Government Technology - June 2008 - (Page 14)

PHOTO BY OSCAR WILLIAMS Questions CIO, AUSTIN, TEXAS Four for Peter Collins 1 2 3 You can have [Project Management Institute] certification and anything else you want, but you’ve got to be a leader. If you’re not a leader, you’re not going to get the job done. AFTER OWNING A SOFTWARE FIRM, PETER COLLINS FOLLOWED HIS INTEREST IN LAW ENFORCEMENT SOFTWARE INTO POSITIONS AS A SONOMA COUNTY, CALIF., SHERIFF’S DEPUTY AND A BOSTON POLICE OFFICER. HE JOINED THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THE 1990S AND ULTIMATELY BECAME INVOLVED IN A SERIES OF IT PROJECTS. CHOSEN AS CITY CIO IN 2003, COLLINS CURRENTLY CHAIRS THE TEXAS RADIO COALITION, AN ORGANIZATION WORKING TO IMPLEMENT STATEWIDE RADIO INTEROPERABILITY. IN JANUARY, HE WAS NAMED TEXAS CIO OF THE YEAR AT THE GOVERNMENT TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE SOUTHWEST IN AUSTIN. JUNE_08 j 14 You’ve earned a reputation for successfully completing projects. What’s the secret? I’m a strong believer in good project management. You can have [Project Management Institute] certiﬁcation and anything else you want, but you’ve got to be a leader. If you’re not a leader, you’re not going to get the job done. The other thing that people need to realize is that projects mean problems. It seems like there is a cultural attitude out there that if something goes wrong, it’s the end of the world. It isn’t. The problem is that things get masked in that environment because people are afraid to say they slipped a little bit. How do you create the atmosphere where it’s OK to admit problems? It’s really somebody being mature, selfconﬁdent and secure enough to say, “Here’s the problem.” The key is your project manager. Successful project managers are true risk managers. They can look out on that horizon and see danger lurking and raise a red ﬂag. So it’s communication and risk management. And just because there’s a problem on the horizon, doesn’t mean you’re done as a project manager; it means you are paying attention to your job and you are going to be able to lead that team. How does your law enforcement background inﬂuence what you do now? Being a patrol ofﬁcer was the best job I ever had in my life. If I could go back tomorrow and do it, I would. But I felt I could impact public safety more here in a management role. I actually started in Austin as a police cadet, and I kept a low proﬁle; I just ﬁxed things. Eventually I was asked to do a project called Radio Dispatch and Mobile Trunking which was the regional radio system. We built an 80,000-square-foot communications center and replaced the computer dispatch system for police, ﬁre and EMS, and the report management system. What are you most proud of? I’m most proud of the folks I’ve worked with over the years. It’s not all about me; it’s about the whole team. They’re the people I really have to thank because they’ve made it happen. WATCH GTtv’S INTERVIEW WITH PETER COLLINS AT WWW.GOVTECH.COM/GT/VIDEO 4 BY STEVE TOWNS, EDITOR http://www.govtech.com http://WWW.GOVTECH.COM/gt/video

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

Government Technology - June 2008 Contents Point of View The Last Mile Big Picture On the Scene Four Questions For... 3 Technologies That May Change Your Job ...And Your Life Loosening Medicaid's Grip Better Living Through Technology Immersive Itineraries Help Yourself Taking the Bait Shared Connection Up Close Spectrum Products Personal Computing signal:noise Digital Communities Contents Digital Tactics for a U.S. Recession E-Dilemma Stifling Community Innovation Leadership Interview Estonia Becomes E-Stonia If It Were Up to Me …

Government Technology - June 2008

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