Governor's Letter of Introduction

Vision

Goal - Simplify delivery of government services and information.

Goal - Manage information technology from an enterprise (statewide) perspective.

Goal - Protect the privacy and confidentiality of citizen information.

Goal - Promote collaborative relationships between federal and state agencies, public and higher education, and local governments.

Goal - Use 'state-of-the-art' procurement practices for acquisition of information technologies.

Appendices:
   Appendix I. ITRMC Information Technology Policies
   Appendix II. ITRMC Information Technology Enterprise Standards
   Appendix III. ITRMC Information Technology Enterprise Guidelines

Governor's Letter of Introduction

     Information technology is an integral part of efficient government as demands on state resources increase and budget pressures force us to do more with less.

     We should all be proud of the steps we have taken over the past few years that have positioned Idaho so well. But we must not be complacent. We must be wise; we must be prudent; and we must have vision. While we have tremendous opportunities, we still face significant challenges.

     We will continue to look for ways to consolidate, modernize and streamline state government and institute common sense solutions. Information technology will continue to be a critical component of that plan.

     Working together, we can find ways to align our efforts and share our considerable abilities and resources to provide efficient enterprise-class services that our citizens expect, and position Idaho as a leader in our Global digital economy.

DIRK KEMPTHORNE
Governor

Vision

Capture 21st Century technologies to deliver services to Idaho's citizens.

Meeting the demands and accommodating the emerging technologies of the new century requires new management approaches. Idaho State Government is poised in the 21st century to move forward, capitalizing on opportunities and building upon prior successes that will improve the manner and form of digital services and information provided to citizens and businesses.

An information technology infrastructure that is 'industrial strength' in its ability to support the services and access to information in a reliable, secure manner can best be accomplished efficiently in a shared, organized manner. Idaho citizens and businesses view the state as a single enterprise, not as a broad collection of separate agencies. The state must plan to make that view a reality by adopting an enterprise approach to managing common information infrastructure technologies. Utility-like services from a common enterprise infrastructure will free resources for state agencies to build applications and services that reflect their core competencies while meeting constituent demands.

The graphic below represents the vision for the future of information technology in Idaho.

Idahoans are on the move! With their mobility, they are staying connected through the use of wireless technologies. They demand the availability of services and government information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from wherever they might be. Location irrelevance is an outgrowth of broadband telecommunications networks, the rapid deployment of wireless networks, and pervasive use of wireless technologies. Expectations are high and access to information or services from anywhere, at anytime is no longer an option but a requirement.

The digital information age is here and now. The growing demand for mobile devices that provide all-in-one access to voice communications, email, the Internet, and other applications will lead to a seamless integration of key technologies. These technologies represent new opportunities and become the drivers for how state government must develop the enterprise infrastructure to meet Idahoan's demands for services and information now and in the future.

Goal - Simplify delivery of government services and information.

Abstract
Citizens and businesses expect government to be accountable, accessible, and convenient. Furthermore, they demand the delivery of information and services to be offered in a cost-efficient manner. In order to meet these expectations, the State of Idaho must effectively build upon past successes and utilize innovative information technologies to organize and provide services to better meet the needs and concerns of Idahoans and Idaho-based businesses.

The State's official web portal, Access Idaho, made its debut in 2000 and received national recognition as one of the best designed state websites. Incremental improvements have been made in design and introduction of an increased number of services and access to information. The time has come to build upon the success of Access Idaho through adoption of fresh approaches and innovative service offerings.

Actions

• Undertake a thorough analysis of the State home page structure to determine its acceptance and ease of navigation by those who begin their quest for services and/or information through Idaho's portal, Access Idaho. Focus on self service delivery, not on agency orientation, to provide simplified access to:

• Citizens - expand the number of electronic services and the amount and variety of information accessible to Idaho's citizens.

• Families - provide easy access to family-related services and information.

• Businesses - assist new and existing businesses with simplified electronic services and reference information for doing business in Idaho.

• Visitors - provide information about Idaho's scenic wonders, events, and attractions to travelers and tourists, and information to assist prospective new residents.

• Governments - make it easier for state, local and federal governments to collaborate in meeting reporting requirements.

• Establish citizen focus groups to solicit creative ideas for enhanced services and provide feedback on the usability of Access Idaho-based services.

• Revitalize the State portal by researching a variety of sources including private sector and governmental portals for innovative ideas and 'best practices' resulting in improvements to the usability and the serviceability of the State's portal.
• Adopt a State template for website design providing citizens with a common 'look and feel' as they navigate from site to site.

Goal - Manage information technology from an enterprise (statewide) perspective.

Abstract
Idaho's citizens and businesses expect the State to efficiently acquire and deploy the technologies necessary to provide timely service and fulfill their needs. New capabilities and technologies require a new approach to managing the information technology infrastructure that will enable an agency to focus on its core business.

Actions

• Analyze and inventory business processes and data requirements within and across State agency boundaries to identify common functions and computing elements that can be integrated into a shared infrastructure delivering "utility-like" services to all agencies.

• Develop an enterprise architecture or 'blueprint' describing the organization, components, and processes of a common, shared infrastructure capable of delivering reliable and responsive services to agencies and institutions.
• Work with the Governor and the Legislature to draft and gain approval for governance changes to manage an enterprise IT infrastructure for the State of Idaho and to enforce ITRMC policies and standards.
• Implement policies and standards that facilitate cooperation, interoperability, and connectivity across the State's shared IT infrastructure to fully leverage technology investments.
• Develop a multi-dimensional communication approach to create awareness within State agencies and among other key stakeholders of Idaho's IT strategic direction and its potential benefits in service delivery.
• Complete an IDANET shared statewide telecommunications infrastructure to meet the needs of government and citizens by reaching out to all agencies, higher education*, city/county governments, and local schools and districts**.
• Pursue opportunities for building new IT partnerships with private sector and public organizations.
• Strengthen the alignment of IT resources by promoting the development of agency IT plans that support the goals and actions contained in this IT Strategic Plan.

Goal - Protect the privacy and confidentiality of citizen information.

Abstract
Our citizens and businesses have a high expectation that the State will appropriately secure its digital government services and ensure the availability, integrity, and confidentiality of their information. In order to provide this level of assurance, a proactive program to secure the State's IT resources must be developed. Cyber attacks against the IT infrastructure occur regularly and can have serious consequences if not countered. Unexpected catastrophes such as natural or man-made disasters can also cause severe disruption if the State is not prepared. Countering such threats requires the development and implementation of a common and coordinated security/recovery strategy.

To reduce vulnerabilities and deter those threats that could impact the State's shared IT infrastructure, the ITRMC will develop, promote, and implement a statewide IT security program, ensuring consistent levels of security and reliability are achieved throughout the enterprise. In addition, the Council, working with agencies and institutions, must provide the leadership to develop a strategy and workable plan for recovery of key business operations in the event of a natural or man-made disaster.

The protection of sensitive information collected in the course of doing business with the State of Idaho is of paramount importance. Information technology, along with sound privacy policies and practices, must meet citizen expectations regarding the protection of personal information while providing greater access to convenient government services.

Actions

• Identify key digital government services and conduct a comprehensive review of existing business continuity plans relative to the supporting IT infrastructure and applications, and develop a strategy to leverage common disaster recovery facilities and capabilities.
• Establish a vigorous enterprise disaster recovery plan along with a process for frequent testing and ongoing evaluation as changing conditions dictate.
• Establish minimum standard security guidelines, based upon industry and government security 'best practices,' for all agencies to employ in order to achieve a common security baseline throughout the entire enterprise.
• Develop and implement a proactive, enterprise-wide vulnerability management process that establishes a unified effort to systematically and preventatively manage security vulnerabilities.
• Establish a well-structured cybersecurity risk management methodology to promote a better understanding of risks resulting from the operation of information systems and to assist in the decision-making process of when to invest resources to minimize security risks.
• Evaluate overall IT security efforts and incorporate 'best practices' to establish security policies and processes that employ and focus resources and technologies on an enterprise-wide basis.
• Review existing security monitoring and detection capabilities and identify opportunities to ensure a statewide, coordinated approach to continuous monitoring of the enterprise for potential security threats.
• Establish a multi-agency CyberSecurity Incident Response Team (CSIRT) to serve as a trusted focal point for enterprise computer security incident reporting and to provide assistance to all agencies with incident prevention and response expertise.
• Develop a public security information website, Secure Idaho, in coordination with the State Bureau of Homeland Security, to increase awareness of cyber and physical security issues with our citizens and businesses.
• Build and implement a security awareness and education program for State agency and higher education leadership, IT personnel, and State employees to inform them on how to protect their information.
• Review existing authentication solutions throughout the State and establish a common strategy to enable all State employees, business partners, and citizens secure, authorized, and authenticated access to information.
• Protect the confidentiality, accuracy, and integrity of government-held information through carefully developed and enforced policies and processes.
• Educate all State agencies and institutions of higher education on compliance with State privacy policies and federal privacy mandates, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and other similar regulations.

Goal - Promote collaborative relationships between federal and state agencies, public and higher education, and local governments.

Abstract
To successfully implement digital government, leadership at all levels must be committed and prepared to participate. The State should seek opportunities to create and expand partnerships between State and local governments, exploring mutual opportunities for improving services, leveraging IT infrastructure, and achieving cost savings. Through thoughtful application of information technologies, the State will overcome geographical barriers and inequities in ways never before envisioned by bringing government closer to all constituents, whether rural or urban.

Actions

• Promote the design and implementation of a statewide Criminal Justice Information Integration System through the collaboration of the Executive, Judicial, and Legislative branches of State government, combined with the participation of local government and key stakeholders in the criminal justice community.

• Promote and support a statewide vision and plan for achieving interoperable communications systems for public safety in Idaho.
• Promote and support the sharing of geospatial technologies to improve decision-making processes and increase the utility and availability of the public sector investment in geospatial data.
• Complete an analysis of geospatial data distribution and exchange between local, State, and federal organizations by conducting an assessment of existing technologies, needs, and readiness of data developers and users within State agencies.
• Promote the operation of INSIDE (Interactive Numeric and Spatial Information Data Engine) Idaho, the official statewide geospatial data clearinghouse, as the conduit for data exchange between all levels of government and the public.
• Create a common framework for Internet-based services through Access Idaho to broaden participation by city and county entities, as well as all levels of government including departments, agencies, institutions, organizations, commissions, boards, the Governor's Office, the Legislature, and the Judiciary.

Goal - Use 'state-of-the-art' procurement practices for acquisition of information technologies.

Abstract
Managing information technology from an enterprise perspective will provide opportunities to enhance the coordination across public entities and implement innovative IT procurement practices.

Actions

• Research public and private sector IT procurement practices and adopt 'best practices' for enterprise IT procurement.

• Develop and implement standardized processes for the validation of business requirements with evaluation of emerging new hardware and software products.

• Develop a communications process to identify procurements of like items and consolidate common needs through licensing, multi-award schedules and other agreements/contracts.
• Create a mechanism or process for regular review of procurement practices to sustain improvements in procurement quality, efficiency, economy, and customer satisfaction.

**The Statewide Plan for Technology in Idaho, published by the Idaho Department of Education, can be found at http://idaho.gov/itrmc/plan&policies/agency_IT_plans/SDE_ITPlanFY07_8-2007.pdf.