Government Technology - January 2008 - (Page 30)

Governing IT at Three Levels Bredesen sees three primary roles for IT in his state: simplifying state operations, improving service delivery and boosting economic development. For instance, Tennessee used IT to reduce complexity and improve the performance of its Medicaid system. “We offer a huge array of services. Those are Education all areas where IT cannot only save Makeover the state money, but also allows us As mayor of Nashville, Phil to better serve the public,” he said. Bredesen added When Bredesen became govmore than 440 ernor in 2002, the state’s Medicaid new teachers, program, known as TennCare, built 32 new was in deep financial trouble. To schools and help turn it around, the governor renovated 43 used IT to improve core business others. He also functions. The state completely implemented a back-to-basics cur- overhauled TennCare’s management information system, allowriculum to teach students learning ing it to take advantage of new fundamentals. programs and service delivery methods. As a result, TennCare turned the corner. What once was complex, hard to run and a magnet for bad press is now a “much quieter, more invisible piece” of government operations, according to Bredesen. Another example of IT’s potential to streamline complex operations is Tennessee’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) initiative, nicknamed Project Edison. The $150 million implementation will simplify technology infrastructure is everything from state purchasing present in the state in the form and human resources to finanof broadband. IT at that level cials and accounting. “Project allows us to recruit technologEdison is also an opportunity for ically oriented companies.” us to relook at other processes But government should and workflows in the state, and have a limited role in pushing Bye-Bye Stovepipes will ultimately lead us to make Tennessee state governbroadband infrastructure in the changes in the law itself to ment currently relies on state, according to the goverrecognize the different world stovepiped databases, nor. First and foremost, neither of 2008 from when a lot of this but Project Edison will the state nor localities should stuff was first put together,” use a common database be in the broadband provider that allows the system explained Bredesen. business, he said. “When I was In addition, the governor to share information mayor of Nashville, I never had is using the state’s Web portal between business an interest in [providing] city— ranked best in its class in 2005 functions within an wide wireless. I don’t think we by the Center for Digital Gov- agency and across could do that particularly well, ernment — to bring more state agencies statewide. and we would always be behind functions online. Services availthe times.” able on Tennessee.gov range from hunting Instead, government should concenand fishing licenses to insurance applications trate on removing legal barriers that hinder for the state’s new health-care program for broadband growth, and provide targeted the uninsured. What’s important, according subsidies or tax incentives to encourage to Bredesen, is keeping the site current. “The private-sector growth. The challenge is encouraging the private Web site is a dynamic thing we have to keep up to date. When new things happen, we have to sector to build broadband in all segments of society, eliminating the disparity between make sure we can incorporate them.” Internet-rich suburbs and the broadbandpoor inner cities and rural areas, including schools. Bredesen spoke philosophically Broadband Internet access will be a vital about the old divide between communities ingredient in Tennessee’s economic growth, that had four-lane roads and those that did Bredesen said. “We want to make sure the not. Now, it’s all about reaching communities with broadband — the informational roads of today. When it comes to broadband and education, Bredesen said the state’s public highereducation system is well wired. But the state needs to make more progress at the high-school level, especially in the form of distance-learning programs that let schools offer specialized classes for smaller groups of students. “That way, school districts don’t have to figure out how to hire a teacher who’s an expert in a subject that only interests 14 students,” he said. With broadband, those teaching skills can be shared more readily. Removing Barriers Mixed Feelings Like a growing number of state and local governments, Tennessee is consolidating its many data centers, e-mail servers and storage JAN_08 30 http://Tennessee.gov http://www.govtech.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Government Technology - January 2008

Government Technology - January 2008 Contents Point of View Big Picture The Last Mile On the Scene CIO Sightings Four Questions for... Spectrum Location, Location, Location Digital Governor Back to the Drawing Board Waukesha Goes Green Collaring Dangerous Dogs Public Sector Goes Web 2.0 Bounce Back SACWIS Rollout Simple Strategy Products Personal Computing How It Works signal:noise

Government Technology - January 2008

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