New York State City/County Management Association

1. New York State City/County Management Association What Information Technology Should Be Doing For Your Municipality! 2000 Annual Conference

2. IS ManagementThe New Millennium Keystone • IS as a Customer Service Provider • Team Management • The IS Function and Structure • Communications • People Issues • Outsourcing Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

3. Information Systems Team • The New IS Team • • People Skills • • Business Skills • • Technology Skills • • Resource Skills Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

4. Decision Matrix: Cost, Quality, Risk, Outcomes • What is the 10 year average cost for capital and non-capital expenditures? • How complete is application functionality? • What is the timetable for completion? • How much PAIN is involved in implementation and use? • What are the risks of potential decisions? • Just how important is IS management anyway? Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

5. RFP Development Pre-RFP Conference Submission and Evaluation of Vendor Responses On-site Vendor Demonstrations with City End-Users Client-Site Visits with City End-Users Corporate Site Visits Contract Negotiations There must also be MANAGEMENT COMMITMENT TO AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN A systematic strategy begins with an effective RFP process Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

6. Rolling Ten Year Plan: A Reevaluation and Reinvestment Strategy Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

7. Comparative Costs of Options Note the % of budget expended on IS as a ten year average! Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

8. Decision Matrix: Cost, Quality, Risk, Outcomes Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

9. Right-sizing for Size and Budget IS cost per capita IS staff per capita Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

10. Comparison Municipalities Does your local government have the information tools to compete and succeed in the face of competition for scarce resources? Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

11. Sample Timetable for Finance Installation When is a good time to implement a new system? From contract signing: plan a minimum 6 months to implement The Steps: Preparation, installation, training, testing, “go live” Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

12. System Cost / Productivity Benefit More productivity out of existing positions, or stable productivity with fewer positions – you may have a choice… Information Technology Return on Investment $1,800,000 $1,600,000 $1,400,000 $1,200,000 $1,000,000 Capital Totals Amount $800,000 ISS Salary & Fringe Productivity $600,000 $400,000 $200,000 $- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 $(200,000) Year Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

13. The Measure of Success COST CONTAINMENT - to increase efficiency and contain or reduce cost; STREAMLINE OPERATIONS - to increase the productivity of existing personnel and provide policy makers with essential management information; ENHANCED SERVICE - to provide employees with the tools to effectively represent and successfully deliver the services of government; ACCOUNTABILITY - to provide clear cost and service justifications for services provided to citizens and taxpayers. Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

14. A Cost Effective Solution • Need an assessment and plan • Familiarity with functions of application • A good sense of “what is out there” • Link to present and future • Application is proven and has a secure future • Hardware meets industry standards and is low maintenance • Internal Staff and users are able to support application system Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

15. Cost Containment Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

16. Cost Containment Sampler • Better cash and investment management. Up-to-the-minute status of cash requirements would enable local government to have a more aggressive investment strategy; • Project and grant tracking: The government could track its services, payments, and process awards and reimbursements in a timely and accurate manner; • A modern purchasing system: Streamlined operations using on-line requisition and approval, and consolidation of purchases and using the bid process will save money; • A modern accounting system: Allows the budget to drive all financial reporting, as well as multi-year budgeting, and CIP budgeting and tracking. This should provide management with timely and accurate reporting, and allow the finance officer and accountants to do more advanced investment, analytic, and accounting work, resulting in more revenue, reduced expenses, and ultimately, effectively reducing the tax rate. Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

17. Streamlining • Departments and their employees are the data owners and are responsible for its integrity • Data access should be on-line and real-time • Authorized users should have access to all common data [i.e., financials, payroll, personnel] • Departments should be networked via a common backbone • Citizens should have rights to public information via a counter top station or the Internet Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

18. Provide Productivity Tools Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

19. Information Technology Principles • Departments and their employees are the data owners and are responsible for its integrity • Data access should be on-line and real-time • Authorized users should have access to all common data [i.e., financials, payroll, personnel] • Departments should be networked via a common fiber optic backbone • Citizens should have rights to public information via a kiosk or PC access through the Internet • Local Government should sell data in modes that are not normally available, such as CD-ROM, modem, or the Internet Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

20. Problems: People and Procedures • Users indicate that "work is not getting done because of system inefficiencies," and that they are perpetually in "crisis mode" • Employees administer local government in spite of the system, relying on the use of tools that are old, and not fully integrated, not well shared, and not well-managed according to basic information processing principles • Processing of almost all information is so cumbersome that it delays processes, yet does not control money or property • Time spent on these duplicative record collection and query tasks could be better spent on better administration of programs • People do not have access or tools to pass management information back and forth Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

21. Problems: Procedures, Process and Paperwork • Lack of benefit of a centralized and commonly shared information system • Data Processing model -- Preoccupation is with collecting data, not easily retrieval and query • Lack of department access to on-line and real-time access to information about their budgets, expenditures or revenues • Many departments keep their own separate records • Personnel records and functions are dispersed throughout the various departments of the City resulting in duplication of efforts and inability to provide rapid access to the necessary information • Most data continues to move from department to department via hand delivery, fax, and voice communication Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

22. Problems: Productivity • Many current system do not provide management with rapid and effortless access to reports that provide cost of services and productivity information • Ad hoc query of the data is often difficult, printouts are usually lengthy, and consolidation of information is inefficient • Many current systems are unable to expand in capacity and function to meet needs of the local government and are obstacles to enhanced integration and services • Information Anarchy --information lacks coordination, integration, and direction • Governments often "use a trowel when it needs a shovel" in regards to its information processing capability • MOST PROBLEMS, however, are MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS of COMMITMENT and COORDINATION Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

23. Problems responsibility for installation, configuration and maintenance deciding best tools and strategies for providing access determine how routers, bridges, and WANs affect performance deciding how much access to allow Decisions Servers centralized or remain in departments Central or department control of administration central control of routers and interdepartmental issues standardizations of NOS and LAN/WAN hardware centralized support and service with local First Responders Networking The Enterprise Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

24. Major Transitions in I/T • Moving from hierarchical architectures to client/server distributed architectures • Moving towards high capacity connectivity through low-cost wide area networks • Moving from proprietary systems to standard integrating technologies Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

25. Problems System administration Support and Maintenance Location and organization of servers Security and control of data Management of Software Licensing Optimizing server and LAN hardware and configurations Reducing or eliminating downtime Solutions Department servers linked to centralized super-servers Central administration of system-wide tasks Departmental administration of users Centralized support- at right level, with specialists and help desk, tools Centralized security policy, virus monitoring, optimization Centralized software licensing controls Consolidation and Centralization Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

26. Interoperability Relational database on desktop computer Relational database used on a LAN, UNIX or Windows 98/NT/2000 Migrate to SQL-based system on LAN, UNIX or Windows NT Supports N-tier Client/Server – database independent, Operating System independent Browser-based Scalability Powerful migration path for expansion and performance: Standalone PC Local Area Network Wide-Area Network Client/Server system, including PC, RISC, and Alpha systems Internet Provides enhanced security Interoperability and Scalability Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

27. What is a Network? Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

28. Networking Benefits • Flexibility in resource sharing: Strategically located printers and input/output devices serve more users at less cost • Network programs easier to use and monitor --all data loaded onto a file server(s). Data accessed through menus displayed on workstation screen. • Central data storage eliminates need for employees to use floppy disks and reduces risk of loss or damage to disks or data. Software costs reduced by buying one network package. • Networking provides an opportunity for interaction, collaboration, and file exchange. • Networking facilitates group cooperation -- information from one workstation can be shared with other workstations. • Networks enable immediate use of cable system. • Networking points us towards the future and centers on the merging of local area networks (LANs) and telecommunications. Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

29. LAN/WAN Design Considerations • detailed information on the activities performed by the municipality • types of users and access priorities, size of the network • geographical distribution of network nodes • frequency of use • availability of LAN/WAN service • equipment meantime-between-failure • compatibility and interoperability of Internetwork equipment with other systems it must connect to now or in future • availability of funds Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

30. Representative Data Traffic Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

31. LAN Design • Access protocols • access to media • rules and methods for communication between NICs • Topology • the manner in which cabling is laid out • Cabling • Bounded and unbounded media • Concerns are length, attenuation, cross-talk, noise, & loss Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

32. Selecting a LAN Protocol - Sample Thin client or thick client? Performance vs. Cost? Internet access, and Internet-based applications? Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

33. Selecting a LAN Topology • BUS -- each bit is broadcast to all other nodes • Linear -- cable segments joined with repeaters • Star -- cable segments go to multiport repeater called a wiring concentrator or hub • RING -- each node is a repeater that transmits bits to its nearest upstream neighbor • Simple Ring -- configured into a physical ring • Star-wired Ring -- Multi-station access unit that is physical switching device hub Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

34. WAN Protocols • Operate between nodes on the WAN • Used across communications links that span long distances and use telecommunications • Generally point-to-point oriented (between sender and receiver) • Is full-duplex (transmits in both directions concurrently) Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

35. Types of WAN Protocols • TCP/IP - Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol • ties many hosts into internetworks • strong interoperability • PPP - Point to Point Protocol • synchronous protocol • not restricted by speed • ATM - Asynchronous Transmission Mode • newest protocol -- very high throughput • potential for common LAN/WAN protocol Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

36. Graphical User Interface (GUI) • Extremely easy to use point and click • Is based on industry standard Microsoft Windows • Creative and useful tools are readily available • Data is available in multiple windows • Pictures and text convey quality information • Supports dynamic data exchange between Windows-based applications Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

37. work faster work better (complete more of their tasks accurately) than Character User Interfaces (CUI) users have higher productivity than CUI users express lower frustration perceive lower fatigue after working with microcomputer are better able than CUI users to self-teach and explore are able to learn more capabilities of the application GUI Users... Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

38. Paradigms for Change • OLD NEW • Back Office Relationships and Communication • Operational Mission-oriented • Dictatorial Teamwork Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

39. Managing a game plan for change – the 7 impediments to change: • 1. Lack of vision • 2. Failure to handle the change curve • 3. Defensiveness and threats • 4. Bureaucracy – inter/intra group issues • 5. Envy, conflict and distrust • 6. Lack of support structure and working environment for change • 7. “Crabs” - people who prevent you from doing new things Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

40. Building an effective work environment • Structure supports identity • Encourage autonomy - build implementation plan with each employee • Creating support groups • Mentoring and Training • Leadership and honesty • Replenish energy with recognition methods Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

41. PLANNING: Attention to mission and to outcomes • How do we get there? • What are the missions and outcomes? • What are Critical Success Factors? • Other opportunities and uses of organization and data • The users drive the process in satisfying competing clients • Good management is the art of getting average people to do superior work Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

42. ORGANIZING: Who is going to perform what function? • Employee goals can be at odds with organizational goals Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

43. DIRECTING is “hands on,” it is a one-to-one contact sport • Teamwork, supervision, productivity • FOCUS is the MISSION • You have to PULL, not PUSH • Leadership: getting people to want to follow • No “bad guy” when expectations are clear -- no surprises! Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

44. CONTROLLING is measuring results and making adjustments • Analysis, standards, monitoring, feedback, correcting • Attention to OUTCOMES • Faster service delivery • High client satisfaction • Reduction of errors and cost • Enhance service and build morale • Effective politics Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

45. Information Technology Recommendations The First Aid Creed: “At least do no harm” • Demonstrate that management is 110% behind the project • Identify management opportunities and obstacles • Work with managers on commitment and coordination of efforts • Pay attention to network infrastructure (LAN/WAN and Internet), and standardize desktops on Windows 98 or Windows 2000 • Make sure that core financial system is an effective tool for daily work flow and management analysis • Provide extensive application training to employees • Convene re-engineering retreats Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc.

46. Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc. Thank you! Barry Strock, President Jack D. Harris, Ph.D., National Director