https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
  • Resources & Events
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
  • Resources/Events
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers/eBooks
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Magazine
acc.com

Smart Cities & Technology


Pixabay

Article

Time for strategic up-reach—Battling the real problem with IT governance

Time for strategic up-reach—Battling the real problem with IT governance

  • Written by Dr. Alan R. Shark
  • 12th January 2022

As we enter a new year (though it feels strangely familiar to last year) it seems that there is an unfortunate recurrence of unresolved issues as to how technology is managed and governed in local government. We hear a common complaint that too many senior public managers and elected leaders simply don’t get “IT.” As we enter new waves of a never-ending pandemic—or so it seems—information technology has never been more important to the running of government operations. City and county IT leaders have expressed great frustration at the lack of understanding, let alone appreciation, of what it takes to sustain an emergency and what it takes to optimally keep operations going in both a secure and flexible manner. Never before have local governments had to transform their operations towards a mobile workforce environment. At the same time local governments have never had such a large infusion of federal dollars due to three different initiatives—CARES, ARP and the recently passed Infrastructure Bill. Billions of dollars have found their way into local government budgets. Despite all the added resources technology budgets by in large have not fared as well as had been anticipated.

It’s all too easy to ignore the need to upgrade legacy equipment and fortify cybersecurity defenses. It appears that the old mantra “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” still exists. All too often IT seems to be an afterthought until a crisis appears. Too many in public management view IT as an expense and not an investment. IT managers continue to be left out of key decisions regarding mission support and are brought in too often as an afterthought. It is not uncommon to hear a senior manager say, “We just received this grant opportunity and purchased this fantastic system, so here it is. Please install and maintain.” Questions such as system integrity, need for training and on-going support, and what potential risk does this new system pose by way of cyber integrity and issues of compatibility, are all too common. The current pandemic has taken a heavy toll on IT budgets, equipment and IT talent.

Some experts have stated that cyber-attacks have increased at least 50 percent last year with no let up in sight. Now is the time to invest in strengthening local government cyber posture and to help reduce risk. As I have written in earlier posts, cyber insurance has become a necessity, but it also has become far more expensive while at the same time coverage is being reduced. And to make matters worse, some insurance applications require some 11 pages of required information and merely filling them out is no guarantee that one will get the coverage they seek. Now public auditors are adding cybersecurity measures to their standard audits. They are asking questions and testing for data integrity and secure back-ups as a starting point. Even bond rating companies are adding cybersecurity to their list of criteria that will ultimately lead towards a bond rating. When you add this up, one must conclude that investing in tech may no longer be an option and that by ignoring IT may cost far more money in both the short and long term.

When it comes to IT talent and support, there is a growing concern regarding maintaining and attracting IT qualified staff. The compensation gap between the private and public sectors has only grown larger. But the pandemic has brought into focus a new dilemma—staff burnout. IT leaders have reported an unexpected exodus of early retirements or simply people leaving for other less pressure-filled positions. To make matters worse many public managers have ignored the pleas for creative ways to allow more staff to work remotely and from other states. They have resisted calls for at least granting operational and functional titles as opposed to required classifications. This small but potentially meaningful step has been identified as a strategy to help keep tech employees engaged and happier. It provides IT workers with a better sense of self-worth and meaningful identity. Too many managers are arbitrarily requiring workers to return to their offices despite the success of working remotely for nearly two years. Then there is the issue of training and certifications. It is critical for IT staff to be updated through training and development programs including certifications. Training and certifications benefit the jurisdiction and serves as another way of showing an institutions commitment (investment) towards valued staff.

Recent IT leader’s conferences and meetings have served as an echo chamber for complaints and frustrations that are shared and agonized over. Such meetings serve a strategic purpose that is likened to group therapy. But IT leaders must find ways to break out of their echo chambers and look upward.

Perhaps as we start the new year where new beginning are expected, it is a suitable time to think of ways to seek and pursue strategies aimed at having some one-to-one high-level conversations with senior management. For a lack of a better term, I have referred to this as “up-reaching.” In other words it is time to reach up and out and more aggressively and take a stand regarding IT talent, infrastructure and cybersecurity. I am promoting nothing more than civil discourse on issues of IT governance that have been simmering for some time. We must find more impactful ways to reach out to senior managers and come to a better understanding of the state of IT in city and county government. IT issues should be addressed and discussed head-on, and senior managers must better understand what is at stake and its timeliness. We have gotten to this point on sheer adrenaline and the desire to serve the public good. As the sense of “emergency” diminishes the environment that IT has operated under is no longer sustainable.

 

Dr. Alan R. Shark is the executive director of the CompTIA Public Technology Institute (PTI) in Washington, D.C. He is a fellow of the National Academy for Public Administration and chair of the Standing Panel on Technology Leadership. He is as associate professor for the Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University, and is course developer/instructor at Rutgers University Center for Government Services. Shark’s thought leadership activities include keynote speaking, blogging and a bi-weekly podcast called “Sharkbytes.” He also is the author or co-author of more than 12 books including “Technology and Public Management” and “ CIO Leadership for Cities and Counties.”

 

 

 

 

 

Tags: homepage-featured-3 homepage-featured-4 Administration Smart Cities & Technology Administration Smart Cities & Technology Article

Most Recent


  • Report: Almost half of public sector retirees don't touch their retirement plans for a decade
    Once retired, nearly half of public sector employees aren’t taking any action with their defined contribution retirement plan funds for at least a decade, according to research from Mission Square Research Institute, which included the analysis of more than 100,000 public service data records. In their first ten years of retirement, researchers found that 48 […]
  • budget
    Four steps to ensure your budget prioritizes equity
    When you think of municipal budgets, the first thing that comes to mind is likely numbers. Many rows and many columns of numbers. But veteran municipal leaders know that successful budgets are about far more than numbers—they’re about quality of life and opportunities for every person in a community. For this reason, the budget process […]
  • Impact investing merges making money with making a social impact
    As cities and counties move to address the diverse social problems faced by constituents in their communities, one long-standing and nearly universal hurdle stands in their way: financing. Governments are traditionally funded by taxation, which presents a challenge, especially for low-income communities. This makes it so either outside investment from the federal or state governments, […]
  • When thinking about green energy and new construction, build smarter
    From solar solutions to rainwater reclamation, of the many advancements in green energy that’ve been made over the past few decades, city and county administrators should take particular note of those made in the building construction sector. In 2018, for example, a little more than $300 billion in public dollars was spent on new construction, […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • Trends for the future: Public procurement professionals adapt to the changing and challenging times ahead
  • The Great Resignation in tech: Can great apprenticeships help?
  • As cybercrime increases, local governments face an uphill battle in hardening digital defenses
  • Three post-COVID investments for stronger public sector network security

White papers


The PIO’s Ultimate Guide to Social Media

16th May 2022

Gain Greater Visibility Into Your Public Works Fleet

16th May 2022

Arizona Arts Center Meets Rapid Deadline with Hundreds of Thousands in Savings

26th April 2022
view all

Events


PODCAST


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

Twitter


AmerCityCounty

Report: Nearly 95 percent of America’s mayors face harassment, threats and violence dlvr.it/SQTn2z

16th May 2022
AmerCityCounty

The PIO’s Ultimate Guide to Social Media dlvr.it/SQTdCK

16th May 2022
AmerCityCounty

Gain Greater Visibility Into Your Public Works Fleet dlvr.it/SQSqXG

16th May 2022
AmerCityCounty

Report: Almost half of public sector retirees don’t touch their retirement plans for a decade dlvr.it/SQKMjp

13th May 2022
AmerCityCounty

Four steps to ensure your budget prioritizes equity dlvr.it/SQJgZz

13th May 2022
AmerCityCounty

Victims of Surfside condo collapse settle for nearly $1B in class action lawsuit dlvr.it/SQJffb

13th May 2022
AmerCityCounty

Impact investing merges making money with making a social impact dlvr.it/SQGBgv

12th May 2022
AmerCityCounty

Amazon Business caters to the public sector with technology-driven features and benefits dlvr.it/SQF2Gm

12th May 2022

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2022 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X