Winners Focus on Knowing When, How to Introduce New Tech. County government is increasingly leading the way when it comes to deploying technologies that matter to everyday citizens. Where innovation and out of the box thinking used to fall to bigger, better funded state IT agencies and the private sector, regional governments have turned their focus to being more adaptable and responsive to the technology needs of their constituents. But this year, the theme among the five first place winners is not so much about a shiny, new technology as much as it is about knowing when and how to introduce it. Whether investing in new tools like predictive analytics, going mobile, or opening data to the public, these organizations are making very real differences in the communities they serve. This years 1. Most extensive list of Twitter Chats. Schedule includes chat hashtag, topic, description, moderators, day, and time of each Twitter chat. Add your TweetChat for free. InformationWeek. com News, analysis and research for business technology professionals, plus peertopeer knowledge sharing. Engage with our community. I celebrate myself, and sing myself, And what I assume you shall assume, For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you. I loafe and invite my soul. Annual Digital Counties Survey, conducted by the Center for Digital Government, brings attention to this work and the IT teams making it all possible. King County, Wash., took first place in the 1,0. IT. In recent years, county CIO Bill Kehoe said efforts to tie everything back to the big picture IT strategy have resulted in better efficiencies and a more deliberate deployment of necessary tools. Thats the movement that I have seen in the last few years the organization and the county have gone mainly from operational and transactional to more of a strategic and innovative approach, he said. We still have a way to go, but the culture is changing in that direction. There is also a lot at stake in the county, not only because of the expectations put on modern digital government, but also the proximity to companies like Amazon and Microsoft. Whenever it comes to rolling out new tech for their internal customer departments, Kehoe said the process of engaging with county staff and educating them is imperative to long term success. The solution tailor made classes designed to fit the individual customer needs. We threw a lot of new technology at our customers over the last five to seven years, because the state of the technology in the county coming out of the recession was very outdated, both from a basic infrastructure to just a lot of outdated technology, he said. What it did was really overloaded some of our customers with new technology that they didnt necessarily know how to use. Despite the Digital Counties recognition, the CIO said they still have their eyes turned to the big picture issues such as cybersecurity and the growing demand for data services. Within the larger King County community, meeting the call for greater digital equity and social justice continue to percolate in the minds of leadership and the IT team. The expectation is a lot higher and the accountability is a lot higher, which is good, but I wouldnt say that IT is looked at as, You guys are doing great and dont need to improve, he said. I think we are always looking to improve and really understand where our customers pain points are and new ways to engage with them as well. Westchester County, N. Y., took first place in the 5. IT tools. And despite his title, county CIO John Mc. Caffrey isnt afraid to say no when those tools dont add value to the countys overall mission. In recent years, Mc. Caffrey has noticed the growing role Westchesters IT department plays in the daily decision making process. Johan Falk Alla Moder here. Rather than the IT team thinking of itself as customer service oriented, the CIO said they are now considered strategic partners. Uk Computer Horse Racing Program. They consider us at every turn, where technology will help, where technology should lay. One of my mantras is no technology for technology sake, he said. Sometimes someone is trying to create a technology project around something that shouldnt be, its just a process. Perhaps where ITs skillset is most valuable is in the business process improvement arena, and in looking at the way departments are attacking their daily workloads. From weeding out duplicative processes to implementing a new solution, Mc. Caffrey said his IT staff have become the trusted voice when it comes to the best way get services to the citizens. Occasionally, he joked, this process doesnt require new technology at all, just a new way to use it. One of our things that we have been getting good recognition on is a contract reform process, and a lot of it is around workflow and document management, and the process itself of eliminating paperwork and eliminating procedures that were just duplicative, but its not new technology per se. In looking to the future, the CIO said he would like to see the county expand the data it uses to make informed decisions. The ever expanding Internet of Things and new partnerships could soon improve the ability to pinpoint vital service deployments across all county departments, both predictively and reactively. Douglas County, Colo., took first place in the 2. As Senior IT Manager Craig Vacura explained, the strategy in Douglas County is not so much about pouring money into new technology as it is about building from a good foundation. Like their colleagues in Washingtons King County, the IT team in Douglas County serves a tech savvy constituency, some of whom work for the regions technology companies. From a county perspective, our leadership really believes in technology and is invested in technology, not just core systems but in areas that are more innovative and require research, he said. One of the areas that was really invested in recently is open data and shared systems and partnering with other counties. But perhaps as important as providing working tools to the personnel and departments that need them, is the idea of breaking down the barriers between departments and neighboring county partners. Vacura said the countys efforts to partner with other jurisdictions have netted some great returns, especially with regard to public safety. Moving forward, Vacura said the county is looking to continue its work with GIS and building what he calls a fundamental base for new applications, but they also will be continuing efforts to look deeper into the capabilities of predictive analytics. One project he said Douglas County officials are excited about is the possibility of using predictive analytics to better serve child welfare and human services functions of the county. As it stands, the county is collaborating with the state of Colorado and academic partners to determine if and how such a tool could be utilized realistically. Arlington County, Va., took first place in the 1. Jack Belcher, CIO for the county that shares a border with Washington, D. C., said thinking about and acting on technology is not something that happens in a vacuum. Instead, he explained, it happens in the communities it will ultimately affect. What we see technology as is really an enabler, and what we try to do in my shop, youve got to keep the trains running, so, youve got to make sure the servers work, the networks are up and the databases are secure and all that. Thats IT, he said. What we are trying to do is advance the discussion about what the future may hold for the community He calls this process shaping the countys digital destiny. Regular input from community groups and leadership through facilitated sessions allow the countys IT team to respond with solutions that fit within the countys long term strategy. What weve done is elevate that discussion, he said.