Annual state IT report, FY 2023

GEORGIA
ANNUAL STATE IT REPORT
FISCAL YEAR 2023

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Table of Contents
From the State Chief Information Officer ............................................................................5 Purpose .........................................................................................................................7 Executive Summary.........................................................................................................9 Cybersecurity ............................................................................................................... 11 Information Technology Vision and Strategy ..................................................................... 13 Georgia's Approach to Broadband.................................................................................... 15 Information Technology Investment ................................................................................ 19 Technology Services ...................................................................................................... 25 Digital Services and Solutions ......................................................................................... 27 Georgia's Information Technology Excellence .................................................................... 29 Appendix...................................................................................................................... 31
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From the State Chief Information Officer
IT capabilities aren't something a state builds in a flash and then just steps back to admire. It takes time to establish reliable, resilient, secure systems. It takes discipline and constant renewal to keep them that way. It takes planning and precise execution to modernize aging infrastructure. The technology community's work, like the state's work to serve Georgians, is never done.
Georgia has built impressive IT capabilities. Across state government, we're harnessing technology in so many ways. We're nourishing what we've put in place, and we're innovating to develop new capabilities. FY 2023 illustrates all those themes. State agencies and entities worked this past year to capitalize on technology to help deliver a wide range of services, and the Georgia Technology Authority was proud to collaborate with them.
Cybersecurity is woven into all those efforts. Pervasive cyber threats grow ever more sophisticated and potentially damaging. GTA works to ensure agencies have what they need to address concerns like endpoint protection, security monitoring, specialized training for security professionals, and security awareness training for agency staff. Access via GTA to shared resources helps ensure no entity has to go it alone.
FY 2023 saw meaningful progress with a GTA-led cloud-first campaign, prioritized by Georgia Governor Kemp. More than 100 state servers migrated from on-premises server services to Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud. Cloud training through GTA for agency IT staff critical to a successful shift to cloud was expanded. GTA partnered with the Technical College System of Georgia to introduce a program of courses in cloud operations and cloud developer skills for agency IT employees. And more cloud platforms (e.g., Microsoft Cloud, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure) are being made available to agencies.
The past year was also marked by real traction for broadband service expansion and digital connectivity outreach in Georgia. Readiness to use broadband and access to it go hand in hand toward closing the digital divide. Benefits can be life-changing as unserved and underserved communities gain high-speed internet access.
And, with an eye on the present and a look to the future, state government is weighing artificial intelligence (AI). AI is already part of the landscape and is expected to stretch out in all directions. GTA has added a Chief AI Officer to its team and published a state policy for acceptable use of generative AI. Near the end of 2023, GTA hosted an AI summit where agencies came together to begin to map an informed approach to AI for Georgia government.
Technology is powering state services today and holds promise for enabling more tomorrow. I hope you'll read about it in this Georgia Annual IT Report, FY 2023.
Shawnzia Thomas
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Purpose
When the Georgia Technology Authority (GTA) was created in 2000, the General Assembly charged GTA with compiling information from state agencies about their IT expenditures and presenting a report to state leaders every year. This charge was placed in state law (see O.C.G.A. 50-25-7.10). With comprehensive and accurate information, state leaders can make facts-based decisions about the allocation of limited state resources to support technology. The Georgia Annual State Information Technology Report conveys the current state of technology in Georgia state government as assessed by the State Chief Information Officer (State CIO). The report represents information technology for the state's executive branch agencies only, i.e., those reporting to the Governor. It does not address information regarding information technology matters related to the legislative branch, judicial branch, statewide constitutionally elected officeholders, or the University System of Georgia. Data used to create the report comes directly from executive branch agencies and enterprise systems of record. The data is compiled by GTA and reflects the efforts of the State CIO to improve the use of technology in supporting state government operations. The report contains the following major sections:
Executive Summary Cybersecurity Information Technology Vision and Strategy Georgia's Approach to Broadband Information Technology Investment Technology Services Digital Services Georgia Georgia's Information Technology Excellence Appendix
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Executive Summary
Georgia prioritizes safeguarding state systems and data. Always. Among information technology concerns, cybersecurity tops the list, year after year. So, the state continues to bolster defenses through security policies, services, and tools, and by cultivating information sharing across varied governmental cyber defenders. The Cybersecurity section of this report on page 11 outlines these efforts.
GTA once again collaborated with the Georgia Army National Guard and the Georgia Cyber Center to conduct a live-action cybersecurity exercise. This fifth annual Cyber Dawg event drew security professionals from Georgia agencies to the Cyber Center in Augusta to sharpen their skills in a simulated ransomware attack. The exercise is referenced on page 12.
GTA continues to advance IT Governance and Strategic Planning for the state. Strategic planning efforts included the annual GTA-hosted Technology/Strategy Summit, held virtually in 2023. Summit details can be found on page 14.
The Georgia Broadband Program promotes expansion and buildout of high-speed broadband to all Georgians. Over the last year, the state made meaningful strides, including designating significant funding for broadband infrastructure. This will help support deploying broadband networks to reach previously unserved locations. Details on program status and accomplishments can be found on page 15.
Tracking state IT expenditures is among GTA's statutory responsibilities. In FY 2023, agencies reported spending $740 million on IT infrastructure services, network services, application development and support, and related activities. The IT Investment section on page 19 explores these expenditures and how the state manages its technology investments. Spending details also appear in the Appendix on page 31.
As mentioned in the state CIO's message from page 5, a cloud-first approach for IT services has been central to GTA's technology services in the last couple years. Georgia shifted from a largely on-premises model to a cloud-based computing model for hosting technology services. More than 100 state servers have transitioned to cloud services. GTA has provided corresponding training for agency IT staff to support those agencies in their transition. The Technology Services section is found on page 25. The GTA Direct program, which offers Georgia agencies, local governments, colleges and universities, and boards of education quick access to a range of IT services from leading service providers pre-qualified by GTA is also found in that section.
The Office of Digital Services and Solutions (DS&S) manages GovHub, the state's digital platform which is home to dozens of state agency websites. As the state's official webpublishing platform, GovHub allows a consistent online experience for citizens seeking state government services and information. More broadly, DS&S manages digital strategy for agencies and elected officials to cultivate an effective digital presence for the state of Georgia. Read more on page 27.
The state's bold modernization of its IT enterprise over the past decade and more have cemented a national reputation for Georgia as a leader in using technology to transform government operations. Innovative technology projects across agencies are strengthening Georgia government's service to constituents. Noteworthy examples include the following, with details on page 29.
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The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) completed a multi-year project called IMAGE. In coordination with Georga hospital and community providers, DBHDD modernized and combined community and hospital incident tracking systems.
The Georgia Department of Labor (DOL) developed the MyUI Claimant Portal to better serve Georgians accessing unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. The project streamlines the application process.
The Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) developed an automated process to assist the hundreds of Georgians who register to take the High School Equivalency Examination (HSE) each year. TCSG created a single application to integrate and automate the processes needed to register.
As this report illustrates, Georgia agencies remain committed to and engaged in taking full advantage of technology to help make government more accessible, responsive, accountable, and secure. GTA shares their commitment and is proud to collaborate with them in the effort.
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Cybersecurity
New and Continued Threats
Cyber adversaries employed new tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) in 2023, while also making use of improved versions of some older methodologies. GTA's Office of Information Security (OIS) distributes warnings and intelligence bulletins from organizations such as the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), InfraGard, and other partners to keep alert levels raised. There have been attempted infiltrations of government agencies' systems by hostile nation-state actors as well as sympathetic hacktivists to create chaos and confusion. The latter was evidenced most recently by pro-Palestinian hacktivists in protest of western support for Israeli defense efforts. These protests included massive, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) campaigns targeting state government websites nationwide. As most prominently demonstrated in the war between Russia and Ukraine, it has become commonfor both ideologically motivated hackers and cybercriminals to remotely join the chaos on either side of an escalating conflict by attacking government systems or other institutions.
Incident Reporting
Between January and September 2023, a total of 36 incidents were reported to state authorities as required by HB 156. The events included ransomware, data exfiltration, phishing, and account compromise. While the events are alarming, from a statewide perspective, they only scratch the surface of what are likely unreported security incidents across the county and local government space.
New Policy for Acceptable Use of Generative AI
Governments at every level are grappling with the use of artificial intelligence, especially generative AI. The state's Enterprise Generative AI Acceptable Use policy, issued in October 2023, establishes that agencies shall submit software, applications, tools, and services using generative AI for business operations to GTA for review prior to procurement. The policy is designed to promote the acceptable use of AI tools, while also minimizing the potential for intentional or unintentional misuse, unethical outcomes, potential biases, use of sensitive data, and information security breaches. An Enterprise Generative AI Acceptable Use standard supports the policy.
New Managed Security Service Provider
Increasing the resilience of state networks and systems remains a top priority for GTA as threat activity intensifies. In March 2023, GTA transitioned provision of managed security services to Raytheon Space and Intelligence. These services include incident response, threat hunting, and cybersecurity training support to name a few. GTA OIS has positioned itself to be able to provide more services and cybersecurity products for not only state agencies but also local governments. GTA provides a much better price than local or other non-enterprise state agencies could procure themselves.
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Cyber Dawg
In September 2023, GTA OIS led its fifth annual Cyber Dawg event. The five-day cybersecurity exercise at the Georgia Cyber Center in Augusta featured a military-styled training strategy and "live-fire" scenarios. Information security professionals from 12 state agencies defended against mock cyber-attacks in a controlled environment, building skills and experience they could take back to their organizations.
Federal Cyber Grant Program
September also saw the release of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the second round of the Federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program. While this NOFO release had a short timeline from release to application, the state successfully submitted a plan for the grant funds to meet the program's deadline. Special consideration for this round of funding will be given to educational organizations. Georgia also applied for the first round of funding in FY 2022.
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Information Technology Vision and Strategy
Georgia's vision for information and communications technology is captured in the Georgia Enterprise IT Strategic Vision. The vision is intended to aid Georgia government leaders in making informed technology decisions. It defines IT focus areas and goals and sets the technology direction for the state's IT enterprise to align with the governor's current initiatives. A full review of the current Enterprise IT Strategic Vision, which can be found at https://gta.georgia.gov/policies-and-planning/it-strategic-plan-2025, is currently underway and will be available in 2024.
GTA collaborates with technology leaders throughout Georgia state agencies to understand their business priorities and gathers insights from other federal, state, and private sectors to leverage proven technologies. This work identified the following long-term IT priorities:
Promoting customer service and citizen engagement with the use of technology and digital services.
Continuing to advance and strengthen the state's cybersecurity posture. Implementing transformational solutions such as artificial intelligence and cloud-first
`offerings' resulting in an increase in operational efficiency and productivity. Increasing Georgians' access to information and services through the expansion of
broadband connectivity.
Information Technology Governance Continuously Improved
GTA continues to advance its information technology governance processes by continually assessing the effectiveness and strategic alignment of the existing policies, standards, and guidelines (PSGs). Occasionally there are instances that require the activation of alternative but compliant and customer-centric solutions. The Business Solutions Review (BSR) process is one such solution that assures that Enterprise IT investments generate business value, while mitigating the risks.
Strategic Planning and Georgia's IT Strategy Cycle
GTA serves as a facilitator and a technology guide in identifying common needs, technologyenabled business strategies that have proven successful in other organizations, and as an advocate for agency solutions that show promise for the enterprise. GTA supports and encourages a collaborative environment where agencies recognize shared objectives and work together to achieve greater enterprise benefits. The IT strategy cycle is the framework for supporting Georgia agencies in their effective and efficient use of technology to achieve the Governor's vision. The IT strategy cycle is the framework for supporting Georgia agencies in their effective and efficient use of technology to achieve the Governor's vision.
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During FY 2020, and again in FY 2023, agencies were surveyed to ensure that their IT strategies aligned with Governor Kemp's stated initiatives and their underlying priorities. These can be found at https://gov.georgia.gov/about-us/initiatives-and-priorities.
Environmental Scan for Technology
GTA relies on numerous sources for information about new business uses of technology, including but not limited to: Gartner, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO), and the Center for Digital Government. In addition, GTA monitors a broad range of publications and participates in professional organizations and national summits, conferences, and symposia targeting the effective application of technology to business problems.
Survey Agency Priorities
GTA places high value on understanding agency business needs and continues to review agency strategic plans, conduct agency surveys, and hold regular meetings with agencies to ensure a clear picture of the business objectives that drive technology needs. In addition to one-on-one meetings with agency leaders, the State Technology Annual Report Register (STARR) is used to conduct an annual IT strategy survey of all agency CIOs or IT directors.
Refresh Enterprise IT Strategy
As mentioned in the opening section, the Georgia Enterprise IT Strategic Vision provides a vision of future technology use and establishes focus areas for the state's IT enterprise in a multi-year look ahead. It guides agency IT leaders in choosing new technology solutions that align with the state's enterprise IT vision and direction.
Identify Innovation Opportunities
GTA continues to recognize agency successes in using technology to deliver services in new and improved ways. Top innovations are recognized at the annual Georgia Digital Government Summit. Examples of these successes can be found beginning in the section titled Technology Innovation Showcase on page 29.
GTA works closely with and supports the Governor's Office and the Office of Planning and Budget (OPB) to leverage technology in support of business process improvements identified each year by OPB. GTA also provides leadership in identifying and adopting proven technologies to solve pressing government issues.
Host Technology/Strategy Summit
2023's GTA-hosted Virtual Technology Summit explored opportunities for agencies to harness technology to improve constituent engagement and customer experience. The agenda for the 2023 summit included a diverse and dynamic group of speakers and panelists who provided indepth insights as well as actionable and practical tools in leveraging artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, security and risk management, data-informed decision making, and more.
Wayne Haskins, Sr. Director Advisor at Garter, served as the keynote speaker for the conference where he addressed an audience of over 300 participants from more than 140 state and local government agencies. Wayne set the tone for an informative and engaging summit by sharing his insight on key objectives IT leaders should integrate into their organization's vision for security and risk management.
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Georgia's Approach to Broadband
Closing the Digital Divide
Over the last year, the state has made great strides to expand broadband access, including obligating significant funding for broadband infrastructure deployment. This funding is designed to reduce the cost to deploy broadband networks into the remaining unserved areas (locations with no access to terrestrial broadband speeds of at least 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload) that are primarily in rural communities.
Program Objectives
The Georgia Broadband Program's mission is to promote the expansion and buildout of highspeed broadband to all Georgians. With significant funding recently deployed and additional funds becoming available in the future, the roles of state agencies associated with the program are critically important to the successful administration of the funds. To accomplish this work, the program recently established an expanded set of strategic objectives as part of the state's broadband strategy update:
1. Bridge the broadband gap in the most cost-effective, timely way possible. Specifically, the state seeks to optimize the cost and time to implement a statewide broadband strategy to avail high-speed reliable internet service to Georgia's households, businesses, and institutions.
2. Enable sustainable, reliable, and affordable broadband service to end users. 3. Increase the impact of capital investments by expanding internet usage for remote
education, telehealth, small business operations, agriculture, and telework. 4. Achieve government objectives for public safety, emergency response, and modern and
efficient government administration and customer service with reliable broadband connectivity statewide. 5. Ensure safe and effective end user experiences through digital literacy. 6. Establish workforce development programs to support future broadband expansion efforts, maintenance, and technical support.
State of Broadband Service in Georgia
The 2023 Georgia Broadband Map documents 204,968 unserved addresses about 90 percent of which are in rural areas. This is a great improvement from the 454,950 unserved addresses that were identified in the 2022 broadband annual report released jointly by GTA and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA). This dramatic reduction in unserved locations not only accounts for expanded service availability, but also reflects the State converting to the FCC's master address dataset which reflects fewer overall locations in the State of Georgia. When recent investments such as the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF), U.S. Department of Agriculture ReConnect, and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State Fiscal Recovery Funds and Capital Projects Funds are considered, the number of unserved and unfunded locations in Georgia substantially diminishes to just over 120,000.
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2023 Broadband Service Availability Map
Of the approximately 3.7 million locations in the data (i.e., homes, businesses, and institutions in Georgia), 3.5 million locations, or 94.6 percent, are served at speeds of at least 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload (25/3) via terrestrial technologies. Of the 204,968 unserved locations, about 90 percent are outside of urban areas.
Recent Broadband Investments
American Rescue Plan Act
On February 1, 2022, Governor Kemp announced almost $408 million in preliminary awards which will provide communities, households, and businesses in 70 Georgia counties access to faster and more reliable broadband. The projects targeted with the awards could serve 183,615 locations, of which 132,050 are currently unserved based on state data. These grant projects represent an investment of more than $738 million when matching funds are contributed. That makes this the largest public investment in broadband deployment infrastructure in the state's history.
NTIA Broadband Infrastructure Program
Georgia was fortunate to receive funding in 2022 from the National Telecommunication and Infrastructure Agency's (NTIA) Broadband Infrastructure Program (BIP), in addition to the ARPA funding. An application submitted jointly by Windstream and Lumpkin County was approved for last-mile infrastructure investment. The project will serve 1,846 locations through a total
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budget of almost $5.2M. Of this, $3.2M will be covered by the BIP grant, with Windstream contributing a private match of nearly $2M.
Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program
The Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program created and funds a $1 billion initiative for the construction, improvement, or acquisition of middle-mile infrastructure. This can reduce the cost of connecting unserved and underserved areas to the internet. Eligible applicants included states' political subdivisions; tribal governments; technology companies; electric utilities; utility cooperatives; public utility districts; telecommunications companies and cooperatives; nonprofit foundations, corporations, institutions, and associations; regional planning councils; native entities; or economic development authorities.
In June 2023, NTIA announced $25.9 million in Middle Mile Program awards for Georgia associated projects.
American Rescue Plan Act Capital Projects Fund
ARPA includes the $10 billion Capital Projects Fund (CPF) for payments to states, territories, and tribal governments for critical capital projects that directly enable work, education, and health monitoring, including remote options. CPF allows for investment in high-quality broadband as well as other connectivity infrastructure, devices, and equipment.
On January 4, 2023, and June 12, 2023, Governor Kemp announced a combined total of over $246 million in preliminary awards, which will provide communities, households, and businesses in 31 Georgia counties access to faster and more reliable broadband. The projects targeted with the awards could serve over 70,000 unserved locations. These grant projects represent an investment of more than $479 million when matching funds are contributed.
Future Funding Opportunities
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program
In June of 2023, BEAD allocations were announced, and Georgia will be receiving $1,307,214,371.30 to competitively award in 2024 to fund service to remaining unreserved locations.
Upon approval by NTIA, Georgia will oversee the deployment of BEAD funding to reach three priority areas:
Unserved locations o No access to 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload speeds
Underserved locations o No access to 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload speeds
Community anchor institutions o Without gigabit connections
IIJA Digital Equity Act Program
The Digital Equity Act dedicates $2.75 billion to establish three grant programs. These programs promote digital inclusion and equity to ensure that all individuals and communities have the skills, technology, and capacity needed to reap the full benefits of a digital economy.
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The State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program is a $60 million formula grant program for states and territories to develop digital equity plans.
The State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program consists of a $1.44 billion formula grant program for states and territories. Funds are distributed via annual grant programs over five years to implement digital equity projects and support the implementation of digital equity plans.
The Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program is a $1.25 billion discretionary grant program which will distribute funds via annual grant programs over five years to implement digital equity projects. Eligible applicants include specific types of political subdivisions, agencies, or instrumentalities of states; tribal governments; nonprofit entities; community anchor institutions; local educational agencies; and entities that carry out workforce development programs.
Broadband Ready Program
Broadband Ready status is a designation awarded by DCA that recognizes a community that has taken action to reduce obstacles for broadband expansion by:
1. Adopting an ordinance that streamlines permitting for broadband projects. 2. Including a "broadband element" in their local comprehensive plan that clearly states
their goals and strategies for broadband expansion. In 2018, to underscore the importance of local planning for broadband expansion, Georgia began requiring that a broadband element be included in all communities' comprehensive plans. Now, four years after that requirement's issuance, nearly every community in Georgia has updated their plans to include local coverage data, as well as specific goals and strategies for broadband in their jurisdiction. Many communities that have not yet been designated as Broadband Ready stated that recognition is a goal, and DCA is providing outreach to directly assist those seeking the designation. Currently, 63 communities have achieved Broadband Ready status across the state.
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Information Technology Investment
The state makes significant annual investments in information technology, including services, equipment, applications, personnel, software licensing, development, and maintenance. How much is spent in total, where the money goes, and what taxpayers get in return can be difficult to pinpoint. That's not to say there isn't need to better understand whether Georgia is receiving best value for its IT investment. The Georgia General Assembly has charged GTA with compiling IT expenditure information from executive branch agencies. GTA presents a report every year as defined in O.C.G.A. 50-257.10. This data allows state leaders to make facts-based decisions about allocation of state resources for technology. To collect the data, GTA uses the State Technology Annual Report Register (STARR). Information is requested from executive branch agencies about application, infrastructure, network, other IT costs, and projects. The state has a more comprehensive accounting of expenses for infrastructure and network services than for applications. Infrastructure and network services are provided through the Georgia Enterprise Technology Services (GETS) program. Under GETS, Georgia can measure consumption through detailed reporting for all agency users of infrastructure and network services.
Enterprise IT Spend
The following graph depicts the most comprehensive summary available of IT expenditures by infrastructure, network, application, and other IT costs in FY 2021, 2022 and 2023. ** Note: Numbers are in millions of dollars.
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Agency Participation in IT Expenditure Reporting
Sixty-one agencies reported their IT expenditures.
Complete listings of the agencies reporting information and their expenditures are in Appendix A and Appendix B. The agencies listed in Appendix A with "NR" in the "Reported 2023" column did not submit reports because:
The agency no longer exists. Or, Agency expenditures were included in the report from another agency to which it is
administratively attached. Or, The agency is attached to one of the state's constitutional agencies, which are exempt
from filing the report.
In addition to constitutional agencies, other state entities with large IT budgets (e.g., the University System of Georgia) are not required to report their IT expenditures.
IT Expenditures FY 2023
Participating agencies spent over $740 million on technology in FY 2023. GTA continues collaborating with agencies to increase both the quantity and quality of IT spend data received.
Annual Investment Strategy Sessions
GTA's investment strategy sessions in FY 2023 included agency decision-makers in business, operations, and finance. The agenda was targeted to increase awareness of the challenges associated with technology investments while also providing tools and best practices for a variety of investment scenarios. The information gathered in these sessions provides the baseline for annual reporting on planned new investments as shown on page 23.
Procurement Reviews
GTA enhanced the procurement review process to provide more proactive support as agencies plan for large investments. GTA's procurement review process continues to provide valuable feedback as agencies navigate complex requests for proposals (RFPs) and provider service agreements. Over the past year, GTA reviewed more than 23 sets of procurement documents, including RFPs, requests for information (RFIs), scopes of work (SOWs), and contracts representing approximately $316 million in investments.
IT Application Portfolio
The state's IT application portfolio included 908 applications in FY 2023, an increase of 282 since FY 2013. The following graph shows the number and percentage of applications by type:
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Applications by Type
16% 30%
14% 3%
38%

COTS Custom Coded Mobile SAAS/ASP/Hosted Web Sites

Applications by Category

Web Services

157

Other

102

Data Management

78

Regulatory Oversight System

72

Productivity Tools

70

Data Exchange

68

Case Management

60

Financial Management

50

Document Management

35

Business Intelligence

31

Risk Management

26

Workforce Management

25

Learning Management

22

Asset Management

16

Facilities Management

13

Trouble Tracking

12

Time Accounting

12

Procurement/Contract Management

11

Grant Management

9

Data Warehouse

9

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

7

Reservation System

6

Development Tools

6

Mobile Application 5

Data Repository 5

Not Loaded 1

0

20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180

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Applications by Category (908 Applications)
The graph above shows the number of applications by category. Note: These applications were categorized by the reporting agency based on definitions provided by GTA. Many applications are accessible on mobile devices, but they are not categorized as mobile-only applications.
Investments by Agency
The total portfolio of in-flight and planned projects is $903 million; the FY 2023 active project portfolio is $580 million. The FY 2023 portfolio is tracking more than 90 active projects in 21 agencies, with several projects spanning multiple years. In addition to the active projects, several large projects totaling $323 million are in the planning phase.
The following chart and graph depict each agency's percentage of the total budget for all active projects.

DCA DECAL DOR DPH GDC OCI DJJ DBHDD DOE SOS

DCH DOAS DOT GBI GGTCFC OPB/OHSC DBF DHS GFPF TCSG

Dept. of Human Services Dept. of Community Health Dept. of Revenue Dept. of Transportation Dept. of Early Care and Learning Dept. of Education Dept. of Public Health Office of Planning and Budget Secretary of State Dept. of Administrative Services Georgia Bureau of Investigations Dept. of Juvenile Justice

$351,289,496.02 $244,448,779.00 $117,547,534.00
$23,100,000.00 $16,125,210.00 $16,111,000.00 $14,080,000.00 $13,133,240.00
$9,500,000.00 $9,333,626.00 $2,723,600.00 $2,500,000.00

42.5% 29.6% 14.2% 2.8% 1.9% 1.9% 1.7% 1.6% 1.1% 1.1% 0.3% 0.3%

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Dept. of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Georgia Dept. of Corrections GGTCFC Office of Commissioner of Insurance Dept. of Community Affairs Technical College System of Georgia Dept. of Banking and Finance Georgia Firefighters' Pension Fund

$1,817,689.08
$1,500,000.00 $1,394,918.00 $1,306,000.00
$500,000.00 $350,000.00 $330,872.00 $140,000.00

0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.1% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%

Planned New Investments by Agency
The following graph depicts several large projects totaling $427 million that are in the planning phase.

Dept. of Community Health
Dept. of Human Services
Dept. of Labor Dept. of Revenue Dept. of Public Health Ga. Dept. of Corrections State Accounting Office

$46,000,000
$111,579,140
$49,600,000 $26,499,572 $15,280,000 $6,000,000 $50,000,000

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Project Delivery Effectiveness
Critical Project Review Panel
Monthly reviews by the Critical Project Review Panel continue to promote success of the most critical projects in the state's portfolio. The oversight of these projects pays dividends.
The chart below displays how the state of Georgia's project performance compares to government and industry metrics compiled for the Standish Group's 2023 CHAOS Report for technology projects. The two columns on the left are industry standards. The columns that are labeled starting with FY are the results for Georgia managed projects. It measures only critical IT projects that were completed in each fiscal year. Of the 25 projects in the critical project portfolio, two were completed this year. Over the past decade, Georgia has consistently outperformed government and industry averages for project success.
100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% Industries Govt FY2014 FY2015 FY2016 FY2017 FY2018 FY2019 FY2020 FY2021 FY2022 FY2023
Succeeded Concern Failed
Technology Empowerment Fund
The Technology Empowerment Fund (TEF) was established by legislators to provide funding for various projects, initiatives, and systems that will demonstrate cost savings and improved service delivery through technology and training. This is defined in O.C.G.A. 50-25-7.1. Special advisory input and oversight are also directed to key technology-enabled projects administered via the Technology Empowerment Fund. Currently, one involves replacement of the PeopleSoft ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) System administered by the State Accounting Office. The next project relates to establishing an All-Payer Claims Database which will facilitate reporting of healthcare and health quality data across all levels of healthcare (medical, pharmacy, and dental). The third involves replacing GaPSC's Education Certification and Credential Evaluation Application System, as well as its Ethics Case Management Application System. Each of these projects entails a sizeable IT investment and will benefit from oversight from a cross-functional team of state government leaders, including participation from GTA.
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Technology Services
Cloud computing: a high-altitude perspective for Georgia
Cloud computing is no longer a future prospect for Georgia government. It is here. Operating in new modern cloud environments is now a reality for a growing number of state agencies. Through a GTA-led cloud computing migration, agencies have shifted from on-premises servers to cloud, gaining flexibility, reliability, greater autonomy with their IT environments, access to expanded technology options, and new controls over service consumption.
Additional migrations are in the works, and key considerations continue to include:
1. Transformation 2. Cloud training for state IT staff
Transformation
By early 2023, more than 100 state agency servers had shifted into cloud environments. That first phase of transformation focused on migrations into Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud. Agencies including the Departments of Administrative Services, Community Health, Corrections, Drivers Services, Juvenile Justice, Natural Resources, and Public Health, as well as GTA and others have new cloud operations. By aggregating the state's purchases of AWS, GTA offers discounted pricing for those services to Georgia government entities.
GTA is also working to introduce other cloud platform options including Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) and Microsoft Cloud (Azure). The State Accounting Office will shift its PeopleSoft system to OCI. Several agencies are organizing migrations to Azure.
The state's mainframe and applications running on it are also shifting to the AWS cloud. This migration will decrease costs while also enabling continued mainframe services to accommodate the select state systems well-suited to mainframe processing.
Training
The shift to cloud computing brings not just new infrastructure and IT operations changes, it also calls on some new skills from IT staff. GTA helps state agencies cultivate those skills by providing access to varied cloud training options.
GTA's online training hub Cloud Campus makes available a wealth of self-guided training for users of both AWS and Azure. Instructor-led training (e.g., workshops led by AWS technical experts) is also publicized on Cloud Campus. Just like the self-study options, there's no charge to agencies for the live sessions.
Throughout 2023, GTA presented twice-monthly lunch `n' learns exploring cloud technical topics. These Technically Speaking sessions feature a GTA cloud expert addressing agency IT staff directly involved in cloud transformation. Experts from cloud service providers are also guest presenters. Like the name suggests, these informal discussions get plenty technical, with as many as 40 or so IT folks at a time participating virtually.
Through a new partnership between GTA and the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), agency IT staff can enroll in and complete weeks-long courses on cloud topics. Virtual classes
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offered via TCSG member school Gwinnett Technical College debuted in spring 2023 when a group of approximately 20 state agency's IT staff took an AWS SysOps (system operations) course.
The program continued in fall 2023 with two courses (AWS SysOps and AWS Developer) which drew a combined 20 students. GTA covers course costs and encourages students to take the corresponding professional certification exam at the close of the class. Additional courses are planned.
The strategy is to provide different options for different types of learners, and to create pathways for expanding the skillsets of agency IT professionals.
Operational Improvements
Even while cloud transformation earned close attention in 2023, GTA's technology services teams continued to improve IT service areas spanning network, end user computing, service desk, storage and more. A new partner, Raytheon, was acquired to provide expanded managed security services for the agencies.
GTA and its service providers also helped state agencies move network and computing hardware and services from the 2 Peachtree building, which was retired, and into other state office space.
There is another project closely linked with cloud transformation. A space optimization and upgrade at the state's data center gained new traction. The goal is to consolidate into a trimmed down footprint as Georgia's on-premises computing presence shrinks. In work that will go on into 2024, a new, optimized, and smaller floor plan will be put in place, along with an updated power supply design. GTA is collaborating with agencies to clear a path for the space optimization project.
GTA Direct services
The GTA Direct program provides access to a range of managed IT services for Georgia agencies, local governments, public and not-for-profit colleges and universities, and boards of education statewide. GTA qualifies the vendors and provides governance over the service contracts, while agencies purchase the services directly from the providers and manage the vendor relationships themselves.
The program provides agencies with an efficient procurement process where they can purchase IT services from GTA-qualified suppliers that understand regulatory requirements facing government entities.
Services offered through GTA Direct include mobility devices and services, Oracle products and services, network, hosted contact center and managed print.
26

Digital Services and Solutions
FY 2023 saw the Digital Services Georgia team transform into the Office of Digital Services and Solutions (DS&S). The DS&S team is dedicated to enhancing user experiences, streamlining processes, and delivering citizen-centric government services that meet the evolving needs of constituents.
Georgia Pathways Launch on GovHub
In August 2022, the DS&S team successfully launched Georgia Pathways on the GovHub platform. This new addition to GovHub provides a valuable resource for citizens seeking information related to pathways for the Department of Human Services (DHS).
QnA Maker Chatbot Implementation
DS&S implemented the QnA Maker chatbot on the Department of Revenue (DOR) website, enhancing user support and engagement. The chatbot was fine-tuned through extensive testing and collaboration with the DOR team. It now efficiently guides users to the right answers, offering multiple-choice responses and a wide array of alternative phrases to ensure accurate and helpful responses.
GovHub Infrastructure Update
In November 2022, GTA initiated a significant infrastructure update for GovHub, migrating to PHP 8.1, and commenced development work to upgrade to Drupal 10, ensuring that the platform remains cutting-edge and efficient.
Plain Language Webinar
DS&S hosted a webinar on plain language in November, presented by the Digital Center of Excellence (DCoE), emphasizing GTA's commitment to clear and accessible communication.
DOR Website UX and Re-Architecture
DS&S recommendations for the DOR website user experience and re-architecture were completed and warmly received by the agency, marking another achievement in ongoing efforts to improve digital services.
Onboarding of APCD to GovHub
GTA successfully completed the onboarding of the Agency for Public Charter Schools (APCD) to the GovHub platform, assisting with their agency-led migration to streamline their digital presence.
Georgia Procurement Conference
DS&S's involvement in the Georgia Procurement Conference demonstrates GTA's dedication to supporting state procurement efforts and enhancing collaboration.
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DOAS "How to" Content Strategy
DS&S partnered with the Department of Administrative Services (DOAS) to strategize and develop "how to" content for their new website, further demonstrating GTA's commitment to enhancing user guidance and support.
GOVTalks Event
DS&S hosted the 15th GOVTalks event, fostering knowledge-sharing and collaboration within the state's digital community.
Onboarding of GDC to GovHub
After nearly a year of dedicated effort, GTA successfully completed the onboarding of the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) to the GovHub platform, improving their digital presence and accessibility.
28

Georgia's Information Technology Excellence
Georgia earns A grade again in Digital States Survey
Georgia earned an A grade the highest possible in the 2022 survey. That follows the state's A in 2020 and 2018 and an A- in the two surveys before that. Georgia also received a firstplace award in the 2022 survey's Constituent Centric category. It recognizes the state's mobile and digital services strategy and efforts to engage constituents via improved service delivery.
State CIO Shawnzia Thomas named NASCIO Director
State Chief Information Officer and GTA Executive Director Shawnzia Thomas has been selected to serve as a director on the Executive Committee of the National Association of State CIOs (NASCIO) for the coming year. Ms. Thomas has also served as a director for the current year.
"NASCIO is a go-to resource for state IT leaders and a valuable forum for exchanging ideas about the use of technology," Ms. Thomas said. "Our constituents are well served by NASCIO's promotion of best practices and strategic alignment of IT investments and state business needs. I am honored to contribute to that work as a member of the Executive Committee."
Georgia boasts recognition in TAG awards
Georgia's broadband service expansion efforts recently earned recognition from the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG). The state's ongoing work to bring high-speed internet access to Georgia's unserved communities won the 2023 TAG Tech for Good award. The category honors projects that capitalize on technology to promote inclusiveness and equity of opportunity in Georgia.
Georgia placed two contenders among the finalists for the awards. State CIO and GTA Executive Director Shawnzia Thomas (Tech Leader of the Year category) and Broadband Initiatives Director Josh Hildebrandt (Emerging Leader of the Year) are finalists. The list also includes entries from the Georgia Department of Revenue, Technical College System of Georgia, and several Georgia universities.
Technology Innovation Showcase
This year, GTA held its 12th annual Technology Innovation Showcase. Each showcase project is a testament to the public sector's high-caliber efforts to use technology to improve the way government operates and to better serve constituents. Here are the 2023 showcase honorees.
Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities
IMAGE
The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) sought a solution for its aging incident management process, which relied on two legacy systems more than 11 years old. DBHDD found the answer with IMAGE, a multi-year effort by the DBHDD Office of Incident Management and Compliance along with hospital and community providers. The project modernized and combined the legacy community and hospital incident tracking
29

systems. IMAGE was developed to manage incident reporting, investigation, and corrective action to provide safety for some of Georgia's most vulnerable constituents and support DBHDD's accountability providers. With IMAGE, the agency has comprehensive workflows, responsive data collection, and improved user experience.
Department of Labor
MyUI Claimant Portal (Phase One)
The Georgia Department of Labor (DOL) developed the MyUI Claimant Portal to better serve Georgians accessing unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. The portal streamlines the application process, enabling one-stop access to all of a user's personal and benefit-related information. In addition, the MyUI Claimant Portal offers enhanced security, dashboard views, and a more user-friendly experience.
Governor's Office of Planning and Budget
Georgia Data Analytics Center
Accountability and transparency were primary drivers in the launch of the Georgia Data Analytics Center (GDAC), a central warehouse of information powered by aggregate data from across state government. The easy-to-consume format makes data and analytics accessible to lawmakers, state agencies, academic institutions, and public and private researchers. More than 10 dashboards are featured, including state property inventory, revenue collections, education funding, and state agency revenues and expenditures. GDAC's data governance committee regularly reviews data access and retention, along with publication policies and procedures. Among planned enhancements are expanding the data inventory and building data catalogs, dictionaries, and glossaries.
State Road and Tollway Authority and Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority
I-285 Top End Express Lane Transit Virtual Reality Experience
Aiming to enhance conceptualization of transit possibilities for the top-end express lanes of Interstate 285, the Georgia State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA) and Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority (ATL) created a virtual reality experience for stakeholders. The immersive, three-dimensional view allows for visualizing a bus rapid transit (BRT) system with the planned expansion of the express lanes. With this model, stakeholders have the experience of riding the transit system as well as seeing how it will integrate with the existing structure.
Technical College System of Georgia
HOPE High School Equivalency Examination Grant Program
The Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) developed an automated process to assist the hundreds of Georgians who register to take the High School Equivalency Examination (HSE) each year. With the recent passage of Georgia Senate Bill 397, eligible test takers can use grant funds in the form of vouchers to pay their exam fees, which can be as much as $200. TCSG created a single application to integrate and automate the processes for collecting grant applications, determining eligibility, issuing vouchers, and transferring funds to pay for the exams.
30

Appendix
31

Appendix A: Agencies Reporting IT Expenditures

Agency Name

1

Administrative Office of the Courts

2

Atlanta Regional Commission

3

Board of Regents

4

Brain and Spinal Injury Trust Fund Authority

5

Council of Criminal Court Judges

6

Council of Juvenile Court Judges

7

Community Service Boards

8

County Health Departments

9

Court of Appeals

10

Criminal Justice Coordinating Council

11

Department of Administrative Services

l12 Department of Agriculture

13

Department of Audits

14

Department of Banking and Finance

15

Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities

16

Department of Community Affairs

17

Department of Community Health

18

Department of Community Supervision

19

Department of Corrections

20

Department of Defense

21

Department of Driver Services

22

Department of Early Care and Learning

23

Department of Economic Development

24

Department of Education

25

Department of Human Services

26

Department of Juvenile Justice

27

Department of Labor

28

Department of Law

29

Department of Natural Resources

30

Department of Public Health

31

Department of Public Safety

32

Department of Revenue

33

Department of Transportation

34

Department of Veterans Services

35

Employees' Retirement System

Reported

2021

2022

2023

*

*

*

NR

NR

NR

*

*

*







*

*

*

*

*

*

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

*

*

*













*

*

*

*

*

*





































*



NR























*













*



NR

*

*

*













NR





















NR





NR

Appendix A: Agencies Reporting IT Expenditures

Agency Name

36

Georgia Board for Physician Workforce

37

Georgia Building Authority

38

Georgia Bureau of Investigation

39

Georgia Commission on Equal Opportunity

40

Georgia Commission on the Holocaust

41

Georgia Correctional Industries

42

Georgia Council for the Arts

43

Georgia Development Authority

44

Georgia Drugs and Narcotics Agency

45

Georgia Emergency Management Agency

46

Georgia Environmental Finance Authority

47

Georgia Firefighter Standards and Training Council

48

Georgia Firefighters Pension Fund

49

Georgia Forestry Commission

50

Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission

51

Georgia Lottery Corporation

52

Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council

53

Georgia Peanut Commission

54

Georgia Ports Authority

55

Georgia Professional Standards Commission

56

Georgia Public Broadcasting

57

Georgia Public Defenders Council

58

Georgia Public Safety Training Center

59

Georgia Public Service Commission

60

Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission

61

Georgia Real Estate Commission and Appraisers Board

62

Georgia Seed Development Commission

63

Georgia State Financing and Investment Commission

64

Georgia Student Finance Commission

65

Georgia Technology Authority

66

Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency

67

Georgia World Congress Center Authority

68

General Assembly

69

Governor's Office of the Child Advocate

Reported

2021

2022

2023

NR

NR

NR









*



*

*

*

NR

NR

NR

*

*

*

NR

NR

NR

*

*

*

*

*

*



NR











NR

NR









NR



*

*

*

*

*

*

*





NR

NR

NR

*

*

*

*

*

*







*

*

*







*

*

*

NR

NR

NR

*

*

*

NR

NR

NR

















*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

NR

NR

NR

33

Appendix A: Agencies Reporting IT Expenditures

Agency Name

70

Governor's Office of Highway Safety

71

Governor's Office of Student Achievement

72

Jekyll Island State Park Authority

73

Lake Lanier Islands Development

74

Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission

75

Office of Commissioner of Insurance

76

Office of Inspector General

77

Governor's Office of Planning and Budget

78

Office of State Administrative Hearings

79

Office of State Treasurer

80

Prosecuting Attorneys' Council

81

Secretary of State

82

State Accounting Office

83

State Board of Pardons and Paroles

84

State Board of Workers' Compensation

85

State Properties Commission

86

State Road and Tollway Authority

87

Stone Mountain Memorial Association

88

Subsequent Injury Trust Fund

89

Superior Courts of Georgia

90

Teachers' Retirement System

91

Technical College System of Georgia

*

Cost data through the Georgia Enterprise Technology Services (GETS) program

NR

Not reporting

Reported

2021

2022

2023

*

*

*



NR

NR

*

*

*







*

*

*

































NR







































*

*

*



NR



NR

NR

NR











*

34

Appendix B: Agencies Reporting IT Expenditures

Required to Report

#

Agency Name

1 Department of Administrative Services

2 Department of Agriculture

3 Department of Audits

4 Department of Banking and Finance

5 Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities

6 Department of Community Affairs

7 Department of Community Health

8 Department of Community Supervision

9 Department of Corrections

10 Department of Defense

11 Department of Driver Services

12 Department of Early Care and Learning

13 Department of Economic Development

14 Department of Education

15 Department of Human Services

16 Department of Insurance

17 Department of Juvenile Justice

18 Department of Labor

19 Department of Law

20 Department of Natural Resources

21 Department of Public Health

22 Department of Public Safety

23 Department of Revenue

24 Department of Transportation

25 Department of Veterans Services

26 Employees' Retirement System

27 Georgia Bureau of Investigation

28 Georgia Forestry Commission

29 Georgia Public Defenders Council

30 Georgia Public Service Commission

31 Georgia State Financing and Investment Commission

32 Georgia Student Finance Commission

33 Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency

34 Governor's Office of Planning and Budget

35 Office of State Administrative Hearings

36 Secretary of State

37 State Accounting Office

38 State Board of Pardons and Paroles

2023 IT Spend $11,353,481.00 $1,870,482.00 $4,997.00 $2,418,696.00 $27,551,979.00 $6,135,103.00 $92,311,193.00 $9,424,320.00 $36,054,430.00 $3,842,092.00 $12,713,985.00 $25,639,895.00 $949,063.00 $13,608,536.00 $115,423,457.00 $8,439,719 $18,258,875.00 $14,598,082.00 $199,098.00 $17,070,031.00 $42,209,998.00 $12,537,354.00 $36,754,500.00 $50,297,137.00 $709,495.00 $3,252,877.00 $18,105,871.00 $1,919,615.00 $564,787.00 $82,357.00 $2,432,191.00 $5,292,347.00 $2,024,362.00 $3,056,660.00 $789,065.00 $8,239,297.00 $21,237,815.00 $531,341.00

Appendix B: Agencies Reporting IT Expenditures

# Agency Name 39 State Board of Workers' Compensation 40 State Properties Commission 41 Subsequent Injury Trust Fund 42 Teachers' Retirement System 43 Technical College System of Georgia

2023 IT Spend $1,986,792.00
$81,900.00 $236,874.00 $4,340,446.00 $57,158,567.00

Not Required to Report

#

Agency Name

1 Administrative Office of the Courts

2 Board of Regents

3 Brain and Spinal Injury Trust Fund Authority

4 Council of Juvenile Court Judges

5 Court of Appeals

6 Criminal Justice Coordinating Council

7 Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission
8 Georgia Board for Physician Workforce

9 Georgia Building Authority

10 Georgia Commission on Equal Opportunity

11 Georgia Correctional Industries

12 Georgia Development Authority

13 Georgia Drugs and Narcotics Agency

14 Georgia Emergency Management Agency

15 Georgia Environmental Finance Authority

16 Georgia Firefighter Standards and Training Council

17 Georgia Firefighters Pension Fund

18 Georgia Lottery Corporation

19 Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council

20 Georgia Peanut Commission

21 Georgia Ports Authority

22 Georgia Professional Standards Commission

23 Georgia Public Broadcasting

24 Georgia Public Safety Training Center

25 Georgia Real Estate Commission and Appraisers Board

26 Georgia Technology Authority

27 Georgia World Congress Center Authority

28 General Assembly

29 Georgia Aviation Authority

36

2023 IT Spend $77,549.29 $0.00 $42,337.00 $5,148.00 $80,992.00
$1,522,081.00 $239,000.00
$0.00 $1,802,003.00
$17,917.00 $34,448.00
$1,788.00 $55,628.00 $1,621,624.00 $540,928.00
$0.00 $51,223.00
$801.00 $89,094.00
$4,448.00 $337,857.00 $1,404,507.00 $2,053,620.00 $1,993,943.00
$31,893.00 $23,281,390.00
$2,841,282.00 $136,005.00 $15,875.00

Appendix B: Agencies Reporting IT Expenditures

# Agency Name 30 Governor's Office of Highway Safety 31 Governor's Office of Student Achievement 32 Jekyll Island State Park Authority 33 Lake Lanier Islands Development Authority 34 Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission 35 Office of the Child Advocate 36 Office of Inspector General 37 Office of State Treasurer 38 Prosecuting Attorneys' Council 39 State Road and Tollway Authority 40 Stone Mountain Memorial Association
TOTAL

2023 IT Spend $57,478.00
$1,561,406.00 $76,245.00 $13,260.00 $600.00 $606.00 $85,067.00
$1,617,652.00 $1,460,410.00 $5,736,108.00
$4,462.00 $740,605,837.29

37

gta.ga.gov
47 Trinity Avenue, SW Atlanta, GA 30334