NEWS ROOM | Press Releases
For immediate release: March 4, 2003
Contact: Beth
Roszman
NASCIO Releases Primer on State IT Business Cases
(Lexington, KY) - The National Association of State Chief Information Officers has released its Business Case Basics and Beyond: A Primer on State Government IT Business Cases for state CIOs and other state government officials who formulate business cases for information technology (IT). A copy is included in the attached and hard copies will be mailed on Thursday, March 6.
Many vitally important and often complex issues, such as projected budget deficits and gubernatorial and political transition, present challenges to state government's ability to maintain information technology programs and processes. The purpose of the primer is to provide a means of addressing these and other challenges by demonstrating the value of information technology to state government and its citizens. The primer details elements that are crucial to making the case for IT projects and programs in state government as well as for the state IT enterprise. The primer also contains examples of how states and the federal government formulate IT business cases.
"Information technology is a means for state government to provide quicker, more convenient, and less expensive services to the citizens. State government IT officials must clearly and effectively demonstrate the value of those services and programs. This primer will provide practical advice for states on how to present persuasive IT business cases. We also are pleased that states will be able to tailor the primer's advice on how to demonstrate the importance of IT to suit their individual state priorities," said Delaware CIO and NASCIO Customer Relationship Management Committee Chair, Tom Jarrett.
The primer is divided into five main sections, the first of which gives helpful tips on using the primer. The primer's second section highlights the most crucial challenges facing state government IT, including the economic downturn and gubernatorial transition. The primer's third section provides the basic concepts and tools needed to present an effective business case to address these and other IT challenges. The final two sections detail state and federal approaches to business case formulation and a list of potential actions to address the crucial challenges facing state government IT. The primer's appendices include helpful, straightforward checklists on business case elements and indicators to determine the value and soundness of a business case as well as detailed examples of how states and the federal government approach business case formulation.
The primer was developed and published by NASCIO in consultation with its Customer Relationship Management Committee. The primer was authored by Andris Ozols, Senior Analyst, Department of Information Technology, State of Michigan.
NASCIO represents the state chief information officers from the 50 states, six U.S. territories and the District of Columbia. Members include cabinet and senior level state officials responsible for information resource management. Other IT officials participate as associate members and private sector representatives may become corporate members.
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For more information contact NASCIO Programs and Communications Coordinator Beth Roszman at (859) 514-9167 or NASCIO Issues Coordinator Mary Gay Whitmer at (859) 514-9209.
Association Management Resources, Inc. (AMR) provides NASCIO's executive staff. For more information about AMR visit http://www.amrinc.net/.
