Agency Information Officer (AIO) Responsibilities (SAM 4815)

• Overseeing the management of IT assets, projects, data systems, infrastructure, services and telecommunications through the oversight and management the CIO.
• Developing an Agency Enterprise Architecture to rationalize, standardize and consolidate IT infrastructure, data, and procedures for all state entities within their Agency.
• Approval of Project Approval Lifecycle Stage 1 Business Analyses.

Reports and Activities Requiring AIO Approval

• Project Approval Lifecycle Stage/Gate Deliverables (SIMM 19)
• Special Project Report (SPR) (SIMM 30)
• Information Management Organization (IT Org Chart)
• IT Cost Report (SIMM 55)
• Certification of Compliance with IT Policies (SIMM 71)
• COTS/SaaS Acquisition (SIMM 22)

Chief Information Officer (CIO) Responsibilities (SAM 4815)

• • • Directly responsible for all IT activities within the state entity, including all systems, assets, projects, purchases, and contracts and will ensure state entity conformity with the Agency Enterprise Architecture.
    • Portfolio management of the state entity’s technology initiatives.
    • Operational oversight of IT functions, IT personnel and operations including:
      • Web application development;
      • Application and database management;
      • Security administration;
      • Telecommunications;
      • Project planning, consulting, and management; and
      • Help desk and customer service management.

Resource Links:

• • SIMM 05A
  • Assembly Bill No. 2408 CHAPTER 404
  • BILL NUMBER: AB 2408 CHAPTERED

Department of Technology

The California Department of Technology (CDT) is committed to partnering with state, local government and educational entities to deliver digital services, develop innovative and responsive solutions for business needs, and provide quality assurance for state government Information Technology (IT) projects and services.

CDT is the guardian of public data, a leader in IT services and solutions, and has broad responsibility and authority over all aspects of technology in California state government, including: policy formation, inter-agency coordination, IT project oversight, information security, technology service delivery, and advocacy.

Department of Finance

The Department of Finance is in the Executive Branch. The Director of Finance is appointed by the Governor and serves as the chief fiscal policy advisor. The Director is a member of the Governor’s cabinet and senior staff and is responsible for promoting long-term economic sustainability and responsible resource allocation through the state’s annual financial plan. Principal functions of this control agency are:

• Establish appropriate fiscal policies to carry out the state’s programs.
• Prepare, explain, and administer the state’s annual financial plan (budget), which the Governor is required under the State Constitution to present by January 10 of each year.
• Analyze legislation which has a fiscal impact.
• Maintain the California State Accounting and Reporting System (CALSTARS).
• Monitor/audit expenditures by state departments to ensure compliance with law, approved standards, and policies.
• Develop economic forecasts and revenue estimates.
• Develop population and enrollment estimates and projections.
• Conduct fiscal analyses of proposed statewide information technology (IT) policies and enterprise initiatives and performs oversight of critical IT projects

The fiscal process is a dynamic one as new laws are enacted, new regulations are adopted, priorities change, available resources increase or decrease, and the Administration itself changes. The Department of Finance impacts the fiscal activities of other state departments because of the general authority granted to the Department in Government Code Section 13070, which provides the Department of Finance with authority over all financial and business policies of the state.

Department of General Services 

The Department of General Services (DGS) serves as business manager for the state of California. General Services helps to better serve the public by providing a variety of services to state agencies through procurement and acquisition solutions, real estate management and design, environmentally friendly transportation, professional printing, design and web services, administrative hearings, legal services, building standards, oversight of structural safety, fire/life safety and accessibility for the design and construction of K-12 public schools and community colleges, and funding for school construction.

DGS has statutory authority for the acquisition of Information Technology (IT) goods and services not associated with reportable IT projects and to delegate IT purchasing authority to those departments demonstrating the capability to make purchases that adhere to State statutes, regulations, policies, and procedure. Within DGS, the Procurement Division (PD) provides oversight, guidance, and direction to departments in all aspects of non-reportable IT procurements and acquisition methods using delegated purchasing authority.

Additionally, through its One-Time Acquisitions Unit, DGS provides acquisition services for IT needs on behalf of departments who do not have adequate levels of purchasing authority.

California Department of Human Resources 

The California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) was created on July 1, 2012, by Governor Brown’s Reorganization Plan Number 1 of 2011. The reorganization plan consolidated the State of California’s two personnel departments, combining the Department of Personnel Administration with certain programs of the State Personnel Board.

The mission of CalHR is to provide exceptional human resources leadership and services with integrity, respect and accountability to state departments and all current and prospective employees.

CalHR is responsible for all issues related to employee salaries and benefits, job classifications, civil rights, training, exams, recruitment and retention.  For most employees, many of these matters are determined through the collective bargaining process managed by CalHR.

Resource Links:

• California Department of Technology 
• Department of General Services  Website
• Department of Finance Website
• California Department of Human Resources
• CalChannel
• California Legislative Information

In 2017, the State Chief Information Officer released the California Technology Strategic Plan – “Vision 2020.” This plan is the culmination of input from hundreds of policy, program, and technology leaders representing numerous state entities, ensuring the State of California’s innovation path remains constant and transformative. California’s technology community effectively supports the delivery of critical government services to the people of California and is guided by the principles to Strive for Simplicity, Put Customers Front and Center, Be Innovative, Focus on Outcomes, Own It, and Take a Statewide Perspective. As outlined in “Vision 2020”, the state has promoted and encouraged the application of shared goals and vision to create:

“One digital government securely delivered by a dynamic workforce.”

VISION 2020 GOALS

Create One Digital Government

Increase customer satisfaction through improved responsiveness, efficiency, and effectiveness of government services.

PRIORITIES

1. Increase operational agility and performance in the delivery of technology services.
2. Improve the design and delivery of digital services.
3. Foster collaboration and boundaryless
4. Transform and simplify the way government does business through innovation.
5. Accelerate the adoption of common technology platforms and shared services.

Ensure Secure Delivery

Advance the maturity of information security across California government.

PRIORITIES

1. Protect California’s information assets and maximize data
2. Develop a robust and collaborative security risk reduction
3. Develop an enterprise approach to security leadership and
4. Improve and invest in security capabilities to protect mission-critical systems and data.
5. Foster a security-minded culture throughout California’s workforce.

Build a Dynamic Workforce

Build a dynamic technology workforce that takes pride in delivering quality services and innovative solutions to their customers.

PRIORITIES

1. Create a culture of innovation and collaboration.
2. Develop the capabilities of both technology leaders and functional experts.
3. Improve employee engagement and increase retention of quality
4. Expand our pool of skilled and experienced technology
5. Foster the advancement of a diverse and unified technology community.

Strategic Plan (PDF)

As the state’s central organization for Information Technology, the California Department of Technology is responsible for establishing and enforcing statewide IT policies, standards, instructions, and guidelines regarding IT operations, security, project approval, procurement, enterprise architecture and oversight. The State Administrative Manual (SAM) is the repository for most state IT policy. Changes, additions, or clarifications to state IT policies and processes are announced via Technology Letters (TLs). As announcements of policy, TLs are simple, direct, and brief. Some TLs require supporting detail to explain the processes associated with the IT policy. In those instances, the detailed information, such as processes, instructions, FAQs, and worksheets, is included in the Statewide Information Management Manual (SIMM). The SIMM also includes IT guidelines and best practices. Guidelines and best practices are not IT policy and, therefore, do not have associated SAM entries.

IT Policy Resources

• State Administrative Manual (SAM) – contains statewide IT policy.
  • General IT – Section 4800
  • IT Planning & Feasibility Study – Section 4900
  • IT Equipment Maintenance Records – Section 5000
  • IT Standards – Section 5100
  • IT Procurement – Section 5200 et seq.
  • Information Security – Section 5300 et seq.
  • Disposal of IT Equipment – Section 5900
  • IT Fiscal (Expenditures) – Section 6700
  • Automated Accounting Systems – Section 7260 et seq.
  • Summary of What Changed in SAM
• Statewide Information Management Manual (SIMM) – contains the instructions and guidelines needed to implement IT policy.
  • Sections numbered from 05 to 80 and Sections 5300 et seq. contain standards, procedures, schedules, instructions, forms and templates that must be used to comply with policy.
  • Sections numbered from 110 to 200 contain guidelines, models and forms that state agencies will find useful, but their use is not required.
  • Summary of What Changed in SIMM
• Technology Letters (TL) – contains official communications regarding state IT, including new (or changes to existing) IT policies, procedures, services or standards.

Additional Resources: IT-related Budget Letters, IT-related Governor’s Executive Orders, IT-related Management Memos, State IT Policies, Standards, Instructions, and Guidelines

Formal Policy Approval Process Workflow (PDF)

The overarching goal of the Office of Information Security (OIS) is the protection of the state’s vast information assets while fostering a security-minded culture throughout the workforce. OIS has improved the state’s security posture through the following initiatives:

Information Security Program Audits (ISPAs) and Independent Security Assessments (ISAs):

The ISPA provides an independent, objective assurance and consulting activity designed to add value and improve state entity security operations. The Audit Program performs the on-site verification activity, which includes inspection or examination, of a process or policy (SAM 5300) and (NIST 800-53) to ensure compliance to state requirements. The auditors may form an opinion of whether the audited entity is free of material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. At the completion of the audit, the auditor may offer objective high-level recommendations for improving security reporting and internal controls to maximize an entity’s performance and efficiency.  The ISA is a technical assessment of a state entity’s network security controls designed to measure cybersecurity maturity.  The ISA includes testing network equipment for vulnerabilities, penetration testing, susceptibility to phishing and an analysis of network traffic for signs of compromise.  ISAs are conducted every other year either by the California Military Department or a third party vendor approved by the Office.

Statewide Security Risk Governance; Maturity Metrics, Policy, Governance:

Security Risk Governance is responsible for the following which encompasses the statutorily mandated functions. 1) Coordinating the activities of state agency Information Security Officers for purposes of integrating statewide security initiatives and ensuring compliance with information security and privacy policies and standards; 2) developing,  issuing and maintaining policies, standards, and procedures directing state agencies to effectively manage security and risk, including the development and filing of technology recovery plans, and the tracking and reporting of incidents; 3) assessing the effectiveness of department technology recovery plans, incident response, and risk remediation plans; 4) promoting and enhancing state agencies’ risk management and privacy programs through education, awareness, collaboration, and consultation; and 5) representing the state on issues that have statewide impact on information security and privacy.

Advisory Services:

Advisory Services includes education and training of the state’s security workforce, as well as assisting entities in preparing for the Information Security Program Audits (ISPA).  The latter is accomplished through pre-and post- audit workshops which assist entities in gathering the required audit documents, identifying gaps, subject matter experts, and other training and tools to ensure entities obtain the maximum benefit from their ISPA. Post-audit workshops assist entities in developing a prioritized roadmap to address audit findings and complete the Plan of Action and Milestones (POAM). Advisory Services also develops and maintains standard security policies and templates to assist state entities in consistently and comprehensively documenting their information security policies. Lastly, Advisory Services provides targeted workshops on specific topics of interest to the information security community, and offers individualized consulting services to entities upon request.

24/7 Security Operations Center (SOC):

Security Monitoring and Intelligence operates a 24*7 Security Operations Center (SOC) that monitors and responds to security events generated from the California Government Enterprise Network (CGEN) and from CDT and CDT IT services. These assets face continuous threats including, but not limited to, disruption of services, attempted breach or destruction of confidential information, attempted unauthorized modification of records, ransom threats, and other malicious activities to undermine the State’s IT infrastructure.  The CDT Data Centers hosts many of the State’s mission critical information systems including public safety, health services, revenue collection, budget management and other critical services on which constituents and government programs rely.  In FY 18/19 these SOC services are planned to expand to begin to provide protective functions to State entities that opt in to those services.

The above efforts provide state entities with the resources, tools and ongoing evaluation to enable them to develop and maintain effective information security programs to protect the information assets within their control and protect the state from malicious cybersecurity activity.

OIS continues to strengthen the state’s cybersecurity defenses through an ongoing partnership and collaboration with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), the California Highway Patrol (CHP), and the California Military Department (CMD) in the exchange of valuable cyber threat intelligence and interaction with the California Cybersecurity Integration Center (Cal-CSIC). Each of these efforts not only strengthen the state’s cyber defenses, but increase the ongoing commitment to identify, protect, and detect threats to the state’s information assets.

Information Security Website

Office of Statewide Project Delivery

The primary objective of the Office of Statewide Project Delivery (OSPD) is to promote the successful delivery of Information Technology (IT) projects and programs to meet the needs of the citizens of the State of California. OSPD provides direct oversight to the State’s multibillion dollar IT Project portfolio to ensure that the State of CA’s investment in IT results in expected business outcomes. OSPD includes the following organizations: 1) Project Approvals and Oversight 2) Statewide IT Procurements and the 3) CA Project Management Office.

The Project Approval Lifecycle (PAL)

The California Department of Technology (CDT) requires departments to do comprehensive upfront planning with an emphasis on establishing a strong business case before a project is approved to move forward.  PAL is nimble to meet the individual needs of departments and provides a guided approach for projects to follow, as well as an objective and consistent evaluation process. PAL is designed to improve the planning, quality, value and likelihood of IT projects success.  The PAL process is divided into four stages, each separated by gates of approval:

Stage 1

Business Analysis (Project Concept) Evaluates completeness, the sufficiency of the business case and whether or not the concept aligns with department and agency priorities.

Stage 2

Alternatives Analysis (Project Alternatives) Ensure sufficiency of planning, organizational readiness and good documentation resulting in sufficient market research, alternative analysis and justification for the selected alternative.

Stage 3

Procurement (Project Procurement) Development of the procurement documents, conduct procurement while continuing with project readiness tasks.

Stage 4

Final Assessment and Approval (Project Execution) Select vendor, contract award, update final budget, project plans and schedule. Once the project is assessed for final readiness, it could be approved for execution.

Information about the PAL can be found in SIMM 19. The list of PAL proposed projects can be found here on this webpage.

Independent Project Oversight (IPO):

CDT conducts independent project oversight on medium and high criticality reportable information technology (IT) projects for departments and constitutional offices (Government Code § 11546, et al). The IPO managers are embedded in the project, review and monitor project health; create project oversight reports; escalate project risks and issues; and assist project staff in developing appropriate risk and issue mitigation strategies.  IPO managers work hand-in-hand with Independent Validation and Verification (IV&V) services, which is to assess the quality of technical deliverables, as the checks and balance role for project oversight.

Information about IPO can be found in SIMM 45

The list of IT projects with CDT IPO oversight can be found here on this web page.

California Project Management Office:

The California Project Management Office (CA-PMO) provides direct services to client departments to manage and deliver IT projects. CDT provides various resources and services to provide a continuum of short term and long-term project management and IT consulting to support effective IT Project Delivery. CDT has state staff that are knowledgeable and experienced in California’s enterprise-wide issues that are available for hire on a part time or full time basis depending on the need of the department. As the California project management center of excellence, the CA-PMO also offers standards, common tools, guidelines and comprehensive frameworks and tools for project management practitioners based on proven best practices and lessons learned including:

• California Agile Framework (CA-Agile): Provides practical guidance for understanding, planning, and managing iterative incremental project delivery activities within California government.
• California Organizational Change Management Framework (CA-OCM): Provides project practitioners with a guide for managing change within an organization in order to achieve business outcomes associated with a new mandate, process, technology, or strategy.
• California Business Process Re-engineering Framework (CA-BPR): Provides guidance on business process re-engineering methods and approaches to assist organizations in optimizing their business processes to leverage and maximize the capabilities of technology.
• Project Management Framework: Improves the processes, tools, and templates used to plan and guide current projects through their lifecycle by providing consistent and streamlined project management standards.
• Project Oversight Framework: Establishes and enforces policies that describe the criteria CDT uses to assess the risk, sensitivity and level of criticality and oversight for IT projects.
• Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) Plans and Tools: SDLC Plans and Tools provide templates, instructions, and sample content that can be adjusted and scaled based on project size and complexity.

Information about the CA-PMO can be found on the CDT website.

Project Approval, Procurement, Oversight, and Management

See Key Partners section for a brief description of the Department of Finance (Finance) roles and responsibilities.

The Budget Cycle is made up of three main points in time:

Governor’s Budget–Article IV, Section 12, of the State Constitution: The Governor shall present a balanced budget to the Legislature by January 10 of each calendar year.

• Budget Concept Developed (March)
• Prepare Budget Request/Justify/Agency Approval (June-August)
• Request due to Finance (early September)
• Finance Review and Recommend (October-December)
• Final Decisions, Revisions Due (December)
• Governor submits to Legislature (January 10)
• Budget Hearings (March-June)

May Revision–Government Code 13308: The Director of Finance shall provide to the Legislature adjustments to the Governor’s Budget on or before: April 1, May 1, and May 14.

• Spring Finance Letters due to Finance (Mid-February)
• Finance submits Spring Letters to Legislature (Early April)
• Finance submits May Revise to Legislature (Mid-May)
• Budget Hearings (April-June)

Budget Act–Article IV, Section 12(3), of the State Constitution: The Legislature shall pass the Budget Bill by midnight on June 15. The Governor generally has 12 calendar days to either veto or sign.

• Conference Committee (June-July)
• Budget Enactment (July 1)

The Information Technology Consulting Unit (ITCU) is a unit within Finance, and operates under Finance’s general IT powers of supervision over all matters concerning the financial and business policies of the State, as defined in Section 13070 of the Government Code. The ITCU’s primary functions include performing fiscal analysis of proposed statewide IT policies and enterprise initiatives including the analysis of proposed IT budget change proposals (BCPs) and project documents, and fiscal oversight of critical IT projects, pursuant to Government Code 11547.

AIO’s and CIO’s are encouraged to engage with ITCU on all IT reportable projects and associated funding requests early in the year prior to submission. ITCU works very closely with the Department of Technology to enable project approval and funding decisions can be reached within the timeframes of the annual state budget cycle. ITCU is a critical partner to the Department of Technology in the review of all project documents (PAL, SPR, PIER) and the Department of Technology is critical to the review of all IT BCPs. This partnership will consider and prioritize IT proposals from a statewide perspective.

Once an IT project is funded, ITCU shall perform fiscal oversight of the State’s IT project portfolio. This includes but is not limited to attendance at Executive Steering Committee meetings and project briefings, review of project status reports and oversight/independent verification and validation reports. ITCU works closely with the Department of Technology oversight managers throughout the life of the project.

Important Annual Budget Letters (BL) include:

Budget Preparation Guidelines – This BL contains instructions to assist in planning for the upcoming budget process, normally released in May. The BL includes the date for project document submission to the Department of Technology.

Budget Policy – This BL contains the Governor’s policy direction for the upcoming budget process, normally released in July and includes allowed circumstances for IT budget requests.

Control Section 11.00 – This BL contains instructions for notifying the Legislature of reportable IT project cost increases, normally released in July.

Budget Change Letters ( Finance Letters) – This BL contains instructions for planning during the Spring budget process, normally released in January and provides very limited circumstances for IT.

Resource Links:

• Project Approval, Procurement, Oversight, and Management 
• California Budget
• Department of Finance Budget Change Proposals

Bills are introduced in the respective houses and are assigned to appropriate policy and fiscal committees for review. Bills are assigned by the Governor’s Office to each department that will be impacted by the bill. Departments review the bills and complete a Legislative Bill Analysis that eventually gets sent to the Governor’s Office for their review. For the majority of you, this will mean that your department legislative staff will be working with your agency legislative staff. The process for completing the Legislative Analysis varies by department, depending on their mission and goals.

This analysis is confidential and is not subject to a PRA request, per statute. The analysis includes technical, policy and fiscal impact to your department. As bills move through the Legislature, you may be asked to weigh in on any bills dealing with technology issues, such as cybersecurity, IT Projects, or any requirements to use a specific type of technology.

Legislative staff, including staff from the Legislative Analyst’s Office, could contact you directly at any point in the process. Any contact by staff members from the Legislature to you should be routed to your Legislation Unit, per your department policies. This ensures a consistent message to Legislative staff on various IT issues and topics. If contacted, please obtain the Legislative staffer’s contact information and send to the Legislation Unit, who will then follow up and most likely include you or your team in the conversation.

The Legislative committees hold hearings to discuss issues related to your department’s programs. This may overlap into your department’s IT projects or technology program. You may be asked to testify or to provide technical assistance for or during the hearing. Your department’s Legislation Unit will contact you regarding any hearings that require your participation. The Governor’s Office and your respective agency generally provide guidance regarding testimony and other information provided to the committee. Your perspective as the AIO or CIO provides valuable information of the impact to your IT policy or program caused by proposed legislative changes to an agency’s or department’s mission or programs.

For an overview of the Legislative Process, please see The Life Cycle of Legislation (PDF).

Resource Links:

• Department of Finance homepage
• Department of General Services Website
• California Department of Technology

Statewide IT Technology Procurement

The Statewide Technology Procurement conducts IT Procurements related to IT Reportable projects and Telecommunications goods & services.

Established under California Code, Public Contract Code – PCC § 12120 and Government Code (GC) Section 11541, provides CDT authority to oversee all reportable IT Project procurement. In the 2018-19 Budget Act, Public Contract Code (PCC) Section 12100 was amended to provide CDT additional procurement authority over acquisitions of IT goods and services related to IT projects (as opposed to “reportable IT projects”).

Services may include:

• Oversight of the development of procurement documents for IT Reportable Projects
• Procurement Compliance with SCM, SAM, PAL, STMM
• Management of Statewide Telecommunication Contracts
• Perform Negotiations of contracts
• Vendor Relationships and Communications
• Guide Post Award Activities
• CalNET Procurement (CalNET Program)
• Procurement of Emergency Communication Services
• Acquisition of Public Safety Communications
• Establishment of Wireless/Radio Communication Services contracts

You may request services or for any questions contact Technology Procurements.

Statewide Telecommunications Procurement Program

Establishes under California Code, Public Contract Code – PCC § 12120 & Code (GC) Section 11541 that the CDT is responsible and has authority over any contract for the acquisition of telecommunications services and any contract for the acquisition of telecommunications goods, whether by lease or purchase.

The CALNET Program partners with Statewide Technology Procurement Office to competitively bid the suite of CalNET contracts that are leveraged statewide by state government as well as local government entities, including many cities, counties, school districts, public libraries, federally recognized Indian tribes, and special districts across the State. This translates into a buying power in excess of 2,000 customers. This significant potential financial opportunity for network and telecommunications vendors drives competition and lower prices from vendors. Other mutual benefits are derived by promoting the growth of technologies in rural areas, providing standardized statewide pricing for services, and ensuring telecommunications systems and network services are robust, reliable, and interoperable.

Additional resources/template/contacts

Procurement of IT Goods and Services – Department of General Services

The Department of General Services (DGS) Procurement Division has separate procurement program for the state. It grants delegation of authority to approve contracts and purchase documents based on an agency’s demonstrated ability to manage the procurement process. Contact the Procurement Division in order to verify current delegation guidelines.

Resource Links:

• Statewide Technology Procurement
• Department of General Services homepage

The California Department of Technology’s Office of Professional Development provides a strong framework to support investment in staff across the IT community. Our strategy includes a mindful blend of education, training and leadership academies. Subject matter experts within the California Department of Technology (CDT) have developed a number of educational sessions on content such as project approval life cycle and security foundations. The sessions are hosted at the CDT’s training center and are offered at no cost to government employees.

A number of partnerships with certified instructors are in place to ensure a variety of classes are made available for open registration. Training is offered through courses that are developed and administered on a standardized curriculum and through those that have been customized to incorporate state policy, guidelines and templates.

The final piece of our partnership in professional development across the state is conducted through Leadership Academies. The Information Technology Leadership Academy (ITLA) launched its 25^th cohort in October and the Project Management Leadership Academy (PMLA) graduated its first cohort in November. Our newest academy is the Digital Services Innovation Academy (DSIA), which launched in May 2018. Finally, the new Information Security Leadership Academy (ISLA) will launch in August 2018. An overview of each academy and its target audience is provided below.

Academies:

Information Technology Leadership Academy (ITLA): ITLA is a program for state IT professionals with a focus on developing leadership skills. Those with a vision for enterprise-wide thinking, aspirations for career advancement, and a passion for carrying out their organization’s mission and vision are ideal candidates for this program. Since ITLA’s first cohort in 1993, approximately 30 graduates have advanced to become Chief Information Officers while many others have promoted to senior ranks within the state’s workforce.

Project Management Leadership Academy (PMLA): PMLA is a course of study for state IT professionals seeking to expand their project management and leadership skills. Combining classroom instruction with an internship component, students develop a strong foundation in project management while interning with a host department. Individuals with a strong interest in project management who understand the critical nature of a solid project management foundation are encouraged to apply.

Digital Services Innovation Academy (DSIA): DSIA is designed to introduce the tools and skills required to transform a business problem from concept to product using digital solutions. Course topics include data analytics, design, development methods/ tools, ideation, and communication. Students participate in a data challenge and have the opportunity to apply concepts and knowledge learned. Developers, web designers, graphic artists, program managers, data analysts, data scientists, project managers and communication specialists are encouraged to apply.

Information Security Leadership Academy (ISLA): ISLA is a program aimed at preparing candidates for the critical roles of Information Security Officer (ISO), Agency Information Security Officer (AIO), or an expanded role within their department’s security office. The Academy incorporates security best practices, Security Operations, risk frameworks including NIST, California-specific policy and standards, and interaction with the State’s security leaders. Participants will also take part in a dynamic simulation experience. Security personnel, tech-savvy IT, and aspiring ISOs passionate about security are ideal candidates for this program.  

Training Resource Links:

• CDT Training Course Schedule
• CDT Workforce Development webpage (includes more information on all training academies)

California Department of Human Resources (CalHR): Workforce Development

The Workforce Development Programs and Special Projects Division within CalHR comprises three interrelated statewide programs; Statewide Recruiting, Statewide Workforce Planning, and Statewide Training.

Training

CalHR offers all types of training to support employee performance and career goals.  With nearly 20,000 annual class registrations, CalHR supports workforce development in five regions across the state.  In addition to a wide-variety of vendor hosted soft skill training, CalHR also offers civil service taught training solutions through its two academies; the California Leadership Academy and the California Lean Academy.

Leadership Academy

The California Leadership Academy ensures there is a progressive and integrated process to develop leaders in state service. The program is intended to assist departments in preparing all newly appointed supervisorial, managerial and executive classifications, with their transition into a new leadership role, as well as to continually develop their leadership skills.

The California Leadership Academy relies on the Statewide Leadership Development Model (Model) to establish a consistent framework for developing multi-level training programs for supervisors, managers and executives. The Model is guided by a new overarching statewide leadership philosophy, supported by a set of core values that are put into action by demonstrating key competencies. Each element supports the goal of enhancing performance and better preparing our leaders to manage a diverse and dynamic workforce.

Lean Academy

Lean is a continuous improvement methodology based on five key principles to eliminate waste and increase value designed to improve processes and quality from the point of view of the customer.  The California Lean Academy hosts Lean training for state employees at all levels who are interested in learning how to eliminate waste and streamline processes in their units, program areas, and departments.

If you’re new to Lean or wondering what it’s all about, The Introduction to Lean eLearning course will answer your questions. This 30-minute, free course introduces you to the basic concepts of Lean, including waste vs. value, value add vs. non-value add, and the eight wastes, also known as DOWNTIME.

If you are seeking a deeper dive into Lean? Sign up for this one-day course and earn your Lean White Belt.  This class provides an overview of the fundamental concepts of Lean and the tools and techniques used to identify value-added activities and eliminate waste to improve customer outcomes. You will leave class with a plan to innovate and improve your work immediately!

If your desire is to work on improvement projects that provide great results for yourself, your team, your department, and ultimately – the State of California, then you will want to anchor the skills learned during the Lean White Belt Course by broadening your Lean knowledge and skills with the Lean Yellow Belt training.  In this training, you will learn how to make groundbreaking improvements and sustain greater results, helping to set you apart as a Lean expert.

During this highly interactive Yellow Belt course, participants will learn advanced tools, techniques and methods of Lean and how it ties into the business processes at their organization.  Participants will learn to implement Lean tools, techniques, and practices to achieve cost reduction and improve overall quality through consistent compliance to defined quality standards.

CalHR Statewide Workforce Planning and Recruitment

CalHR is here to support department efforts to build and maintain a talented and diverse workforce.  Today it is well established that organizations face extraordinary workforce challenges. California’s civil service system is no exception. To be successful in the coming years, organizations must be proactive and aggressive in identifying and addressing their current and future workforce challenges.

All leaders must find ways to balance daily operations with the planning that is essential to ensuring there is a highly skilled workforce available to perform the organization’s mission. State organizations can now save time and resources by working collaboratively with CalHR consultants and other state organizations to build their workforce and succession plans in as short as four months. CalHR’s new innovative workforce and succession planning cohort training models provide:

• Hands-on workshops
• Dedicated one-on-one consulting
• Custom facilitated session with your entire executive management team
• Tools, templates and resources
• All graduates of these programs will have a new plans for their organization in compliance with CalHR policy!

CalHR Statewide Employee Engagement Program

CalHR now offers a new service that includes survey administration, results and recommendations, and action planning tools and resources to help state departments and agencies measure and act on improving workforce engagement.  Why should organizations focus on improving engagement?  It’s a fact that organizations with highly engaged employees outperform organizations with low engagement.  Why use the new CalHR employee engagement service?  The CalHR Statewide Employee Engagement Program:

• Makes surveying your employees fast, simple, and affordable – allowing you more time to focus on acting on the results
• Provides you with a comprehensive report detailing the survey results for your entire organization and by individual programs
• Saves you time and energy by using our tools, resources and specific recommendations as to where your organization should focus its efforts to improve engagement
• Uses a survey that was built specifically for the state and has been shared with the Unions and reviewed by CalHR Legal and Labor Divisions
• Is administered by a third party to ensure the anonymity of individual survey responses
• Enables you to benchmark your results with other California state departments and federal, local and private organizations
• Allows you to benchmark and share engagement solutions with other state organizations

Resource Links:

• California Department of Human Resources
• CalHR Statewide Training Center
• California Leadership Academy
• California Lean Academy
• Statewide Workforce and Succession Planning
• Statewide Recruitment
• Statewide Employee Engagement Program:
• State of California Leadership Competency Model

Statewide Data Center Services

CDT provides a variety of infrastructure, platform, software, and professional services to its customers, for their public facing and mission critical systems.  These myriad of services are available in the commercial cloud and on premises at the Statewide Data Centers, and are provide by state employees, vendors, and through public/private partnerships. CDT customers include government entities, primarily State of California departments and agencies, however local government subscribe to services as well.  The full view of available services can be found under CDT Services and can be requested through our website at the link below. All CDT services align with statewide IT policies, which helps departments streamline the implementation of IT-related efforts.

Customer Support

• For incidents related to CDT Managed Services, contact the CDT 24 hour Service Desk at (916) 464-4311 or submit an incident ticket directly into the CDT Incident Management system. If it is an urgent incident, you will receive a faster response if you call the Service Desk rather than submitting a ticket via the Incident Management system.
• For incidents related to services provided and managed by a private vendor, contact the vendor directly. Brokered service examples are Commercial Cloud Services for IaaS/PaaS, Email & Productivity Tools, Customer Relationship Management, Electronic Signature, Project & Portfolio Management, IT Service Management, and CALNET Telecommunication Services.
• To help ensure a positive customer experience, CDT provides an Account Lead, as a single point of contact, to each customer organization. The Account Lead is the liaison between the CDT and its customers for technology services. For questions related to CDT technology services, contact your assigned Customer Engagement Account Lead. To identify your Account lead, use the Account Lead Directory link.

Service Communications to Customers

There are various ways we communicate information related to our services.  Your assigned Account Lead with work with your organization to update contact information for the following types of notifications:

• • Service Desk Bulletins – Notifications sent to customers to inform them of upcoming, planned changes that may affect service availability
  • Major Incident Notifications – Provides customers information on the status of significant incidents that is impacting service availability
  • Tech Alerts – Informational bulletins that notify customers of new services or changes to the features or functionality of existing services

Customer Communication to CDT

To ensure the availability of IT systems managed by CDT, it is important that customers notify CDT of any significant application related changes, to mitigate the risk of a conflicting infrastructure changes affecting a customer application. Customers are encouraged to send these communications through their Account Lead.

Department of Technology Service Catalog

The Office of Digital Innovation (ODI) partners with organizations inside and outside the state government to provide and enhance digital service delivery. ODI promotes civic engagement, the use of open source software, and data-driven decision-making in the state.

ODI functions in a “civic consultancy” role with the focus on solving business problems by using technology, rather than existing solely for the sake of doing IT.  Expertise among ODI staff is varied including client and server side developers, UI/UX skills, graphic design, data science/analytics and DevOps engineering.

The following initiatives are innovative ways ODI engages with customers:

Initiatives

• Open Data Program: Provides a repository and portal for departments and citizens to explore open data and improve collaboration, analysis and decision-making. Open data drives more content delivery and innovation around important issues.
• Innovation Lab: Allows government to try unconventional or radical ideas that encourage experimentation through a developer sandbox where public sector employees can collaborate, build and test open source web-applications, demonstrate, and share their solutions. This model allows government to be more efficient and achieve cost savings by repurposing code.
• ca.gov: California’s repository of open source code developed by the State. This site is an enterprise code inventory that lists custom-developed code from state entities to support state government-wide reuse and encourage public collaboration. Information about the ODI can be found on the CDT website here.

Digital Innovation Services

Enterprise Architecture (EA) identifies the business processes that execute or support an organization’s mission and defines how Information Technology (IT) assets directly enable those processes. The purpose of EA is to optimize and transform the often fragmented processes, information, application systems and technologies into an efficient and integrated environment supportive of the execution of business strategy.

To help execute business strategy and realize strategic goals, EA defines a desired target state view of an enterprise’s processes, information, application systems and technologies and an enterprise roadmap to progressively implement this target state through a series of projects.

Monthly Enterprise Architecture Community Meetings

The Office of Enterprise Architecture hosts a monthly Enterprise Architecture Community (EAC) meeting where EA relevant topics are addressed with opportunities for group discussion.

California Enterprise Architecture Framework

CEAF 2.0 is designed to guide the implementation of effective EA programs within and among state agencies so that the resulting EA deliverables and services enable mission success with a lower total cost of ownership, faster time to delivery, and reduced duplication. CEAF 2.0 helps state agencies advance in maturity of their enterprise architectures, so they can improve business and IT capabilities, improve interoperability and information sharing, expand shared business and technical services. It also promotes cross-agency initiatives for shared development of common business processes, common business and technical services, and reusable and shareable application platforms.

Resource Links:

• Enterprise Architecture Graphic (PDF)
• Department of Technology’s Enterprise Architecture Webpage