PROVIDING DIRECTION TO STATE DEPARTMENTS

REGARDING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY GOVERNANCE

I, TIM PAWLENTY, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and applicable statutes, do hereby issue this executive order:

WHEREAS, as Governor, it is important that I provide clear direction to commissioners and state departments to take important steps, consistent with applicable law, to implement strategies that will make the provision of governmental services more efficient and cost-effective; and

WHEREAS, the Drive to Excellence Reform Initiative provides the State of Minnesota with a unique opportunity to fundamentally change the operation of state government; and

WHEREAS, the Drive to Excellence and the strategic plan set forth in the Transformation Roadmap outline methods for state government to provide faster, more reliable, and cost-effective services to Minnesota's citizens and businesses; and

WHEREAS, state departments and services need to be viewed as an integrated whole and as an enterprise, working together to support Minnesota as one organization with overall goals and objectives; and

WHEREAS, information technology is a utility function that supports operations in every state department,

WHEREAS, an enterprise strategy and structure is necessary to equalize information technology systems, eliminate redundant expenditures, strengthen security, and increase compatibility; and

WHEREAS, the recommendations in the Transformation Roadmap call for creating an enterprise-wide structure for managing information technology that will leverage investments, consolidate data collection, develop shared applications, accelerate the use of electronic forms, use enterprise-wide licensing software, and other reforms; and

WHEREAS, materials developed through the Drive to Excellence document the improved effectiveness and efficiency that can be gained from an enterprise orientation to the provision of government services;

NOW, THEREFORE, I hereby order and direct state departments to support implementation activities of the Drive to Excellence Reform Initiative by taking the following specific actions:

1. Consistent with the Commissioner of Administration's responsibilities and authority under Minnesota Statutes Chapters 16B, 16C, and 16E, the Commissioner will designate a State Chief Information Officer ("CIO") as a member of the Department's executive staff. The CIO will manage the Information Technology ("IT") resources of the State, develop and implement policies, procedures, and standards ensuring the optimal leveraging of IT across the state enterprise, and manage consistency and efficiency in IT activities including standardization of policies, procedures, data, and tools.

2. The State CIO will immediately begin to implement the IT governance recommendations of the Transformation Roadmap and report to the Governor's Subcabinet on the Drive to Excellence in 30 days, and each month thereafter, on progress toward achieving an enterprise IT Governance system.

3. The State CIO will develop and implement a plan to reorganize InterTechnologies Group, the Office of Technology, and other units as necessary and make available other resources as required to create the enterprise program management office, the central IT organization, and other organizational units necessary to implement the IT governance recommendations of the Transformation Roadmap, as appropriate.

4. The State CIO will leverage the work of the Drive to Excellence program staff and will direct adequate resources from the new enterprise IT organizational units, the Information Policy Council, and other state departments to implement the enterprise IT governance recommendations of the Transformation Roadmap, as appropriate. The State CIO will:

a. Refine the vision and structure of IT governance including roles and responsibilities for both central IT and state departments;

b. Design and implement a robust enterprise-wide IT organization and track associated savings with aligned processes, management, and administrative practices;

c. Define a decision-making process that will be used to set standards for enterprise-wide IT, with an initial emphasis on common processes, policies, and systems;

d. Define and implement a Service Level Agreement process for defining, developing, and delivering common infrastructure services;

e. Define an exception approval process for any department- or program-specific needs determined to be inconsistent with established state architecture, technology or process standards;

f. Define a process for coordinating shared IT planning, program management, performance measurement, and application development among departments; and

g. Use reorganization orders, statutory changes and other agreements consistent with state law to achieve the goals of this order.

5. The State CIO will establish a steering committee of project stakeholders to oversee the implementation of the IT governance recommendations, ensure that business requirements are met, monitor project status, and remove obstacles to project success.

6. All other commissioners, departments, or employees of the executive branch will work with the State CIO and the Commissioner of Administration to develop, implement, and utilize strategic information technology policies, procedures, systems and services:

a. At the request of the State CIO, departments will appoint representatives that can commit resources and speak with the authority of the department to participate in the development of policies, procedures, standards, systems, and services;

b. As directed by the State CIO, departments may be required to relinquish delegated authority to develop and manage IT services identified to be applicable to the enterprise; and

c. As directed by the State CIO, departments will provide resources and assist with the achievement of strategic enterprise objectives.

7. The Commissioner of Finance will work with the State CIO to develop appropriate funding models and control mechanisms to ensure the implementation of IT governance recommendations and finance enterprise IT functions and organization.

8. On or before December 15, 2005, and annually thereafter, the State CIO will summarize and report to the Governor the results of this initiative, including information regarding:

a. The number, total amount, and nature of IT investments managed by the state;

b. Savings and service improvements attributable to enterprise-wide management of IT; and

c. Any conclusions or recommendations regarding Minnesota's success with an enterprise-wide approach to IT.

Pursuant to Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 4.035, subdivision 2, this Executive Order will be effective fifteen (15) days after publication in the State Register and filing with the Secretary of State and will remain in effect in accordance with Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 4.035, subdivision 3.