ASSESSMENT OF EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT
The team assessed the external and internal environment in order to identify the
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (know as a strategic planning “SWOT”
analysis), related to the City’s technology services program. During customer study
sessions, the groups were broken into subgroups and asked to formulate lists of the
strengths and weaknesses of the City’s current technology services.
The details of these discussions are included in Appendix III, but strengths generally
concerned the quality and cooperativeness of the individuals providing technology
services, and the initiatives taken by the City to seek out customer input as part of the
strategic planning process.
Weaknesses were more lengthy, and addressed service
shortcomings, inadequate access to working tools, and the need for improved
communication between customers and those providing technical services. Customers
saw the City’s greatest technical opportunities as those presented by new technologies,
and current program staff expertise, which they felt was underutilized. Threats included
limited resources, lack of staff proficiency (due to insufficient training), new
technologies and staff dissatisfaction.
In addition to meeting with the customer groups noted above, the team visited other local
cities of comparable size and makeup (Rocklin, West Sacramento and Davis). Team
members consulted with the IS Managers at these cities on such topics as organizational
structure, resource management, service levels and policies, budget planning and
structure, and new technologies. From the site visits the team concluded that while the
level of Woodland’s technology resources are comparable to its peers, their
organizational structures and planning processes are quite different.
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City Profile
IS
Organization
IS Staffing
IS Division
Funding*
Rocklin
45,000 pop.
260 FT staff
Under
Administrative
Services Department
6 FT:
Director, Network
Systems Manager,
Software Analyst, 3
Technicians
1.5 PT:
Intern, ½
Administrative Clerk
General fund
$1.9 million
West Sacramento
32,250 pop.
320 FT staff
Under Assistant City
Manager
Davis
62,200 pop.
450 FT staff
Under City
Manager
Woodland
53,382 pop.
360 FT staff
Under Finance &
Police Departments
6 FT:
IT Manager, 3
Specialists, 2
Application
Specialists
4 PT:
4 Interns
10 FT:
IS Manager, Deputy
IS Manager, 3
Senior Analysts,
Specialist, 2
Analysts, 2
Technicians
7 FT:
IS Manager, IS
Administrator, 2 IS
Specialists, 3 IS
Technicians
1 or 2 PT:
1 or 2 Intern(s)
Impact &
redevelopment fees,
general fund
$1.7 million
Internal service
fund
Internal service
fund
$2 million
$1.1 million
@200 PC’s, printers 300 PC’s, printers,
400 PC’s, printers,
300 PC’s, printers,
(service outsourced), phones
copiers, phones
phones (outsourced)
copiers, phones
(outsourced)
In-house
In-house
In-house
programming, PD
programming,
programming,
CAD (dispatch)
website mgt.
website mgt.
-Enterprise mgt.
-Document mgt.
-VPN concentrator
-GIS
Partial List of
system
-GIS
-PD RMS &
system
Specific
-automated Help
-Document mgt.
-VPN concentrator
Mobile
Technologies
system
-GIS
Desk system
-automated Help
-WiFi in Council
-VPN concentrator
chambers
-Laptops for EOC
Desk system
staff
-WiFi in Council
-streaming Council
chambers
meetings
-GIS (outsourced)
(outsourced)
-PD RMS & Mobile
-automated Help
Desk system
-PD RMS & Mobile
-automated Council
packets
-PD RMS & Mobile
*Rocklin’s technology funding is centralized, and reflects all IS expenditures, whereas the figures for the
other three cities do not include IS expenditures contained within individual department budgets.
IS
Responsibilities
Figure 7. Information on Comparable Cities
Rocklin
The City of Rocklin has made formal project management and planning a priority at the
highest levels. The City has established an IS Steering Committee composed of the
Department Directors and chaired by the IS Director. The Committee meets at least
quarterly to address and approve IS initiatives over $5,000, or those meeting a defined
threshold of time and effort. All product selection and purchasing is done by IS staff and
technology funding is centralized. Department staff is encouraged to communicate
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needs and challenges to IS, but not to present final solutions or products. The City has
also instituted hardware and software standards, and IS staff does not install any tool that
does not meet City standards.
The IS program is funded completely by the general fund, and departments are required
to submit technology needs and plans prior to the beginning of the budget planning
process. All funding for technology initiatives is centralized under IS. The IS Director
sits in on all annual department budget meetings that include IS initiatives. While the IS
staff are centralized in one division and all staff are cross-trained to serve all
departments, certain technicians are the acknowledged “experts” in certain program
areas (such as public safety systems).
West Sacramento
The City of West Sacramento has taken a similarly strict approach, using an IS Steering
Committee to guide all major computer purchases, and coordinating all purchasing
through IS staff. IS staff also assists departments with project plans and arrange for any
training associated with new initiatives. As with Rocklin, departments are encouraged to
present needs to IS, rather than specific solutions. IS staff meet with department staff
quarterly to ensure that everyone is adequately informed about program needs and IS
plans prior to budget time.
West Sacramento has also established hardware and software standards, and IS staff do
not purchase or install any items that do not comply. Unlike Rocklin, they have not
centralized their IS budget. Funding comes from a combination of fee and general fund
revenue. Initial technology purchases are made with department funds, and ongoing
costs are paid by IS. IS also pays for network and infrastructure related expenses (such
as T1 lines or system upgrades).
While all IS staffing resources are centralized under one division, the IS Specialists are
assigned to provide support to specific departments (although all staff are cross-trained
and periodically rotated). West Sacramento relies heavily on part-time, paid college
interns, who have responsibility for operating all help desk services. By creating a
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professional development and mentoring plan for IS staff the City has been able to
recruit quality interns who are often later hired as permanent staff.
The IS Directors at both Rocklin and West Sacramento addressed the challenges inherent
to employing such formal management and procurement systems, noting that they
constantly have to work with departments to ensure that everything is coordinated
through IS. They attributed their success to City Manager support, continual and open
communication, active participation in departmental budget processes, long-term
planning, and quality and timely IS services.
Davis
The City of Davis employs a more informal approach in order to maintain maximum
flexibility. While the IS staff does develop an informal list of IS goals, major computer
projects are predominantly coordinated and funded by individual departments.
IS
provides guidance, support and project management services, but final decision-making
authority resides with the departments.
The City currently funds IS through an internal service fund, but plans to return to a
general funding.
City management feel that this arrangement will allow for more
flexibility and enable IS staff to play a more proactive role. Departments secure their
own funding for IS projects, but generally consult with IS beforehand. Since such
consultation is not required by policy, the Director did acknowledge that department
staff sometimes purchases technology and systems without IS input.
IS services are centralized within one division, but the Police Department funds one of
the IS Technicians, and that position is stationed at the Police Department and rotates
among IS staff. The other IS Technicians are assigned to particular program areas, and
also rotate responsibilities.
Davis reported that one of their biggest challenges is convincing City staff to view the IS
Division as a technical resource and manager of capital projects, rather than simply a
provider of PC support.
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Each of the cities visited utilized the following:
•
an automated help desk management system
•
an equipment replacement program
•
remote email access for all staff
•
vendor maintenance support contracts
•
in-house programming
•
mobile/wireless technology connectivity
•
GIS technology
Areas of responsibility varied. All were responsible for PC’s, laptops, printers (although
Rocklin contracts this service out), and telephones, but only Rocklin and Davis were
responsible for copiers.
The organizational structure at each of the three cities varied, but all reported that their
IS Divisions were initially structured under their City’s Finance Department and have
since been reorganized, either directly under City Management or under a separate
Administrative Services Department.
All of the cities identified training as one of their primary challenges. While each city
had tried a variety of approaches – in-house training, online training, off-site contractor
provided training – none reported a method that had completely met department and IS
staff needs.
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