The Iowa 2006 Public CIO Summit
Building Collaborative Partnerships
May 22, 2006

Joint Forces Headquarters Armory
6100 NW 78th Avenue
Johnston, IA 50131

2006 Iowa Public CIO Summit - Building Collaborative Partnerships
No matter how much technology you use -- and technology is certainly an enabling tool – meaningful change always starts with the culture. The winds of change have been blowing for some time – and if you are in the information technology business, there may be a Category 5 storm in your future. More people are looking to have accountability and measurement within government. Government agencies at all levels are starting to realize the synergy that can be achieved in fostering collaborative relationships.

Part of changing that culture is getting out there and telling people what you have and how you can share it. We are increasingly seeing the deployment of technology based on the outcomes instead of what brand and what flavor and how many megahertz it is. If the trends of the past few years continue, government in the future is certainly going to be smaller - we are not going to see government grow the way it did in the twentieth century.

In every area of government that continues to experience growth, we are expected to reduce costs. Increasingly, we will be required to focus on providing technology tools so employees can work more effectively and efficiently, and we’ll have to focus on training our people to work better and be more customer-oriented. Technology will play a significant role in creating a synergy between government processes, government employees, and constituents. Ultimately, the citizen just wants a license or a permit. He or she does not care if it is a local license, a state license, or a federal license -- they just want to build a house, run a business, or buy a car.

In addition to the core groups that need to be involved in making government more accountable and more effective, a central element of success is contracting strategy. Collaboratively contracting for goods and services in state government has reduced the cost of operations and opened up new possibilities.

As time passes, we'll see a much more seamless relationship between all levels of government. Citizens who need services or need to deal with regulatory agencies will begin to see just one face to government. It will be government as an entity. With a keen interest in this at the Federal level, it is in our mutual best interest to explore the possibilities.

The Iowa Public CIO Summit
The goal of the Iowa Public CIO Summit is to provide a forum and avenues through which Senior Level Government Information Technology Executives can share and collaborate in an open forum on Information Technology (IT) ideas, challenges, and successes. The goal is to exchange ideas on vital and timely issues affecting the direction and future of public sector information technology in Iowa.

The Iowa Public CIO Summit is a most unique event tailored to provide a senior level executive forum for IT leaders to share ideas of mutual interest and concern. The Summit's focus and emphasis is on executive importance, event excellence, and the overall quality and value of the event.

May 22, 2006 Iowa Public CIO Summit Sponsored By:
Iowa Counties Information Technology (ICIT) Organization