GTA Today Georgia Technology Authority Summer 2001 Volume 1 Issue 2 Governor's order transfers telecom, data center to GTA Governor Roy Barnes has signed an executive order officially transferring information technology and telecommunications services from the Department of Administrative Services (DOAS) to GTA effective July 1, 2001. The signing took place May 24. The executive order covers 756 jobs, associated equipment and resources, and almost $26 million in related state funds appropriated to DOAS in the 2001 legislative session. It also transfers 41 information technology (IT) positions to the Department of Human Resources and three IT positions to the Department of Revenue. No employees will lose their jobs as a result of this transition. Although GTA will also implement a new organizational structure July 1, most employees will continue doing their same jobs in their same locations. Some employees will report to different managers or move to new locations. State agencies can expect more comprehensive and coordinated assistance from GTA. The new organizational structure includes Agency Relationship Management, which will work with agencies on strategic planning, program management, procurement and other issues affecting their use of technology. Customer service representatives will become part of Agency Relations Management and provide a single point of contact for all GTA operations, including telecommunications and data center services. Governor Barnes' executive order requires state agencies to pay DOAS the full amount of all outstanding invoices no later than June 30, 2001. It directs agencies to pay future invoices from both GTA and DOAS in full within 30 days and resolve billing disputes afterward. s Outsourcing telecom services Pg. 2 Legislative summary Pg. 3 Creation of software exchange Pg. 5 Digital academy Pg. 5 Home computer purchase program Pg. 5 Social services portal Pg. 6 GTA requiring vendor lobbyists to register Individuals representing current and potential technology vendors are now required to register with GTA as vendor lobbyists. The requirement ensures full disclosure of affiliations for those seeking to influence technology procurements and other decisions. For a complete copy of the policy or to register online, visit the GTA web site at www.gagta.com. For additional information, contact Mr. Christopher Tomlinson, GTA legal services director, at 404-463-2300 or ctomlins@gagta.com. s Georgia begins procurement to outsource telecom services The largest technology procurement in the history of Georgia state government began May 14 with the release of a request for qualified contractors (RFQC) related to outsourcing the state's telecommunications services. The RFQC is intended to identify prospective contractors for the Converged Communications Outsourcing Project (CCOP), which will enable the state to purchase telecommunications services through a single vendor contract. GTA, which is in charge of the procurement, will evaluate prospective prime contractors based on their prior experience in providing similar services and their financial capacity to undertake a project of this size. A prospective prime contractor may be an individual company or a consortium of companies. The winning prime contractor may subcontract any portion of the work to be performed under the RFP to third party companies. Those who do not obtain prequalification under the RFQC are encouraged to pursue subcontractor relationships with prequalified prospective prime contractors. City and county governments will be able to purchase all covered telecommunications services through the contract. With a base of customers in state and local government agencies, it is anticipated the winning contractor will construct a statewide network with the capacity to serve communities lacking modern telecommunications services. As a result, CCOP's impact on economic development may be significant since a state of the art network will help these communities recruit new business and industry. The RFQC is available on GTA's Web site at www.gagta.com under Procurement, Bid Opportunities. Interested vendors who need additional information should contact Deirdre Johnson, CCOP contracting officer, at ccoprfqc@gagta.com or call 404463-2300. s CCOP covers voice, including local and long distance; data, including Internet access; distributed computing, including local area networks and desktop and laptop computers; video; high-speed data; mobile short messaging, including alphanumeric paging and end-user devices; distribution of television and radio broadcasts; two-way radio, including enduser devices; and mobile data communications, including wireless PC communications and end-user devices. CCOP Timeline Responses to the RFQC are due no later than June 28, 2001. Companies meeting the criteria in the RFQC will be announced at the end of July 2001. Only contractors meeting the criteria in the RFQC will be eligible to be awarded the contract. The CCOP request for proposal (RFP) is scheduled for release in fall 2001, and the contract award is expected in the first calendar quarter of 2002. s GTA Today Summer 2001 Page 2 Legislative Summary Georgia's General Assembly passed several bills affecting technology, electronic commerce, and online services and information during the 2001 legislative session. Here are summaries for several major bills. Elections and voting-- SB 213 authorizes the Secretary of State to test electronic voting systems in a pilot program during the 2001 municipal elections. It requires the adoption of a uniform statewide voting system by the 2004 general election. The bill also creates the 21st Century Voting Commission to review pilot project results and recommend voting equipment for statewide use. The state's chief information officer is on the commission. Open records and privacy--SB 205 safeguards personal information to reduce identity theft. It prohibits state agencies from disclosing an individual's Social Security number, birth date, mother's birth name, financial data and information related to credit or debit cards, bank accounts, insurance coverage or medical records. The bill allows news media access to Social Security numbers and birth dates. A related bill, HB 65, prohibits disclosure of Social Security numbers, home addresses, home telephone numbers, and insurance and medical information of teachers and other public school employees. Employee purchase program for home computers--HB 725 authorizes a program for employees of state government and public schools to purchase computers and related equipment from private sector vendors at a discount price. For more information, see the related article in this issue. Domestic violence registry--SB 57 authorizes a statewide electronic registry to provide police, prosecuting attorneys, and the courts with online access to protective orders in family violence and stalking cases. The Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC) will maintain the registry. The law requires courts to use a standardized form when issuing protective orders. Court clerks must electronically transmit protective orders to GCIC within one business day, and GCIC must include new orders in the registry within 24 hours. The registry will begin operating 180 days after the standardized form is available. Electronic commerce--HB 191 strengthens electronic commerce by revising a portion of Georgia's Uniform Commercial Code to include recent developments in transmitting data electronically and over the Internet. SB 24 also promotes electronic commerce by certifying the Georgia Electronic Records and Signatures Act as both consistent with the federal e-signature act and as the controlling law for electronic signatures in Georgia. Physician information--HB 156 requires the Composite Board of Medical Examiners to compile profiles of every physician practicing in Georgia and make them available on the Internet. Superior Court records--SB 50 authorizes Superior Court clerks to keep records in electronic format. GTA Today Summer 2001 Page 3 GTA Organization Chart Board of Directors CIO/Executive Director Larry Singer Deputy Director & Chief Technology Officer Cigdem Delano Deputy Director & Chief Operating Officer Tom Wade Communications Joyce Goldberg External Affairs/ Business Development Sondra Rhoades Johnson General Counsel Danette Joslyn-Gaul Human Resources Beverly Walker Financial Division Roosevelt Council manage GTA's operating budget review state agency IT budgets procurement asset management accounts payable accounts receivable rate setting billing statewide financial systems GaNet Gina Tiedemann Agency Relationship Management Kerry Bass manage state's Web site develop single portal statewide IT standards and architecture develop software applications and components program management strategic planning customer service Telecommunications Acting Director Cigdem Delano telecommunications network operations help desk distance learning Converged Communications Outsourcing Project (CCOP) Information Resources Derrick Wheeler data center operations security quality assurance for application development GTA Today Summer 2001 Effective July 1, 2001 Page 4 Georgia to lead creation of software exchange Public sector agencies will soon be able to cut down on software development costs through a National Software Component Exchange. The online exchange will enable state and local governments to post software components they developed so other agencies can reuse them without charge. GTA is finalizing a contract with ComponentSource of Atlanta for creation of the exchange. Software to support child welfare and case management is an example of a common need among states. "State and local governments can obtain tremendous value from this kind of collaborative component exchange," says GTA Executive Director Larry Singer. "The benefits include reduced risks, cost and time to find or develop components as well as enhanced ability to capture and share best practices." Commercial software developers can also post products on the exchange for agencies to try out before making a final purchase. As a result, developers can reach a larger number of potential customers, and agencies can more easily find the components they need. s Lawmakers okay home computer program A program for employees of state government and public schools to purchase home computers, software and related equipment at a discount price is expected to start in August 2001. Legislation authorizing the program was passed by the Georgia General Assembly during the 2001 session. By making personal computers more affordable, the program will help employees and their families sharpen their computer and Internet skills. It is similar to programs at leading corporations and provides employees with an additional benefit at no cost to taxpayers. No purchase will be sub- sidized by state government or school systems in any way, and all purchases will be paid entirely by employees with their own private funds. Many program details-- including specific products, placing an order, financing options and support services if problems occur--will not be known until vendors are selected. GTA will announce program vendors after evaluating proposals from interested companies. While GTA will oversee the program, it will not purchase and resell computers. s Digital academy helps agencies work together Encouraging collaboration among state agencies is one of the Georgia Technology Authority's most important jobs, and the Digital Academy, an innovative new learning program, promotes collaboration by bringing agencies together to solve common problems and share lessons learned. The academy, modeled after a program in Washington state government and several private sector companies, will hold its first session this summer. The session will address document management. "State agencies face similar needs and challenges in operating their information technology systems," says GTA Innovations Center Director Robert Woodruff, who coordinates the academy and managed a similar program at Oxford Industries, "but an effective way to share knowledge and resources among agencies hasn't existed." The academy fills this gap. Participating agencies send representatives to an organizing session, explains Mr. Woodruff. Each representative submits a project for group consideration, and the group decides which one to work on together. The project must meet an actual business need in one of the agencies. Most projects are expected to focus on various aspects of making government services and information available on the Internet. Each group will number 20-25 people, and a new one is expected to be formed every three to four months. The academy offers several benefits, says Mr. Woodruff, including specialized training. For example, if a software program is chosen to accomplish a specific task, participants can attend classes to learn the program. GTA will not charge agencies to take part in the academy. Agencies pay only for formal training or related activities. s GTA Today Summer 2001 Page 5 GTA partners with coalition on services portal GTA is partnering with the Gwinnett County Coalition for Health and Human Services to build a social services portal for Gwinnett County residents. The project is a first step in implementing a comprehensive state portal providing easy access to services and information from many different state and local agencies. GTA chose to work with the coalition because Georgia's state portal will share the coalition's premise: People should be able to find services and information according to their needs without knowing which agencies provide the services. The coalition cuts through organizational and jurisdictional boundaries to help residents struggling with domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse, troubled teenagers, homelessness and similar problems. The first phase of the social services portal, scheduled to launch in early 2002, will be a pilot project for resolving the many issues-- technical and otherwise-- involved in merging services and information from various agencies and jurisdictions into a seamless Georgia state portal. Most people think of a Web site when they hear the term portal, but it also includes the office of an agency, a call center, an information kiosk or any other place or means people use to access services and information. All these access points should provide consistent and comprehensive information from agencies concerned with the same issue. Like Georgia, Gwinnett County is becoming increasingly diverse, and the social services portal also must bridge language and cultural barriers while ensuring accessibility to people with disabilities. "Human services is the area in state government with the most urgent need for a comprehensive focus on clients," says Larry Singer. "A family at risk will be able to use the portal to find the shortest, most direct path possible to the services they need." GTA is also helping the coalition with applications for federal grants and matching funds to supplement allocations from state government. s GTA LEADERSHIP TEAM Larry J. Singer CIO & GTA Executive Director, ljsinger@gagta.com Tom Wade, Deputy Director & Chief Operating Officer, twade@gagta.com Cigdem Delano, Deputy Director & Chief Technology Officer, cigdem@gagta.com Joyce Goldberg, Director Office of Communications, jgoldberg@gagta.com Sondra Rhoades-Johnson, Director External Affairs/Business Development, sondrarj@gagta.com Beverly Walker, Director Human Resources, bwalker@gagta.com Danette Joslyn-Gaul, General Counsel dgaul@gagta.com Roosevelt Council, Chief Financial Officer councilr@gagta.com Gina Tiedemann, Director GeorgiaNet, gtiedemann@gagta.com Kerry Bass, Director Agency Relationship Management, kbass@gagta.com Derrick Wheeler, Director Information Resources, dwheeler@gagta.com New Logo GTA's new logo is a departure from more traditional symbols of government. It works well on the Web and in print, in black and white or color, and the accompanying font conveys a contemporary but solid appearance. The adoption of a new logo takes place at the same time GTA assumes responsibility for state telecom and data center operations. GTA Today Published quarterly and available online at www.gagta.com Michael Clark, Editor, miclark@gagta.com Hettie Smith, Graphic designer How to contact us: Georgia Technology Authority 100 Peachtree Street, Suite 2300 Atlanta, Georgia 30303 404-463-2300 www.gagta.com GTA Today Summer 2001 Page 6