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NASCIO: You are the lead for Governor Napolitano's eHealth initiative. What major accomplishments have come from this effort to date? What has been the benefit of having the state CIO lead this effort?
Cummiskey: The release of the Arizona Health-e Connection Roadmap was the first major milestone. It set the framework for the health care industry in Arizona to utilize information technology to improve the quality and reduce the cost of providing care. The second major accomplishment was the creation of the Arizona Health-e Connection nonprofit organization. This group will carry the vision of the roadmap forward in the future.
State government is the largest purchaser of health care in Arizona. A strong involvement from the State CIO was a critical success factor in developing the State's e-health programs.
NASCIO: In an environment of increasing external threats as well as vulnerabilities created by more mobile workers and new technologies, what has been your major challenge with respect to IT security?
Cummiskey: The State has standards in place to protect State infrastructure and personal information of employees and citizens. Unfortunately, not all State employees are aware of these standards and State resources that are available to allow them to work safely in a mobile environment. This year, the legislature and governor have put the State on a path to closing that knowledge gap by creating a Statewide Information Security and Privacy Office and allocating an FTE to IT Security Training and Awareness.
NASCIO: Please describe some of the major IT projects and initiatives that your state plans to undertake over the next 1-3 years.
Cummiskey: IT Security and Privacy: The new State Information Security and Privacy Office, within the Government Information Technology Agency, has been established, but is in its infancy. Over the next three years, we must build the office, do a statewide risk assessment, and develop a new, robust Information Security Plan to better protect State IT infrastructure and personal information of its citizens.
E-Government: The State recently awarded a new contract for Web portal management. Over the next few years, we will aggressively seek out new and innovative e-government programs to improve citizen and business access to government.
Arizona Broadband Connect (ABC): Under the Governor's leadership, Arizona plans to focus attention on building out middle mile connectivity for rural areas of the state. This three year program seeks to close the existing lack of access to broadband that exists throughout Rural Arizona.
NASCIO: As CIO, what initiatives have you undertaken to promote cross-boundary collaboration and coordination with local governments in your state?
Cummiskey: Arizona 2-1-1: The State has developed a comprehensive, web-enabled, database of health, human service, and emergency response information. This database includes over 18,000 resources from State and local governments and the nonprofit sector. In addition, the State is collaborating with several cities and towns to develop 2-1-1 call centers.
Project Management Certification: The office of the State CIO has created a project management certification program for State employees. Recently, we have seen a great interest in this certification from local governments. In the near future, we will be extending a formal invitation to all local government managers.
NASCIO: As CIO, how have you optimized your state's IT assets and delivery of services using a shared enterprise infrastructure model, especially as they relate to consolidation and shared services, and data center consolidation strategies and business justification?
Cummiskey: Service Oriented Architecture: The State has recently undertaken five pilot projects in its Service Oriented Architecture Initiative. Over the next one to three years, we will build upon these pilots to utilize existing IT resources in the State and provide a better user experience to agencies and citizens.
