Council will receive an update on the strategic plan item to evaluate current technology uses/needs in all departments and identify emerging trends. (Lisa Faison, CIO; Mike Saldan, DCIO)

No financial impact.

This strategic plan action item emphasizes consistent evaluation and process improvement of the City's software applications and hardware during FY2025.  The goal of this action item is to ensure we maximize our software capabilities to better serve staff and citizens while being fiscally responsible. Additionally, the action item ensures the City's technology keeps pace with the private sector, maintains a strong security posture, and minimizes our software footprint while integrating our systems.  This allows us to streamline support and automate processes to increase data accuracy, and maintain network infrastructure consistent with emerging trends and growth. This will enable the City to promote faster innovation and be more efficient and effective with technology.

Annually, we perform 3 staff surveys to get feedback from all departments, including a general customer service satisfaction survey that includes staff members that submitted a ticket within the last 6 months. An IT organization staffing assessment was also conducted, which examines whether an IT department’s organizational structure, staffing levels, and skill sets are appropriately aligned with business goals, service needs, and future strategy of the organization.

A hardware assessment (Attachment A) was conducted to gauge user satisfaction with current computing equipment. Participants provided feedback on overall computer performance, laptop battery life, and whether their devices were powerful enough for their needs. They also identified which component they would prioritize for an upgrade, shared their satisfaction with monitor sizes, and indicated whether they currently use multiple mobile devices such as iPads, reMarkables, or laptops. Finally, users were asked if they would be interested in a single device that could perform the functions of multiple devices. The feedback collected will help inform future hardware upgrade strategies and potential device consolidation opportunities. A software assessment (Attachment B) was conducted to review applications used by each department, assessing overall organizational fit, IT health, and cost-effectiveness.  

This strategic plan action item to evaluate current technology uses/needs in all departments and identify emerging trends allows the city to continue to improve services to be more efficient and effective. The attached presentation demonstrates the results of the assessment and recommendations.