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* WCIA…
The state has moved up the ladder and is now one of the most improved states for technology and innovation.
The Center for Digital Government says, in just 18-months, Illinois moved from the bottom quarter to the top third of all 50 states.
* From the report…
State: Illinois
2016 grade: B+
2014 grade: C+
CIO: Hardik BhattTo Sum it up: Much has changed since Government Technology gave Illinois a mediocre C+ two years ago. In 2016, Gov. Bruce Rauner established the Department of Innovation and Technology and brought on private-sector information technology veteran Hardik Bhatt to run it. The result has been more consolidation, more collaboration and cost savings. The department has become the central agency responsible for technology at 38 other agencies, and has led efforts to find solutions that work for multiple agencies and perform multiple functions instead of establishing a patchwork quilt of systems.
The creation of a portal for enterprise project management has given the state a greater ability to monitor the health of projects, identify priorities and track performance metrics. A CIO council brings together local IT workers in government to collaborate and share ideas. Meanwhile, the state has consolidated 80 percent of its assets and implemented a cloud-first strategy, ensuring that the cloud is the default target for all new solutions.
So far only 3 percent of the state’s workloads have gone to the cloud, but Illinois has plans to change that quickly, aiming to put 28 percent of work in the cloud by the end of 2017, and 70 percent the year after.
The state has also made a push for VoIP expansion, migrating more than 35,000 centrex lines and achieving a cost savings of $9 per line per month in the process. DoIT is also working to introduce an array of new tools such as instant messaging, email/voicemail integration and Web conferencing. Amid everything, the state has established an Internet of Things Center of Excellence and is canvassing its agencies to identify IoT strategies and projects.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 9:48 am
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This is the type of thing many hoped a Rauner admin. would bring to the table given his focus on improving the way Illinois does business.
Instead, outside of this, we have gotten a war on labor and social services. Too bad they have chosen this path instead of one they could be pursuing.
Comment by Give Me A Break Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 9:53 am
So if you’re doing the same thing as you were before using the same equipment in the same place reporting to the same person getting paid by the same agency but with a different ID badge, is that really “consolidation?”
Comment by Skeptic Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 9:58 am
If I’m reading into this correctly, a lot of initial steps have been taken, which will prove valuable as more of the state agencies and employees actually participate. A good-looking start.
Kudos to everybody working on this.
Comment by walker Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 9:59 am
I hope the improvements stick.
IDHS rolled out the new system with go live on Monday.
It seems to be a decent system. But DHS service coordination is SUPER complex stuff.
I’m frankly terrified that we’re going to fly right into the mountainside.
Training has been shoddy and substandard but luckily caseworkers are a hardy bunch and we’ll figure it out on our own.
I’m not kidding with this. Please pray for our customers through this transition that they might get the help they need.
Comment by Honeybear Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:04 am
Just a taste of the improvements Illinois could see under a successful businessman-turned governor. Too bad 90% of his focus is on the personal vendetta he has against unions.
Comment by Ole' Nelson Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:05 am
I continue to hear that many his appointees are doing the fundamentals well. Most (not all) are seen as a step up, even in a terribly challenging and painful environment.
Comment by walker Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:08 am
This is good. And lots more is needed.
It needs to quickly happen at the ISBE. They are in the stone ages and, the most recent “improvements” have mostly been a step backwards.
Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:13 am
>This is the type of thing many hoped a Rauner admin. would bring to the table given his focus on improving the way Illinois does business.
>Instead, outside of this, we have gotten a war on labor and social services. Too bad they have chosen this path instead of one they could be pursuing.
That’s just what I wanted to say and much better than I would have said it. I see glimmers of what my best hopes were for him, but so much has been much more than my worst hopes for him. He’s so intelligent and strategic and effective at that he chooses to do.
Comment by Earnest Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:14 am
The public employee unions are waging a war against social services with their insatiable appetite for tax dollars.
Comment by Ron Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:23 am
Positive changes can occur with proper priorities and resources dedicated to them. Sad to see how many depertments are being starved of resources and have numerous fiscal roadblocks put in place to halt progress. At the same time, departments are blamed for an inability to get things accomplished. That manufactured inefficiency cycle is then used as the rationale for the master outsoucring plan.
Comment by Johnnie F. Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:28 am
–The public employee unions are waging a war against social services with their insatiable appetite for tax dollars.–
What does that have to do with this post Ron? And no I’m protecting the poor, disabled and elderly every day. But what would you know. I imagine you haven’t done a day of public service in your life.
Comment by Honeybear Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:28 am
Ron is waging a war against reality with his insatiable appetite for absurdity.
Comment by Ducky LaMoore Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:30 am
Ron (@10:23) could teach Bruce a thing or two about single mindedness.
Comment by Jocko Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:31 am
>The public employee unions are waging a war against social services with their insatiable appetite for tax dollars.
I think the only place that is really applicable is what AFSCME is negotiating for their new contract.
The thing causing the crisis is us failing to make our share of the pension payments for umpteen years. I see no point in fighting about that. Let’s fight about how we go about doing it…lots of room for debate there.
Comment by Earnest Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:32 am
Honeybear, look at the first comment here.
Comment by Ron Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:37 am
In general I really appreciate the efforts to modernize our IT. I am however concerned about the centralization of IT into DoIt. I’m laughing because it strikes me as collectivist! HA! But seriously, I’d like to see more individual agency control of the improvements. I’d also like for the state to use LESS outside contractors and internally develop more programming capacity. I’m sure DoIT is doing that in a sense but I’d love to see their contractor list to confirm it. Otherwise it’s just a massive play to privatize a huge part of state government.
Comment by Honeybear Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:39 am
Watch for IES “Go Live” on Monday state wide! Badly conceived and executed - what could possibly go wrong?
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:39 am
Not to take anything away from the Rauner administration but both the “cloud first” initiative and the VOIP expansion were begun under Quinn. See the two following executive orders signed by PQ:
https://www.illinois.gov/Government/ExecOrders/Documents/2010/execorder2010-10.pdf
https://www.illinois.gov/Government/ExecOrders/Documents/2012/execorder2012-03.pdf
It does take sustained effort over a number of years to implement changes like these in state government.
Comment by Red Line Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:40 am
Honeybear, you ever figure out what your major was at Northwestern? You never responded.
Comment by Piece of Work Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:41 am
** Bhatt is a hired gun who never stays in one place long enough to reap the reward of his handiwork **
This is not unusual - especially in the Public Sector where making claims about something is seen as the equivalent of it actually being real…
Steps to Advancement
1) Leverage previous imagined/claimed successes to get a great new job title
2) Create new projects and disarray (distractions and disorientation)
3) Immediately declare success and self-promote (Get awards, attend Conferences, Twitter, Linkedin) before anything has actually happened (also, start next-job search during this time)
4) Be on to your next job and far far away when the consequences start occurring
5) Don’t worry, stable-workforce will work-through and clean up the mess best as they can
Comment by Bluegrass Boy Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:43 am
Your right Piece of Work and I won’t. I don’t know you and I don’t trust you. Sorry. Actually, I’m not sorry. I don’t want people trolling me on my personal social media because they are searching for me from clues on this blog. Call me paranoid.
Comment by Honeybear Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:51 am
Quick note to Honeybear
We all know IT is more complex and evolving faster than ever. While I share your hopes and dreams of not outsourcing it, unfortunately it’s not realistic. The State cannot really afford to attract and retain the amount of resources needed to make technology leaps - they can’t compete with the Private Sector over the long term. They’ll always get some good folks - but never enough. If you’re going to make technology leaps it requires outsourcing - getting the people you need when you need them. The best you can do is ensure accountability from the companies you hire.
Comment by Bluegrass Boy Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:54 am
==Call me paranoid.==
No, I’d call that sensible. And besides, just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get ya.
Comment by Just Chilling Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:55 am
Honey, you are paranoid. I’ll let you know if I get trolled for giving out my college and major. Smile!
Comment by Piece of Work Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:59 am
Laud the effort. Will wait to cheer loudly when the results are in.
Red Line is correct. It takes persistence and funding to make these changes. Not real sure where Rauner is getting the money for these changes.
Going to the cloud instead of using state servers is relatively easy as that is almost entirely withing the technical sphere. Changing the operating systems that people touch is much more challenging. The new system needs to access the data from the old system and also needs to build in the work processes and data sharing restrictions for each agency involved. This is where it gets very tricky.
Comment by Last Bull Moose Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:59 am
- Piece of Work -
If you’re more concerned about the education of a commenter, you’re losing your arguments.
Do better.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:01 am
Bluegrass Boy, great name BTW. Really good point you have and I hope they do hire the best people.
Comment by Honeybear Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:02 am
More of this please….is right.
Comment by A guy Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:09 am
Piece of Work- didn’t you notice the SPAM I sent your email last night? lol Why did you want to know so badly?
I’ll admit I am paranoid but these are horrific and terrifying days for me. Never in a million years would I have thought so many would be battling for their economic lives so much.
What state workers do is noble. It is public service. Why should I and my coworkers be such a hated group? I know people will deny it but I feel hated. Nobody can deny how one feels. Feelings are the sole property of the owner. I know I’m not alone in these feelings.
Comment by Honeybear Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:10 am
Nothing but hype trade journalism.
Comment by Liberty Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:17 am
=What state workers do is noble. It is public service. Why should I and my coworkers be such a hated group? ………I know I’m not alone in these feelings. =
+1
Amen. Perfectly stated Honeybear.
Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:17 am
–The new system needs to access the data from the old system and also needs to build in the work processes and data sharing restrictions for each agency involved. This is where it gets very tricky.–
Aye, there’s the rub.
That is what is killing me this very second.
Comment by Honeybear Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:35 am
One approach is to build client/consultant teams to develop the new systems. The client members can explain what the new system needs to do, knowledge they gained from operating the old system, and learn the technical features of the new system being developed. That way when the consultants leave, you have people maintaining the system that were involved in its development.
Comment by Last Bull Moose Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:40 am
Willy, this was a little back and forth between Honeybear and I going back to last week. Everything is cool and nobody is losing an argument.
NB, I don’t hate you or state workers so please don’t lump me in with a certain group.
Comment by Piece of Work Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:44 am
“Going to the cloud instead of using state servers is relatively easy as that is almost entirely withing the technical sphere. Changing the operating systems that people touch is much more challenging. The new system needs to access the data from the old system and also needs to build in the work processes and data sharing restrictions for each agency involved. This is where it gets very tricky.”
————–
Word! This is what is hard. Too many existing databases being utilized are older ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) running on networks and are basically functionally obsolete. These databases can still be used, but eventually all that data is going to have to be moved off their existing platform into totally new applications or it is going to be effectively lost.
For example, a lot (and I mean “A LOT”) of these ODBC databases (think: ACCESS; dBase; etc.) were created with a single security layer (if that…) and part of the ’security’ was that you had to have client software installed on your local hard drive to use the application software, particularly if you were doing any form of maintenance.
Which means you more than likely had to be on the network to do it, and likely had to have client software installed on your local hard drive to access records.
Question: How many people these days have smartphones and tablets with local (C:) hard drives? Ans.: Not very many…..
Also, Win 8, 8.1, and 10 are all mobile operating systems. The last ODBC drivers were written for Win 7. You can use work arounds to access older ODBC databases on Win 8, 8.1, & 10 machines, but there’s going to come a time (say, 5-7 years max) where everything has to be moved over.
The concept of having to clean up, say, 35+ years of older ODBC databases is kind of mind bending, especially when you realize that it might have to be done in one fifth of the time that they were originally created.
Comment by Anon Downstate Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 12:24 pm
Don’t shoot the messenger, but broadband and technology were high among Pat Quinn’s priorities. Illinois invested heavily under Quinn, strategically and with capital dollars.
Like lots of things, Rauner will try to capitalize on Quinn’s ideas.
Comment by Winnin' Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 12:28 pm
Piece of Work, that’s fine if you don’t hate me or public servants but I don’t believe you’ve raised a finger to stop the savaging public servants get from the likes of Ron/Sue et al, nearly every day. I can’t read mind Piece of Work. How would I know what your intentions are. I mean if I went after your job, your pay, your healthcare, your integrity day in and day out, I’d think you’d get to the place I am now. Yep you guessed it. I made inquiries into a private sector position. So there’s that. I’m just tired of being scapegoated, of being Rauners sin eater.
Comment by Honeybear Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 12:49 pm
HB, I have a small business that has experienced the ups and downs of recessions, bad governmental policies, high interest rates, 9/11, etc. I have experienced incredibly high costs of healthcare and you know what, I get paid last, if there is money left over at the end of the month. Many weeks I work 50-60 hours. The business is successful, but success is not a given, you have to be really good every day.
Comment by Piece of Work Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 1:05 pm
Honeybear is right to be worried as there will more than likely be some bad snags as more upgraded state systems come online–I’m very curious about IES on Monday. However, as Anon Downstate did such a great job of explaining, it has to be done.
In my opinion Rauner’s Admin deserves a pat on the back for getting us here and a watchful eye as implementation starts increasing.
Comment by Chicago_Downstater Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 1:23 pm
Well, PoW, I do have a soft spot for small business having had one of my own a decade back. I do wish there was more that was done with and for small business. I have several good friends at DCEO and they all wish they had the staff to do more.
Comment by Honeybear Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 1:28 pm
Nothing DCEO would do to help most small businesses. Legislation like Obamacare, running up $20 trillion in debt, building an economy out of a house of cards, GDP of barely 1%. A comment like—”If you have a business, you didn’t build it” doesn’t help. If I had to do it over, I definitely, 100% would have gotten a state job. I’d still have most of my hair!!!!
Comment by Piece of Work Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 1:52 pm
- Johnnie F. - Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:28 am: -
You made some very good & truthful points.
Comment by Mama Retired Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 2:15 pm
– I definitely, 100% would have gotten a state job. I’d still have most of my hair!!!! –
Having worked at CMS for 10 years before I retired, I can state with certainty that you’re being very optomistic!
Comment by Fiercely Independent Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 2:16 pm
Fiercely—Many of my state worker friends are and were happy they worked at the state. Great schedules, wonderful benefits, incredible pensions.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 2:37 pm
–were happy they worked at the state.–
Dude, past tense “worked”
What about now? Schedule is still good, benefits meh, and tier 2, not good.
Comment by Honeybear Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 3:14 pm
“are and were happy….” present and past tense.
HB, how much vacation do you get? How many holidays do you get? How many sick days do you get? Describe your insurance plan, how many people it covers and the monthly cost.
Comment by HB Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 3:31 pm
HB- this is what I’m talking about people going after state workers as horrible greedy people. Thanks grassbowl for perpetuating that stereotype. I’m sick and tired of people portraying us as the bad ones here when the Rauner administration gives 215million last year in EDGE tax incentives, totally unaccountable, to multinational companies who pay hardly a cent in taxes.
Comment by Honeybear Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 4:57 pm
So if you’re doing the same thing as you were before using the same equipment in the same place reporting to the same person getting paid by the same agency but with a different ID badge, is that really “consolidation?”
Exactly - that is all that has happened. The real IT consolidation was with CMS a few years back, and it has been nothing short of a disaster. Anybody with any sort of knowledge of the state IT system knows this is a joke - and a chance for the governor to appoint a couple of new agency directors and deputies.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 5:12 pm
Well at least we moved from XP up to Windows 7!
Actually I give Hardik some credit because they seem to want to do this consolidation right. Unlike previous attempts where they just wanted to do something as quickly as possible the new group seems to want to plan things out an try and get it right the first time.
Comment by Sick of it Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 6:46 pm
== This is not unusual - especially in the Public Sector where making claims about something is seen as the equivalent of it actually being real… ==
In my day we described it as “resume stamping”
Comment by RNUG Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 8:23 pm
== The best you can do is ensure accountability from the companies you hire. ==
Not likely to happen. All the outsourcing to big companies I was involved in ended up being maybe 1 or 2 competent people and the rest were newbies; the companies viewed the State as a training ground for their employees. It got so bad we started asking in the RFx for actual names of the staff.
Comment by RNUG Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 8:28 pm
Huh. At my last agency, not under the Governor, but subject to CMS’ broad telecom powers, we brought VoIP up in 2007-08 with CMS’ reluctant approval. The technology worked great.
To the other point, the Blago/Filan years were big on consolidations-all about power, turf, and money.
Let’s see if Rauner’s that way or is into real integration-taking current resources buried in silos and breaking them free to collaborate.
Time will tell.
Comment by Arthur Andersen Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 8:47 pm
Our DoIT representative is the same iT person we had before DoIT’s inception; he has no formal education/ training in IT. So nothing has changed except the $100 price tag, PER PC, we are now paying DoIT MONTHLY for maintenance. Yes, the very SAME PCs we had before, all of which have been upgraded with ???? Windows 7. Yes, I know, very efficient . It’s a sham.
Comment by Property of IDOC Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:02 pm