NASCIO Champions National Cyber Security Awareness Month

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LEXINGTON, Ky., Thursday, September 18 — Acknowledging the importance of protecting citizen data and raising awareness of security threats, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) endorses October 2014 as National Cyber Security Awareness Month. This October marks the 11th Anniversary of National Cyber Security Awareness Month and for this observance, NASCIO has updated its Resource Guide for State Cybersecurity Awareness, Education, and Training Initiatives. The Resource Guide is now available at www.nascio.org/publications/. Visit NASCIO’s Cybersecurity Awareness resource page to learn more www.nascio.org/advocacy/cybersecurity/.

“NASCIO is excited to kick off National Cyber Security Awareness Month at our 2014 Annual Conference this year in Nashville,” said Craig Orgeron, NASCIO president and Mississippi chief information officer. “With cybersecurity remaining a top issue for our state CIOs, it is critical that we continue to bring attention to the significance of online safety and security. States across the country are creating programs to ensure that every citizen has the resources they need to stay safer and more secure online. The month of October allows us to highlight each state’s initiatives and understand our shared responsibility.”

NASCIO has joined forces with the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Cybersecurity and Communications, the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center and the National Cyber Security Alliance in supporting National Cyber Security Awareness Month, which is designed to increase the public’s awareness of cybersecurity and crime issues so citizens can take precautions to avoid those threats on the Internet. Public relations activities, educational programs, events and initiatives that target home users, small businesses, education audiences (K-12 and higher education), and child safety online will be featured throughout October. To find out more about participating in National Cyber Security Awareness Month, please visit www.staysafeonline.org.

NASCIO is a Proud Supporter of Health IT Week

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LEXINGTON, Ky., Monday, September 15 — This September, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) is joining approximately 400 public and private sector organizations to participate in the 9th Annual National Health IT Week (September 15-19, 2014). National Health IT Week 2014offers all healthcare stakeholders an opportunity to unite under one banner, expressing the benefits that health information technology (IT) brings to U.S. healthcare. “One Voice, One Vision.”

Health information technology improves the quality of healthcare delivery, increases patient safety, decreases medical errors, and strengthens the interaction between patients and healthcare providers.

“Our participation in National Health IT Week 2014 underscores NASCIO’s commitment to ensure health information technology is integrated, interactive, interoperable, and intelligent to provide the best patient outcomes,” said NASCIO Executive Director Doug Robinson. “Our collective efforts can have a stronger impact on the betterment of our healthcare system through information technology.”

Visit www.HealthITWeek.org for a full list of partners and updates on the week’s activities. Working together with our growing coalition of stakeholders, NASCIO is helping to transform healthcare for all.

NASCIO Leadership Refreshes the Association’s Strategic Direction

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LEXINGTON, Ky., Tuesday, September 9 — Top state information technology leaders for the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) have selected to adopt a new strategic plan aimed to put a stronger emphasis on areas such as leadership and business innovation that are key factors in the evolving role that CIOs play as transformative government leaders.

“The NASCIO Executive Committee held a strategic planning session focused on the priorities and future vision of the association,” said Craig Orgeron, Ph.D., NASCIO president and Mississippi chief information officer and executive director. “The new strategic plan reinforces the association’s mission, vision, and guiding principles and strengthens NASCIO’s ability to support CIOs as state leaders and visionaries.”

NASCIO relies on its strategic plan to guide the development of the annual business plan and supporting performance measurement. Strategic initiatives to be addressed are determined by the Executive Committee after assessing state member priorities, as well as emerging national trends and issues. The complete strategic plan is available at www.nascio.org/aboutNASCIO/StrategicPlan/.

National Cyber Security Awareness Month to Launch at 2014 NASCIO Annual Conference

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Launch brings together IT leaders from state, local, federal 
government and private industry

LEXINGTON, Ky., Wednesday, September 3 — The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) announced today that National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) will kick off at the NASCIO Annual Conference on October 1 in Nashville, Tennessee. The program will feature remarks by White House Cyber Security advisor Michael Daniel; federal, state and local partners; and panel sessions featuring both the public and private sector.

In its 11th year, NCSAM is a collaborative effort between U.S. Department of Homeland Security and its public and private partners to raise awareness about the importance of cyber security and individual cyber hygiene. NASCIO will be joined by federal partners, the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), Public Technology Institute (PTI), key state and local leaders, private sector stakeholders, and members of the public for an engaging morning dedicated to this vital subject.

NASCIO President and Mississippi’s Chief Information Officer and Executive Director, Craig Orgeron said, “Cyber security continues to be a top issue for state CIO’s, which is why NASCIO is so pleased to be hosting the NCSAM launch. We welcome our federal, local and industry partners for an informative discussion and productive program.”

The event will take place at the Omni Nashville and attendance is open to all public and private industry partners.

NASCIO Recognizes Outstanding Achievements in State IT

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LEXINGTON, Ky., Tuesday, August 19 — The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) has selected 33 IT initiatives in 11 categories as finalists for the State IT Recognition Awards. This year’s high quality of nominations shows that states continue to innovate and achieve great results.

This is NASCIO’s 26th consecutive year of honoring outstanding information technology achievements in the public sector. Finalists in NASCIO’s prestigious awards program were recently announced and one initiative in each category will be recognized at NASCIO’s upcoming Annual Conference in Nashville. Projects and initiatives from NASCIO member states, territories, and the District of Columbia were eligible for nomination, and finalists were selected by NASCIO’s Awards Committee from a field of more than 100 nominees.

“Being a part of the NASCIO awards process was a privilege and an honor,” said David Behen, CIO for the state of Michigan. “As co-chair of the Awards Committee, I can assure everyone that the winners of these coveted IT awards will be both deserving and hard earned. The selection process is sound and strong.”

“As a longtime NASCIO member, I always look forward to the awards process each year,” said Claire Bailey, CTO and Director for the state of Arkansas and Awards Committee co-chair. “I continue to be amazed by the innovation and leadership that is showcased in the submissions. All submissions illustrate the dedication across the states to improve access and delivery of government services. Congratulations to the award recipients and thanks to all who took part in this process.”

To ensure states can access the innovations and best practices of their peers, details about all the nominated projects are posted on NASCIO’s website at www.nascio.org/awards/sit

Awards finalists in the 2014 program are as follows:

Cross Boundary Collaboration and Partnerships
State of Ohio: Ohio Integrated Eligibility System
State of Oregon: Oregon Interoperability Service Project
Commonwealth of Massachusetts: Tracking Towards a Greener Tomorrow

Data, Information and Knowledge Management
State of North Carolina: Electronic Rounds Tracking System
State of Connecticut: ConneCT – Modernization of Client Service Delivery
State of Tennessee: Tennessee Controlled Substance Monitoring Database
State of Texas: TXMAP, Flex Version 2.0

Digital Government to Business (G2B)
State of Washington: Automatic Infrared Roadside Screening (AIRS) System
State of Oklahoma: Construction Project and Portfolio Management Tool Implementation
State of Oregon: Oregon Employer Portal Project

Digital Government to Citizen (G2C)
Commonwealth of Kentucky: kynect: Kentucky’s Healthcare Connection
State of New Mexico: Unemployment Insurance (UI) Tax & Claims System
State of Washington: Washington Healthplanfinder Facilitates Health Insurance Exchange

Enterprise IT Management Initiatives
State of California: California Highway Patrol Statewide CAD Replacement Project
State of Georgia: Desire2Learn Implementation
State of Michigan: Enterprise Portfolio Management Transforms State IT

Fast Track Solutions
State of California: Corpsmember Recruiting System (CoRe)
State of Connecticut: Expedited Licensing for Healthcare Providers
State of Missouri: Health Home Performance Enhancement through Novel Reuse of Syndromic Surveillance Data

Improving State Operations
State of Oklahoma: Docket Search and Investigative Reporting Suite of Services
Commonwealth of Virginia: Outside VDOT
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: Posted and Bonded Roads Mobile App
Commonwealth of Massachusetts: Preventing Health Care Fraud

Information Communications Technology Innovations
State of California: Consolidated Patrol Vehicle Environment
State of Ohio: MARCS in School
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: Automated Text Messaging of Outbound Communication for Child Support

Open Government Initiatives
State of Oregon: Centralized Public Meeting Notices Project

Cybersecurity
Commonwealth of Virginia: Barring Open Doors to Threats
State of Oregon: Oregon-Montana Disaster Recovery Phase I
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: Portal Storm: A Cyber/Business Continuity Exercise

Special CIO Recognition Award
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: IT Central
State of Michigan: MiPage
State of Texas: Texas Data Center Services Governance Model

Alliance Offers Insights into Transforming State Governments

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LEXINGTON, Ky., Wednesday, July 9 — Today, seven national associations of state government officials released a report focusing on how to transform state government operations based on a collaborative approach with other state officials. The goal is to transform state government operations to be more efficient, high-performing and responsive to citizens. The report summarizes a March 28, 2014 Summit on Transforming State Governments from the Inside Out, which was jointly sponsored by seven associations that comprise the Alliance to Transform State Government Operations (The Alliance).

Members of the Alliance are the Association of Government Accountants (AGA), the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO), National Association of State Auditors Comptrollers and Treasurers (NASACT), National Association of State Chief Administrators (NASCA), National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO), National Association of State Personnel Executives (NASPE), and the National Association of State Procurements Officials (NASPO).

The Alliance’s challenge during the March 28 summit was to identify entirely new paths for state operations. Four areas for potential transformation were identified by the Alliance prior to the one-day summit: 
1. Human Capital/Workforce of the Future 
2. Consolidation/Optimization/ Rationalization 
3. Enterprise Management 
4. Business/Data Analytics and Predictive Analysis

After an overview of each focus area, facilitated discussions revolved around various ‘enablers’ for transformation — that is, factors that could be leveraged to help transformation to occur — as well as ‘barriers.’ Each section concluded with a broad framework of actions that could be taken to create transformation.

The positive energy and enthusiasm conveyed by participants was palpable as the Summit drew to a close. They achieved what they came to do; for each of the four focus areas, participants identified: key areas of state operations ripe for transformation, the relative priority, barriers and opportunities to address, and a framework of actions necessary to enhance the likelihood of transformation.

NASCIO President and Mississippi’s CIO and Executive Director, Craig Orgeron, attended the summit and said “NASCIO is pleased to contribute to the vital work of the Alliance. We believe information technology to be an indispensable tool in the transformation of state government, enabling effective and efficient state government business processes, providing opportunities to investigate alternative delivery models, and offering a collaborative venue to streamline citizen services."

Participants, on behalf of their respective associations, expressed eagerness to continue working together as an alliance on the four areas of transformation. They wanted to make sure the results of their work at the summit are shared with the members of their respective associations more broadly — starting with annual meetings and continuing with other activities such as educational webinars and special events. The Alliance’s first webinar – Best Practices for Addressing Today’s Human Capital Challenges – was conducted on June 25, 2014.

Read the report at by clicking the following link: www.agacgfm.org/AGA/ToolsResources/documents/Transforming-Gov-Summit-Report0714_F.pdf

Watch the webinar at www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1qLqldACtM&feature=youtu.be

The summit was conducted by the Alliance with the support of founding sponsor Accenture, primary sponsor Deloitte, and supporting sponsors Oracle and VISA. The Alliance seeks to engage a broad-cross section of operational professionals in identifying pathways to transforming government. The Alliance is comprised of state officials responsible for the technology, financial management, services and human resources required to manage the government itself. These functional areas (and the supporting systems) are the lifeblood of governments and collectively, are the engine of government performance.

About NASCIO: NASCIO represents state chief information officers and information technology executives from the states, territories and the District of Columbia. NASCIO fosters government excellence through quality business practices, information management and technology policy. www.nascio.org.

About AGA: AGA is the member organization for financial professionals in govern¬ment. We lead and encourage change that benefits our field and all citizens. Our networking events, professional certification, publications and ongoing education help members build their skills and advance their careers.www.agacgfm.org.

About NASBO: For over 60 years, NASBO has been the professional membership organization for state budget and finance officers. As the chief financial advisors to our nation’s governors, NASBO members are influential decision makers in state government. NASBO is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit research and educational organization located in Washington, D.C.www.nasbo.org.

About NASCA: NASCA represents state chief administrators – public officials in charge of departments that provide support services to other state agencies. NASCA provides a forum to exchange informa¬tion and learn new ideas from each other and private partners. www.nasca.org.

About NASACT: NASACT is the professional organization for officials who have been elected or appointed to the offices of state auditor, state comptroller or state treasurer. www.nasact.org. 

About NASPE: NASPE provides a national leadership forum to advance state government human resources through the exchange of best practices, strategies and solutions. Primary members or the association are the states’ chief human resource management executive in the 50 state governments. www.naspe.net.

About NASPO: NASPO is a non-profit association dedi¬cated to strengthening the procurement community through education, research, and communication. It is made up of the directors of the central purchasing offices in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the territories of the United States.www.naspo.org.

The States and FirstNet: An Early Look from the State CIOs

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LEXINGTON, Ky., Wednesday, June 11 — When it comes to FirstNet, a nationwide high-speed wireless broadband network dedicated to public safety, state governments are taking divergent approaches to planning and varied strategies for engaging with federal and local partners according to a report released today by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO). The research report is based on the results of a survey of State CIOs that illustrates not only the ongoing planning around the network, but also the diverse approaches being employed by the states for engagement with local stakeholders, the federal FirstNet Authority, and even other states. It also shows a significant distribution in the maturity of state planning, ongoing outreach, and governance strategies. The report, The States and FirstNet: An Early Look from the State CIOs, is available at www.nascio.org/publications.

“Building a nationwide public safety communications network is going to require a tremendous amount of planning, negotiation, and collaboration across all levels of government,” said Darryl Ackley, co-chair of the NASCIO Broadband Committee and chief information officer for the state of New Mexico. “This report provides an early snapshot of how the states are approaching this extremely complex policy and infrastructure initiative.”

Some of NASCIO’s results were surprising, with almost a quarter of states not engaged in active stakeholder outreach, and more than half the states already collecting data they plan to utilize in their planning efforts. NASCIO also found that while over 70 percent of states appear to have a governance model in place and are turning towards actively engaging in planning and outreach with key stakeholders, some have aggressively moved ahead and have begun collecting data, while a handful are still working on initial governance and staffing concerns.

NASCIO Broadband Committee co-chair and state chief information officer for Wisconsin, David Cagigal said, “FirstNet is a major intergovernmental undertaking, with the need for states to do budgeting forecasts, infrastructure and technology planning, and education and outreach to potential users. How states approach this problem will have a significant bearing on whether we end up with a successful, sustainable model for this major national endeavor.”

When the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act was signed into law in February 2012, it created the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet)—tasked with building, operating and maintaining the first high-speed, nationwide wireless broadband network dedicated to public safety in conjunction with the states. FirstNet will provide a single interoperable platform for emergency and daily public safety communications, fulfilling one of the last outstanding recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.

States and Open Data: From Museum to Market Place – What’s next?

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LEXINGTON, Ky., Thursday, May 22 — NASCIO takes a look at what has occurred across the states since NASCIO’s Call to Action on open data was released in 2009. Actually, the results are pretty outstanding. Open data initiatives are advancing at all levels of government in the United States and globally. States and local governments have partnered with industry to create innovative capabilities in delivering data to consumers. Those consumers include citizens and business but also government. This latest report examines progress in open data and presents recommendations for continuing to move forward. The report is available at www.nascio.org/publications.

“Government data is in demand and a principle consumer of that data is government itself. Open data is many things and contributes to many goals within state government. One of the most significant outcomes we’re seeing is the sharing of data across state agencies and across jurisdictions. That can enable cross agency and cross jurisdiction coordination and orchestration which in turn leads to more effective delivery of state government services,” said Carolyn Parnell, co-chair of the NASCIO Enterprise Architecture & Governance Committee and chief information officer for the state of Minnesota. “In Minnesota, we see great potential in proactive management of data and open data. That conviction has led our strategy for designing effective open data governance.”

“We’re continually looking at outcomes. Most important are outcomes for citizens and the positive impact we can make on their lives,” said Tony Encinias, co-chair for the NASCIO Enterprise Architecture & Governance Committee and chief information officer for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. “Among the many outcomes possible with open data is connecting with our citizens. Providing them with channels for engaging with government, having influence on what government does and how it does it.”

McClure Honored with the NASCIO Technology Champion Award

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LEXINGTON, Ky., Thursday, May 8, 2014 — The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) has awarded David McClure, associate administrator, citizen services and innovative technologies, U.S. General Services Administration, with the association’s 2014 NASCIO Technology Champion (NTC) award. McClure received recognition for his outstanding contributions promoting government performance excellence through sound information technology solutions, policies and practice during the 2014 NASCIO Midyear Conference in Baltimore, Md.

“It is my honor to present Dave with NASCIO’s prestigious NTC award, said Craig Orgeron, NASCIO president and Mississippi CIO. “Each year NASCIO recognizes an individual who has demonstrated a clear understanding for the fundamental and transformational role that IT can play in efficient and effective government operations and Dave is more than deserving of this recognition.”

McClure has been one of the most active and influential participants in the development and implementation of advanced technology in government for over three decades. In addition to working with the White House and Office of Management and Budget to implement the administration’s open government, digital strategy and information technology efficiency programs, he serves on the federal CIO Council Executive Committee and the Federal Digital Services Advisory Group. In addition, he regularly included NASCIO and state CIOs in federal IT policy discussions and opportunities for collaboration.

State CIOs Urge Collaboration on Cybersecurity and Broadband at NASCIO Fly-In

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WASHINGTON, D.C. Wednesday, May 7, 2014 –Today NASCIO’s members told federal officials that there is a critical need to broaden and mature their efforts to secure public sector IT infrastructure, incentivize collaboration on broadband services for schools and libraries, and build upon initial engagement regarding the planned nationwide public safety broadband network known as FirstNet. Over 50 State CIOs and state technology policy officials participated in NASCIO’s 2014 D.C. Fly-In, meeting with federal officials and key stakeholders on national issues that impact state IT services.

NASCIO members discussed the need for state and federal authorities to continue mature collaborative efforts to defend public networks against hackers and other cyber threats. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Deputy Assistant Secretary Roberta “Bobbie” Stempfley and National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) Acting Chief of the Computer Security Division Matthew Scholl provided an overview of the cybersecurity framework and current efforts to promote its adoption.
“DHS and NIST have been excellent partners in the development of the cybersecurity framework. Now comes the hard work: ensuring it is used to promote enterprise approaches to cybersecurity in the states rather than as a checklist for compliance,” said Craig Orgeron, NASCIO President and Mississippi chief information officer and executive director.

In addition, Department of Justice’s J. Patrick McCreary, associate deputy director, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), announced a partnership between NASCIO and the agency on Cybersecurity Disruption Response Planning and Cyber Threat Analytics.

State CIOs kicked off the day by meeting with Federal Communications Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. The conversation focused on providing broadband to schools and libraries, and enacting reforms to the E-rate program that helps provide resources for high speed broadband.

State CIOs also met with FirstNet Board Member Teri Takai and Deputy General Manager for FirstNet TJ Kennedy to discuss next steps between states and the FirstNet Authority in building a nationwide public safety broadband network. Creating an interoperable public safety communications network remains an unfulfilled recommendation of the 9/11 commission over a decade after the commission pointed out this significant gap in our homeland security. 

NASCIO strives to improve federal policy to ensure citizens receive secure, effective, and efficient IT services from their governments. As a key facet of NASCIO’s advocacy and government affairs outreach, the annual D.C. Fly-In establishes and strengthens relationships between NASCIO’s members and their federal partners. The goal is to engage key federal officials on NASCIO’s priority policy concerns and reinforce recognition of NASCIO as the primary resource for federal policy makers on state information technology issues.