Retooling Michigan ,start with IT

GOOD MORNING FLINT!
BY Terry Bankert
2/6/09
http://attorneybankert.com/

HOW DO YOU THINK STATE GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE DOWNSIZED? HOW SHOULD THE PUBLIC BE INVOLVED IN THESE DECISIONS?

Lt. Governor John Cherry said he will begin soon seeking input from business leaders, the faith community, citizens and others as he takes on the charge of revamping state government.

MY THOUGHTS AS AN OTHER: We are in an era of data driven dispersered informations system that all state departments rely on. Start first with your data deliver systems.

“To enhance productivity, (Michigan) agencies require networking infrastructures that rapidly deliver applications, data, and messaging to every office. These solutions must be standards-based to ensure interoperability with current and future systems.

They need to support e-government strategies to expedite administrative tasks and serve constituents, contractors, and vendors with online transactions and information. To satisfy security mandates, they must reliably share data with other agencies at federal, state, and local levels. To meet future needs, these communication platforms also must scale cost-effectively, providing additional bandwidth without large expenditures.

Moreover, they should be simple to manage and maintain, reducing pressure on under-resourced IT staffs. “ Voice As (Michigan) agencies migrate to e-governance, telephony remains essential to their operations. Whether for routine tasks or emergencies, employees need phones to communicate with agencies, constituents, the private sector, and each other. Traditional PBX systems, however, are costly to own and operate.

They are difficult to manage, requiring service technicians for even minor modifications such as moving, adding, or changing phones. Their recurring long-distance tolls further add to their high cost of ownership. Based on proprietary technologies, they lack the flexibility to integrate distributed sites or support emerging applications.

These systems are also difficult to expand, reducing their life cycles. (Michgian) agencies require the same IP voice solutions that provide advanced features for the private sector. Avoiding the complexity and expense of conventional platforms, IP telephony systems dramatically reduce costs and enhancing productivity for organizations worldwide.

Moreover, standards-based IP telephony platforms offer the lowest cost of ownership and the strongest investment of public funds. WirelessTo economize, (Michgian) agencies require networking solutions that are flexible and easy to deploy. They must be able to inexpensively add users, extend LANs, and provision all sites with connectivity-even hard-to-wire historical and legacy buildings.

They need to link buildings without installing costly cables under streets or sidewalks. Agencies also must support mobile employees using laptop computers and handheld devices by delivering untethered yet secure access to applications and information systems.

These solutions should be standards-based to ensure cost-saving interoperability with existing and future technologies. Concept: The streamlining could become virtual immediately and physical later. SEE:
http://www.3com.com/solutions/en_US/government/vert/large_ent_reduce.html Lt. Gov.

John Cherry , generally,says state government”

1. “Needs to be more transparent” “Transparency Recommendations: "Post online rules, regulations and requirements for government services (such as requirements for obtaining a license) to minimize subjective actions by officials. Highly-placed public officials can expedite transparency and accountability efforts by making their offices positive examples of openness. When putting services online, give citizens the ability to track the status of their applications. Train civil servants and provide incentives to reform. Integrate transparency and process reform to simplify regulations and procedures. “ See:http://www.cdt.org/egov/handbook/transparency.shtml

2.”Needs to be reduced reduced and retooled for the 21st century.” Retool to ;adjust; optimize; to rebuild. http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/retool

I argue that to retool you start where you end. What information do decision makers , department and agency personnel and the public need about their Michigan government. How can we best organize these information system needs and then what physical arrangements do we house them in? Put like things together. What do you think about the above or the following? MICHIGAN :

3. Needs to reduce the number of state departments from 18 to eight,
3A• The economy, including job creation and economic development.
3B• State sustainability, which takes in the departments of natural resources, environmental quality and agriculture.
3C• Better government, including departments such as management and budget, treasury and information technology.
3D• Human services, likely combining the departments of human services and community health.
3E• Education, which would include K-12 public schools, community colleges and higher education.
3F• Public safety, an area that includes the departments of corrections and military and veterans affairs and the Michigan State Police.
3G• Attorney general and secretary of state. These are two constitutionally designated departments that can't be rolled up without approval of a statewide ballot proposal.

4.Needs to reform the civil service system

5.Needs to develop more public-private partnerships.

6. Needs to move quickly and embrace change

7.Needs to "rethink state government.

8.Needs to ask leaders throughout Michigan to help determine which challenges that the state is likely to face and how best to fight those challenges.

9.Needs to engage the public to offer their opinions online or during a series of informational hearings, Cherry said.

10. Needs to build a broad consensus on how to modernize the state of Michigan,"

11.Needs to let citizens know what goes on when public officials conduct public business.

12. Needs to give Citizens greater access to represent their point of view to state government.

13. Needs to give citizens greater access to the records of state government so they can benefit from the information that we as policy makers utilize.

14. Needs to let citizens have information available to them about how we are conducting our business. How can each of these needs be met?

Posted here by Terry Bankert

Consider continuing this discussion on my facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/people/Terry-Bankert/645845362

- see -1 http://www.bloggingformichigan.com/frontPage.do
-2 http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090204/METRO/902040449
-3 http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/michigan/index.ssf?/base/news-62/1233946450280100.xml&storylist=newsmichigan

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