Creating a Federated Model for Technology

About the Program

Category: County Administration and Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2013

Upon inception of Steven Bellone’s administration as County Executive, an audit and analysis of technology resources County-wide was undertaken by Performance Management and the Department of Technology. What resulted were findings of a fragmented system which became the impetus for initiating a federated plan for technology services in Suffolk County, to maximize resources and leverage technology synergies for departments.Analysis indicated that the Department of Technology, herein “DoIt” only had oversight of 29% of annual budget dollars and less than 1/3 of the total DoIt staff. With staff placed County-wide, there was no coordination with the Commissioner for planning, purchasing or policy. A widespread view permeated County culture whereby each distinct department had a sense of ownership over closely guarded technology opportunities. This culture created significant problems with developing an enterprise-wide system, managing costs and developing coordination.Implementation of a Federated model whereby staff stays within their departments but directly reports to central DoIt by budget and reporting lines has resulted in numerous identified technological synergies, cost savings, improved job tracks for employees as well as enhanced security County-wide. This new model has enabled the development of a coherent technical platform that provides the backbone for the County’s ability to understand the business process, track service and monitor performance.