costs will increase, trouble ticket response times will slow down, and user satisfactio n
with the computer environment will erode . When the budget allows, the City should strive to retur n
to a three year replacement cycle which more closely aligns with industry best practices .
The City also should target a five to seven year replacement cycle for server and network equipment ,
which more closely aligns with industry best practices .
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Security
In this section, we evaluate how the IT Division manages security and risk .
Effective security and risk management starts at the top levels of th e
organization by establishing the standards and expectations . Once that i s
established, it is up to the departments to implement the tools, processes, an d
practices to meet the standards established . Maintaining a secure and protecte d
IT infrastructure is of primary concern for any IT organization . Effective securit y
involves a combination of policy and standards, personal user conduct, softwar e
tools (filtering, monitoring, etc .), and occasional audits to validate effectiveness .
6 .1 Networ k
The security of the City's network is a critical component of IT best practices . I n
today's world, every computer is subject to malicious attack through the Internet .
Skilled computer hackers attempt to break into networks to obtain private
information, utilize disk space for their own use, attempt to cover maliciou s
attacks to other organizations, or cause damage to information .
The City has implemented a proven firewall technology (Juniper) for networ k
security. The scope of this assessment did not include any tests of networ k
security; only a discussion with the IT staff . It should be noted that the City ha s
not had a comprehensive network security assessment or penetration tes t
performed .
Recommendation s
An external network vulnerability scan and penetration test should be performe d
periodically by an outside, objective security firm to identify open areas wher e
unauthorized network access can occur . This is a unique service that is no t
typically performed by IT staff, but is accomplished by using a highly specialize d
consultant . The results are presented in report form identifying areas of risk an d
recommended remediation steps . The City should budget for and schedule a bi-
annual network vulnerability scan and penetration test .
The City should consider investing in an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) t o
proactively identify and monitor unauthorized attempts to access the City's
network . An Intrusion Detection System helps detect unauthorized attempts an d
alerts the IT staff: The IDS will typically record relevant information to help the I T
staff assess the situation . Some IDS can also automatically lock out maliciou s
activity.
6 .2 Physica l
As indicated earlier in this report, the IT staff and facilities are located i n
numerous locations . It appears that the City's technology infrastructure i s
located in secure facilities and restricts access from unauthorized parties .
Access to the City Hall data center is secured, but entry is through a hallway tha t
is open to the public .
Recommendation s
See recommendation in Section 5 .7
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6 .3 Dat a
From an internal security and data protection perspective, the IT Division is leveraging technology t o
ensure IT assets and data are protected . The IT Division is using industry recognized virus scannin g
software, email filtering, limited internet site blocking, and other means to protect the environment .
The City's current use of this software is consistent with industry standards and considere d
reasonable for the environment . The challenge many organizations face today is balancing the nee d
for security and protection of systems and data with the ease of use and access .
Recommendation s
The IT Division and IT Steering Committee should continually communicate to users the securit y
policies and procedures to ensure all users clearly understand and follow established securit y
process and procedures . NexLevel's experience is that when users fully understand the securit y
expectations and risks associated with a security failure, they are much more willing to practice goo d
security . In addition, users should understand that the IT Division has tools and procedures to audi t
system use and access to minimize the security risk .
6 .4 Desktop s
Currently, desktop users have administrative rights . Administrative rights allow desktop users t o
control what hardware and software can be installed on a desktop . While this is a nice convenienc e
for the users, it does increase the security risk in terms of virus/malware infections . Wit h
administrative rights, a user may inadvertently introduce a virus/malware when loading a softwar e
application from the Internet or external drive . An infected desktop has the potential of adversel y
impacting other City users . In addition, allowing users to have administrative rights to desktops put s
the City at a higher risk of having unauthorized or unlicensed software .
Recommendation s
It is recommended that the IT Division work with the IT Steering Committee to re-consider the polic y
of allowing users to have administrative rights . Typically, best practices processes restric t
administrative rights privileges .
6 .5 Backu p
The servers are backed up using VMWare virtualization technology. "Snapshots" are taken ever y
hour from 7 AM to 8 PM, and once nightly . The nightly backups replicate data between the City Hal l
and Dispatch data centers . The notable exception is the ACS Utility Billing applications, which run o n
an IBM AS400 platform and are backed up nightly to tape . VMWare snapshots are disk-to-dis k
copies and allow data to be restored within a very short period of time . The timing of the fil e
backups align with best practices .
Recommendation s
The City should add disk-to-tape backup ability and use a professional service company to store th e
tapes in an off-site secure facility . Tape backups provide an additional layer of data recovery ability .
Professional service providers can pick up tape backups and store them in a secure environment .A
typical practice is to use a weekly schedule where the previous week's tapes are returned by th e
service provider and the current week backup tapes picked up .This is a fail-safe that the maximu m
amount of data loss due to any disastrous event would be one week .
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6,6 Business Continuit y
Changes have been made to the infrastructure since the City's Disaster Recovery Plan wa s
completed . Although the City's network has been designed to include redundancy, a plan fo r
recovery from a worst-case disaster is the purpose of a business continuity plan . A comprehensiv e
Business Continuity Plan would establish the priorities for restoring computer services and includ e
detailed information to allow someone unfamiliar with the City's network to proceed with recovery
activity. Once completed, plans should be tested annually and updated to support changes to th e
configuration .
Recommendation s
See recommendation in Section 5 .5 .
6 .7 Virus/Spam Protectio n
As the City continues to automate business and operational processes, the threat and potentia l
adverse impact of a virus becomes more significant . While automating City processes usin g
software and databases is consistent with best practices, it also means that the City is storing mor e
information electronically and staff will rely on access to these systems to perform day-to-da y
essential functions . Therefore, it is imperative the City follow best practices for virus and spa m
protection to minimize the risk of unauthorized data access or service interruption . The City i s
currently using the Eset NOD32 antivirus/antispyware software which provides a proven solution t o
protect the City.
Recommendation s
The City should continue to practice strong virus/spam protection practices and ensur e
antivirus/antispyware software remains current for all devices connected to the network .
6 .8 Patch Managemen t
Security and application updates are issued periodically by Microsoft . To maintain a secure an d
reliable technology environment and ensure equipment is operating at optimum performance, it i s
important that desktops and servers are kept current with the latest patches . The IT Division's
approach to patch management is adversely impacted by the current workload which prevents a
proactive approach to managing patches and releases . In some cases, patches are not applied in a
timely fashion due to other priorities which may create a security, performance, or reliability issue . It
is important to note that patch installation generally requires the desktop or server to be rebooted ,
which has the potential to disrupt users . Therefore, typically servers should be rebooted when th e
applications are not being used by staff to minimize the impact of downtime .
Recommendation s
The City should implement a patch management application and follow a formal schedule for patc h
installation . The implementation of a tool like Microsoft System Update Services could help with th e
patch management and installation . The KACE tools, which currently support the Help Des k
application, may also be able to perform patch management.
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7 Administration
This dimension focuses on how effectively the IT Division manages the I T
infrastructure in terms of budgets, maintenance agreements, and software
licenses . As the title of this indicates, these functions are largely administrativ e
activities and do not require deep technical expertise .
7 .1 Budge t
The IT Division budget/CIP should include hardware (i .e . desktops, laptops ,
servers, and network equipment) refreshment . This helps ensure a reliable an d
secure technology environment and reflects the reality that technolog y
equipment must be replaced or upgraded over time . It also allows the expens e
to be distributed over multiple budget years, rather than a large, one-time ,
unplanned expense when equipment fails .
Recommendation s
The City should establish a budgetary amount for hardware refreshment in eac h
budget cycle .
7 .2 Procuremen t
The City appears to lack formal policies for the procurement and selection o f
technology . On several occasions, the IT staff was not aware that department s
had purchased new technology until a vendor was scheduled to be on site an d
required configuration changes or support . The IT Division should be consulte d
and provided the opportunity for input prior to a new technology purchase . Fro m
a security and reliability standpoint, the IT Division must evaluate and approve al l
technology that is implemented to ensure compatibility with the shared I T
infrastructure (network, desktops, servers and security).
Recommendation s
The IT Steering Committee should enforce software and hardware acquisitio n
polices . The IT Steering Committee should use the IT Division to evaluate an d
review modifications to the City's technology infrastructure .
7 .3 Contract & Vendor Managemen t
The cost for ongoing technology maintenance support can get expensive an d
wasteful if not proactively managed . On an annual basis, the City shoul d
carefully evaluate each maintenance contract prior to renewing to ensure it is stil l
required and the support requirements align with current needs . Often times, a n
organization will just automatically renew existing agreements without evaluatin g
the need, thus wasting budget dollars on maintenance services that do no t
benefit the City .
The scope of NexLevel's IT Assessment did not include a detailed review of th e
City's existing maintenance agreements .
November 2011 43
B1-86
S .N1111,11$ Ot:1S(JO
Recommendation s
The City should centralize the ongoing management of technology maintenance contracts . This wil l
create a central repository to support annual maintenance contract reviews prior to automatically
renewing the agreements . This function should be assigned to the IT Division who will b e
responsible for working with the IT Steering Committee and user departments to complete th e
annual review ,
7 .4 Software License Managemen t
Microsoft licensing is complex and expensive . The City has opted not to procure Microsoft Assuranc e
licensing . Microsoft Assurance requires an on-going expense, allowing every new version o f
Microsoft software that is released can be installed at no additional cost during the Assuranc e
period . When Microsoft Assurance is not procured,new licenses are purchased as needed .Th e
City's approach appears to be reasonable given the City's financial constraints .
Recommendation s
Maintain an accurate inventory of all software installed on computers and servers and ensur e
adequate licenses exist . On a periodic basis, evaluate the cost/benefit of standalone softwar e
purchases versus Microsoft Assurance licensing practices .
7 .5 Inventory Management
An annual technology asset inventory should be conducted to support the hardware refreshmen t
planning. This activity is typically supported using automated tools such as KACE which is currentl y
being used by the City to support the Help Desk function .
Recommendation s
Conduct an annual technology asset inventory to, at a minimum, include the make, model, seria l
number, purchase date, and software .
November 2011
aty o1-
San LUIS or isp o
Documeneat ►
This dimension evaluates the effectiveness of the IT Division's documentation a s
compared to a best practices IT organization . While informal,undocumente d
processes can be effective, such processes typically rely on individual expertis e
and knowledge . Best practices organizations maintain current and accurat e
documentation on all activities such that processes can be completed in th e
absence of any one individual . Strong documentation promotes cross-training ,
enables backup and recovery, provides succession planning, and reduces th e
risk of change when introducing new technology .
8 .1 Repositor y
Maintaining a current and accurate document repository is a challenge . I n
today's environment, technical staff is required to "wear many hats" and ar e
often times operating in a reactive mode . Some organizations may be able t o
perform with minimal documentation as they appear to effectively and quickl y
communicate with one another . However, in the long run, all organizations ar e
best served by ensuring appropriate focus is placed on documentation .
The IT staff has institutional knowledge of the configurations, but the informatio n
is primarily in their heads and on personal notes. Most of the knowledge an d
expertise within the IT Division with regard to the data centers and networ k
configurations is held by staff using informal documentation methods .
Recommendation s
NexLevel recommends the creation and centralization of technica l
documentation for all aspects of the IT Division's day-to-day operation .
The City needs to allocate sufficient time for the IT Division to create adequat e
documentation that, if necessary, would allow external qualified IT professional s
to quickly understand and support the technical infrastructure in a reasonabl y
proficient manner.
The IT Division needs to develop detailed network and system diagrams tha t
clearly identify the network design, equipment configurations, and relationship s
between the infrastructure components, applications, and data repositories . I n
addition, operational procedures (backup, patch, and configurations) should b e
created .Once this documentation is in place,it should be updated as change s
occur in the environment .
The creation of documentation and its on-going maintenance should be added t o
each IT Division staff job description and made a measurable objective in th e
staff performance reviews .
November 2011 45
l Cy Of
An ;LIB O 3IS P
8 .2 Policies &Procedure s
The City has an IT Policies and Procedures Manual . The manual contains sections for Council an d
City Manager Policies, IT Steering Committee Policies, IT Standards and Practices, and identifies th e
Committee and Group Members . The IT Disaster Recovery Plan is contained in this document . Whil e
these directives provide a solid foundation to build upon, they need to be updated to reflect th e
current environment, computing trends, and changed procedures .
Recommendation s
All technology directives should be reviewed, updated, and distributed to existing and ne w
employees throughout the City . The Steering Committee should be charged with reviewing an d
recommending the updated policies and procedures . Once they are approved, the IT Steerin g
Committee should help enforce the policies and procedures . NexLevel recommends the City
consider the following technology policies :
Internet Us e
Information Technology Steering Committe e
Help Desk
Equipment Acquisitio n
Equipment Sanitation/Disposa l
Software Licens e
Green I T
Administrative Right s
Anti-Viru s
Change Control - Freezes & Risk Evaluatio n
Data Securit y
Desktop Move/Add/Chang e
E-Mail Archiving and Retentio n
Inventory
IT Services Catalog
Mobile Device Acceptable Us e
Password
+ Patch Managemen t
Remote Acces s
Removable Media Acceptable Us e
Social Medi a
System Backup/Recover y
Technology Trainin g
Third-Party Acces s
Wireless Access Point
CO/0
San LUIS OBISPO
On -Line ~~~-Line Survey
Between June 29 and July 29, 2011, NexLevel conducted an on-line survey of
' --~- employees to assess the satisfaction of technology service delivery . Th e
following section presents the results of the survey, provides charts depicting th e
City's position relative to technology best practices, and provides a compilation o f
comments provided by surveyed employees .
Of the estimated 531 City employees sent the survey, 242 responded . This
response rate (45%) is considered adequate and provides an indication as to th e
general perception of IT service delivery within the City . Employees respondin g
Department 1 Number of Responses Percentage of Tota l
Administration 12 5 .0 %
City Attorne y
City Council 1 .4 %
Community Development 23 9 .5 %
Finance/Information Technology 19 7 .9 %
Fire 14 5 .8 %
Human Resources 5 2 .1 %
Parks & Recreation 21 8 .7 %
Police 31 12 .8%
Public Works 1 66 27 .3 %
Utilities 47 19 .4%
The following charts provide the responses to each question in the survey . Fo r
each question, the first graph shows the percentage of respondents for eac h
category based on a scale of 1 (low) to 5 (high). The second chart plots the City's
high satisfaction (categories 4 and 5) against industry best practices and agains t
other similar government IT organizations .
The Best Practices Goal is based on NexLevel's combined technical experience o f
over 125 years with government computing organizations . Our experience show s
that an effective, well-balanCed IT organization will fall somewhere within th e
Best Practices Goal . Falling in the low end of the goal indicates a well-ru n
organization, but specific areas of operational improvement may still b e
recommended . Falling in the high end of the goal indicates that the organizatio n
is well-run and meets most, if not all, industry defined best practices for that are a
as covered by the question .
The Peer Average point is the average score for surveys conducted by NexLeve l
within other California governmental jurisdictions . This point represents th e
average score we have recorded for the stated question . The San Luis Obisp o
point represents the City's total of responses for categories 4 and 5 to th e
corresponding survey question .
November 2011 4 7
1 OfsAn tins OGisp )
How satisfied are you with IT staff ability to solve your technical issu e
the first time you call for help ?QUESTION 2
Peer Average
Bes t
Practice s
Goa l
EVALUATION The IT Division falls above the Peer Average and within the Best Practice s
Goal for this question .
November 2011
How satisfied are you with the overall technical knowledge of IT staff ?
EVALUATION The IT Division falls above the Peer Average and within the Best Practice s
Goal for this question .
Cray o
an tuts or3>is
How satisfied are you with IT staff understanding of your department's
business functions ?QUESTION 4
RESPONSE
tt'N'in Etatscrisp
COMPARISO N
EVALUATION The IT Division falls above th e
Goal for this question .
Peer Average
2 5
eer Average and within the Best practice s
B1-9 3
50
C1
S‘11 LUIS 0131SpO
How satisfied are you with IT staff understanding of the City of Sa n
Luis Obispo's business objectives ?QUESTION 5
RESPONSE
100
80
3 4 5
Rating
1
20
10 0
City ofSU1 kitsomspo
63 .3 Peer Averag e
COMPARISON
75
5 0
Best85.6 Practices
Goa t
EVALUATION The IT Division falls above the Peer Average and within the Best Practice s
Goal for this question .
Clt■i 0)
S.~11 LUIS OB1SpO
How satisfied are you that the City's computer programs are meetin g
your business needs ?QUESTION 6
RESPONSE
100
80
60
40
20
0 -
1 2 3
Rating
5
'10 0
7 73 .1
city of
s:#17tutsOISPo
Peer Averag e
5 0
COMPARISON
2 5
Best
Practices
Goa !
67 .8
The IT Division falls below the Peer Average and below the Best Practice s
Go 1 f•r thi •uestion :EVALUATIO N
November 2011 52
B1-95
city Of
San Luis 013ISpO
How satisfied are you with the version level or system compatibility o f
the computer programs you use ?
100
2 3 4
Rating
1 5
40
20
T
8 0
60
10 0
Best
Practice s
Goat
75
66 .7 Peer Averag e
COMPARISON 1 50 .
2 5
QUESTION 7
RESPONSE
CftVOtsAn Elms cTntspo 62 .0
EVALUATION TGhoea,1lT,o Dr isi°n talls helm the P e er Average'and'below the Best Practices'
this question .
November 2011 53
B1-96
city 0S MI lws otlspO
RESPONSE
10 0
5V7LUISC?li14)o
82 .3 Peer Average
How satisfied are you with the IT Department's control of viruses an d
malware?QUESTION 8
100
80
ai0 60
a,
40a
20
-
1,1,44
1 2 3 4 5
Rating
7 5
COMPARISON 5 0
2 5
EVALUATION The IT Division falls above the Peer Average and within the Best Practice s
Goal for this question .
November 2011
P r93.3
c;Ity 0SanLUIS OBISPO
How satisfied are you with the IT Department's control of spa m
(unwanted email)?QUESTION 9
.RESPONSE
100
80
3
Ratin g
1 2 54
20
10 0
COMPARISON
82,3
7 5
50
Peer Average
25
EVALUATION 1 The IT Division falls above the Peer Average and within the Best Practice s
Goal for this question .
city ofs fl Lollsor1spo
Bes t
Fra ct i c€s
Goa [91 .5
November 2011
B1-9 8
55
How satisfied are you with the IT Department's time to respond to you r
request for service ?QUESTION 10
city of
Liar ;OI3JS )
85 .6
Peer Averag e
RESPONS E
EVALUATION The IT Division falls above the Peer Average and within the Best Practice s
Goal for this question .
November 2011 56
B1-99
(Ay 0
Sdn1 LUIS OBISW
How satisfied are you in the time it takes the IT Department to satisf y
your request for service?
10 0
100
80
4a •
2 3 4
Ratin g
1 5
20 -
6 0
4 0
QUESTION 1 1
RESPONSE
City Of
S.111 Luis OBISp l
86 .1
Bes t
Practice s
Goal
7 75 .3 Peer Averag e
5 0
COMPARISON
2 5
EVALUATION The IT Division falls above the Peer Average and within the Best Practice s
Goal for this question .
November 2011 57
B1-100
CI 0
~. LUIS MISP0
How satisfied are you with the IT Division's process of checking bac k
with you on service provided ?
city csAntuts tit tspo 69 .8
EVALUATION The IT Division falls above the Peer Average and below the Best Practice s
Goal for this question .
RESPONSE
Peer Average
City O f
Sall LUIS OBISPO
Do you need to know locations of addresses, assets, or other objects
for your work? If yes, describe your needs .
The 83 responses to this question are included in Appendix C . Thes e
comments typically expressed the need for the following information .
• Addresses for utilities, meter, pipe locations, telemetry equipment ,
stormwater collection system (drop inlets, sewer lines, stormwate r
culverts), storage tanks, pressure reducing valves, pressure zones ,
manhole s
•City infrastructure, monument s
• Park related assets, park infrastructure and neighboring parcels, owne r
contact s
•At the counter to support the publi c
• Review development plans, business license, plan chec k
•Asset Management (fleet, parks, trees, building, equipment )
• Information needed to conduct criminal investigation s
• APN, street addresses, parcels and public rights of wa y
•Addresses for tracking work order s
•Code Enforcement prosecution, real property transactions, lega l
descriptions and property line s
QUESTION 1 3
RESPONS E
QUESTION 1 4
RESPONSE
Have you used maps (digital or hard copy) made by the City's I T
Division? If yes, describe the map(s).
The 86 responses to this question are included in Appendix C . The primar y
maps used are :
•Aerial photo s
•Storm drains, water distribution, sewer line s
• Fire Department response zones and fire hazard zones ; grid maps o n
the fire engines, high severity fire zone related to wild land urba n
interface
Land use maps, flood maps, zoning maps, contour map s
Fire/Police CA D
Natural resources, endangered specie s
• Encroachment permit process maps, subdivision map s
•Residential density, owner occupied housing, airport safety zone s
• Delineating 500 ft . radius for determining FPPC conflict of interes t
• Maps of parks, event maps for Tour of CA, open spaces, creeks ,
homeless encampment s
•General Plan maps
•Graphics for project presentation s
•Streets for CIP project s
•Fee area s
•Maps for location of a crime scen e
• Historical lot informatio n
November 2011 59
B1-102
Cit.\'o
SAT)IUIS Ot1SW
How satisfied are you with services received from the City's GI S
Division ?
EVALUATION The IT Division is performing well and very closely to the Best Practice s
range .
QUESTION 1 5
November 2011
City 01
Sal LUIS o&ispv
Do you use Google, Yahoo or any other free online mapping service? I f
yes, describe your use .
The 100 responses to this question are included in Appendix C . Th e
responses are summarized :
• Aerial satellite view for planning operations safe approac h
Viewing conditions in the field to save site visit
s • Used for locations outside of the City limits
• To obtain measurements from point A to point B
•To obtain locations on suspects, victims, witnesses to crime s
•Drive route plannin g
•Locating businesses in San Luis Obisp o
•Developing Fire pre-plan s
•Area and distance information to send to contractors and designer s
.QUESTION 1 6
RESPONS E
QUESTION 1 7
RESPONSE
If you use a smart phone, tablet PC, or laptop, do you use any mobil e
mapping application? If so, list device and application you use .
The 40 responses to this question are included in Appendix C . The
summary of the mobile mapping applications is presented :
•Laptop computer for sidewalk maintenance progra m
•Google Maps
Droid navigation map s
Gosync mobile mappin g
GPS Motion X
November 2011 61
City o
t1 LUIS otsis~.~o
QUESTION 1 8
RESPONSE
How satisfied are you with the equipment (computer, printer)you us e
in performing your job?
nes t
Practftes
(loa f
The IT Division falls above the Peer Average and below the Best Practice s
Goal for this question .
B1-105
city o
all LUIS o13 S
How satisfied are you with the amount of training you have received i n
the use of the equipment and programs ?
city (.4san uis cu ;ispo 61 .5
Peer Averag e
EVALUATION The IT Division falls above the Peer Average and below the Best Practices
Range for this question .
November 2011 63
city oIsari tuts oBISpo
How satisfied are you with the City's communications networ k
reliability (Does the network run when you need it)?QUESTION 2 0
RESPONSE
10 0
citya.n tuts orospc,
75 76
.9 Peer Average
COMPARISON 5 0
2 5
EVALUATION The IT Division falls above the Peer Average and slightly below the Bes t
Practices Goal for this question .
November 2011 64
87 .6
B1-107
City o i
San LUIS OBISpo
How satisfied are you with the speed of the City's communication s
network (Is it responsive to your needs)?QUESTION 2 1
RESPONSE
10 0
aty ofSAX)W1SOt 15po
Peer Averag e
COMPARISON
2 5
EVALUATION The IT Division falls above the Peer Average and within the Best Practice s
Goal for this question .
75
68 A
5 0
Bes t
Practices
Goa l
91 3
November 2011 65
City 0)-
S 1XrIIIIS ONSpO
How satisfied are you with the IT Division's management of technolog y
projects ?QUESTION 2 2
RESPONSE
100
80
1 2 3 4 5
Rating
6 0
4 0
20
100
Bes t
Practice s
Goa l
(-Icy ofsm.) tuts omstix-1
COMPARISON 50 55J Peer Averag e
2 5
EVALUATION i The IT Division falls above the Peer Average and slightly below the Bes t
[ Practices Goal for this questio n
77 .0
7 5
November 2011 66 B1-109
city
IUIS OBISPO
How satisfied are you with the technology leadership and plannin g
initiatives provided by the IT Division ?
Sybil itis 08ISpO
QUESTION 2 3
RESPONSE
10 0
COMPARISON
Best
Practice s
Goal
75
57,7 Peer Averag e
50
2 5
EVALUATION The IT Division falls above the Peer Average and below the Best Practice s
Goal for this question .
November 2011 6 7
69 .5
CIt\0-L Uis UriSpo
How satisfied are you with communications you receive from the I T
Division relative to projects status, service metrics, outages, an d
scheduled maintenance?
10 0
10 0
80
4:1
tVr~'~t4T
:h++~~
~
t~F~B~A 1
1 2 3 4
Ratin g
6 0
4 0
20
0
QUESTION 2 4
RESPONSE
90 .1Crt,sod) Luis
Best
Pr,ittices
75
62 .5
Peer Averag e
COMPARISON 5 0
2 5
The IT Division falls above the Peer Average and within the Best Practice s
Goal for this question .EVALUATION
B1-111
San LUIS OBISpO
How satisfied are you with the overall service you receive from the I T
Division ?
10 0
city
RESPONS E
2 3 4 5
Rating
10 0
Best
91 .4 Practice so:sui ltausoi is o Goal
80 .5 Peer Averag e
7 5
1 COMPARISON 5 0
25
EVALUATION The IT Division falls above the Peer Average and within the Best Practice s
Goal for this question .
November 2011 69
B1-11 2
O
s .\n LUIS 01 l j)O
The 186 responses to this question are presented in Appendix C . The I T
Division was complimented for :
•Responding in a timely manne r
•Communicatio n
• Customer service, friendly, pleasant, courteou s
• Competent, knowledgeabl e
•Explain problems clearly without using technical term s
• Approachable, reliable, helpful, supportive, positive attitud e
The 186 responses to this question are presented in Appendix C . Th e
areas for improvement were primarily :
• Better computers, newer hardwar e
• Allocate its resources proportionally to all City department s
• More staff to keep up with increasing demand s
Update software version s
More training classe s
Communication with departments regarding changes that will affec t
the m
What other services could the IT Division provide to help meet you r
business needs ?
The 186 responses are presented in Appendix C . The primary response s
were :
Additional software training classe s
•Newer version of Microsoft Office Suite and Adobe
• More graphic software license s
•Workflow capability
RESPONSE
CIty 0
LUIS OGISPO
How could the City's website better serve the public ?
The 186 responses are presented in Appendix C . The primary response s
were :
•Allow Departments to post informatio n
• Showcase the beauty of the Cit y
• Improve ease of access to online documents and map s
• More information available to reduce calls to the city
•Make City documents available onlin e
Interactive forms that can be submitted on lin e
•Interactive vide o
•Links or video of Council meeting s
•User-friendly and easy to navigat e
• Fewer levels to find informatio n
• It is difficult to explain to the public where they can find informatio n
•Links to Twitter and Facebook for real time update s
•Improved search capabilit y
•More visually appealin g
How many times do you call the IT Division for assistance (Help Des k
or staff member) each month?
14 .5 %
73 .1%
'
City 0
tUIS OBISPO
When you contact the IT Division for help, what is the primary reaso nQUESTION 31 for your call? Check all that apply.
PC 44 .6%1
Printer 31 .7%2
Email 28 .9%3____,____
Other 17 .2%4__....___..,,_
ShoreTel TelephoneNoice Mail 15 .6%5
Cell/Smartphone 15 .1%6
Internet 14 .0%7
Password Assistance 12 .9%8
Equipment Relocation 10 .2%9
Microsoft Office Suite 9 .1%1 0
Laptop 9 .1%1 1
MDC/In-Car Video 8 .1%1 2
Telemetry 7 .0%1 3
Security CameraNideo 6 .5%1 4
Do Not Call For Help 6 .5%1 5
AudioNisual 5 .4%1 6
Adobe 5 .4%1 7
Radio 2 .7%18
November 201 1
City 0 1SanLUIS (.o13ispo
Is there information you need that you don't have? If yes, explain .
The 43 responses are presented in Appendix C . The primary responses
were :
i Adobe Acrobat Pro, Adobe Suit e
• Organization-wide graphics and document production softwar e
Classes in Microsoft Offic e
Current versions of Microsoft Offic e
Do you foresee new uses of technology in your department? If yes ,
explain .
The 186 responses to this question are included in Appendix C . Th e
primary responses were :
• Handheld devices for use in the fiel d
• Mobile equipment to eliminate paperwor k
•Workflow to reduce or eliminate pape r
•E-submittals and E-review s
•Wireless field data entry for asset management and inspectio n
• Outreach for citizen involvement in City-wide planning effort s
•Agenda processin g
•Online communication between departments to reduce paperwork an d
duplication of effort
QUESTION 3 3
RESPONS E
..QUESTION 32
RESPONS E
QUESTION 34
RESPONSE
Are you aware of any regulations, legislation or job requirements tha t
may impact your use of technology in the near future? If yes, explain .
The 18 responses to this question are included in Appendix C . Th e
primary responses were :
Increasing requirements around public records accessibility and e
discovery rule s
•Retention issues, security issues with digital evidenc e
Federal requirement to maintain an inventory of traffic sign s
The need to get hazardous materials inspection results to the stat e
level may result in more reporting requirement s
November 2011
Appendix A Infrastructure
The following table provides a summary of the current IT infrastructure in the City .
city
stn tuffs mspo
Help Desk
•420 desktop and laptop computer s
70 smart phone/Blackberry device s
▪82 printers
•30 scanners
Microsoft Office application s
Hardware refreshmen t
49 M DC's
•Coordinate user trainin g
•Purchase and deploy refreshment hardwar e
•Cash register s
•Remittance processo r
•iPad s
Security
•Firewal l
•System access
•Antivirus/antimalware
•Internet filtering
Infrastructur e
• Local area network (LAN) and wide are a
network (WAN )
• Network engineering and desig n
• Internet access
• Voice and voice mail systems ; 850 phones
• Radio system ; 395 radio s•Dispatch Cente r
City's web site availability
Wireless acces s
File servers
Storage area network (SAN )
Backup and recovery
Security camera s
Specialize d
City Council meeting live broadcas t
audio/visual equipmen t
Police in-car vide o
Water meter reading devices ,
upload/download of meter read s
Dispatch Center support 24/7/36 5
Connectivity to various secure la w
enforcement database s
Primary Applications Project Management
•GIS •Intellitim e
••Pentamation financial and payroll system Telestaff
EnerGov•ACS Utility Billing •Springbroo k•HdL Business License •LaserFich e
•RecWare Recreation Applications •SCADA upgrad e
•Hansen CMMS •CMMS for Utilitie s
•SCADA systems •Version Upgrades (Pentamation, RecWare ,
•Spillman Public Safety Spillman, etc .)
•LaserFiche (Police Department)
November 201 1
City n h
Sail LUIS Utisp O
Appendix B Software Application
The following table presents the existing applications in use in the City that were identified durin g
department interviews and in the RFP for the IT Strategic Plan .
Department Application Additional Informatio n
2010/WIN 7
Developed in-hous e
Email, calendaring, contacts with interfaces t o
multiple smart phone device s
Developed in-house ; technology used is no w
obsolete
Emergency management online applicatio n
Voice and voice mail systems
Extensive use of standalone FoxPro applications sthat remain unsupported ; FoxPro is obsolete an d
application support is not availabl e
Replacing ACS with Springbrook - implementatio n
underwa y
Business License
Working with vendor to schedule release upgrade s
Report Writing tool used with Pentamationrtp33 8
Text to speech translation for fire alarm s
Training records ; includes the ability to creat e
training videos for on-demand us e
US Digita l
The County is converting this hazardous material s
program to hosted web base d
Computer aided dispatch, records managemen t
and mobile data computer s
RecWare Class Registratio n
Recreation s and Facility Reservation s
Parks and For e
Recreatio n
Police CryWol f
November 2011
WestLaw Legal researc h
MuniMetriX Document Document Management application used only i n
Management the City Clerk's offic e
Liberty meeting recorder Records Council meetings
Audio/Visual equipment Live broadcast of Council meetings to Channel 2 0
GIS Extensive integration with FoxPro applications ;
highly customized to support the Departments an d
the City web site with land based informatio n
Microsoft Office Upgrading from Office 2003/XP to Offic e
Enterprise € Intrane t
Enterprise ! Microsoft Exchang e
Enterprise n City Web Site
ShoreTel VoI P
FoxPro
Finance ACS Utility Billin g
Finance Hd L
Finance Pentamation Financial s
Finance Cognos
Fire US Digita l
Fire Target Safety Trainin g
I
Fire Fire Station Alertin g
Fire , Decade
Enterprise Web EO C
Enterpris e
Enterprise
City Counci l
E City Counci l
Enterprise
Fire and Police Spillman version 4 .6 fo r
CAD/RMS and version 4 .5
for mobil e
Fire and Police Jensen Voice Recording Radio and voice recording in Dispatc h
Fire and Police Voice Print Visual voice printin g
Human NeoGov Web based recruitment applicatio n
Resource s
Parks an d
Enterprise
City Attorne y
City Clerk
Upgrade to newer version is budgete d
Golf reservation s
False alarm billing
B1-118
city o
S.M LUIS OBJSpO
Application Additional Informatio n
Digital evidence management syste m
In car video recording
Used in the interview rooms
Document management ; replacing hardware i n
201 1
Links with law enforcement agencies ; integrate d
Tree inventory and managemen t
For wastewater and recycled water; upgrading t o
iFIX - mission critical applicatio n
Utilities Genesis SCADA Monitors tank s
Maintenance and inventory; Utilities staff performs i
system backups
State database for reporting spill sreporting
Used for water meter reading when the meter i s
located in a vaul t
Hansen CMMS version 7 .7 Version 7 .7 is obsolete and is no longer supported ;
RFP for system replacement issued and propose r
evaluation is underway; would like to implemen t
new system prior to 12/31 in order to avoid payin g
maintenance
November 2011 7 6
Police DIM S
Police
Police
Polic e
Department
CLETS
( Public Works Intersection Magi c
Public Works ) Parking Enforcement -
handheld device s
Public Works ;McCain QuicNet
Public Works RainMaste r
SquareRigge rPublicWorks1
Public Works Street Smart
Public Works ArborPro
Utilities ...Fix32 SCADA__w...___m ._..
Police
Panasoni c
Audio visual equipmen t
LaserFiche version 7 .1 .2
Street Light Monitoring
Utilities
Utilities
CWQI SI..Datamatic AMR
Utilities
B1-11-9
with Spillman CAD and MDC's in the vehicle s
Collision diagram software
Link to DMV ;parking ticket issuanc e
Traffic Signal Managemen t
Irrigation Management
Fleet Management
C
SW1 LUIS OBISP O
Appenarx
''urvey 'eral/ea ryes onses
QUESTION 1 3
919 Palm and City-wide field infrastructur e
Addresses and maps . Maps from various time periods to show changes .
Addresses are used for tracking and work orders
Addresses for utilitie s
Addresses to locations of spills .Name and contact information of property owners .
All park related assets,water & electric meters, telemetry equipmen t
1 All things related to parcels and public rights of wa y
EsAPN ; Street Addresses ; new annexations ; Stormwater Collection System (drop inlets, sewer lines,
stormwater culverts )
Asset Management (Fleet,Parks, Trees, Building, Equipment )
Building permits,fees,addressin g.....CA D
Calls for service - we go everywhere __
City addresses and owners' name s
City infrastructure, utilities, monuments, storm drains, properties, etc .
Code enforcement prosecution ; real property transaction legal descriptions and property lines;
subdivision map and infrastructure reimbursement agreement property informatio n
Community gardens, special events, grant application requirement s
Contact information, Financeplus
Critical to Land Use Program, Building Permits etc .
Current features of Land Use program, images, history, relevant files associated with addres s
Emergency call informatio n
For criminal investigation s
For legal notification for public hearings
For processing CIP Projects in the City and locating problems when the public calls i n
Generally, conflict of interest mapping issues
Giving directions to customers to childcare sites, field trips, etc .
Grid book s
I use City maps every day to plan my customer service call s
I use locations of addresses to look up parcel information and view the surroundings of tha t
address
I use this frequently at the counter and to review development projects, business licenses, pla n
checks,etc .
Information needed to conduct criminal investigation s
Knowing locations in the City is very important for responding emergency vehicles accurately
Land Use program is very useful in locating and cross referencing addresses and locations an d
proximity
toPla n
other areas as well as additional
tre
efilter levels and aerial photo s____,,Land Use, Planning Apps,Building Permits,Sts and Addresse s
Location and current property owner information is essentia l
Maps for call outs
Maps, aerial photos,owner contact info . Search by owner, parcel # and address ._Meter, valve and pipeline location s
Mobile MDC maps for emergency response s
Need to be able to locate map location of address, owner Information and other zoning informatio n
of residential properties___,__,
November 2011 7 7
Do you need to know locations of addresses, assets, or other object s
for your work? If yes, describe your needs .
B1-120
City 0
SAE)LUIS 015ISPO
QUESTION 1 3
Parking is called on to map and look at parking issues throughout the downtow n,,,,,,,,,, _ _,,,,,,Parks infrastructure and neighboring parcels, owner contact s
Parks, open spaces, transient camp location s...,....._.._Parks ; programs ; trail s
Permits,zoning,etc . are all tied to addresse s
Planning projects - vast variety of application s
Public vs .private, easements, access,etc .
Some assets that are related to stormwate r
Sometimes need maps for Counci l
Storage tanks,pressure reducing valves,pressure zone s
Track all business addresses in course of my daily inspection work.
Utility Billing, Financ e
Used for facility planning, creating service requests, public notices and mailing, creation of publi c
educational presentations, creating/amending/verifying transit maps/schedules, grant writin g
support document s
Various : giving directions, projects, info related to advisory body reports, public information, mailin g
info
Wastewater assets
Waterlines, address location, etc .
We need locations of buildings, manholes and pipes
When issuing permits and for schedulin g
November 2011 78 B1-12 1
Do you need to know locations of addresses, assets, or other object s
for your work? If yes, describe your needs .
Aerial photo s
Aerials, utility map s
All atlas map s
QUESTION 14 Have you used maps (digital or hardcopy) made by the City's GI S
Division? If yes, describe the map(s).
All of our addressing Information comes from GIS . We use maps with our CAD system and maps i n
As-builts, utility maps, contour maps, flood maps___Bicycle Transportation Plan map s
Both computer and hard copy maps are used constantly . Dawn's work has been exceptional an d
City grid maps on the Fire engine s
City map, land use, specific areas, emergency operations, soil types, utility system s
City parcel viewer and Spillman CAD ma p
City street ma p
Community garden sites, council agenda report for gardens, triathlon routes, City parks for event s
Conflict of Interest maps
Diablo Canyon Zones ; creeks and waterways ; aerial photograph s
During the Krebs case we used the City's GIS Division for maps of location of crime scen e
Endangered species maps, project maps, etc .
EOC related, storm drain, water, sewe r
Fee area maps
Fire Department response zones and fire hazard zone s
Flood zones, streets for CIP projects and calls from publi c
For criminal Investigations and intelligenc e
GIS has produced zoning, General Plan, residential density, owner occupied housing, airport safet y
GIS shape files
GPS mapped sprinklers for an Inventory of Damon Garcia Par k
Grid books, wild land map books, City wide wall maps, each emergency provides a different ma p..__.
Grid books . Electronic maps through Land Use . All the layers, including the "building footprint" layer .
High severity fire zone as related to wild land urban interfac e
Historical lot Information ; assessor's overlays ; legal lot line designation for use in conjunction wit h
Land use & circulatio n
Land use maps, encroachment permit process maps, flood zones, subdivision map s
Land use maps, flood maps, zoning map s'-'Land use related maps, airport zones, natural resources plans, property negotiation s
Land use, flood maps, zoning maps
Land use ; 4'x4' for various project s
Map book s
Map delineating 500 foot circle for determining FPPC conflict of interest purposes . Various maps fo r
Map grid books for work . Open space trail maps for leisure .
Maps for special projects . GIS does a great job and are very service oriented .
Maps of parks, certain boundarie s
Open space and park map s
Open spaces, parks, creeks, homeles s
November 2011 79
Parcel viewe r
Park maps, event maps for Tour of C A
Paving area maps-storm zone maps-sweeping map s
PDF map books, Arc Map progra m
Have you used maps (digital or hardcopy) made by the City's GI S
Division? If yes, describe the map(s).
ilty o
SM LUIS orlISpO
Residential areas as well as genera l
Sewer and storm maps
Sewer line map s
Sewer, stormwater, water, street, drainag e
Site map s
Street maps for directions and crime scene s
Trail s
Utilities
Various asset inventory maps, space mapping and distance maps, area maps, etc .
Vicinity map s
Vicinity maps of parks
Wall maps, grid book s
Water distributio n
Water mains, hydrants, valves
Water syste m
Water, sewer, drainage maps _
Water, sewer, storm
___
We use park maps for P & R and I also use City maps for the EO C
Zoning maps, General Plan maps, graphics for project presentation s
November 2011 80 B1-123
Cl
Sail LUIS oti1SpO
Do you use Google, Yahoo or any other free online mapping service? I f
yes, describe your use .
Addressing, permits
Aerial satellite views for planning operations, safe approach, etc .,_,___,._.,,
Broad web searchin g
Car route plannin g
Direction s
Directions to services while reading meter s
Find local addresses or remote addresses for training etc .
For business trips I use Google maps for direction s
For street view s
Gmaps pedometer to determine short walking routes for the Senior Walking Grou p
Google - plotting locations, checking site item s
Google and Mapques t
Google Earth for viewing conditions in the field to save site visit s
Google Earth to help trail planning, show staff homeless encampment locations, etc ._____,___..._...
Google Earth to obtain measurements from point A to B
Google Earth, specifically Google Streetvie w
Google Maps for locating businesses in San Luis Obisp o
Google maps to map the watershe d
Google maps to show user proximity to garden site, Gmaps Pedometer to find running, cycling rac e____. ,._
Google maps, photo mapper, yahoo maps, android map applications, aerial photograph y
Google to get locations on suspects, victims, witnesses of crime s
Images of streetscape s
In searching for accommodations for out of city training . Also used when developing fire pre-plans .
I've used these programs to get accurate area and distance information to send to contractors an d
Locate current aerials and street views of propertie s___.__,,_
Locate establishments, facilities, and areas of interes t
Maps for applicants
Occasionally for overhead photos for after-action reviews of large fire incidents ; before/afte r
To assist the public with address location/mapping informatio n,.____.___ , ________.._.._..__...
Water and street location
We use it for many locations outside the city limit s
November 2011 81 ,;-''
B1-124
city On tuns of pO
If you use a smart phone, tablet PC, or laptop, do you use any mobil e
mappin •application? If es, list device and application ou use .
Android Incredible and the Google maps that is on i t
Android, Googl e
Casio Command o
Droid - navigation maps
Droid charge Google maps
GIS viewer, Google maps, map quest m
Google Maps app for iPhon e
Gosync mobile mappin g
HTC Thunderbolt with Google Map s
iPhone and Google map s
iPhone ma p
iPhone : GPS MotionX, GPS ki t
Laptop computer for sidewalk maintenance progra m
MDC city grid map data base
Smart phone - Google Map s
Smart phone - Google search, Navigation, My Tracks, Google eart h
QUESTION 17
clay o
S,All LUIS OBISpO
QUESTION 2 6
Always respond quickly to the few requests I've ever ha d
Always respond to calls ASAP . Wonderful to work with .
Always responds to and repairs any problems quickl y
Always there when I need hel p
Answering question s
Assist with problem s
Communicate when they are working on somethin g
Communicates well, responds well most of the tim e
!Communicates when tasks are started and finished .I also like the employee bulletin board .
Communication,servic e
Computer and software fixe s
Coordinating outages and upgrades & responding as best they can with limited resource s
Correct glitches with network communication s
Correct problems, personal communication skills
Customer service and communicatio n
Customer service attempts to fellow employees . Assisting with computer network usag e
problems . Maintaining a functioning network and hardware .
Customer service is great .Always doing follow up,never an attitude .
Customer service ; responding to requests for hel p
Effective in E-Mail communication s
Everything the department does, it does well No,it does great '
November 2011 83
What does the IT Division do well ?
All IT staff are incredibly approachable, reliable, helpful and knowledgeable . The y
communicate clearly and in manner accessible to lay people and they are extremel y
customer service oriented .
EVERYTHING!!!
! Explain problems to staff in a language I can understan d
Face-to-face communicatio n
Fast, friendly respons e
Fix my computer problem s
Fix problems quickl y
Fix what I brea k
Fixing problems relatively quickly after notificatio n
For the size of their staff they do a great job keeping the network up and running ,
responding to my calls for service,supporting our upgrade s
Friendly, quick, effective troubleshootin g
Friendly, responsive, knowledgeabl e
From a user standpoint, when there is an IT problem, they respond quickly, with a smile ,
and fix things quickly . I know that much of what they do is behind the scenes daily wor k
and planning so the rest of us can access our programs .
General network services, friendly, intelligent, technically proficien t
Good communication and work ethi c
Good communication, allow freedom for users to use the computer systems to best mee t
the needs of their jobs . This creates more problems for IT (lockdown environment woul d
need less servicing) but lets the city function better .
oty 01
ktls 01_'NlSp O
QUESTION 2 6
Great customer service and mufti-taskin g
Great customer service, delivered by true professionals !
I have had minimal need for IT services but the response has been terrific when needed !
I like the help ticket; it seems I get prompt service with tha t
Inform and keep the City streamline d
Inform us about outages . Respond to problems .
Interface,troubleshooting assistance, on call service hel p
IT has been able to address all of my requests
IT implements projects well and provides good customer servic e
IT is very responsive and helpful with most technology need s
Just about everything. Your fast, friendly help is much appreciated .
Keep our computers up and runnin g
Keep services running wel l
Keep things running, advance notifications on upgrades or shut-downs, timely response t o
problem s
Keeps up to date with latest technology to serve city need s
Knowledgeable about problem s
Maintain a reliable networ k
Maintain system network and respond timely to minor system issues (speaker or har d
drive )
Maintain the systems well and put out "fires "
Maintaining and improving the network hardware (backbone) infrastructure an d
virus/spam control . IT Techs are open/approachable/supportive .
m M WMake things run and respond to problems with positive and helpful manner . Miguel is a
superstar and never makes me feel stupid or like I am putting him out when I know I am!!
Lynn is also always patient and kind . Derek is top notch and a great teacher!! Than k
goodness the City uses Derek's services .
Network managemen t
Network reliability . Spam/malware control .
Notify City when to expect maintenance, or down time s
Outstanding interpersonal skills-good communications . Excellent quality of work .,Outstanding staff . Always willing to help and communicate regarding issues and answers . A I
real good group of people, from top to bottom .
Prompt service, expertise, friendly, competen t
Provide personal service . Very nice people !
Quick and outstanding responses to our need s
Quick to respond,knowledgeabl e
Respond to computer and system problem s
Respond to customer need s
Respond to emergencies, service requests, phones, stays positive in a stressful job, servic e
oriented, well-qualified, provide training opportunities like Software Solution s
Respond to inquiries in timely manner with accurate result s
Respond to requests for projector equipment set u p
Respond to staff's needs with quality satisfactio n
November 2011 84 B1-127
|QUESTION 26 What does the IT Division do well ?
1 Responds for service requests quickly ...Kbox is a great service showing how a request is
1 being processe d
Responds quickly to Help Desk questions/request s
Responds quickly, great attitude, knows the technolog y
Responds to need in a professional, expedient and courteous manner !
Responsive - great customer servic e
Responsive - solid tea m
! Responsive to our problem s
1 Responsive to requests and problems . The staff has strong technical knowledge an d
customer service skills .
Return my computer to effective operating conditio n
Solving networking issues, password re-sets, etc .
Stays on top of things for the whole City
Take care of all our IT problems . They are a great team .
Take care of computer hardwar e
Task managers . So many computers and technology with so few people .
The IT Division responds quickly to all of the tickets I create or phone calls that I make .
Most of my IT experience is with Paul and Lynn, they always follow up and make sure that I
am 100% satisfied . Great customer service .
They are friendly and competen t
They are knowledgeable, helpful and get here as quickly as they ca n
They are responsive when a question is aske d
They are service oriented and try to satisfy the customer ; there are some on the team tha t
I communicate issues with the departments
1 They are very responsive to needs and work hard to fix problem s
They explain things so even I can understan d
They fix things without making me feel dumb! -They're calm, quick & polite .
They have always been very responsive to any technical problems that I've had (includin g
self-inflicted ones )
They make using our system flawles s
They respond quickly and always with a great attitud e
! They respond quickly and get results . They are very creative and helpful .
They respond well to service requests . They provide updates and get all the systems bac k
! up quickly when they are down . They maintain ShoreTel system well .
Troubleshootin g
: Use of leading edge programs __; Very good customer servic e
Very responsive to service reques t
! Very responsive, knowledgeable and pleasant to deal wit h
November 2011 85
Seem tO know the products and how to fix the m_-~-'S knowledgeabl eServiceexcellent and IT staff are ver
y Service with a smile!
City O)
Sctl IUIS OBISPO
What can the IT Division improve on ?
i #1 Streamlining of notification process for computer hardware/software problems . Fo r
1 example, a specific email address that notifications could be sent to, i .e .
"computerproblem@slocity .org". #2 Provide more network space on employee's individua l
"H :" drives to allow more files tobe stored .
1) Did they really need to contract with NexLevel? 2) EnerGov is expensive, and no one i s
sure if we're getting a better product than FoxPro . 3) FIT wants to completely get rid of
FoxPro .Will all of the data be transferred to the newsystem ?
Acknowledge emails which may provide alerts to condition of PC ; communicate status o n
work request ; provide better basic OS/desktop training and support ; better understanding o f
printers and provide tips on how to best use their settings
Acknowledging that some systems/hardware are mission critical and depended on, and no t
dust a budget line item that's inconvenient to I T
Add online service request s
Allocate its resources proportionally amongst all City department s
Assist with GIS park infrastructure mapping and set up for ease of use for non techie "feet o n
the ground people".................................................
Attitude of some staff member s
Automatic updates that would have everyone's (non -safety)phone number in our cell phon e
Be willing to train on equipment the employee has never used before . Let people know wha t
equipment is available in which buildings/conference rooms .
Being in a remote location it takes some time for IT to get to our locatio n
Better computers
Better printers and copier s
Certain IT personnel could be more pleasant when they are called with issue s
Checking back in after initial conversation s
Communication out concerning network changes and strategic directio n
Communication with all City employees on problems or issues in software (Shoretel, Offic e
2003 )
Communication with the departments and sections regarding choices that will affect them .
Communication,engagement with others on projects
Computer update s
Consistency in telling users how to solve technology issues in the communications center .
Often we get oneanswer from one IT person and a differinnanswer from another.
Consult with end users about changes to software/security before implementation .
Sometimes decisions are made and actions taken about software implementation withou t
consult and unforeseen problems (by IT) occur and result in work interruption to critical
systems (evidence booking at the Police Department, for example)_rt
Continue to stay current on new technolog y
Don't blame the user for the computer breakin g
Each person has their area of expertise . Cross training each other might help ?
Equal distribution of assistance for all department s
Follow-up on equipment/software installations
Get a wireless public network in the Investigations Bureau so we can connect our portabl e
devices through Wi-Fi
QUESTION 27
QUESTION 2 7
Get best technology to first responders like !PADS before issued out for non-essentia l
What can the IT Division improve on ?
Get more personne l
Getting out their Message . Explain what they do .
GIS respons e
Give all department needs equal importanc e
Give them another FTE so they don't have to work all of the crazy hours they do!!
Have a webmaster-I think this process has started with Eric Geddes taking the lead
Higher level of telemetry suppor t
I still don't have a grasp on what method is best to request IT service . I think it's the IT Hel p
Desk link but sometimes I don't hear back on my requests . Please publicize (in SLO What?)
the best method .
I think their customer service is only limited by resources and ability to procure technologie s
that may be more desirable . I think the current effort to get ahead of the curve on chartin g
future needs and understanding the wants of the entire organization is a needed step towar d
bringing the department forward and understanding capabilities in the context of availabl e
resources .
I would like an updated monitor and perhaps a move to a two monitor capability . But that i s
more a productof funding than it is a 'needs to improve' issue for IT ._Increase resources to improve response time and software updates ...namely Microsoft Offic e
Suit e
Increase understanding of business practices of other departments, update basic softwar e
programs a little more frequently
Intrane t
Involving stakeholders in decisions related to software purchases ; communicating status o f
_projects with departments_IT can develop a better understanding of its own capabilities, strengths and weaknesses and
improve the support and advice it provides customer s
Keeping track of requested projects/communication when work can't be done or there Is a
delay ____ __Leading technology AND software changes to keep us where we should be .Focus in the pas t
has been largely hardware oriented . New service request stuff is a pain . It's hard to get to
and fires out a zillion emails about the status .___ _____
Learning more about software that could benefit city worker s___ ___ _ ___Less products,more interoperability among product s_________ __
Look for ways to implement solutions for department need s______ __Looking to see what is on your computer before changing something so when they leave you r
computer is the same orbette r
Maintaining and improving the end-users workstations, computer applications, and softwar e
versions . Direct involvement with Telemetry system support and system development .
Make it easier to talk to a person and not have to leave voice mails or e-mail s____Make my office computer faster ...it's very slow at time s___Making sure computers purchased are not refurbished/used . Have better communicators .
Meet each department's individual need s____
1 More employee s
November 2011 87
B1-130
City O
Satt tUIS OBISPO
What can the IT Division improve on ?
More staff to keep up with the increasing demand and move to more technolog y
More staffing so they aren't spread so thi n
More training__...,___,_.__, ,,,,,,,,,,, _ ,,,,,,,,
My computer seems to have firewall issues ...probably not much they can do to avoid that fo r
me but that is my only technology issu e
Need more employees _
Need more people to respond to the ever growing needs of the organizatio n
Needs more staff to improve .They are overworked and understaffed !
New version of Window s
Newer hardware- a budgeting issue ___.
Not sure because they are always there when needed and have all the answer s
Nothing without additional help!
Nothing . They are the most pleasant group of employees for the potential stress that they ar e
under from time to time .
Obtain more resources (i .e . more personnel and assign a specific IT person to department s
with a high demand for technology support )
Offer more training programs/workshops . A series of "short" (1-hour) sessions versus an all -
day class would be well received ._
Offer training and input for programs and keep us posted on new program s
Offer training classes to employees so we can be more educated and usefu l
Our printer hardware gives us the biggest challeng e
Perhaps more software programs to manage record s
Please confirm (by email or other method) when a service request has been addresse d
Providing options,vision and suggestions on what software/hardware tools are best to us e
Replace work stations sooner. Equipment and software are old . System often has problem s
loading rebooting or connecting to the server .
Response to some tech issues is slow
Seems like there is an uneven distribution of the new phone technology . Other planners hav e
the Shoretel where they see phone calls on their e-mail and I do not have it . I'm not sure why .
Service response times .SharePoint .
Service to external users (remote sites )
Service when needed, better attitude when respondin g
The IT Division is very busy with the number of employees they handle - I think they are doin g
a great jo b
There are frustrations of the patrol level with equipment concerns as to the MDC's an d
frequent connection problem s
They can get more aggressive in their effort to learn about the specialized needs of ou r
departmen t
They do an excellent job supporting the needs of employees and in planning for our futur e
needs .
QUESTION 2 7
More follow-up on on-going PC performance issue s
More service techs so it's not so stressfu l
More software training _
November 2011 B1-131
city osan Lis of31spO
QUESTION 2 7
They need more help !
They need more help ; they are always running from one "fire" to the nex t
Thinking strategically, partnering with departments regarding their business need s
[ Time it takes to get things taken care of if your office is at the corp yard . Being able to talk to a
real person .
Train us on how to do maintenance functions ; simple issues that we might be able to handle
ourselve s
Trainin g
Update cell phone s
Update programs used . New computers, refurbished, more often .
Update software Microsoft package and web software
Websit e
When changing out computers, let the individual know in advance and advise on what thing s
to restore to new computer (i .e . internet book marks, etc .)
You guys are great. Not much to improve upon . Maybe 2010 Microsoft version would b e
nice .
What can the IT Division improve on?
cite o
Sall LUIS OBISpO
QUESTION 2 8
Additional help/training with handheld devices/tablets/smartphone s
Additional software training opportunities or information on how to access existing trainin g
opportunities
Additional website suppor t
Advocacy for keeping software versions (the ones we're "responsible" for) up to dat e
Always keep everyone in the loop on technology update s
At the moment, I am dependent upon my assistant's computer being on in order for the printe r
to work ... we share a printer/copier/fax in our workplac e
Be more familiar and involved in our Department's software/program need s
Better software training and tip s
Certain personnel could be more responsive . When they come across something they canno t
fix,don't just walkaway and leave us hanging .find someone who will fix it .
Cost reduction ideas
1Easy access to city personnel office phone number s
Exploringawireless mesh network downtow n
Fullversion of Adobe Acrobat
Have enough time to answer simple _ questions on how to use programs instead of having t o
take classe s
I think they are working on getting program that will help eliminate some redundant inputtin g
of information which would be a great time saver .
I would like to have a Whale Rock pump status (view only) screen at the treatment plant, bu t
that is probably a contract ite m
I'm satisfied with the services I have . In fact I am more concerned we will be negativel y
affected by the software upgrades .
Instructions on how to access/manage public folders in Outlook for best ease of us e
IT could understand our business needs better to be able to assist with software and othe r
product selection to ensure that what we purchase will meet our needs, produce results an d
besupportable
Keep access to FoxPro application sKeep
Keep operating systems and MS Office curren t_
Mobile app assistanc e
Mobile system map app for smart phone would help in thefield a lot
More classes with Derek to train on differentprograms (Word, Excel,etc .
More graphic software licenses available for more than one or two people's use per office )
More mobile data units for field employees
More reliable MDC connectivity, but this is a Verizon issue not fault of IT Division personne l
More software updatesoperating system,Microsoft Office,Adob e
More timely response to tech issues in some case s
More trainin g
More training ofthe various programs used by the cit y
!More updates quicker updates to GISmappin g
Need a dedicated IT personto the Fire Dept .
Need more employee s
Newer version of Office, document routing softwar e
Periodic surveys to staff asking what our needs are ; have IT Admin attend periodi c
department meetings to check in with staff around the City and update them on new projects ,
initiatives ask what they need
November 2011 9 0
What other services could the IT Division provide to help meet you r
business needs?
city o
S,‘Il Luis OBISpO
What other services could the IT Division provide to help meet you r
business needs ?
; Proactively suggest technology that may increase and/or imp r
things other folks may not be aware o f
Provide additional training for in-house hardware so that all Network Services technician s
have the same level of expertise when it comes to troubleshootin g
Provide more in depth training with the focus on improving productivity and efficiencies in th e
delivery of City service s
Smart devices for use to eliminate pape r
Stay on top of the cell phones . Upgrades, replace accessories .
Take away cell phones for City Council and provide an expense amount to use persona l
phone.Unreasonable to carry multiple phones .
Telemetry services and managemen t
l The city needs an objective evaluation of whether having an in-house IT Division is more cos t
( effective than out sourcing those job function s
They are doing a good job with many requests for service that they efficiently carry out . Tip of
the hatto IT .
Training and a more user-friendly service request syste m
I Training for new programs/equipment at all level s
Training in utilizing technology to gain efficiencies . I am not sure I fully understand th e
capacity of the tools we have now and proactive training on new technologies would be ver y
helpful _,_ _._.,Training on troubleshooting problems so users can solve their own problem s
Update Word to the most current versio n
Updated smart phones instead of the standard Blackberr y
Updated software version s
b Updates on new technology programs tools and breakthrough s
User friendly computer guide for the numerous dispatch programs all in one spo t
Wireless capability is really needed and IT has not been supportive of thi s
Work flow capabilities so we can process transactions without so much pape r
November 2011
9 1
QUESTION 28
th a we do business -
B1-134
clt/o
San Luis of ispo
QUESTION 2 9
1 A newer, more interactive style of a website would be nice, but also costly . It would be grea t
to have one employee assigned as an official website manager, a person that could hel p
Departments with getting things posted on the website .
A webmaster designee would be wonderful
Ability to register for classes onlin e
A-dd links to Twitter and Facebook for real time updates of construction projects and traffi c
condition s
Allow departments to_post information on closures, information on events etc .
Be more appealing - more pictures, videos, etc ; easy to follow links so that they wouldn't
have to click so muc h
Be more user friendly allow for more links to be onsplash page
Become more intuitive for finding specific informatio n
Better design . Can't find things . Search functionality is awful . True e-311 system . One point
of contact for all resident requests for service . Council meeting functionality similar to Count y
-- agendaCouncil packetand video all linked on one screen .
Better layout and links. More intuitive access to information . Capability to make most Cit y
documents available online in a user friendly document management format .
Break down by service not departmen t
By having the side menu bars bigger people often ignore the m
City website is dated . I find that it is not particularly user friendly to an outsider . It's in a
newspaper format . It should have an attractive splash page that showcases the beauty of th e
Ci t-y, and it should provide easily viewable links to locations that website visitors are seeking _
Coordinated look and feel so it is clear we are one organization . Standardized forma t
between departments .
Doesn't seem very intuitive to non-City users . Ask a SLO citizen if they can find educationa l
information on Stormwater issues .
Employee photo s
Everyone needs to be on the same page when the web site is concerned . Better training an d
more flexibility within department s
Expand on the description of the sections in various departments . Expand Facebook page .
Give more free reign to departments to make their section's website more interesting an d
user friendly ....____,Have a separate site for utilities This will be easier access for public water related issues .
Have a valid security certificat e
Have an Organization Chart for every Dept . that lays out Dept . Heads on down to interns an d
temps . There is a great interest in staffing levels Citywide for each budget cycle, and thi s
would help taxpayers understand what they are paying for .
Have only info and attitude presented that honors and supports the employees in the City .
Remove stories and links to other media that degrade the image of the public employee i n
SLO . This tactic has brought shame on the managers of this city and those who they tas k
with website content choices .
Have public Service Request compatible not separate . One list to work from not two .
Have the opportunity to put more updated info on a regular basis, i .e . trail closures due t o
rain, etc .
I thinkwe need our web site to have a moremodern look--it is very dated
I Improve ease of access to online documents and map s
Interactive customer service request s
Interactive forms that can be submitted on lin e
November 2011
How could the City's web site better serve the public?
B1-135
QUESTION 29 How could the City's web site better serve the public ?
!It could be completely revamped . It would be nice if department members could easil y
update information .
It is too hard for the public to find what they're looking for . The website needs a complet e
overhaul . The public does not know where to go based on Department .
; It needs a complete graphic and usability takeover . The website is absolutely terrible .
1 It needs a complete overhaul! Not user friendly . More information available to cut down o n
phone calls would be great .
It needs to steer away from generic material like elaborate department descriptions an d
mission statements and get the stuff people need out front . It needs to provide more onlin e
service options likeyermitting .
' It should be moved to a more robust system to allow for new technologies and web standard s
, Keep Council minutes and agendas up to date
i Kept up to date . Expanded to include the most commonly requested information . Som e
activities/information provided by staff may be transferable to the webpage . Eac h
Dept ./section needs to ask "What are wedoing_that can be done on line?"
Last time I checked it was hard to find tree related info (removal permit program etc.)
i Less text more user friendly e-submittal s
i Link it to the city's Facebook page . Keep the Facebook page updated with traffic info an d
!emergency alerts .Only '190 people like it right now . Get better numbers .
!Make it a little more modern looking and not having to navigate thru so many drop dow n
menu s
Make it easier for users to find the entire SLO Municipal Cod e
! Make it more user friendly and customer centric versus organized by department . Make lan d
use and permit database more query-able (i .e . show me any pending permits within 500 fee t
of my home or business).
Make sure the website is updated on a more regular basi s
More interactive .video .more attractive and user friendly .more photo s
1 More interactive . More freedom for web site builders to change/update the site .
! More interactive .the abilityto fill out forms or makepayments onlin e
More links or videos about City Council Meeting s
More parks informatio n
More photos of City personnel serving the community, more historical information to th e
public of service level evolution throughout the City
More visually appealing . Offer payment online options for certain resources such as utility
billi n
Must be updated to a newer plaifO r-m tnat i s -u-ie-r-frie-nay and ea s-y -to nav i gate ; must pro-vide--
information that is relevant to the public ; department websters should have more control ove r
the content of their sites and ability to bring new and innovative ideas to the table ; use should
i be collaborative rather than restrictive
Newer fresher version with more pnontized features fewer levels to find things
i On the opening page for each department, please make sure the department phone numbe r
' is prominently displaye d
People needing to know what dept . to look under for a specific topic seems a bit convoluted .
While I understand that many items (Fire for example) are intuitive, others may not be . Th e
! pull down that says "City Departments" changes to "Choose a Destination".
' Significant upgrade needed . The web page is old school looking and difficult to navigate .
Busted links and information . Does not take advantage of rss feeds, social media possibilities ,
on line payments with ease (paypal).etc .
November 2011 93
Sall LU1S OBISpO
How could the City's web site better serve the public ?
The City's website could be more functional and easier to use . More one-click operation s
instead of several clicks to find documents that should be easily available to thepublic .
The "Moving Here" page is too hard to find and should be easier for new visitors to locate, no t
buried three levels down . The CIP bidder's page is also hard to find and direct new visitors t o
when they want actually bid on a CIP project . It takes too many clicks to get to the projec t
page .__._.w___The online recreation registration software needs to run without being 'down' as often as it is .
It also needs to be more user friendly for the public .
i The website is old and outdated . It is very hard to navigate even though I know where thing s
are . Trying to explain where something is to the public takes a very long time . It is not use r
friendly .
There are a significant number of improvements that could be made to the City's website .
Two suggestions : 1 . Start with a separate multi-question survey in support of Q29 above . 2 .
Development of the questionnaire should be a collaborative effort to include City IT staff an d
the City websters group working together as a team to develop the questions . The Utilities
Department webster (Liz Hudson) is a Cal Poly graphics communications graduate and a
local fine artist .Liz has many ideas and the technical abilities to contribute to this effort .
Updated system, more straightforward design for ease of use . Also need one centralize d
internet site/page for internal use by employees that contains (HR related) information fo r
those who have questions about benefits,retirement, policies training,mentoring, etc .
Web site needs an update . Information if poorly organized and static . Our web presenc e
needs to embrace themobile platform and socialmedia to pushout information ._mm
Work on the Utility Billing sit e
November 2011 94 B1-137
Sal tins o>3IS
QUESTION 3 2
A useable and easily updated website
Adobe Acrobat Pro
Adobe Suite
Agenda Automatio n
1 AVL and Quickest Route softwar e
Classes in Microsoft Word,Excel,etc .
Current permitting and registration software is outdated and unsupported . It would be nice to
improve the software and have in-house support .
Decade Software is in the process of enhancing their programs and services which result in
us having to upgrade and/or install new software or programs . IT has been very helpfu l
during these periodic upgrades . We will be changing over to a new web based programs a s
well as a field tablet computer in the Fall .
Expanded Westlaw access - cost prohibitive for our departmen t
GIS Mappin g
Graphics, and a good program to make flyers, brochures etc .
Hopefully the new EnerGov software will fix most of our issues__
I would like to have PageMaker if possible . Most others in my department have access to it .
Also, I am not able to save documents as PDF's . Again, this may be a product of m y
ignorance as to how to do it rather than needing a new feature or capability .
InDesig n
InDesign, Sketchup, SharePoin t
Information financial and personnel related information that is cumbersome to get, i f
possible,from Finance Plus . Software for publishing recruitment brochures and laying ou t
information in a user friendly format .
It would be nice if we had access to more sites on the MDCs
Legal management software to handle more litigation in hous e
Microsoft Excel 201 0
Microsoft Publishe r
New Recreation software to replace Safari and new online registration software for the publi c
registration use .
Organizationwide graphics and document production software, such as in-design . There i s
currently no standard .
PageMaker or Photoshop would be beneficial if loaded on one open (group use) computer s o
more than 1-2 people in the office that do have the software can have access for projects .
Photoshop or some form of photo editing program would be nice . Something beside s
Microsoft Paint .
Scanner connectivity to the LaserFiche progra m
Some of the FoxPro programs slated for replacement are no longer going to be replaced du e
s to budget shortfall s
Wireless laptop for my truck
Would like to have a portable document reader with note taking capabilities to avoid printin g
of large documents that have to be reviewed . It would allow for e-submittals and review o f
RFPs .
Is there information you need that you don't have? If yes, explain .
c 1l;v O
Sdfi1 LUIS oBISpo
QUESTION 3 3
Apple iPad for future field software applications . The Panasonic Toughbooks are to o
cumbersome and expensive to maintain/replace .
ArcG hS
,_
_..._
Asset Management, mobile data collection and capital improvement plannin g
Automated Field Reportin g
Better mapping for water meter routes (great work so far!), more integration between field staff
notes and Utility Billing access to those notes to better respond to customer call s
Central irrigation communication improvements with field controllers
City intranet access to facility systems, shared server data, expanded historical trending an d
data collection, automatic sharing of process data to database that eliminates hand ke y
entries, portable (tablet) view nodes of process viewing/access in remote areas as well a s
data entry capability, fiber optics, upgraded SCADA, GIS mapping, upgraded data proces s
controllers
Continuing advancement in technologies having to do with video and MDC usag e
Electronic storage of copies of memory devices in evidenc e
E-Submittals and E-Review s
Field staff will need to move to wireless field data entry for asset management and inspection .
Communication with address files is important to collect property owner info and site statu s
info, or have access to design files ._.__.:.For the CUPA program web based software on tablets so work can be done in the field . I thin k
this is the direction for emergency services as well even though we have just discontinued th e
EPCR program . Our hope would be in several years to revisit process and depending o n
finances and technology restart it .
Handheld devices for field inspections . Unfortunately we need the ability to give a pape r
document to a business owner,as part of the inspection . This isn't so easy in the field .
Handheld devices that automatically input data from field into data processing softwar e
Handheld tablets for SCADA and daily work
Hopefully, some help with the agenda proces s
I believe there is current discussion on replacing Safari
I could see use for a more inclusive and intuitive database program to store more detaile d
employee informatio n
In field work order s
Dual screens at every work statio n
Integration of GIS mapping into personal smart phone s
IPAD's for medical reports, on scene command assistance, etc .
(pads for Public Art . Digital cameras for trail usage .
Land Use Element update will require interactive application for neighborhood mappin g
Laptops for field use . Online communication between departments (access to variou s
databases) reducing paperwork and duplication of efforts . On line/self-help solutions fo r
common situations that free p staff for other activities .
Laptops in vehicle s
LIM S
Maybe incremental improvements in the radios as well as the Haz Mat Business Plans an d
Plume Modeling_program
Do you foresee new uses of technology in your department? If yes ,
explain .
November 2011
Itv o --sari kilt;MVO
Do you foresee new uses of technology in your department? If yes ,
explain .
More Google earth apps, GIS data collectio n
More gps mapping with GI S
More reliance on web-based apps
New City web site . New use of Channel 200 by posting video to make "commercials" fo r
specific Parks and Recreation programs .
New tech to outreach for citizen involvement in City-wide planning effort s
New UB syste m
Not in a good way . Please DO NOT allow text or video messaging to become a way for th e
public to contact thePolice Department .
On-line registration, hopefully an upgrade to Safar i
Parking equipment, like all technology, is advancing and linking to parking meters and othe r
devices via the web is going to be helpful to provide better services
Personal cameras on officers . It would be nice if we figured out the MDC and video issues s o
they were more reliabl e
Planning software for environmental document s
Potentially IVR (automated voice response) syste m
Recware upgrad e
Replace desk tops for inspectors with mobile laptop s
SCADA, LIM S
Scanning invoices,encumbrances,electronic purchase orders
Smart phones to monitor equipmen t
Social networkin g
Tablets for work order completio n
Telestaff implementatio n
The new program we are about to use (neogov) will allow us to better track assets within ou r
divisio n
There are many web based systems that the Police Department can use to serve our public .
Nixel is one such service . It is a free notification service that allows subscribers to get up t o
date information about San Luis Obispo .
Time tracking ; expanded use of on line litigation tools ; e-discovery
Utilities is looking to improve staff efficiencies by using mobile devices to allow work order s
and other transactions to occur remotely
Video surveillance and remote acces s
We are in the process of mapping out meter boxes on a mobile application no w
We could use "blue tooth" type technology to reduce wire clutter and clean-up desk spac e
We may potentially have some wireless hand held technology that will allow us to sample i n
the field and wirelessly transfer information into a database in the la b
We plan to upgrade our telemetry and communications systems to industry standard levels i n
the near futur e
QUESTION 33
Mobile device s
Mobile equipment to eliminate paperwor k
Mobile Phone app development and social media suppor t
More direct interactive customer service
9 7November 2011
Clty 01
SM.LUIS OBISpO
Do you foresee new uses of technology in your department? If yes ,
explain .
Wireless laptop for my truck
Workflow - trying to reduce or eliminate paper, copying, paper file storage, etc . On line
benefit enrollmen t
linked to payroll system .
A barrage of regulations (state, federal and local) drive our activities . In general, greatl y
increasing regulations coupled with less staff time available, means either staff become penci l
pushers and less responsive to the concerned citizen, or we learn to use technology t o
accomplish enough work to allow staff to remain responsive to the Citizens . (Assuming ther e
is not a will to address the extreme regulator climat e
Budget cut s
Cell phone call change s
City policy on use of video equipmen t
EnerGov training would be nic e
Federal requirement to maintain an inventory of traffic sign s
Increasing requirements around public records accessibility and e-discovery rule s
Internet use is very regulated in our department but is an essential tool to our job s
Job always requires staff tobe up to speed with current tools for plannin g
Many new regulations will require detailed tracking and reporting feature s
Retention issues,security issues having to do with digital evidenc e
We will need to go to handi-talkie radios to save money
We work closely with SLO County Environmental Health Services to report all facilit y
inspection results for hazardous materials use by our local businesses, including any
violations . The need to get data from the local level to the state level may result in mor e
reporting requirements_ and additional support from IT in order to meet that goal ._
QUESTION 34 Are you aware of any regulations, legislation, or job requirements that .
may impact your use of technolo in the near future? If es, explain .........
CWQI S
e-discovery
November 2011 98
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