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City of Ocala Florida

Information Technology

Assessment

and

Actionable Recommendations

May 2014 FINAL

Coeur Business Group, Inc.

18 Hawk Ridge Blvd. suite 200

Lake Saint Louis, Missouri 63367

800-335-9029

18 Hawk Ridge Blvd, Suite 200 Lake Saint Louis, Missouri 63367

May 30, 2014

Mr. Matt Brower

City Manager,

City of Ocala, Florida

And

Greg Graham

Police Chief,

City of Ocala, Florida

Dear Mr. Brower and Chief Graham,

It is with pleasure that Coeur Business Group presents the following final report for the City of Ocala

Florida, Citywide IT Assessment under RFP 13-011.

Our team of professionals has been working with the City of Ocala since November of 2013 gathering

information, performing interviews, conducting workshops, and assessing the City’s Information

Technology organization using our proprietary, and industry standard, processes, tools, and

methodologies.

The support of the City’s leadership and the participation of the City’s staff, coupled with the Coeur

Business Group experience have provided a full and complete assessment of the City’s Information

Technology organization. Our analysis of the assessment findings has led Coeur Group to recommend five

goals and nine individual programs we submit for your consideration and implementation in this report.

Coeur Business Group stands by this assessment and our recommended goals and programs, as a firm

platform for the City of Ocala to build upon. It is our belief that should the City implement our

recommendations, you will be well positioned to provide the high quality products and services needed in

today’s demanding and ever-changing technology environment.

Sincerely yours,

Daniel McLane, PMP

Senior Partner

City of Ocala, Project Manager

And the entire Coeur Business Group team

Information Technology Assessment

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Table of Contents

1. Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ 5

Five Goals .....................................................................................................................................................6

Overall Information Technology Organizational Maturity ...........................................................................7

The Assessment Scorecard ...........................................................................................................................8

Critical Information Technology Improvement Programs ...........................................................................9

2. Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 10

Technology for changing the City of Ocala ................................................................................................ 10

Common Goals Identified .......................................................................................................................... 11

Three Critical Challenges for the City of Ocala .......................................................................................... 12

Assessment Goals ...................................................................................................................................... 13

Goal Summaries ........................................................................................................................................ 13

The Assessment Report Format ................................................................................................................ 16

Assessment Findings and Comments ........................................................................................................ 16

3. Business and Information Technology Alignment ....................................................................... 18

Current State ............................................................................................................................................. 18

Business Alignment Assessment Methodology ......................................................................................... 18

Value of Information Technology to the Business .................................................................................... 18

Critical Success Factor Interviews ............................................................................................................. 18

Value of Information Technology to the City ............................................................................................ 19

Information Technology Value Perception Survey .................................................................................... 20

Value Survey Findings ................................................................................................................................ 22

Key Findings for Business and Information Technology Alignment .......................................................... 22

General Commentary for Business and Information Technology Alignment ........................................... 30

4. Information Technology Funding and Governance ..................................................................... 31

Assessment Methodology ......................................................................................................................... 31

Current State ............................................................................................................................................. 32

Key Findings for Information Technology Funding and Governance ........................................................ 33

General Commentary for Information Technology Funding and Governance ......................................... 39

5. Human Capital Management ....................................................................................................... 44

Current Situation ....................................................................................................................................... 44


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Key Findings for Human Capital Management .......................................................................................... 46

General Commentary on Human Capital Management............................................................................ 50

6. Service Delivery & Operations ..................................................................................................... 54


Information Technology Operational Control Objectives ......................................................................... 56

Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) ................................................................................ 57

Network Security ....................................................................................................................................... 58

Key Findings for Service Delivery and Operations..................................................................................... 59

General Commentary for Service Delivery and Operations ...................................................................... 65

7. Technology Tools and Processes.................................................................................................. 68

Current State ............................................................................................................................................. 68


Key Findings for Technology Tools and Processes .................................................................................... 70

General Commentary for Technology Tools and Processes ...................................................................... 73

8. Directional Goals and Actionable Programs ................................................................................ 78

Goal #1 ...................................................................................................................................................... 81

Program #1.1 ............................................................................................................................................. 81

Goal #2 ...................................................................................................................................................... 82

Program #2.1 ............................................................................................................................................. 82

Program #2.2 ............................................................................................................................................. 85

Goal #3 ...................................................................................................................................................... 89

Program #3.1 ............................................................................................................................................. 89

Program #3.2 ............................................................................................................................................. 91

Goal #4 ...................................................................................................................................................... 93

Program #4.1 ............................................................................................................................................. 94

Program #4.2 ............................................................................................................................................. 96

Goal #5 ...................................................................................................................................................... 99

Program #5.1 ............................................................................................................................................. 99

Program #5.2 ........................................................................................................................................... 101

9. Road Map for Improvement ...................................................................................................... 103


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1. Executive Summary The Comprehensive Assessment of the City’s Information Technology function was conducted utilizing

information technology industry standard assessment models and tools.

In particular, Coeur Group utilized our five domain assessment framework as shown below. This

framework includes detailed assessments in each of the domains as applicable to the client requested

requirements.

Business and Information Technology Alignment

Addresses the alignment between the business vision and direction and the organizational relationships,

communications, definition of business requirements and value of Information Technology as defined by

the business.

Funding and Governance

Defines the planning, processes, policy and

organizational interaction in defining funding

for technology and its governance across the

enterprise.

Human Capital Management

Identifies the Information Technology

organization structure design and readiness

to support the enterprise business. Also

defines requirements for training,

professional discipline maturity and

utilization of Information Technology Industry and Best Practices for managing people and

organizational elements.

Service Delivery and Operations

Identifies the methods and practices for the Information Technology organization to provide service to

the enterprise. Also identifies Service Level Agreements (SLA) and delivery of support to the enterprise.

Technology Tools and Processes

Identifies the Information Technology organization’s practices in utilizing Industry Standards for

Information Technology operations, tools and mechanisms to improve Information Technology

operational efficiencies and effectiveness.


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Goal #1Business /IT

Alignment

Goal #2Business Defined

Technology Investments

Goal #3Technology

Organization Structured For

Business Support

Goal #4Increase IT Operational Capabilities

Goal #5Provide Technology Services At The Best

Value To the City

Five Goals The results of the assessment found five common areas of concern which translate to 5 goals for the

Information Technology organization’s future direction.

Based on Coeur Group’s assessment of the City of Ocala, the Information Technology organizations and all

departments, we have defined 5 specific goals that focus on transforming the Information Technology

organization from a technology infrastructure “Maintenance” organization to a “Business Enabling”

organization supporting the modernization of the City of Ocala, its departments and constituent

interactions.

The Goals are:

1. Develop a business driven Information Technology strategy that directly links to and supports the

City of Ocala business vision and direction

2. Develop a business defined technology investment strategy and process

3. Structure the technology organization for Enabling the Business (ETB) and modernization

4. Increase the Information Technology organization’s operational capabilities and professional

maturity

5. Provide technology services at the best value to the City of Ocala


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Overall Information Technology Organizational Maturity A maturity scorecard created by the assessment provides a quick high-level view of the Information

Technology organization's capabilities and capacity to support the City. Organizational maturity is

rated on a scale of 1 through 5, with 1 being the lowest and most AdHoc and 5 being the most

optimized and highest performing. The graphic below indicates the Information Technology

organization scores approximately 1.5 to 1.8 on a scale of 1 to 5 as indicated by the arrow. This lower

position indicates the organization has considerable room for improvement and is far below what

would typically be expected.

1-AdHoc 2-Reactive 3-Challenged 4-Managed 5-Optimized

Servic

e D

esk

Incident

Management

Release

Management

Problem

Management

Change

Management

Configuration

Management

Database

Service

Level

Management

Finance

Management

Availability

Management

Security

Capacity

Management

Business

Continuity

Management

Service Support Service Delivery


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The Assessment Scorecard

The Assessment Scorecard provides an Executive level overview of the primary areas needing

improvement. Additional detail and expanded coverage of these areas can be found in the

subsequent sections of the report.

Business Linkage

Communications and interaction with the City's departments is not evident in many areas including

planning, managing issues, requirements for support, and new technology demands.

Technology Investments

The process for making investments in technology is AdHoc. There is little evidence of joint planning

for technology projects.

Project Management

There is a lack of professional project management. Projects are not formally managed, controlled,

or measured. No formal process exists for on-boarding projects from a department, appropriating

funding, developing an implementation plan, or providing performance measures.

Architecture and Security

There is no formal technology architecture (guiding principles of development) which leaves

significant risk for security breaches and injection of incompatible hardware and software.

Functional Competencies

Information technology skills and competencies are on the low end of the scale with little to no

certifications for industry-standard information technology disciplines found. Significant risk has been

noted due to lack of critical functional position backup.

Organizational Business Focus

The Information Technology organization needs an expanded focus on supporting City departmental

business. Improvements are required in the areas of project management, business analysis and

vendor management.

Best Value Support

There is a lack of focus on managing the vendors that provide technology services, hardware and

software. Significant cost savings and increased value should be derived from strategic vendor

partnerships.


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Critical Information Technology Improvement Programs Critical programs have been identified for implementation during Q3 and Q4 of 2014. The Technology

Investment Board is the most important program. It will set objectives, drive improvements, and

ensure collaboration between the Information Technology organization and the departments which

will result in significant cost savings.

The Technology Investment Board (TIB) provides guidance for all technology investments desired by

the City departments. The projects are managed by the Program Management Office, then run by the

Operations or Special Operations divisions. The collaboration between planning, funding, and

implementation of projects is one of the most critical aspects that will be addressed by the TIB.

City-wide network and physical security is at risk. An improvement program calls for a City-wide

increase in individual security knowledge and responsibilities, additional layers of physical and network

security, and a change to the security management process.

Finally, expanding capabilities of the Information Technology organization to better support the

departments in the areas of project management, business analysis, departmental relationship

management, security management, and a focus on special technology will dramatically improve the

value to the entire organization.

Bottom Line

We believe that the five goals and nine programs designed for the City’s Information Technology

organization will provide significant risk reduction, cost savings, cost avoidance and the

improvements needed to better enable departmental business.


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2. Introduction The pressure on local Governments has never been greater – to be more efficient, cost effective, convenient, and accessible to the citizens it serves. It is hard to imagine any city initiative that could

achieve high customer satisfaction without technology as a major component.

Today, technology programs are being called upon to derive efficiencies and effectiveness for the City in

ways never considered in the past. However, the City process for planning and investing in technology

are fragmented and do not provide the collaboration and coordination across city departments that is

required to maximize a technological advantage.

The City technology programs operate with minimal professional project management or technical

certifications. In addition, the staffing level of the Information Technology department is well beyond

what would be typically expected in a City of this population. The Information Technology organization

has settled into a “maintaining” mode while the City is demanding more and more from their technology

investments.

Technology for changing the City of Ocala

The City’s future requires that technology be used to increase effectiveness with its constituents as well

as drive efficiencies internally through departmental operational improvements. How the City

manages its Information Technology resources in the coming years will be critical to the success of its

departmental program efforts.

The trends that are faced by the City of Ocala government are significant:

The City’s population continues to grow slowly

City revenue is down and operating at a deficit

Privacy and security – both physical and cyber – are increasingly important to the City and its

residents.

Online City business transactions are the new normal with the citizens of Ocala demanding more

and more online services.

City departments are demanding that technology be used to leverage their limited staff

resources

These facts add up to continuing increases in demand for the City of Ocala services without funding to support the needs. Greater effectiveness and efficiencies are the best avenues available to the City to

improve the satisfaction of their constituents.

Information technology is a key contributor to both the execution and success of the City programs.

While each department director has specific technology needs that must be addressed, several cost-

cutting methods can be identified that are consistent across most of the City programs. Several cost-

cutting methods and the following common concerns were identified during this assessment:


Page | 11

Strategic partnering with vendors to provide services at a more efficient and supportable scale

Application support provided by the vendor supplying the application

A need for consistent and accurate data that will interface with other systems

The assurance that confidential information and valued assets are secure

The ability to easily access information and services while ensuring that such access is allowed only to those intended

Availability of appropriate tools for executive oversight, management decisions, and program

implementation

Efficient and cost saving means to deliver services

Further development of Web based and technology-based channels for the delivery of

information and services to the public

Common Goals Identified Based on Coeur Group’s assessment of all departments in the City of Ocala and the Information

Technology organizations, Coeur Group has defined 5 specific goals that focus on transforming the

Information Technology organization from a technology infrastructure “Maintenance” organization to a “Business Enabling” organization supporting the modernization of the City of Ocala, its departments

and constituent interactions.

These Goals include:

1. Developing a business driven


strategy that directly links to

and supports the City’s

business vision and direction

2. Develop a business defined

technology investment

strategy and processes

3. Structure the technology

organization for Enabling the

Business (ETB) and

modernization

4. Increase the Information

Technology organization’s

operational capabilities and

professional maturity

5. Provide technology services at

the best value to the City of Ocala


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Three Critical Challenges for the City of Ocala The City is facing challenges in three separate impact areas. These include:

Information Technology organizational gaps

Information Technology operational maturity gaps and

Technology investment process gaps

Organizational Gaps

Information Technology has a limited number of resources in place to provide operational and

support services to the City’s internal clients

Skills of the Information Technology organization are limited, due in part to a lack of formal

training programs and no focus on obtaining certifications for professional development

There is a lack of focus on project management resulting in high risk for cost overruns and

project failure

There is a limited focus on managing vendors to gain value from the technology investments

Information Technology Operational Gaps

No baseline Information Technology disciplines exist for Information Technology operations

No vendor management or performance management processes

Inability to support business change effectively without a linkage process to the administrative

vision and direction

Technology Investment Gaps

A lack of business aligned processes for technology investments

Limited linkage to the City’s Executive vision and direction

Lack of a formal technology investment process with project prioritization across all

departments

Each of these specific gaps is impacting the Information Technology organization with challenges that

require focus and improvements. The Coeur Group team has identified each gap and provided specific

recommendations for remediation of the deficiencies.


Page | 13

Assessment Goals

Based upon numerous interviews, surveys

and workshops, a set of five (5) key goals

were developed to represent a holistic

view of the City of Ocala’s current

environment. These 5 goals depict the key

Information Technology organizational

focus and recommendations from Coeur

Group’s comprehensive assessment. Each

of the goals has associated Programs

which are defined in detail and include

Recommended Actions to be taken, anticipated timeframes, probable cost of program implementation,

and expected benefits derived for the City.

Goal Summaries

The City of Ocala Information Technology leadership must develop an Information Technology

Improvement Plan for 2014 – 2016 that defines the timeline and milestone checkpoints for the

recommendations from this detailed Information Technology assessment. The Technology

Implementation Improvement plan will ensure:

Business priorities are clearly defined and funded

Information Technology resources are identified to address business requirements

Specific actions and tactics are defined with resources and timeframes agreed upon with the City

of Ocala management

Improvement plan success criteria are documented and tracked


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The City of Ocala must establish a technology investment structure and associated processes to improve

the application of technology and its effective use its departments. The Technology Investment

structure will ensure:

Business and program priorities are taken into consideration

Business based decisions for technology investments are performed

Funding of priority projects and technology implementations

Oversight and alignment of information technology projects and operations to ensure consistency

with strategic policies

The City of Ocala must improve the structure of the Information Technology organization to

better align with the future business requirements:

Streamline staffing to better align with industry standards

Provide a focus on business technology to increase efficiencies and effectiveness

Provide a focus for continually defining business requirements and seek the best internally or

externally provided solutions

Define an Information Technology organizational focus on improving business and program

priorities

Focus on operational implementation by those most directly responsible for program

performance


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Integrate industry standards and disciplines into daily operations of the Information

Technology organization:

Identify Information Technology skills and competencies to a detailed level including all

professional certifications

Utilization of industry standard Information Technology disciplines

Use of standards for Information Technology operational policies and procedures

Information Technology operational controls (CoBIT)

Information Technology service delivery controls (ITIL)

Project management disciplines for all projects

Focus on defining Information Technology service levels to the departments and establish a

vendor management strategy

Identify the service levels (uptime, response time, availability) required by the departments and

create a SLA agreement between Information Technology and the department

Identify penalties associated to not meeting the SLA to the department

Identify metrics and measurements and how they will be maintained, updated, reported and on

what frequency

Identify cost effectiveness and value services from vendor partners

Identify the service levels (uptime, response time, availability) delivered by the vendors and create

a SLA agreement between Information Technology and the vendor

Identify penalties associated to not meeting the SLA by the vendors

Identify Vendor metrics and measurements and how they will be maintained, updated, reported

and on what frequency

Categorize vendors into commodity, preferred and strategic levels


Page | 16

The Assessment Report Format This Information Technology Assessment provides findings and recommendations in a straight forward

format that includes five Information Technology and business relationship domains which cover all

areas requested by the City of Ocala in the Comprehensive Information Technology Assessment.

The format contains a short explanation of the methodology utilized for the individual domains

assessed, followed by a listing of detailed findings from each section, then a review and general

commentary. The general commentary section is intended to provide the Chief Technology Officer

and Information Technology management with enough detail to develop corrective actions for each

of the five domains. The format also contains actionable recommendations which are laid out to

provide guidance to the CTO as the assessment recommendations are implemented as part of the

overall roadmap.

Assessment Findings and Comments Assessment findings and comments cover the five assessment domains relevant to information

technology capabilities, skills, functionality, and operational effectiveness.


This domain addresses the alliance between the Information Technology department and the

individual City department’s business vision, direction, organizational relationship, communications,

business requirements, and the value of

Information Technology.

Funding and Governance

This domain defines the planning,

processes, policy, and organizational

interaction for managing capital

expenditures and management of the

programs.


This domain identifies the Information

Technology organization structure, design,

and readiness to support the enterprise-

wide business. It also defines requirements for training, professional discipline, maturity, and

utilization of Information Technology industry and best practices for managing people.


Page | 17

Service Delivery and Operations

This domain identifies the methods and practices for the Information Technology organization to

provide service to the enterprise. It also identifies Service Level Agreements (SLA) for internal and

external service suppliers.

Technology Tools and Processes:

This domain identifies the Information Technology organization’s implementation and use of

industry standards for operations, tools, and mechanisms to improve Information Technology

operational efficiencies and effectiveness.


Page | 18

3. Business and Information Technology Alignment This domain addresses the alliance between the Information Technology department and the individual

City department’s business vision, direction, organizational relationship, communications, business

requirements, and the value of Information Technology.

Current State The Information Technology function within the City of Ocala has little collaborative or business needs

communication with the departments. This lack of communication has created an adversarial

relationship and dissatisfaction with the services provided by the department.

Business Alignment Assessment Methodology For this phase of the assessment, Coeur Group conducted stakeholder interviews with all department

heads and additional department personnel. In addition, Information Technology personnel were

personally interviewed and operational reviews were conducted in workshops and through surveys.

All departmental stakeholders participated in a survey to determine how they value Information

Technology within the City departments.

Value of Information Technology to the Business

Critical Success Factor Interviews Individual interviews were conducted with each department head and various departmental personnel.

Across the City of Ocala this assessment reviewed individual business requirements with approximately

50 individuals using over 120 different interactions.

Through this intense and detailed information

gathering process, a summarized set of goals and

objectives were defined as the City of Ocala’s

“Common Executive Vision.”

During these interviews the department goals,

business drivers, barriers, and unique business

requirements were identified in technology terms

which created a core Common Executive Vision for

technology utilization.


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This “Common Executive Vision” (CEV) included the Information Technology functions that address the

following nine areas:

1. An updated Information Technology strategy is needed to reflect future departmental business

needs

2. A defined process for technology investment is required to ensure priorities and follow-up on

funded projects is performed in the most effective manner

3. Projects should be managed to ensure successful implementation and utilization

4. The Information Technology organization should be more in tune with the needs of the City’s

business

5. Security is a major concern and should be addressed in a more in depth manner by the

Information Technology organization

6. Skills and competencies should be continually updated to reflect the needs of the City’s

technology and support requirements

7. The Information Technology organization needs to integrate industry standards and Information

Technology disciplines in the delivery and operation of the technology

8. Services provided by the Information Technology organization should be agreed upon by each of

the departments served

9. A focus on managing vendors to add value to the City and coordination of purchases is needed

Value of Information Technology to the City There are 18 “Best Practices” for generating Value from Information Technology investments and

supporting the business environment. These areas were assessed across all of the City’s departments

and key findings were defined.

The “Best Practices” for Information Technology services, support, and leadership for the departments

are reviewed across three critical dimensions

which include:

1. Business Acumen (does Information

Technology understand the department’s

business requirements, drivers, and issues)

2. Information Technology Leadership (is

Information Technology providing

leadership to assess changing business

needs, planning for integration of new

technologies, and developing plans for

changing support requirements)


Page | 20

3. Information Technology operational capabilities (does Information Technology provide the

support of systems to the level required by the departments, and does Information Technology

deliver services in a timely manner based on individual department needs)

Information Technology Value Perception Survey An Information Technology Value Perception Survey was conducted to define the expectations and

perceptions between the departmental leaders and the information technology personnel. The goal of

the Survey is to provide a view into the current state of the 18 Best Practice areas and help determine

how well the departments and Information Technology are aligned.

Based on the comparison between the Information Technology organization’s input, and that of the

department’s summarization of the Information Technology Value is as follows:

Business Acumen:

Both Business and Information Technology

agree… technology plays a key role in the

business of the City of Ocala


concur, the role of Information Technology

is important to the business of the City of

Ocala


agree that Information Technology

organization does not do well keeping the

technology assets and resources in alignment with the business needs

The departments believe the Information Technology organization can improve

Business/Information Technology alignment

Leadership and Innovation:

Both business and Information Technology

agreed that Information Technology is not

providing the departments with an

information strategy or direction for

technology trends, business improvement

opportunities, or other technology

advances to the level expected.

The departments indicate they are not

satisfied with the level of Information


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Technology helping to drive business initiatives

Information Technology is not providing leadership for cultural change and is not communicating

the value of Information Technology to the business

Information Technology Operations:

The departments and Information Technology agreed that application development is not to a

satisfactory level

The departments and Information

Technology concur that Information

Technology operations and infrastructure

security need improvement

Information Technology lacks formal

processes to gain value from vendors

Information Technology sees itself as unable

to maintain technical knowledge with

funding levels

The departments feel Information

Technology is not managing critical risk well

Critical Gaps identified include:

Reskill Information Technology personnel

Maintain business capabilities

Time critical deployment of


Manage risk

Manage obsolescence

Manage vendors

Application management

The chart at right shows the

relative Gaps identified between

the City of Ocala’s Information

Technology department (outer,

BLUE color), and those being

delivered to the departments

(inner Maroon color).


Page | 22

This chart clearly shows immediate and long term areas requiring improvements, as well as areas that

do not exist in today’s Information Technology functions or processes.

Value Survey Findings

There is a significant need for the Information Technology division to better understand the individual

department business needs.

Virtually no activity is focused on meeting with the department management to understand each

individual business, and the unique or common aspects of their operations.

A good understanding of the City of Ocala’s technology capabilities is evident from the Information

Technology personnel reviews; the individual departments do not understand the capabilities.

There is a lack of communication and relationship building between the Information Technology

leadership and the department management.

Key Findings for Business and Information Technology Alignment

Categories assessed under Business and Information Technology alignment include:

Strategy and vision

Business case and risk

Business processes and requirements

Executive commitment and Critical Success Factors (CSFs)

Business and Information Technology relationship

Communication plans

The following detailed findings provide insight into the relative state of the Information Technology

organization and its alignment with the business. As identified by the findings, the Information

Technology organization and the departments of the City of Ocala are not aligned in many of the areas

which lead to inefficiency and lost opportunity.

City-Wide Business Technology needs are not being met

Overall Value of IT is Below Expectations


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Strategy and Vision The alignment of the Business Vision, Strategy and Goals with the Enterprise Information

Technology Plan and the Enterprise Technology Architecture

Key Findings Implications & Benefits

An Information Technology strategy is missing and

not in concert with the Administration

The information technology strategy is missing and

therefore does not address the City of Ocala

business needs

A City of Ocala business strategy describing

Information Technology utilization was not

observed

Without a City of Ocala business strategy the

information technology plan cannot link directly to it

to provide maximum affect

No evidence was found directing major Information

Technology priorities for project implementation

With a lack of processes for setting priorities for

Information Technology operations and project

implementation, confusion and frustration become

part of the Information Technology culture

Business directed Information Technology strategy

is loosely defined in conversations and not officially

documented for clarity and focus.

Without a directional role for information

technology such as enabling the business for

modernization, the Information Technology

organization can only maintain the operations and

infrastructure

Disparate “Visions” for Information Technology exist

between department executives and Information

Technology

Lack of a strategic City of Ocala vision causes

confusion and frustration


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Business Case and Risk Management Having a defined process to identify critical projects, the business value, and risk mitigation


Little evidence was found that business cases

are utilized to develop funding and project

implementation plans

Lack of business case development for technology

investments significantly decreases the value to the

City of Ocala for any investment made in an ad hoc

manner

A Continuity of Operations Plan that represents

all of the City of Ocala systems and information

was not evident

Without a Continuity of Operations Plan (CoOP) the

City of Ocala information and assets are at significant

risk

Risk management processes and procedures

were not observed to be in use in any of the

functional areas of information technology

A lack of risk management processes significantly

increases the failure rate of project implementation


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Business Processes and Requirements Processes for continually identifying business needs for applications and technology support systems


Many key business processes are not

standardized for automation capability

Without standardized business processes automation

those processes becomes ad hoc and misaligned with

the City of Ocala work efforts

New business processes lack definition of

requirements (business/technology)

Without definition the business requirements and

technology requirements prior to developing new

systems and applications, the application will not

provide the anticipated results and will be left to the

decision purvey of the application developer

Lack of an Information Technology Enterprise

Architecture plan

Without an Enterprise Wide Technology Architecture

(EWTA) plan the Information Technology organization

has no blueprint for developing guiding principles for

procurement of hardware, software and/or development

of applications

Investment decisions are made without a formal

process that includes all parties impacted by a

Project.

Without a formal process for project investment,

expectations and lack of funding are misaligned

Investments are made based upon perceived

needs

Without a formal process for project investment

priorities of the City of Ocala and departments are not

considered as part of the decision process

Little evidence of a “Strategy” for Information

Technology investments

Without an information technology strategy that is part

of the overall City of Ocala administrative defined

strategy, all aspects of the information technology

organization including investment processes will not be

aligned with the business expectations

No evidence of business disciplines driving

Information Technology investments

Without a disciplined approach to information

technology investments, project investments become

ad hoc and funded from numerous sources without

coordination

No evidence that a true Risk Mitigation plan is

considered when investments are implemented

Without a strategic information technology plan, risk

mitigation becomes an ad hoc process

No evidence that the Information Technology Because information technology standards are not


Page | 26

standards have been reviewed or understood by

the departments

understood across the City of Ocala it causes issues

from technology procurements that do not fit the

standards

A noted lack of Project performance processes Without performance measures based on processes

and disciplines, management decisions cannot be

made for improvements

Key business processes are not standardized Lack of standardized business processes cause

significant cost impacts developing applications for one

of a kind processes and nonstandard approaches to

business modernization


Executive Commitment The determination and understanding of the business executive’s Critical Success Factors and the

commitment to utilizing technology for maintaining, enabling or transforming the business


Observed strong Executive commitment for greater

Business’s and Information Technology

collaboration

With strong executive commitment for a rigorous

and disciplined Information Technology organization,

the future of the City’s Information Technology

organization will be to enable the business to

increase revenues and increase efficiencies and

effectiveness of the workforce

The City’s CIO is not seen as a catalyst for positive

change

Without a CIO that is perceived to be a change

leader, the organization as a whole will not achieve

success

No evidence found regarding the charter and role

that Information Technology group plays in the

Departmental planning process.

Without a charter statement for information

technology that is approved by administrative

management, the Information Technology

organization will not be able to clarify its role and

support capabilities to the City of Ocala


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Critical Success Factors Those aspects of the business or operations that are critical to have go well or be done during the year

or the business is at high risk for failure

Key Findings (Common areas of concern defined in interviews)

Increase constituent “Self Service” interactions with the City of Ocala through effective technology

Increase departmental business functionality and capacity/effectiveness

Define most appropriate internal/external resources to provide required levels of services

Identify the most appropriate and common systems to improve the City of Ocala internal operations (i.e.

problem management, case mgmt. system)

Develop business continuity and security


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Business and Information Technology Relationship: Identifying the relationship between Business Management and the Information Technology

Organization as well as defining the “Value of Information Technology” to the business


The Business and Information Technology

relationship is not in sync and Information

Technology is still viewed with some hesitation in

their capability to support the departments

Without collaboration between business and the

Information Technology organization critical

business needs are not understood and provided

shared solutions

Key opportunities are not being met from the

business perspective

Lack of multiple channels of communication

between the Information Technology leadership

and the City of Ocala management hinders

collaboration

Business does not believe Information

Technology can provide the services they require

The Information Technology organization has not

been able to provide value to the City of Ocala

departments

Departments and Information Technology lack

collaboration in planning and in technology

investment decision making processes

Without a formal planning process the Information

Technology organization will not be able to

provide services expected

A noted lack of relationship management focus in

either effort, plans, processes or practice is

apparent between the Information Technology

organization and the business

Without a plan to develop communications and

relationship management between Information

Technology organization and the City of Ocala

management, business goals and requirements

will not be met


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Communication Plans: Identifying the methods, forms, channels and quality of communications between Business Management

and the Information Technology Organization


Communications and communication vehicles/methods

are of low value and ineffective.

Effective communications between Information

Technology and the business are imperative

Methods of planning and/or communicating

requirements lack a standardized approach

Without processes to identify and develop business

requirements, systems cannot be developed that meet

current and future business needs

Information Technology operational standards are

lacking in the form of Service Level Agreements

(SLAs), Policy and Procedures (P&Ps)

Without a formal process to develop agreed-upon

levels of service, expectations will never be met

between Information Technology and business

Information Technology has not produced a Technology

Strategy that defines their capabilities.

The lack of an Information Technology plan to directly

link to the City’s strategy results in missed

expectations


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General Commentary for Business and Information Technology Alignment

Strategy and Vision

Information Technology management should work with the City Manager to develop a strategic

vision for Information Technology. It is imperative that both parties collaborate and concur on the

direction for Information Technology to provide operations, support, and future technology

enablement for the City.

Business Process and Requirements

The business analyst will be a welcome addition based on the departmental interviews and positive

input provided. These business analysts will conduct communication sessions with department

leadership to define business requirements and how technology might help enable the business

more effectively.

Executive Commitment

It is imperative to provide clear, consistent messages to the Information Technology leadership in

support of the changes required as a result of this assessment.

Business Relationship

The Chief Technology Officer must develop good business relationships with each of the

department heads. Continually working with the department leadership and understanding the

department business is a requisite aspect of the Chief Technology Officer position.

Communication Plans

The Information Technology organization must develop multiple channels to communicate

information about its direction and capabilities to provide the departments with services. These

communication channels can begin with the Business analysts and be followed up with monthly

newsletters, information blogs, website updates, etc.


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4. Information Technology Funding and Governance Information Technology Funding and Governance considers the methods and techniques used to

prioritize, manage, control, and allocate resources and the funding of initiatives across the enterprise.

Assessment Methodology This segment of the assessment focused on Information Technology funding, budgeting and

governance. Governance of information technology is a critical element in Information Technology

organizational structure, management and operations.

This area focused on understanding processes that the Information Technology organization, the City's

departments, and the administrative management

utilize to develop an annual Information

Technology operating budget, an Information

Technology project budget, and the management of

those funds (governance) as they are spent and

implemented.

Coeur Group utilizes best practices for Information

Technology financial planning as indicated in the

model at right which includes:

Joint planning efforts between Information

Technology, departments, and City

Administration

Execution of the implementation plan through

implementation, measurement, adjustment, and performance management

Impact is defined through cost management, program management, methodologies, and

performance management.

Coeur Group reviewed the Information Technology budget for operational funding. In addition, this

assessment reviewed the processes for developing the Information Technology budget and

understanding the linkage between administrative and departmental funding for projects and

programs.

The Information Technology operational budget takes care

of the core and nondiscretionary costs that are utilized to

Run the Business (RTB). In addition to the operational

categories, Coeur Group looks for the connection between

the department planning and the development of program

and project funding for implementing those needs. The

funding for these areas would be an additional

“discretionary enhancements” by the departments or


Page | 32

growth requirements in the Grow the Business (GTB) category.

The final category for Information Technology financial management focused on any venture

investments or investments that would Transform the Business (TTB) of the City.

To begin any program or project it is essential for the Information Technology organization to have

formal project management capabilities. Coeur Group looked at the project inventory as well as the

ability for the Information Technology organization to implement those projects with project

management disciplines.

Based on a City of Ocala Project Inventory, the listing of

projects being implemented by the Information Technology

organization is fairly extensive but undefined.

Projects do not have a business sponsor or funding to

accomplish the implementation.

The list of projects, prioritization, and funding in most cases

are not prioritized by a departmental sponsor. Without a

process defined for Information Technology investments

the City of Ocala departmental expected outcomes from

these projects will likely not be met.

Current State During the past several years, the City’s funding for the

Information Technology organization has decreased. Due to

the level of funding, much of the technology investments

have come from departmental demands directly to the

Information Technology organization, which in many cases,

go undelivered.

The process for investing in technology is ad hoc and not standardized across departments or within

the Information Technology organization itself. Therefore it is recommended that an Information

Technology funding and investment process be developed to align investments in technology with the

City of Ocala's business direction.

To maximize the utilization of funding for technology investments, a Technology Investment Board (TIB)

is being recommended to be developed to address this gap in aligning Information Technology and the

City’s departmental business needs.


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Key Findings for Information Technology Funding and Governance

Categories under Information Technology Funding and Governance Domain include:

Information Technology governance model

Information policy

Methodologies

Program and Project Management

Budget and resource management

Statements of work and memorandums of understanding

Information Technology Funding and Governance

Technology Investment Governance Model Identifying the methods, processes, control measures, procedures, prioritization and authorities needed

for the identification, business sponsorship, funding, prioritization and implementation of programs

defined by Business Management


Technology investments are AdHoc and lack sufficient

coordination across the departments to maximize

impact of scarce funding.

Provides City wide collaboration on and maximization

of funding and utilization of common technology.

Provides a collaborative forum for departments to

provide joint funding of critical technology across the

City of Ocala

Information Technology and departments lack a

process for taking desired investments to funded

projects

Identifies critical and strategic needs defined by the

departments

Defines priority for technology investments

Utilizes scarce funding dollars to drive the maximum

impact for the City of Ocala

Poor authority level and justifications for what

Information Technology investments can be made

Technology Investment Board (TIB) members would

define guidelines for procurement of technology to

1. Technology Investment and Governance Strategy is Lacking

2. Program and Project Management are inadequate

3. Software selection, implementation, utilization, support, and

funding are inadequate to support the business


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without a second opinion

eliminate duplicate or non-standard technology

No formal process or policy was identified that

provided alignment of funding with the business

needs, strategy, or expectations

Each technology investment must have a “Business

Executive” as the sponsor

The Information Technology organization provides

affirmation and concurrence with Technology

Standards for the City of Ocala (Enterprise

Architecture)

The Program Management organization provides an

implementation plan which becomes part of the

approval process for technology investments

Provides a means of measuring technology

investments with a planned approach and

management checkpoints by the TIB

Lack of a formal Information Technology budgeting

process

Better informed Information Technology financial

decision making, more equitable, business based, and

consistent evaluation of Information Technology

initiatives, best opportunity to manage hardware,

software and resource procurement

Budget to actual project tracking is not evident

Developing a Project Budget to Actual process

provides a project update monthly

Provides an Information Technology spend status on

each Project so departments can better understand

potential additional investments as required

Provides accountability of Information Technology

organization to the business during implementation

Identifies additional Information Technology

organizational funding if required

No evidence of a formal process for identification,

prioritization, funding or sponsorship

Lack of prioritization of projects by the City-wide

management team causes confusion and lack of

coordination of scarce resources


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Methodologies Identifying the approaches utilized for initiating, funding, measuring and managing investments in technology and resources


No evidence of processes or methodologies used to

develop the City-wide funding, measuring, or managing

of projects

Information Technology organizations that do not

follow standard disciplines lose efficiencies and

effectiveness of implementing technology and hamper

the business of the City of Ocala by reducing the

impact of Information Technology resources

No evidence of key methodologies for Information

Technology Architecture, Project Management or

Business Relationship Management

A City-wide information technology architecture would

provide principles and guidelines for ensuring

technology investments fit with the capabilities of the

infrastructure and future planned infrastructure for the

City of Ocala

No evidence of Operational Plans and Procedures Without operations plans, Information Technology

resources and assets cannot be appropriately

managed to meet the needs of the business

No evidence of Service Level Agreements

Without Service Level Agreements, expectations

between business and the Information Technology

organization will likely always be at odds when critical

outages or downtime is affected

No evidence of operational metrics

Without operational metrics, it is not possible to make

effective decisions for resources, assets or services

required to enable the business

Existing methods for procurement of technology and

services appears to be random or AdHoc and often

defaults to picking the “cheapest” or “neatest” solution

Without a methodology for procurement of services

and technology, the Information Technology

organization is at the mercy of the vendor sales

strategy


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Information Policy

Identification and definition of the Policies and Procedures for managing the Businesses Information


Formal Information Technology Policies and

Procedures are lacking or non-existent

Lack of basic policies and procedure will not enable

the Information Technology organization to perform in

a uniform approach and manner

Critical business information is at risk of permanent loss

Without a formal and implemented security policy

coupled with security training for employees, the City

of Ocala’s information and data remain at risk

System access and security is compromised due to

missing or not followed policies or procedures

By having each employee acknowledge the security

policy they are personally stating they are responsible

for their actions and recognize the implications of good

security practices

Some policies are created as a work-around due to a

lack of formal department-wide expectations (i.e.

weekly backup of all laptops because a formal

database management policy is not in place)

Without documented policies and procedures ad hoc

processes will continue to marginalize any efficiencies

gained by use of technology

Information Technology Funding

and Governance

Program/Project Management Identifying the processes, priorities and models utilized to develop, initiate and manage investments in technology projects and portfolios


No Program Management structure exists to manage

and maintain projects

Without a program or project management structure

and appropriate policies, project implementations have

a high likelihood of over 60 to 80% failure rate

The Information Technology organization lacks Project

Management skills and utilizes AdHoc project tracking

processes via spreadsheets

The organization lacks project management skills

which is one of the critical disciplines required within

an Information Technology organization


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Setting project priorities lacks a process that involves

City-wide collaboration and input from the departments

Without involvement of the departments in the setting

of priorities for projects, information technology

organization sets priorities by default which may not

be in alignment with the requirements of the business

Information Technology project funding lacks City-wide

formality

Without a formal process for funding projects

sponsored by the department’s leadership, project

implementation expectations will not be met

Projects are unfunded, unsupported, unplanned, and

lack manpower

Projects that are unfunded: by definition of the Project

Management Institute do not institute a project.

Departmental business sponsors and funding are just

two of the key criteria for a “Project”

Projects enter Information Technology informally and

are often dropped

Without a project approval and pipeline process,

ownership transfers to the Information Technology

organization by default increasing the probability of

project failure or lack of project initiation


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and Governance

Budget and Resource Management Identification of the processes, procedures, and policies for development, authorization, spending, management, and tracking of Information Technology finances


Lacks coordination and prioritization for projects and

there is no evidence of a formal Information Technology

budget or process

The lack of a formal budget process increases the

chances of spending in areas of low priority for the

business

Infrastructure budget is defined for maintenance-

focused operations

The lack of Information Technology financial budget

categories does not provide management with

decision capability regarding information technology

spending

Core and non-discretionary budgets for technology and

resources are the predominance of funding focus

The lack of a traditional Information Technology

financial budget categories does not provide sufficient

information for properly managing Information

Technology organizational spending

Information Technology lacks a standardized and

collaborative process to involve the departments in

resource planning and associated funding

Without standard processes to involve the

Departments and the City’s leadership in budget

development, appropriate resources and priorities of

projects will not reflect business needs

Information Technology spending is not formally

tracked at all levels

Without a formal Information Technology financial

tracking process it is difficult to determine Information

Technology operations improvements

Information Technology spending occurs outside of the

Information Technology department

Without a formal Information Technology budget in

place, and without all technology procurements going

through a centralized focus, multiple dollars are spent

in shadow Information Technology purchases

Information Technology funding is based on a break/fix

methodology

Without a formal Information Technology budget

process, funding of Information Technology defaults to

cover the basic operational cost. No formal project

funding process is in place.

Lack of formalized City-wide budget and project funding

process

Without a formal Information Technology budget

process involving all the departments and Ocala’s

leadership, business priorities are misaligned with

spending


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General Commentary for Information Technology Funding and Governance

Technology Governance Model:

There is no formal governance model defining processes for funding or implementation of programs by

the Information Technology organization. When a department has projects to implement, they should

be managed through a gating structure. This gating structure should be composed of departmental

leaders as well as Information Technology management and City management.

Develop a Technology Investment Board made up of Assistant City Managers, the Police Chief, the City

Manager, the Council President and the Chief Technology Officer.


and Governance

Statement of Work or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Identify how Programs and Projects will be delivered to the business based on defined requirements, business sponsorship, funding,

and documented deliverable agreements


Project Scope documents were not evident for

implementation of a project

Without documented project plans, projects have a

high potential of failure thereby wasting scarce funding

Statements of Work are either non-existent or informal

and evidence suggested no direct linkage to funding

availability. (Note: When Information Technology

creates the SOW the department making the request

appears to believe that they have handed off the full

project responsibility to the Information Technology

organization and longer needs to be involved.)

Without a scope of work for a project, and without a

departmental sponsor, projects cannot be aligned

directly with the departmental business requirements

Requirement changes are not formally controlled Lack of a formal Change Management Process

drastically increase Scope Creep, development time,

implementation time, and cost


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Develop a process for defining the City-wide investment in technology, and provide a prioritization of

those investments driven by the City business requirements.

Develop a formal “Business Case” that justifies technology investments for the City departments.

As part of the City budgeting process, develop the mechanisms for an Information Technology financial

based budget, cost containment goals, and meaningful Information Technology financial reporting on a

monthly basis.

As part of the recommended monthly Technology Investment Board review process, the Information

Technology project budget to actuals should be reviewed.

The primary function of the Technology Investment Board (TIB), is to collaborate and define the City-

wide prioritization of technology investments.

Information Policy:

A formal information policy needs to be developed. The information policy should define the

parameters for the City, describing how information is to be accessed, utilized, protected, and

disposed.

Develop Information Technology policies and procedures that link directly to the City of Ocala policies.

Develop a security policy that is consistent with City, State and Federal security requirements.

Implement a security access policy with individual employee acceptance and signature.

Information Technology operational policies should be standardized and documented in an Information

Technology policy handbook.


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Program and Project Management:

The Information Technology organization does not have certified Project Managers. Without a

program/project management office structure in place, projects have no verification and validation of

the implementation and will significantly decrease value of their investment. Formal Project

Management training should take place with certifications in project management being a motivational

goal for individuals who accept those challenges. Project Management is one of the key skill sets

required for the Information Technology organization to support the City departments.

The Information Technology organization should conduct a skills assessment to define potential

candidates for Project Management roles. The organization should identify potential Project Managers

both internally and externally resourced for implementation of major projects.

Project prioritization should take place within the Technology Investment Board during and in

collaboration with the Information Technology leadership and the departments.

The Information Technology organization must implement a formal process for collaborative

discussion, business case formulation, and executive sponsorship from the departments, to ensure

initial project funding at the correct level as well as year-by-year maintenance and operating costs.

The Information Technology organization must secure support from the TIB to fund projects or expect

that they will not be implemented.

A formal process must be developed to ensure projects have TIB approval prior to implementation by

the Information Technology organization.

As part of implementing a Program Management Office, project scope documents should be

standardized and every approved project must have a full project implementation plan.

Develop project plans for each SOW complete with timeframes, milestones, reviews, and signoff.


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As part of the Technology Investment Board process, project plans will be developed once the business

sponsor and Information Technology leadership concur that the project should be funded and can be

merged into the City infrastructure.

A formalized process must be developed and implemented for the identification, documentation,

validation, and requirements gathering prior to any development.

A Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) methodology must be chosen for the Information

Technology organization to move forward on any development activities.

Methodologies Recommendations:

The Information Technology organization must familiarize themselves with three industry-standard

disciplines which include Control Objectives for Information Technology (CoBIT), Information

Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) and Project Management Institute disciplines.

A City-wide Information Technology architecture plan should be developed providing a blueprint for

infrastructure acquisition and management.

The Information Technology organization should develop an operational plan which is reviewed on a

quarterly basis with the TIB to ensure capabilities and capacities for change are ready.

Service Level Agreements should be developed for each City department with signature and

documentation concurred upon by the department director and the Information Technology

leadership.

Metrics for Information Technology operations should be developed to cover at a minimum:

Planning processes

Strategy and direction

Documentation


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Administration processes

Resource management

Financial management

Quality management

Change management

Service management

Architecture management

Delivery practices

Platform applications

Maintenance

Support services

Relationship management

Technology management

The Information Technology organization should integrate proven vendor management practices and

methods into their procurement and vendor management strategy.

Statement of Work and MOU Recommendations:

As part of implementing a program management office, project scope documents should be

standardized and every approved project must have a full project implementation plan.

A formalized process must be developed and implemented for identifying, documenting, validating,

and developing business requirements prior to any development.


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5. Human Capital Management This domain examines the organization structure, personnel, culture, skills, competencies, functional

readiness, training, roles, responsibilities, and incentives across the organization.

Current Situation

The structure, roles and responsibilities of

the City’s technology workforce has not

kept pace with the changing technology

environment. The department must move

to a more customer-centric service delivery

model with skill sets not readily available in

the existing Information Technology

organization. Similarly, skills needed to

sustain critical systems and the City’s

networks are not deep enough to ensure

operation in the event of staff loss. City

Information Technology has not been able

to acquire sufficient skills or capacity to

operate at high levels of effectiveness and

provide for the increasing demands. The

City of Ocala needs to strengthen (not

increase) its information technology workforce to meet the challenges of supporting a large and

complex organization in a dispersed environment through strategic partnering with external service

delivery resources.

With this in mind, the Information Technology organization must redirect the roles and responsibilities

of the workforce based on Executive and departmental needs so it can deliver value to the

organization. In addition, higher levels of communications are necessary between Information

Technology and the City leadership as a whole. As the City has grown, the need for additional

Information Technology resources (external sourced) have not been continually addressed thereby

placing the City’s Information Technology well behind a service delivery demand curve.


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Assessment Methodology The assessment for Information Technology staffing was conducted utilizing Human Capital

Management models for skill sets, competencies, operations, and service delivery. In particular the

Human Capital Management model shown

at right was utilized to address the key areas

required in this assessment. Specifically,

Coeur Group conducted “Skills Assessments”

to determine the existing skills of the

Information Technology staff.

In addition, Coeur Group conducted

assessments that gained input on:

Performance reviews

Skill improvements and matching to business requirements

Salary planning

Training

Project training

Process tracing and information sharing

Based on self-assessments and individual and group interview session, Coeur

Group provides a consolidated view of the current capabilities of the

Information Technology organization.


Page | 46

Key Findings for Human Capital Management

Categories under Human Capital Management include:

Organizational Structure

Organization Readiness

Functional Competencies

Training

Knowledge Transfer


Organizational Structure Identification of the reporting hierarchy, relationships, organizational processes and procedures for supporting the business


Vision of the City Manager and Police Chief is not

shared to the Information Technology level

Information Technology runs without full knowledge

and support of the City Manager and Police Chief

Information Technology direction does not address

individual departmental requirements

Departmental requirements go unmet

Information Technology CIO has not worked to address

individual requirements of the departments since her

hiring

Departments work independently with limited

coordinated support

1. Human capital management is not centered on needs

2. Technology skills are not in line with typical City expectations

3. Roles and responsibilities are not adequately defined

4. IT management is inadequately equipped to meet demand


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Organization Readiness Identification of the capabilities and capacity to support the Business Vision and Strategy while categorizing the

organization within the Capabilities Maturity Model Integration and other standards for Information Technology

disciplines


Information Technology lacks knowledge of standards

and best practices

Without formalized processes and procedures, risk of

failure is high

Inadequate staffing for current and future job skills Information Technology is highly exposed to failure

due to inadequate depth of skills needed for current

and future business requirements

Inadequate formalized funding of projects Projects are tossed “over the wall” with no official

process for funding or sponsorship

Job knowledge is not captured and used to address

future requests

Without diligent use of a knowledge based tool for

tracking all service requests, knowledge is lost and

must be reinvented


Functional Competencies Identification of the Skills, Competencies, and Assets needed to support the Business Vision, Strategy and

Operating Plans


Limited Information Technology skills in operational

areas

Reliable support of the organization is at risk in

some areas

Competencies required to implement the project list are

not available within the Information Technology

organization

Projects are undertaken without the skills to deliver

Skills and technical requirements inventories are not

available

Without a proper skills inventory projects cannot be

properly staffed


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Architectural competencies have not been included in

the functional competencies

Overall design and layout of the infrastructure is

lacking a master plan. Without an information

system Architecture, proper guidelines for

infrastructure improvements will not be coordinated

Training is not taking place due to management

inaction

Without training, additional projects cannot be

undertaken

Key skills are not available Limited cross functional skills create a probability of

failure due to staff loss or turnover

Skills assessment for each staff member is not evident Without a skills list for each employee the

department will be unaware of internal skills that

can be applied to projects

Skills based assessment for each project is not evident Failure to identify required skills and plan for their

implementation causes projects to labor and fail

Skills assessment to meet future needs not evident Failure to plan for future needs forces the

organization to be reactive rather than proactive


Training

Based upon gaps in staff skills and long term need, creates plans to ensure Skills, Competencies, and Educational

Requirements are in place to continually meet business need


Lack of Information Technology standard certifications

Certifications indicate competency and enable

capability

Individual training development not established

Without a formal process for developing the workforce,

skills and competencies for the organization will not be

able to support growing departmental needs

No evidence of a training or certification plan Without an educational plan, departmental operations

cannot be assured


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No evidence of new hire orientation materials Without standardized educational materials for new

hires, improper training takes place

Formal career plans are not in place for each

Information Technology staff

Formal career planning is essential to success.

Information Technology Staff are not able to keep up

with the rapidly changing technology. Lack of training

results in an "learn as you go" thus reducing

efficiency.

On-the-job training is the standard Lack of formal training limits the ability of the

department to perform

Knowledge base training is not captured and utilized Each new employee must reinvent their training


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General Commentary on Human Capital Management

Information Technology Organizational Structure The Information Technology organization is one of very few functions whose influence and scope span

across all of City government and touches each user of the City of Ocala’s services.

The position of Information Technology within the City organizational chart distances the organization

from the decision making process and reduces its ability to deliver products and services to the

departments. Placing the Information Technology organization at the Executive level is recommended.

The disjointed placement of separated Police and City’s Information Technology departments is not in

the best interest of the City. The current structure creates tension, and greatly limits the ability of the

organization to reduce costs through consolidation of services.


Knowledge Transfer

Methods, models, and tools utilized to ensure technical and business process knowledge is captured, continually

maintained and transferred to appropriate departmental personnel as well as other business units


Information Technology cross functional training is not

evident

Total reliance upon individual with little or no backup

Limited knowledge transfer with departments Knowledge is trapped within specific individuals with

little knowledge sharing or transfer creating a virtual

impossibility of redundant support

Information Technology self-paced documentation not

evident

Without self-paced training, staff is relearning each

time a new person comes on board

Knowledge is lost due to no formal capture process or

tools

Knowledge capture allows for the experience of staff

to be multiplied throughout the Information Technology

organization


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Planning Proper advanced planning provides the City with technology advice, trends, research, and collaboration

on how to properly invest in technology to maximum its impact to the City as well as validation that the

City-wide Technology Architecture can properly integrate and support the technology investment.

The planning function develops program and project plans prior to Technology Investment Board

investment approval. This ensures a method of implementation is defined, progress reporting and

milestones are in place, and accountability is assigned prior to TIB final signoff.

Enhanced Organization Structure and Functionality The organizational structure should be enhanced to include additional functional support areas. Based

upon departmental interviews, Coeur Group has identified three specific functions that should be added

to enhance support of the City business.

These additional functions include:

Program and Portfolio Management

Operations

Special Operations

Program and Portfolio Management Information Technology projects are not being not managed to any standard or expected disciplines.

Although some projects are being accomplished, there is no evidence these projects are being

accomplished while adding value to, or improving, the effectiveness or efficiencies of the City

departments.

As new projects are brought to the organization, there should be a formal process for integrating the

new projects into the existing project stream. More specifically, the Information Technology

organization has the responsibility to the requesting department to provide a project plan for each

project. This plan should include the cost, time, people, and quality commitment.

Organizational needs dictate the addition of two certified Project Managers and two certified Business

Analysts for the purpose of ensuring successful on time, on budget implementations of projects.

Special Services During the assessment it was noted that a number of departments require specialized services. These

services include but are not limited to mobile data terminals, SCADA, access control, radio

communications, and internet supply via the telecom department.


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Our assessment noted a number of these technologies are dispersed across individual departments

outside of the span of the Information Technology department. The Information Technology

organization should be responsible for the support function of these systems and applications.

Responsibility for support of special systems does not mean fixing the devices or application, but rather

the management of the support processes and specialized vendor.

As an Information Technology organization, management of vendors in a coordinated and collaborative

manner is essential to gaining increased value from technology investments.

Vendor Management The vendor management function should be focused on identification of the strategic and preferred

vendors of the City. Strategic vendors (those whose systems and/or hardware are critical links in

department business) should be managed to provide added value and no charge services as part of a

strong business relationship with that company. For that, the Strategic Vendor receives individual

attention in the planning process for modernization of the City as well as developing expectations of

increased value to the City.

The Preferred vendors (those vendors who want to become strategic, and are not dealing in commodity

items) should be groomed to provide value added services and prove their partnering capabilities with

the City.

Skills and Competency Requirements Formal education requirements for employment in the Information Technology department are needed.

Formal career planning based upon City vision is needed. Knowledge based education is needed

specifically in the Program and Project Management area as well as in special services such as GIS,

SCADA, access control, fire, police, and radio technology.

Establish formal knowledge capture process. Identify appropriate knowledge capture tools

(databases/knowledgebase) and implement. Ensure all personnel are trained in the use and operation

of the knowledgebase.

Required skills for effective implementation of the City business needs over the next few years will

include:

Project Management (professional management of approved projects)

Business Analyst business relationship management (direct interface of IT with the departmental

business units defining current and future technology needs and options)


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The addition of two Business Analyst positions and two Project Managers is recommended. The

Business Analyst is the first line of support to the Information Technology user (not help desk related).

The Analyst gathers information regarding the user’s request, helps to build the business case for

justification to the Technology Investment Board, and provides the link to the user through the entire

process including final turn over to the Operations Group to run the completed project.

The Project Manager position is one of the key ingredients to implement successful projects.

Formal career planning based upon the new CTO vision is needed. Developing a training program based

on commercially available courses is appropriate for most technically detailed training such as

certifications in networks, etc. Knowledge based education is needed. Creation of a formal knowledge

capture process is required.

Education and Development A training program needs to be created and focused toward those areas which need improvements:

operations, service delivery, vendor management, procurement, network management, application

support, and technical support. This training plan must take into consideration our recommendation for

strategic partnering with external resources.

Information Technology Strategic Sourcing Strategy

Because Information Technology funding is limited, the ability to add headcount is not within the

capabilities of the City. It is therefore recommended that Strategic Sourcing of multiple internally

managed and supported operations be implemented as soon as possible. The organization must seek

opportunities for delivering products and services through the use of strategic partnering with private

companies rather than delivering all services inside the Information Technology organization. Significant

savings can be obtained by use of this methodology.


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6. Service Delivery & Operations This Domain examines the organization’s portfolio of products and services, reviews Service Level

Agreements, and examines the processes and procedures used to support enterprise requirements and

ongoing business operations.

Assessment Methodology Service delivery and operations is a set of

specialized organizational capabilities for

providing value to the City of Ocala

internal and external customers in the

form of services. These are normally

recognized by the departments and

external customers as service response,

or, “how well does the Information

Technology organization meet my

needs?” It is critical for a successful

organization to understand how well the

Information Technology services and

processes are aligned to business goals.

In addition, understanding which service management frameworks are applicable to the organization

and the processes in those frameworks that will afford the City of Ocala both short and long term gains

with minimal risk.

The City service delivery and operations were assessed and compared to “Best Practices” in three

major categories which included:

1. Planning for the Information Technology future needs of the City of Ocala

2. Administration of the Information Technology processes to run the Information Technology

organization

3. Delivery of services to the departments and constituents

During the assessment all department directors as well as a number of department personnel were

interviewed. The interviews detailed each department’s plans, critical success factors, driving issues,

barriers to business goals, and opportunities for better efficiencies and effectiveness.


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Information Technology personnel were engaged in a number of workshops where work processes,

policies, methods, and tools were assessed. The best known model for conducting maturity

assessments is the Capability Maturity Model (CMM), which was developed at the Software

Engineering Institute (SEI) at Carnegie Mellon University. Process maturity is about moving an

organization from a dependence on individual heroics to an organization that has well-defined,

repeatable and predictable processes and procedures which are consistently followed. Departmental

maturity based upon the industry standard of Capabilities Maturity Matrix Integration (CMMI), CoBIT,

ITIL, and Project Management were reviewed and assessed. Gaps were identified as compared to

industry recognized Information Technology operational benchmarks and standards as well as the

expectations of the City of Ocala’s departments.

The five levels of CMMI maturity are defined as:

Level 1 – Ad-hoc: Mostly individual heroics, firefighting, from one event to the next. No time to plan

how to be proactive.

Level 2 – Standardized: Information Technology

typically has documentation defining how to

deliver its services, and understands what level of

service is expected by the customer. This is

normally at a group or team level, and most likely

not across the organization.

Level 3 – Defined: Results are measured to the

best practices organization-wide, so everyone

responsible for a process or activity understands

what is expected and the organization can

consistently achieve the goal of the individual

processes.

Level 4 – Quantified: Once the organization has standardized and defined the delivery of services, it

can now quantify the performance, and identify areas for improvement, including the ability to

understand the cost of delivering each service.

Level 5 – Optimizing: The organization can take the quantitative measurements (Level 4) and review

the standards for delivery (Level 3) to improve the processes and technologies used to deliver the

services.


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Information Technology Operational Control Objectives Control Objectives for Information Technology and related technology (CoBIT) is the Information

Technology operational standard for assessing operations. Control Objectives is directed toward the

management and staff control and audit

functions—and, most importantly, to the

business process owners. Control Objectives

provides a working, desktop document for these

individuals. Precise and clear definitions of a

minimum set of controls to ensure

effectiveness, efficiency, and economy of

resource utilization are identified. For each

process, detailed control objectives are

identified as the minimum controls needed—

those controls that will be assessed for

sufficiency by the control professional. Control

Objectives allows the translation of concepts

presented in the framework into specific controls applicable for each Information Technology process.

The City of Ocala’s Information Technology assessment addressed 14 categories of Information

Technology operational effectiveness and

shown here:

We recommend specific goals for the

Information Technology Operational

Categories which would take into account

the position for Information Technology

Operational Maturity, the needs of the City

departments and the nominal standards

for adequate practice in the categories

defined.

Source: ISACA

Business Objectives

IT Resources

•People

•Application systems

•Technology

•Facilities

•Data

Planning & OrganizationMonitoring

Acquisition & ImplementationDelivery & Support

CCOBOBITIT

•Availability

•Compliance

•Reliability

Information•Effectiveness

•Efficiency

•Confidentiality

Source: ISACA

Business Objectives

IT Resources

•People

•Application systems

•Technology

•Facilities

•Data

Planning & OrganizationMonitoring

Acquisition & ImplementationDelivery & Support

CCOBOBITIT

•Availability

•Compliance

•Reliability

Information•Effectiveness

•Efficiency

•Confidentiality


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Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL framework – shown below) is defined by a

collection of processes that make up a framework describing different aspects of best-practice

Information Technology delivery of support

services. There are 8 service delivery

categories covered in the assessment which

the Information Technology organization must

become familiar and develop an ongoing

program to utilize and integrate into their daily

support structure and work habits.

These 8 categories become the externalization

of the City of Ocala’s Information Technology

efforts to provide services, whereas the

Control Objectives for Information Technology

(CoBIT) are the internal Information Technology operating processes. Both these frameworks are

necessary to build the capabilities and maturity required for the City of Ocala’s Information Technology

organization to maximize efficiencies and effectiveness.

These Service Delivery categories will take a number of years to fully integrate; however as part of

standardizing the delivery of services based on the departments changing requirements, these areas

must be the focal point of defining future services. The disciplines for delivering service to the City of

Ocala’s departments and constituents include:

Service delivery: what services the City of Ocala Information Technology must provide to the

business

Financial management

Capacity management

Availability management

Continuity management

Service Level management

Service Support: how the City of Ocala Information Technology ensures the customer has access

to the appropriate services

Change management

Release management

Problem management

Incident management


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Configuration management

Service desk

Planning to implement service management: how to start the changeover to ITIL defines the steps

to identify how an organization might expect to benefit from ITIL and how to set about reaping

those benefits

Security management

Infrastructure management: processes, organization, and tools that are needed to provide a

stable Information Technology and communications infrastructure

Network service management

Operations management

Management of local processors

Computer installation and acceptance

Systems management

The business perspective: explains the key principles and requirements of the business

organization and operation and how these relate to the development, delivery and support of

Information Technology services

Application management: how to manage the software development lifecycle and testing

Software asset management.

Network Security Coeur Group utilizes the National Institute of Standards for Information Technology (NIST) as the

baseline for our network security assessments. For the City of Ocala, Coeur Group provided minimal

monitoring and examination of network functions as a cost savings feature to the overall contract. A

network scan, IP address examination, and network access was performed. Key network security

vulnerabilities were supplied to the head of IT security for the City and are not included in this report

due to their sensitivity.


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Key Findings for Service Delivery and Operations

Categories under Service Delivery and Operations include:

Enterprise systems management

Service level management

Information Technology business value

Sourcing and vendor management

Contracts management

Best practice implementations

Network security vulnerabilities

Service Delivery & Operations

Enterprise Systems Management Identify the capabilities of the organization to proficiently operate all technology systems, software, and support

mechanisms needed to enable the enterprise


No service level agreements exist Service priorities and metrics cannot be established

without the determination of an agreed upon baseline

General hardware standards have not been established

and published

Departments have the capability to buy outside of City-

wide standards and do so. Additional stress is placed

upon the service organization in support of nonstandard

products. Nonstandard products may not be comparable

with department business applications

There is limited use of a help desk application. Inability to

track repeat failures and proactively address is a

significant gap

Time spent by help desk personnel gathering

information regarding the problems and administratively

closing out tickets distracts them from resolving the

technical issues

System operational knowledge resides with a few long

term employees

Lacking a method or system for knowledge transfer is a

major risk if personnel leave or retire

1. Service Delivery is NOT #1

2. Ad-Hoc processes and procedures are the rule, not the exception


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No formal hardware installation guide Installations become the procedure of the day and not

the established procedure. Individual jobs may require

additional applications/programs however the base

configuration should be standardized for each job

classification. Not adhering to standards has a negative

effect on returning systems to service after an outage is

recorded

No formal system image management guide Supporting City-wide devices without a clearly

understood and implemented set of images, places a

clear burden on the support personnel. SLAs should be

written against agreed upon "images"

No formal management reporting guide No formal policies have been implemented and

therefore Service Level Agreements with departments

have not been instituted. Monthly reports for the

Information Technology department become a narrative

of recent activities and not a report against measurable

goals

Change control process is not evident Not having a change control process tied to asset

management, image management, and overall service

management issues creates excessing rework.

Application or database changes may have significant

consequences on operational access when change

management is not in place

Security and controls guide not evident Without documented policies and procedures the

department personnel are not aware of their

responsibilities regarding information security. Including

but not limited to handling of both electronic and

physical information that may be considered sensitive or

confidential

Critical situation and Emergency Management plan not

established

A continuity of operation plan is critical for the ongoing

support of the City and to support the community.

COOP for critical systems and data has not been defined

nor documented

Business recovery plan not established Application and data recovery plans cannot be

formulated to consider the best business practices

without review of the departments COOP. Without the

City COOP the technology group is restricted to restoring

systems, applications, and data in an AdHoc manner


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Service Level Management Identify the level of support required by the departmental business and the capabilities of the organization to

provide and deliver services to meet the performance demand or agreed upon commitments


Service level practices based on ITIL standards are not

evident

Service priorities and metrics cannot be established


Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are not evident between

Information Technology and the departments

Service priorities and metrics cannot be established


Inadequate focus on department requirements

If changing department requirements are not identified

and acted upon, the organization will continue to be

looked at as unprepared to support the City’s business

operations

No formal priority for service delivery

Without system and departmental priorities,

Information Technology cannot properly provide the

services

No service level expectations from the departments (just

keep it running)

Expectations of support have not been defined and

approved by senior management within the City and

therefore reporting metrics cannot be established


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Information Technology Business Value Each service and program offered should align with departmental business objectives


Departments believe that Information Technology is a

“reactive only” organization

Information Technology must be part of the department

planning and joint development of technology needs and

requirements

Information Technology lacks proactive technical

recommendations that support departmental business

Addition of the Business Analyst will provide this

function

Departments perceive Information Technology as a poor value for services delivered


Sourcing and Vendor Management Identifies the organization’s ability to manage vendors and suppliers of technology, software, and services in a

manner that maximizes the benefits to the enterprise while ensuring vendor performance and commitment to

documented levels


No vendor portfolio is in place to understand vendor

commitments, or portfolio of services provided

Without a focus on managing the vendors to the

contractual delivery commitments, Information

Technology will be following the vendor’s strategy

No vendor performance criteria were found that would

enable effective management of vendors and set

expectations of the vendor’s role for the City of Ocala

Without vendor performance criteria, the City loses

significant value

Vendor management through the use of formal project

management is not in use

Vendor deliverables must be managed as a project


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Contracts Management

Identify the organizations ability to manage vendor contracts for maximum effectiveness and value to the

enterprise


Vendor contract management is lacking in vendor

milestones, and performance being tied to contractual

service levels

Without any formalized process managing vendor

contracts, Information Technology dollars will be wasted

The City of Ocala’s procurement policies are not followed

by Information Technology

The policies are unclear and not understood by most

Information Technology personnel

Formal communication process with vendors is not

apparent

A formal process with the vendor is required to ensure

clear expectations

No single point of contact for vendors is evident

A single point of contact should be assigned for each

technology vendor


Best Practice Implementations Based on the collective experience of commercial and governmental practitioners


Limited use of Best Practices for managing and operating


Not learning from the success of other organizations

inhibits the efficient use of systems and personnel


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Network Security Vulnerabilities A formal methodic examination of the security management and risks associated to each system, server, and

network


High amount of vulnerabilities noted in the network High risk of data loss or operational interruption

Software versions are not up to date and patched Very high risk. This is where most attacks originate

Not compliant with National Institute of Standards and

Technology (NIST) Security Guidelines

Processes and procedures not in place

Systematic discovery of vulnerabilities are not

implemented

Failure to regularly run network-wide security scans

allows for high potential of penetration, data loss, and

system interruption

Systematic and daily desktop patching is not implemented Very high risk. This is where most attacks originate


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General Commentary for Service Delivery and Operations

Systems Management Operational Disciplines Standard operating procedures are paramount to gaining efficiencies from Information Technology

operations. While the Information Technology department has some Standard Operating Procedures,

they are limited in scope, documentation, repeatability, implementation, and testing.

Security Network security is a City priority. The guidelines provided by the National Institute of Information

Technology Standards (NIST) and in particular NIST SP800-53A provide a clear reference for Information

Technology security which the City should adopt.

Help Desk The call logging, problem management, and response processes are not effective and lack recognition of

value from the departments. As the first level of response to the City of Ocala’s departmental

technology issues, it is imperative to recognize all the steps in providing an operationally excellent Help

Desk function. Help Desk users find the services are sub-standard and frustrating. Minimal feedback to

the requesting user is creating dissatisfaction. One of the most critical aspects of the assessment is the

lack of relationship management between Information Technology personnel and other City of Ocala

departments. The Help Desk function should be utilizing automation and database tools for tracking all

issues and providing statistical feedback to their clients. Predictive analysis should be used to prevent

problems from occurring.

Security Management To help reduce the risks associated to Network Security concerns, the following recommendations are

made:

A City of Ocala Security Policy is needed to provide the department-level direction and support

A City-wide security organization is needed to manage information and physical security within the

City, to maintain the security of organizational information processing facilities and information

assets accessed by third parties, and to maintain the security of information when the responsibility

for information processing has been strategically sourced to another organization.

A computer and network security management support plan is needed to ensure the correct and

secure operation of information processing facilities, and to minimize the risk of systems failures; to

protect the integrity of software and information; to maintain the integrity and availability of

information processing and communication. It is essential to ensure the safeguarding of


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information in networks and the protection of the supporting infrastructure; to prevent damage to

assets and interruptions to business activities and to prevent loss, modification, or misuse of

information exchanged between organizations.

Regular security audits by external resources need to be performed to ensure all processes and

procedures are being implemented correctly.

Daily, weekly and monthly system, desktop, laptop or remote device security scans need to be

performed to detect and prevent security breaches or vulnerabilities. Due to limited staffing, it is

recommended that this service be strategically sourced to an external vendor.

Service Level Agreements SLA’s document the duties, responsibilities, and expectations for both the technology support group as

well as the departments. The SLA should establish metrics and reporting for monthly review by senior

managers and the Technology Investment Board. These metrics can also be used to create training

opportunities, generate tips and tricks that can be made available to the user community through the

use of broadcast emails or intranet links. The establishment of the SLA, metrics, and monthly reports

can be used as an integrated part of a continuous improvement program for the entire department.

Business Value of Information Technology Project and Portfolio Management formalizes the identification, prioritization, funding, and support for

each of the departments. Categorize these initiatives into groups containing synergistic components

and present them as portfolios to the Technology Investment Board for prioritizing and authorization.

Projects in the portfolio should include a value statement by the requesting department indicating the

business value to the department and the City. Projects in the portfolio should receive quarterly

Technology Investment Board reviews at a minimum.

Vendor Management To serve the best interests of the City of Ocala and to optimize the business management of

government, a Strategic Sourcing process for Information Technology needs to be developed and

implemented to ensure cost effectiveness, and maximize the value to the City for all Information

Technology services.

When the City of Ocala is contracting for a solution you should seek vendors with the capability to

become a business partner. Utilize the vendor’s expertise to help the City of Ocala implement any

service improvement project. A sign of a good working relationship between the City of Ocala and a

strategic vendor exists when it is hard to tell the contracted staff from the full-time employees, in terms


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of their commitment and understanding of the City’s needs. A professional vendor will seek a long-term

relationship and repeat businesses in the form of additional products, upgrades, training, and

consultancy. Often buying the initial toolset is the easy part; the costs of the software or other tools are

generally the minority of the costs associated with an implementation project. Do not underestimate

the management time necessary to educate the vendor regarding potential changes to regulations and

how those changes will affect the operation and the associated services. In addition, the City needs to

take into account the cost of retraining City staff associates to vendor management, and the costs of

changing associated procedures. Communication plans need to be constructed and implemented to

maximize the benefits and the positive impact on customers.

Best Practice Integration The ethos behind the use of best practices is the recognition that organizations are increasingly

dependent upon Information Technology to satisfy their corporate aims and meet their business needs.

This growing dependency leads to growing needs for quality Information Technology services – quality

that is matched to business needs and user requirements as they emerge.

Establishing a best practice approach is concerned with delivering and supporting services that are

appropriate to the City’s business requirements. This is accomplished by providing a comprehensive,

consistent, and coherent set of best practices for service processes, promoting a quality approach to

achieving business effectiveness and efficiency in the use of Information Technology. These processes

are intended to be implemented to underpin, but do not dictate, the business processes of an

organization. Setting goals for the Information Technology organization to strive to improve the quality

of the service, while at the same time reduce costs, or, at a minimum, maintain costs at the current

level.

Minimum Best Practice areas to learn and implement should include:

CoBIT

ITIL

Project Management


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7. Technology Tools and Processes This domain examines principles, guidelines, operational processes and tools utilized to manage,

control, and align technical support. It also identifies organizational maturity used to manage the

functional capabilities that support the Enterprise.

Current State The City of Ocala must develop and maintain an Information Technology and telecommunications

infrastructure that is secure, reliable, and meets industry Information Technology operational and

performance standards. To accomplish this, the City must standarde its infrastructure around an

Information Technology Architecture and management of that infrastructure to support and enable a

more customer focused service.

The City of Ocala must use its limited technology dollars wisely. Information Technology Architecture is

the description of the technical framework

that the City uses to conduct its business over

computing and telephone networks. The City

needs a documented Information Technology

Architecture (set of standards) to assist

departments in their efforts to create

consistent, secure, and interoperable

information technology systems. The

Information Technology Architecture will be

an integral part of the governance process for

information technology.

The City of Ocala’s Information Technology

leadership must continually identify and

define the departmental key business drivers

in order to build and maintain an Information

Technology Architecture that enhances

information sharing, directs technology standards, reduces application procurement, lowers

maintenance costs, and better serves the needs of the people of the City of Ocala.

Through the standardization of the Information Technology infrastructure and enterprise-wide

procurements, as well as the adoption of the City-wide application standards, the Information


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Technology department will be able to lower costs, improve reliability, and increase the performance of

the Information Technology and telecommunications infrastructure.

Areas focused on during the evaluation of the Local and Wide Area Network include Information

Technology operations, capacity for growth, and the agility required by the City of Ocala’s changing

needs. Wide Area Network (WAN) assessment included evaluation of the internet connectivity, speed

tests, configuration of firewalls and servers connecting the City of Ocala’s local area network with the

internet, including remote access requirements.

Assessment Methodology The assessment of the technology tools and processes are a review of the internal Information

Technology operational techniques utilized to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the

Information Technology operations.

Key areas reviewed for utilization of internal tools include:

User services

Application services

Programming services

Data management

Data interchange

Network services

Operating systems

Hardware platforms

As illustrated in the diagram at right, the

integration of Information Technology

operations and utilization of automated

tools to improve the operational

effectiveness to the departments is a

critical aspect of managing an Information

Technology organization.


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Key Findings for Technology Tools and Processes

Categories under Technology Tools and Processes include:

Architecture and standards

Processes and tools

Product viability

Application delivery


Architecture and Standards Identification of the formal and informal principles used to guide Information Technology decisions,

direction, products, and services


An architecture plan is not in place for the City of Ocala Without an Information Technology architecture plan it

is not possible to provide sufficient guidelines for

infrastructure procurement and management

The role of an Information Technology Architect is not

available within the Information Technology organization

Without an individual focused on Information

Technology architecture, infrastructure guidelines will

not be properly managed

Standards and rules for decisions are not evident

Without a formalized process or standard, Information

Technology processes will provide AdHoc results

Planning and design are not formalized and appear AdHoc

Without proper planning for infrastructure, cost

overruns and wasted investments will result

Formal tracking of licenses and use is not adequate Legal requirements are likely not being met which opens

the department up to lawsuits

1. Physical and Network Security are inadequate

2. Ad-Hoc processes and procedures are the rule not the exception


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Processes and Tools Identification of operational processes and tools utilized to manage, control, and align technical support with

business requirements


Processes and procedures lack documentation in most

operational areas

Documented processes and procedures provide a

standardized approach for all Information Technology

employees

Tracking of application and operational revisions are

lacking or nonexistent

A process for tracking application operational revisions

(change management process) is a necessity

Tools for knowledge capture are not in use Without processes that capture knowledge from each

event, corporate knowledge is lost

Tracking of SW license utilization was not adequate Software licensing must be tracked down to the

individual user. The City may be responsible for

significant fines from the software companies for

improper installations

Disaster Recovery plan not available

Without a disaster recovery plan or Continuity Of

Operations Plan (COOP) the City is at risk of inability to

recover from a failure or data loss


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Product Viability Determines the functional capability of technology products and services and their viability for current and future

support of the business


There is no evidence of a services or product catalogue

defining service offerings from Information Technology to

the business

Without a service product catalogue the departments do

not fully understand the services that can, or should be

provided from Information Technology

Departmental specific technology is provided in an

informal manner

Without a consolidated support plan managed by central

Information Technology, departmental specific

technology cost will be higher than normal

Tracking and measurements of the performance is not in

place

Without a method to track and measure the utilization

and acceptance of Information Technology services to

the departments, delivering undesired services will likely

result in wasting scarce funding


Application Delivery Identification of the processes, tools and resources used to provide application readiness


Resources to meet the anticipated demand by the

departments are not sufficient

Continual alignment of skills and competencies based on

department direction is required or the Information

Technology organization will not be able to provide the

services demanded by the departments

The Information Technology organization lacks sufficient

Business Analysts

Addition of Business Analyst will improve the

communication and understanding of department

requirements

Delivery of new solutions take too long or are dropped

with no feedback to organization

Lack of documented procedures and processes leave all

parties uninformed and frustrated


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General Commentary for Technology Tools and Processes The ability for departments to request additional technology is limited because no formal process is in

place for gathering departmental business requirements. The process lacks formal information

gathering sessions, business analysis, requirements definition, and prioritization from a City-wide view.

The need for mobile computing solutions, and the benefits to the City of Ocala from the deployment of

a consistent mobile computing policy and standard will only continue to grow, and is of immediate

concern. There is a lack of a coordinated, well thought out strategy and policy which has resulted in

multiple approaches and solutions, lack of Information Technology support, and greater cost of

implementation for the City. Specifically, without a planned and documented approach, departmental

expectations are driven by the market advertising versus a defined set of standards driven by the

Information Technology research and support capabilities. The City has users of wireless air cards,

smart phones, BYOD, and home computing. A strategy for integrating these technologies in a secure

technological fit with the City of Ocala’s infrastructure is lacking.

In a recent Information Technology industry survey by Aberdeen Group, it was found that 75% of

responding Information Technology organizations listed mobile device support as a top priority. While

many businesses and public sector organizations are aware of the increasing numbers of smartphones

accessing data from within and outside their walls, too few are putting corresponding support policies

and expertise into place. In “The Real Cost of Wireless Mobility,” Aberdeen Group reports that 44% of

Information Technology organizations have no formal program in place for managing wireless mobility,

and that commercial and government Information Technology organizations are generally struggling to

provide helpdesk support and data security for the proliferation of these mobile devices.

New technology is continually developed that provides commercial and individual users greater

flexibility in work patterns and mobility. Mobility is a critical business enabler, and if the City of Ocala

does not have a mobile strategy, it will be increasingly difficult to deal with the demands for access to

the City of Ocala systems and services.

The unwritten or verbal City of Ocala internet and remote access policy is too restrictive. The policy is

overly restrictive thereby reducing individual access to the City of Ocala’s systems when remote from

the City facilities. This policy is inhibiting business productivity for those employees who travel or must

work remotely. The BYOD policy reviewed during this assessment indicates a myopic view of the

necessity of external devices securely accessing the City infrastructure. If left in its current state, the

policy will not serve the City employees to a Best Practices level.


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Processes and Tools Formal project management is not being utilized or performed. Without formalized project

management in place and used for each City of Ocala’s Information Technology activity, project

requirements and expectations are being missed at best, or lost entirely at worst. The current strategy

is a firefighting mode where the loudest noise gets the attention. The failure of the organization to

properly identify, qualify, prioritize, fund, and support projects has led to City-wide dissatisfaction with

the Information Technology organization. A clearly identified layered governance structure that assigns

authority and responsibility at appropriate levels throughout the life-cycle of information technology

projects and systems is missing. The business needs of the City departments and potential impact are

not being assessed. Information Technology projects are being undertaken based upon emergencies or

the whim of interested parties within the departments.

Application Delivery Applications must be managed on an enterprise-wide basis with future identification, selection, and

utilization focused on maximizing value to the City through vendor supported solutions.

Planning must be focused on addressing the hardware, network, systems, and software platforms to be

utilized by the City. Current planning is designed to meet a specific targeted need, not focused for a

long term plan or objective. Future efforts for planning technology investments must be targeted for

cost control and require a cultural change to support an enterprise, and a cross-department view for

identifying and selecting applications. It is imperative that future operations develop and document

standards that align with Best Practices for application identification, selection, and life cycle

management practices.

Enterprise Architecture, Engineering, and Standards Recommendations The City of Ocala’s leadership must develop standards for identification, selection and implementation

of technology into the City-wide technology infrastructure. Information Technology leadership must

partner with the City’s departments to build a common set of technology standards. The common set

of technology standards will provide maximization of invested value and lower total cost of ownership

for all technology.

Infrastructure engineering is responsible for identifying components affected by changing or updating

systems, referred to as change management. Change management is required to reduce risks

associated with modifications of existing operations. Creation of a change management process and

tracking system are recommended.

Best practices for Information Technology architecture operations and management include:

Formal documented Infrastructure Technology standards for hardware and software


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Formal hardware refresh policy

PC user portfolios

Documented security policy and audit process

Focus on developing more efficient work processes with technology enablers

System, network, and application management tools that provide software distribution, discovery

and audit functions

Enterprise frameworks that provide integration capabilities

Configuration management systems

System upgrades or replacement on a scheduled basis

Requirements analysis and design tools

Systems architecture and CASE tools, which can facilitate impact analysis from a business

perspective

Database management and audit tools to track physical databases

Distribution and installation tools

Comparison tools (software files, directories, databases)

Build and release tools

Installation and de-installation tools

Compression tools (to save storage space)

Audit, discovery, and inventory tools

Detection and recovery tools allowing a build to be returned to a known state

Reporting tools

Application Delivery Recommendations Create and manage a semi-annual application inventory both automated and manual to gather and

enter all applications, licenses and cost factors into a database. Procurement systems should be

configured to capture software applications as a category and to define applications procured centrally

or procured individually by departments or employees.

Procurement systems must include a process to capture software application purchases that are defined

as department standard and those that are purchased that are non-standard. In addition, Information

Technology should categorize applications for budgeting purposes in cost managed baseline portfolios

including:

Planned new software

Maintenance cycle

Upgrades

End of life cycle


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Portfolio development and the categorization of applications to track software in basic Portfolios by

Functional Type including;

Operating systems

Enterprise-wide applications

Department-wide applications

Specialized or analytical applications

As organizations depend increasingly on software, and the ability to manage and control all types of

software is becoming more important, care should be taken when selecting software tools to ensure a

range of the organization’s platforms can be supported or the organization may end up with a tool for

every platform.

The City of Ocala should create a comprehensive application delivery and operations plan. This plan

should proactively seek business partner relationships that can articulate benefits such as reducing

costs or improving services. The goal of the application delivery process is to ensure that standardized

methods and procedures are used for efficient and prompt handling of all application delivery.

Information Technology Operations The creation of a consolidated technology operations and communications plan is required. The

introduction of a consolidated technology operations and communications plan can be expected to

produce benefits both for the business and for the service delivered including:

Improved customer service, perception, and satisfaction

Increased accessibility through a single point of contact, communication, and information

Better quality and faster turnaround of customer requests

Improved teamwork and communication

Enhanced focus with a proactive approach to service

Reduced negative business

Enhanced managed infrastructure and control

Improved usage of support resources and increased productivity of personnel

The technology operations and communication plan should be customer facing and focused to drive and

improve service on behalf of the business. At an operational level, its objective should provide clarity

and guidance for all customer facing activities. Keeping the customer informed is one of the most

important roles of a service focused organization. Utilizing already existing technologies, such as email

and an intranet web presence, will assist in communications. However the real challenge is to create a


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personalized bond with the City departments. The importance of regularly scheduled meetings

between Information Technology and other City of Ocala departments should not be underestimated.

Electronic communications should be used to initiate a dialog not replace a conversation. Questions and

answers are best done in person or over a video link with follow-up documentation enforcing further

clarity.

Business continuity and resilience is a combination of proactive and reactive strategies that keep the

City of Ocala critical business processes available, practically without interruption—while improving

operational efficiency.

Processes and procedures can help reduce risks that a system failure will force the declaration of a

disaster. Fully supported and tested disaster plans are expensive. A full risk assessment must be

performed to determine the probability, severity, and predictability of any major disaster before

investing in a complete plan.

Disaster recovery planning and performance testing of the plan can bring the City of Ocala’s business

processes back online faster if a serious disruption does occur. The City must develop, communicate,

test, and practice an effective disaster plan. A disaster recovery plan will build increased capacity for

availability, recovery, backup, and crisis response into the organization at all levels.


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8. Directional Goals and Actionable Programs The final output of the City of Ocala’s Information Technology assessment is a series of Goals and

associated Programs.

Specifically, this report addresses five

goals that were derived from the

common executive vision as developed

from executive interviews, surveys,

workshops, as well as individual and

group assessments.

Each goal contains a number of programs

that provide specific recommendations,

objectives, potential cost to implement,

as well as an associated timeline for

implementation.

The five goals focus on transforming the


from a maintenance mode to a business

enabling organization that can support

the modernization of the City of Ocala, and its departments.

These Goals include:

Developing a business driven information technology strategy that directly links to and supports

the City of Ocala’s business vision and direction

Develop a business defined technology investment strategy and processes

Structure the technology organization for enabling the business departments and modernization

Increase the Information Technology organization’s operational capabilities and professional

maturity

Provide technology services at the best value to the City of Ocala


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Assessment Goals Based upon numerous interviews, surveys and workshops, a set of five goals were developed to

represent the holistic view of the City of Ocala’s current state needs and future state desire. These five

goals provide Information Technology organizational focus and recommendations from Coeur Group’s

comprehensive assessment.

The Goals


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The Programs Each of the goals has associated program(s) that identify the actions required to implement the goal.

There are five specific goals and nine specific programs for implementation of those goals.

5 goals and 9 programs provide Actionable Recommendations for an Information Technology Improvement Roadmap


Page | 81

Goal #1

Develop a City of Ocala aligned business driven technology strategy

The City of Ocala Information Technology leadership must develop an information technology

improvement implementation plan for 2014 – 2016 that defines the implementation timeline,

milestones, and checkpoints for implementing the recommendations from this detailed information

technology assessment.

The Technology implementation improvement plan will ensure:

Business priorities are clearly defined and funded

Information Technology resources are identified to address business requirements

Specific actions and tactics are defined with resources and timeframes agreed upon with the

City of Ocala leadership

Implementation success criteria are documented

Program #1.1

Develop an Information Technology Value Scorecard with the Chief Technology Officer

Program Purpose

The scorecard creates a measurement standard whereby the entire City is aware of the

Information Technology department performance. The measurements should be available for

all City staff and be updated monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, and annually. Measurements

should include but are not limited to: mean time between failures (MTBF), downtime, network

availability, application availability, open service calls, closed service calls, repair time, response

time, and customer satisfaction.

Objectives

1.1.1 Create cross-City accountability and visibility for the CTO and the Information

Technology organization as a whole

Recommended Actions

With the assistance of the TIB, create a list of metrics that track and quantify the

performance of the CTO and the Information Technology organization as a whole

Validate the scorecard in joint work sessions with the City of Ocala management and update

or modify as needed

Make the above metrics available to each City employee on the departmental web-site


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Cost to Implement

Under $10K if metrics are available in current Help Desk application. More if a new Help Desk

solution will need to be implemented.

Level of Complexity:

Minimal complexity if capabilities are available in current Help Desk tool. Some complexity to

provide this information in a web-based format on the departmental page.

Timeframe: Q4 2014

City of Ocala Benefits:

Tangible:

Factual measurements that is accountable and visible

Intangible:

Shows immediate feedback to the Information Technology organization and creates goals to

attain

Goal #2

Tie Technology Investments Directly to Business Requirements

The City of Ocala must establish a Technology Investment Board and associated processes to improve

the application of technology and its effective use across the City and the Departments.

The technology investment structure will ensure:

Business and program priorities

Business based decisions for technology investments

Funding of City of Ocala priority projects and technology implementations

Oversight and alignment of information technology projects and operations to ensure

consistency with strategic policies

Program #2.1

Develop the City of Ocala Technology Investment Board and Standards Committee

Program Purpose:

The process for gathering technology requirements and other input from the City user

community is limited. It is recommended that the process for identifying, selecting, and

integrating technology on a City-wide basis be expanded to include leadership of the various


Page | 83

departments. These representatives would provide additional input and detail on business

requirements and the required investment which would enable open discussion and

prioritization of the City-wide technology needs. To that end we are recommending a technology

investment committee known as the Technology Investment Board (TIB) that will focus on all City

of Ocala technology requirements and investments. This board, collaborating with the Chief

Technology Officer (a board member) will also approve and disseminate Information Technology

standards and support capabilities back to the departments and the City as a whole.

Objectives

2.1.1 – Identify participants for a Technology Investment Board (TIB)

Recommended Actions

The TIB will be co-chaired by the City Manager and the Police Chief

In addition the Council President will be present as a tie-breaker

Each of the Assistant City Managers (ACM) will participate

The Chief Technology Officer will participate and act as the conduit for the Information

Technology organization into and out of the TIB

2.1.2 – Identify processes, policy, authority, and management of the Technology

Investment Board

Recommended Actions

Develop Technology Investment Board processes including business case format, board

authority, project initiation processes, project sponsorship, funding, and approval process

(send back, place on hold, deny, approve).

2.1.3 - Create a project prioritization and funding process

Recommended Actions

The Technology Investment Board develops a City-wide project prioritization process that will

ensure the highest priority and highest impact projects are funded for the betterment of the

City of Ocala as a whole

The TIB will review each of the City technology project requests

A business case will be developed by the Project Management Office utilizing a Business

Analyst and a Business representative from the requesting department. This business case

will allow effective decision making for each of the technology investments desired by the

City and the TIB


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The Technology Investment Board will review business case proposals from departments for

technology projects

2.1.4 Technology Investment Board (TIB) reviews and establishes Information

Technology Standards across the entire City

Recommended Actions

The TIB will review key Information Technology standards submitted by the Information

Technology leadership under the purview of enterprise architecture standards and principles

The Information Technology leadership is responsible to ensure that the technology

recommended in a business case is consistent with City-wide infrastructure standards and

enterprise architecture principles and that the technology will fit within the City of Ocala

Information Technology infrastructure

Cost to Implement

Cost will be minimal to implement the TIB. The city may consider engaging an external firm to

assist in the set-up of the Technology Investment Board processes, guidelines of operation,

proposed authorization processes, and documenting the processes for future use.


A medium level of complexity and time commitment for City leadership is required. Participation

in training sessions of 2 hour duration and monthly participation in TIB sessions by the leadership

team will be required. Support from an entity that has experience in setting up Investment

Boards to support the City is recommended for consideration to prevent the City from wasting

internal resources in the creation of plans and processes.

Item Purpose Cost

City of Ocala management

meetings

Collaborate and validate processes for managing

technology investments. Time commitment of 4 -

6 two hour work sessions

Internal


Investment Board

development external

assistance

Provide the facilitation, detailed process

definitions and documentation for the TIB

operations Unknown


Page | 85

Timeframe: Q3/Q4 2014

This program will enable a clear definition of existing assets and produce a picture of duplicate

applications which can be consolidated or eliminated.


This program should be implemented first as it will provide the highest value payback in that all

future technology investments will have a business sponsor, business case, an Information

Technology implementation plan, resources, and expectations defined.

Tangible:

Collaborative investments in technology for the City of Ocala providing the maximum impact

per dollar invested

Intangible:

The TIB creates a more collaborative and directionally focused Information Technology

organization with a view into the business objectives for each project

Program #2.2

Develop and Implement a Program Management Office (PMO)

Program Purpose

We recommend the City develop a defined process for implementing approved and funded

Information Technology investments and subsequent project governance. The Program

Q 3 - 2014 Q4 - 2014

Define Technology

Investment Board construct

and duties

Identify Technology

Investment Board

membership

Develop Technology

Investment board

Processes and Authority

definitions

Conduct initial Technology

Investment Board session

Conduct review of initial

project with sponsorship,

business case and

technology review

approvals


Page | 86

Management Office (PMO) provides oversight, governance, and is tasked with implementing

funded Information Technology projects. The PMO also measures value and benefits from the

investments thereby enabling better management decisions through outcomes and results.

It is recommended that the Chief Technology Officer develop and implement a Program

Management Office to manage the City’s portfolio of Information Technology investments. Specifically the PMO will manage funded projects, technology integration, and other Information

Technology initiatives from beginning, through middle, to end or handoff to the Operations

group.

The City of Ocala’s Program Management Office leadership will be assigned oversight responsibility

for Information Technology investment portfolios. The availability of portfolio information on a City-

wide basis will promote the strategic management of the City’s technology investments to ensure

they are integrated with, and supportive of, the City business objectives.

Objectives

2.2.1 Develop a Project Management Office

Recommended Actions

The PMO will manage the processes for identification, cross-City collaboration,

development of, and approval for, funding all technology projects

Information Technology standards are provided to the TIB and validated against each

project to ensure a fit into the Information Technology architecture

The CTO will validate and sign off on each project to ensure enterprise architecture

standards and principles are adhered to for the technology investment

2.2.2 Develop Program / Project Management and Business Analyst capabilities

Recommended Actions

Information Technology leadership must identify potential Project Manager candidates or

associates and ensures their training and certification as Project Management

Professionals (PMPs)

Information Technology leadership identifies potential Business Analyst candidates or

associates and ensures their training and certification as Certified Business Analyst (CBA)

Information Technology leadership will seek interim resources for Project Management by

having pre-approved vendors that can provide these services until such time as the City

internal team can support the PMO needs

2.2.3 Develop and document processes for budget and resource management for

Recommended Actions


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Develop memorandums of understanding for each TIB approved project implementation

which specifies the budget, manpower, time, and quality expected under the project

charter

2.2.4 Develop and adopt an official Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

management methodology

Recommended Actions

For software development projects that are internally or externally sourced, a formal

software development life cycle methodology should be integrated and enforced

Cost to Implement:

Cost will be minimal to implement. The city may consider engaging an external firm to set up the

Project Management Office (PMO) its processes and functional operating principles.

Item Purpose Cost

City of Ocala Information

Technology Leadership

session

Collaborate and validate processes for

managing funded projects

Time commitment of 4 to 6 work sessions

Internal

PMO plan and build out Provide the facilitation and detailed process

definitions and documentation for the PMO

operations.

6 to 8 weeks of facilitation identification of

potential project managers.

Definition of PMO in the City of Ocala.

Develop and document policies.

Conduct training session.

Conduct Project oversight and mentor PMO

Unknown


A medium level of complexity and time commitment for the City of Ocala’s Information

Technology leadership is anticipated. Support is recommended from an entity that has

experience initiating Project Management Office processes and procedures in an effort to reduce

the time needed for internal program creation by the City.


Page | 88

Timeframe: Q3 – Q4 2014

This program will enable successful implementations of Funded Information Technology projects

as derived from the TIB.


This should be the second program implemented as it will provide high value payback. Payback is

generated from the Project Manager and tied to an implementation plan with specified funding,

time, people, and quality.

Tangible:

Investments for a funded project will have monthly milestone status reporting as well as a

measureable plan to enable implementation success

Intangible:

Integration of project management disciplines within the Information Technology

organization will be a positive force as personnel see associated successes

Quarter 3 – 2014 Q4 2013 – Q1 2014

1. Develop PMO as an

Information

Technology function

4. Develop Project

Budgeting and

performance

measurements

2. Identify internal and

external Information

Technology Project

Management

resources

5. Develop and adopt a

formal Software

Development Life

Cycle methodology

3. Conduct Project

Management

training on-site for

PMI certification


Page | 89

Goal #3

Structure the technology organization for business enabling and modernization

The City of Ocala must improve the structure of the Information Technology organization to

better align with the future business requirements of the City and Departments

Realignment of the Information Technology structure will ensure:

A focus on business technology to increase efficiencies and effectiveness

Continually refining the business requirements and seeking the best alternatives, internal or

externally

Define an Information Technology organizational focus to improve business and program

priorities

Address funding of priority projects and technology implementations

Provide oversight and alignment of information technology projects and operations

Focus on operational implementation by those most directly responsible for program

performance

Program #3.1

Create or develop a Chief Technology Officer position

Program Purpose

This program creates a technology leadership position within the City’s executive management

structure. Ocala is managed by the City Manager coupled with five Assistance City Managers

who form the City cabinet. This cabinet meets periodically and provides input to the City

Manager regarding the functional operations within their respective divisions.

Objectives

3.1.1 – Identify a Chief Technology Officer for the City

Recommended Actions

Hire externally or promote internally a CTO that is capable of bridging operational gaps

between the individual departments as well as Ocala Police Department

Because the City has not fully embraced the concept of a CTO, we recommend this

position be considered interim. If and when the City further defines the roles and

responsibilities of the CTO, we recommend that the position be moved to full time

utilizing either an internally grown resource, or an external hire

The CTO will function as a cross departmental bridge to the new Information

Technology organization and existing City departments

The CTO will act as the technical architect for the creation of all City-wide architectural

standards, processes and procedures

To further bridge the gap between the City and the Police Department, the CTO will

report to both the City Manager and the Police Chief


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The Program Management Office manager, the Technology Operations manager, and

the Special Operations manager will report directly to the CTO

Cost to Implement:


There is a high level of complexity due to the hiring and training process for the CTO. The City

may wish to consider training assistance for the newly appointed CTO if the position is appointed

internally.

Timeframe: Q3 2014


The primary benefit from this program will be increased communications between the

departments, Ocala Police Department, and the Information Technology organization.

Tangible:

The CTO will have focused involvement in all City-wide decisions. The CTO will help to bridge

the gap between the City and Ocala Police Department.

Intangible:

The CTO position creates a more collaborative a directionally focused Information Technology

organization with views into the desired business objectives for each department.

Furthermore, the position coupled with the TIB will bring openness and shed light on

technology decisions and investments across the City.

Item Purpose Cost

Hire Chief Technology Officer Perform all CTO duties including

Ocala City Information

Technology Architect

~ $130,000 - $175000

Total Program Cost Estimate ~$130,000


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Program #3.2

Develop an Information Technology organization for the future

Program Purpose

The Ocala Information Technology department is based upon an antiquated structure that has

carried through the organization since its beginnings. Over the years, the organization has

continued to grow staffing levels but has lost touch with the needs of the departments. A re-

organization of the departments to better serve the City and the constituents is recommended.

Objectives

3.2.1 – Re-organize the Information Technology department

Recommended Actions

Utilizing existing Information Technology staff, staff from Ocala Police Department, and

staff from the Telecommunications group to reorganize to a three department model as

shown in the above organization chart

Perform a full skills assessment of each staff member

Conduct interviews with each staff member to determine the best fit into the new

organization structure and their desire to participate in the plan

Based upon comparisons to other city departments with similar population, down-size

the structure over time to reach a total of seven Information Technology staff within the

next 18- 24 months

Identify potential Project Managers from the skills assessment and begin the PM

training program


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Identify potential Business Analysts from the skills assessment and begin the BA training

program

Identify potential infrastructure operations staff from the skills assessment and begin

the training program needed to support internal systems and networks

Identify potential special operations staff from the skills assessment and begin the

training program needed to support all special technologies within the City.

Cost to Implement:

Item Purpose Cost

Hire PMO Manager Create and operate the PMO,

supervise Project Manager and

Business Analysts

~ $110,000 - $140,000

Certify PMO Manager Formal PM training and

certification

Including classroom and

certification testing

~ $15,000

Internally hire 2 Project

Managers

Begin as associate PM and

require completion of the PM

certification within 9 months

~$60,000 + loaded benefits each

Certify 2 Project Managers Formal PM training and

certification



~ $15,000 each for a total of ~

$30,000

Internally hire 2 Business

Analysts

Begin as associate BA and require

completion of the BA

certification within 9 months

~$45,000 + loaded benefits each

Certify 2 Business Analysts Formal BA training and

certification



~ $15,000 each for a total of ~

$30,000

Identify staffing skills available

for Operations and formally train

and certify skills if to be

performed in-house

Formal training and certification


certification testing within a

$20,000 each


Page | 93

specified period of time

Identify staffing skills available

for Special Operations and

formally train and certify skills if

to be performed in-house

Formal training and certification


certification testing within a

specified period of time

$20,000 each

Total Program Cost Estimate

*note: does not include multiple staff

training and certifications for Operations

and Special Operations that will be

needed based upon staff count

~$500,000


There is a high level of complexity due to the hiring and extensive training process for each of the

positions.

Timeframe

Q3 2014


Having properly identified, positioned, educated, and certified professionals within the

Information Technology organization will increase capabilities to deliver services to the City and

your constituents.

Tangible:

Properly trained and formally certified staff will deliver higher quality services to customers

Intangible:

A defined education program for all staff will create pride in obtained skills and keep staff

current in emerging technologies

Goal #4

Increase Information Technology Operational Capabilities and Maturity

Integrate industry standards and disciplines into daily operations of the Information Technology

organization

Standards and disciplines will ensure:


Page | 94

Information Technology skills and competencies are identified to a detailed level including all

professional certifications

Utilization of industry standard Information Technology disciplines

Use of standards for Information Technology operational policies and procedures

Information Technology Operations Control (CoBIT) is implemented

Information Technology Service Delivery (ITIL) is implemented

Project management disciples for implementation of all projects

Program #4.1

Selectively Source Technology and Services

Purpose:

This program focuses on identification of systems, networks, technologies, and services that

could be delivered by strategic partners external to the City of Ocala. These agreements would

be utilized when the strategic partner service presents a better overall value to the City, thereby

saving cost, time, people, increasing quality, or providing services that are outside the capabilities

of internal staff.

Objectives

4.1.1 – Identification of systems, networks, technologies and services that would be

served by strategic partners.

Recommended Actions

Conduct a systems audit identifying all systems, servers, network components, and

applications serving the entire City

4.1.2 – Based upon the above systems audit and using a very critical eye, identify

systems, networks, technologies and services that are deemed “impossible” to use a

strategic partner to deliver.

Recommended Actions

Once impossible components are identified, verify internal sources for installation,

training, and support of the component

Train staff for maintenance of these components

4.1.3 – Based upon the components that are available to pass to strategic partners,

identify available partners and begin investigation of options

Recommended Actions

Break down each component to groupings like servers, networking, or services and pass

listings to strategic partners for input and suggested approach


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Review input and suggested approach and negotiate terms for implementation

4.1.4 – Based upon the negotiations listed above, perform a cost benefit analysis to

define which components will be directed to the strategic partner.

Recommended Actions

CBA will define which operations to move to the strategic partners

Move all possible services to the strategic partners

Cost to Implement:

Item Purpose Cost

Inventory Information

Technology assets

A complete inventory of Information

Technology assets is unknown

Time with

existing staff

Strategic Sourcing of

servers based upon this

assessment (City servers

only)

~$50,000 per

month or

~$600,000 per

year

Application sourcing costs Not determined

Network sourcing costs Not determined

On-site service sourcing Not determined

Total Program Cost Estimate ~$600,000


The level of complexity will be very high as a full survey for the City has never been performed.

In addition, it is anticipated that changing the City’s processes surrounding strategic sourcing will

be met with considerable resistance. Because this new level of delivery is far from current

operations, it is strongly recommended the City consider external assistance for support and

verification that all possible avenues for cost savings are considered.


Page | 96

Timeframe: Q3 2014


This program will provide increased operational capabilities and provide services to the City in a

more cost effective and efficient manner.

Tangible:

Cost savings

Higher level of customer support

Increased customer satisfaction

Intangible:

Because primary service and software delivery will be performed by strategic partners, a

commitment to service level agreements will increase overall internal customer satisfaction

Program #4.2

Train and Implement Information Technology Disciplines

Purpose:

This program focuses on the operational disciplines that must be in place to enable the

Information Technology organization to properly support the business of the City and its

modernization trends. Specifically disciplines around project management, operational centers of

excellence, and service delivery are critical requirements that the Information Technology

organization must embrace.

Objectives

4.2.1 – Develop an Information Technology Skills Improvement Program

Recommended Actions

Develop an information technology training curriculum for the City's Information

Technology organization

Each manager reviews direct reports skills and competencies and develops an

individualized training and career path plan

The Chief Technology Officer develops a management scorecard and holds each direct

report managers accountable for improving the competencies and operational capability

levels of the Information Technology organization


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4.2.2 – Identify Information Technology Job Functions required for the next 3 year

period as part of the Information Technology Strategy Plan

Recommended Actions

Identify Information Technology functions required for future City of Ocala Information

Technology needs

Review the Information Technology skills inventory and develop plans for filling gaps in

skills and competencies (internal or external) required for future

Developed a hiring or strategic sourcing plan based on resource requirements of the

business as defined by the Business Analysts and approved by the Technology Investment

Board

Cost to Implement:

Item Purpose Cost

Develop a Skills

improvement program

Identify and develop skills that are not

present in the Information Technology

organization but that are required for future

support of departmental programs over the

next 3 years.

~ $25,000

Identify Job Functions

required for the next 3 year

period

External partner company to provide

facilitation, job description development,

hiring screening and placement strategies.

Internal Information Technology resources

are not fully capable of determining the job

functional details and placement strategies

Unknown

Total Program Cost Estimate ~ $50,000


The level of complexity should be low. However, because the CTO is newly installed and

inexperienced, implementation of this program without external assistance will prolong the

activity. External assistance is recommended.


Page | 98

Timeframe: Q4 2014


This program will provide increased operational capabilities and the ability to integrate large and

small projects in the City’s technology infrastructure.

Tangible:

Improved maturity levels of the Information Technology personnel

Intangible:

Adequately trained and educated personnel create loyalty and improve the working

environment


Page | 99

Goal #5

Provide Technology Services at the Best Value to the City of Ocala

Define Information Technology service levels to the departments and establish a vendor

management strategy

Service Level Agreements will ensure:

The service levels (uptime, response time, availability) required by the departments are

identified and agreed upon

Penalties associated to not meeting the SLA to the department

Metrics and measurements and how they will be maintained, updated, reported, and on what

frequency

Cost effective and value services from vendor partners

The service levels (uptime, response time, availability) delivered by the vendors and create a

SLA agreement between Information Technology and the vendor

Penalties associated to not meeting the SLA by the vendors

Identify vendor metrics and measurements and how they will be maintained, updated,

reported, and on what frequency

Categorize vendors into commodity, preferred and strategic levels

Program #5.1

Define Service Levels required by the City of Ocala departments

Purpose:

This program focuses on a formal process for defining each department’s requirements for levels

of service from the Information Technology organization. These service level agreements are

documented and signed by both the department director and the Chief Technology Officer

Objectives

5.1.1 – Define Service Levels to be provided to the departments

Recommended Actions

Understanding department service delivery requirements, document, and verify with the

department director

Develop individual service level agreements with each department based on their needs

Potential calendar timeframes that drive more support requirements

Potential project implementation timeframes that require different or additional

support during implementation


Page | 100

Define performance measurements for tracking and reporting of the service level

agreements

Cost to Implement:

Item Purpose Cost

Inventory of required

service level agreements

Provides an agreed upon basis for providing

support satisfactory to the departments

Levels and corrects expectations between

Information Technology and the department

for support needs and a method for

addressing future needs.

External Facilitation

Support

May need external facilitation support for

developing Service Level Agreements for the

first pass to the departments

Unknown


Level of complexity is medium as most of the Information Technology management team has not

completed this type agreement before. External facilitation support is recommended to

complete this task as efficiently as possible.

Timeframe: Q3 2016


This program will enable both department management and Information Technology

management to plan more appropriately for resources and support requirements.

Tangible:

This program will improve support to the departments with clear and defined

expectations of support

Intangible:

The program will increase collaboration between the department directors and

Information Technology management in planning evolutions


Page | 101

Program #5.2

Develop an Information Technology Vendor Management Strategy

A vendor management strategy identifies how the City will interact with external vendors.

Purpose:

Develop and Information Technology vendor management strategy.

Objectives

5.2.1 – Conduct a vendor spend analysis

Recommended Actions

Conduct a vendor spend analysis to determine the dollar values paid to technology vendors

(not just Information Technology vendors)

Identify the top 10 suppliers and vendors of technology for the City by dollar value

Identify the contract terms and conditions for these vendor and work towards a favorable

position for the City if not already in the contract

5.2.2 – Prioritize vendors by value provided to the City

Recommended Actions

Determine which vendors fit into the three typical categories for vendor management

including:

Commodity vendor

Preferred vendor

Strategic vendor

5.2.3 – Develop a vendor value scorecard

Recommended Actions

Develop vendor value scorecard to increase communications and derive value from the top

strategic vendors

Develop methods for managing vendors to performance criteria as agreed upon by

Information Technology and the vendor

5.2.4 – Utilize Information Technology decision management tools

Recommended Actions

Compare existing Help Desk application to identify decision management capabilities and

place into use, or replace the existing tool

Utilize the Help Desk decision tool to identify key issues with hardware, personnel

knowledge, vendor hardware, vendor software, or other elements then monitor and

measure these to defined service levels


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Develop additional support methods to reduce trouble calls

5.2.5 – Contract with appropriate vendors close service level agreement support gaps

Recommended Actions

Meet with the Strategic vendors individually and review the Information Technology focus,

and request the vendor help drive additional value for the City trough no-charge services,

training or other value based items

Identifying service levels that are not being met by internal resources and contract for

external partnering companies to provide support at a higher level

Cost to Implement:

Item Purpose Cost


support gaps

Define Information Technology support gaps

in service levels agreement Internal


The level of complexity is fairly high as the Information Technology organization has not

developed service level agreements, nor have they negotiated with vendors to provide service

levels, which is a critical method of deriving vendor performance and value.

Timeframe: Q4 2015


This program will increase the quality of services provided to the departments and provide

specialized support during critical needs.

Tangible:

Improved support levels to the departments

Intangible:

This program will create a greater departmental understanding of the complexities of

technology support

This program will increase knowledge of the department’s critical needs for support by the



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9. Road Map for Improvement The final road map for the City of Ocala takes into account each of the five goals and nine programs and

places them on a calendar. The primary initial programs are identified in order of their recommended

implementation from 1 through 5. Programs not listed on the calendar below are to be implemented

over 24 months into the future and should be prioritized after the first year, based upon the

organizational needs.

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