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A 'building code' for convergence: Managing IT in the public sector

As chief information officer for the state of Arizona, Chris Cummiskey directs computer operations for 114 agencies ranging from the Acupuncture Board of Examiners to the Weights and Measures Department. In a presentation during the "Cultivating and Securing the Information Supply Chain" symposium sponsored by the W. P. Carey School's Center for Advancing Business through Information Technology, Cummiskey described the partnerships and collaboration that make it work.

2006-10-11

Chris Cummiskey is in charge of a $700 million "monster." As chief information officer for the state of Arizona, Cummiskey serves as the governor's geek, directing computer operations for 114 agencies ranging from the Acupuncture Board of Examiners to the Weights and Measures Department. In that role, he juggles "about 150" IT projects annually, spending that $700 million to implement Governor Janet Napolitano's ambitious plan to standardize electronic operations statewide. And since computers have come to dominate the way the government does business, that means all of Arizona's 62,000-plus employees are Cummiskey's front-line customers. Behind them are the state's 6 million-plus residents, composing an enormous pool of trickle-down customers. In a presentation during the "Cultivating and Securing the Information Supply Chain" symposium sponsored by the W. P. Carey School's Center for Advancing Business through Information Technology, Cummiskey described the partnerships and collaboration that make it work. One government — transformed by technology "It used to be easy for large state agencies to be islands. Now, they are forced into inter-dependency with others. There must be convergence in the state network, and people are just starting to recognize this," he explained. On Napolitano's staff for four years, Cummiskey served as an Arizona legislator from 1991 to 2002, an experience he compares to participating in a reality television show. "You take 90 people from all walks of life, throw them together for 120 days and see what you get," he said with a laugh. Legislative life taught him "the five P's: personality, process, politics, press and policy," all of which boosted his multi-tasking ability, a skill crucial to all CIOs. His current priority is adopting a statewide architecture, "sort of an IT building code," so that agencies can migrate to a standardized infrastructure. At the same time, his staff is charged with facilitating individual agency's projects — which may range from a scheduling software implementation at Juvenile Corrections to enhancing firewall security at the Registrar of Contractors — "with an infusion of personnel and expertise." Juggling the dueling priorities can be grueling. Cummiskey must standardize IT operations to better integrate the state's 114 agencies while preserving each agency's "identity and culture," he explained. But each agency's staff is accustomed to operating as a relatively independent "silo." "Silo-busting is a full-time job … the challenge is how to help these silos see themselves as part of a matrix. How do we change the paradigm to deliver better services, while still keeping the culture of each silo so it can perform its function?" he asked. "We must think of ourselves as one government, transformed by technology." Changing workflows along with IT Current business wisdom holds that automation drives efficiency. But it takes more than new software or better servers to save time, trim costs and improve productivity. Equally crucial is identifying and changing workflows to match the upgraded IT, a time-consuming process that's already underway. "I'm seeing it borne out in better contract and asset-management. We're also asking agency folks on the ground doing these jobs on a daily basis for suggestions," he continued. Cummiskey quickly realized that there are "natural clusters" among state agencies that support many of the same customers. For instance, one family might qualify for AHCCCS (Arizona's Medicaid program) as well as food stamps, job training, parenting classes and bus vouchers. Getting registered for each service meant filling out redundant paperwork at different offices, then waiting for it to be processed by multiple staffs. His solution: replace the manual filling out of forms and faxing with a computerized system that makes it fast and easy to determine the customer's program eligibility. Instead of sending the customer from one agency to another to register separately, use a Web-based portal to direct customers through a series of screens, simultaneously registering for, say, unemployment benefits and healthcare coverage. Another high-level project is working with the Emergency Preparedness Council to prepare for a security-related crisis. Cummiskey is "writing a playbook for the governor, setting up the state's security incident response." The problem is that several such security crisis plans exist, but no single plan fits the government's far-flung needs. "There are a lot of plans out there, with a lot of good intentions, but where is the continuity? They don't fit very well together," he noted. "We also need pretty good functionality, because we are heading for increasing convergence of the network." Policy debates and IT Cummiskey's role is growing as technology increasingly takes center stage at government policy debates. For instance, IT is seen as the solution to a steadily expanding list of problems. Kids not learning enough at school? Let's move more technology into the classroom, not just laptops for elementary school students or a "smart board," but widespread e-learning. But school curricula must change to match e-learning initiatives, so the seemingly simple IT solution morphs into a bigger issue involving everyone from teachers to the superintendent of schools. IT is transforming telecommunications at the state level, too. Three years ago, Arizona decision-makers realized its then-current system was inefficient. Changes were needed, but legislators were reluctant to invest the millions necessary to create a new telecom infrastructure. Cummiskey's team proposed options like "voice over internet protocol" and shuffling carrier services to wring more efficiency from providers. They encountered some initial push-back from state telecom staffers. "This represents new thinking for state government. It's difficult for people to embrace this kind of change -- but we are marching down this path. We are building a new telecom infrastructure," he said. Another change will be more visible to the public. Cummiskey's department is partnering with IBM to help Arizona's commerce-related agencies transition from manual to electronic licensing. The project encompasses more than 40 agencies and includes licensure for realtors, contractors and a myriad of special boards. As he said, "no more trekking to the Capitol to renew your license." Next up is healthcare automation. Cummiskey sat in on several strategy sessions with the governor's top healthcare advisors over the past year. Along with states like Massachusetts, Ohio and California, Arizona already is ahead of the pack when it comes to building a regional network of shared electronic medical records, thanks to an innovative project called Arizona HealthQuery. Cummiskey argues that government-led automation — at least in this instance — is best used as a catalyst, but that the ongoing adoption and expansion of e-health must be driven by the private sector. Locally, he supports the creation of a non-profit organization "with healthcare leaders rather than the government in charge, because they will take it farther." Talking points

• The State of Arizona includes 114 agencies and more than 62,000 employees, all dependent on computer systems.
• Arizona's information technology office will spend approximately $700 million this year.
• The IT office is adopting a standardized architecture — "a building code of sorts" — so that all 114 agencies can share data and provide services more efficiently.
• The office's mandate includes providing IT personnel and expertise to state agencies while juggling 150 or so projects annually.

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