State CIOs look to business models meeting IT needs
A survey released on Oct. 14 found state government CIOs are still struggling to balance the pressure of cost savings brought on by the recession with the need for services and new ideas. As a result, they are turning to business models and enterprise governance models for guidance.
To combat the pressures of cost and government decentralization, 75 percent of CIOs said their state government has invested completely or partially in business intelligence and business analytics.
The study, conducted by Nascio, TechAmerica and Grant Thornton, stated CIOs believe their state governments are lacking when it comes to IT procurement.
A majority of state CIOs were either very dissatisfied or somewhat dissatisfied with their current system of IT procurement, and 72 percent felt that training to state staff could improve the ability to procure IT goods and services.
About three-fourths of state governments adopted cybersecurity frameworks based on national standards, acquired and implemented continuous vulnerability monitoring capabilities and developed security awareness training. However, only 45 percent have developed a cybersecurity disruption response plan. CIOs noted the increasing sophistication of cyber-threats was the No. 1 barrier to addressing cybersecurity.
The study also found the use of social media for emergency preparedness and citizen engagement has increased over the past year. Almost half of state governments have planned for the use of social media in emergencies over the past year, and 41 percent established a statewide policy on the use of social media.
