Santa Clara County Grand Jury
• 2006-2007
2006-2007 Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury Report Lack of Technology Vision Costs County $$$
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings and Recommendations 5 findings
F1
There is no statement of strategic technology objectives for the County.
No recommendations for this finding
F2
No one in the County has championed the idea that IT is an area where a long- range vision could provide significant savings and improve service to the public.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
Mandate the ISSP as the official IT strategic policy of Santa Clara County. The BOS must assume leadership in endorsing this significant change of direction in IT decision making.
F3
The County spent $1.3 million on studies that identified a strategy to make IT more efficient and effective. The County has not adopted this strategy. Specifically, $6.7 million to $8.8 million could be saved over the next five years in server consolidation projects with minimal additional spending. Ongoing savings in this area alone are estimated at $2 million annually.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3
Consolidate email services, directory services, and file-print services as recommended in the two server consolidation studies. Identify $150,000 in infrastructure replacement projects planned in the Fiscal Year 2007-2008 IT budget that can be deferred or included as part of server consolidation as the source of funds needed for the first year of the implementation plan.
F4
Spending on technology projects addresses short-term tactical needs rather than a fundamental change toward a centralized architecture.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4
Revise IT project funding priority criteria to emphasize those projects which help achieve stated strategic objectives.
F5
The authority of the CIO is not understood or recognized throughout County agencies. As a result, departments control 80 percent of General Fund IT spending, allowing them to make choices that solve immediate, local problems, but do not necessarily take into account a collective benefit to the County. 6
Related Recommendations (1)
R5
Formally establish the role of the CIO as having responsibility for all countywide IT functions. As a first step, consolidate control of all IT spending and project management under the CIO. 7
Conclusions 1
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CL1 Page 6ISD has spent considerable time, effort, and money since 2002 developing a high-level technology strategy to address County business goals. However, it has not produced a convincing plan to County management that emphasizes the importance of IT in achieving those goals. County officials understand the benefits of reducing costs and improving service through the use of technology. What is lacking is a statement of specific, achievable objectives both financially and functionally justified, and the determination to overcome departmental resistance to major operational change. The Grand Jury does not believe that such significant efforts as reconfiguring large numbers of file servers and consolidating directory services is a trivial undertaking. Other recommendations in the Gartner study regarding more integrated collection, storage, and analysis of data throughout all County agencies and departments are even more daunting. Despite the apparent magnitude of these challenges, cost savings can be significant as evidenced by just the first step of server consolidation. Administration of the countywide network would be much more manageable, disaster readiness would be more achievable, and security of the network as a whole and for users individually would be more controllable. A well-structured strategic plan, consolidation of spending and management control, and strong leadership are all necessary for the County to improve its use of technology as a means to more effective, efficient, and economical IT operations and service delivery.
No Responses Found 1
Government entities assigned to respond to this report. No response documents have been linked in our database.
Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors
Elected County Office