NASCIO Launches State CIOs Make a Difference Campaign

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The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) has launched the 2017 State CIOs Make a Difference campaign. The campaign, which will run through mid-June, emphasizes the important role CIOs hold in government operations and the innovative and strategic work they lead.
“Information technology is no longer simply the infrastructure on which state government runs, but is an integral and integrated component in how government imagines, plans and delivers services.” said Mark Raymond, NASCIO President and Connecticut Chief Information Officer.  “IT is the fabric of state government and very often the face of state government. This campaign showcases the substantial and diverse ways state CIOs are making a difference for their states through information technology.”  
Six states – Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Tennessee, California – will be featured in the campaign, each for a two-week period. Videos, narratives and facts specific to each state will be shared at www.nascio.org/CIOs; new content will be added throughout the two-week period. Follow #StateCIOsRock on Twitter and Facebook for campaign updates.
Campaign Schedule:
March 6-17 Minnesota
March 20-31 Nebraska
April 3-14 Wisconsin
April 17-28 Campaign Intermission
May 1-12 Oklahoma 
May 15-26 Tennessee
May 30-June 16 California 

NASCIO Once Again Champions Data Privacy Day

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The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) will take part in celebrating Data Privacy Day by once again becoming a Data Privacy Day (DPD) Champion. Data Privacy Day is held each year on January 28 to commemorate the 1981 signing of Convention 108, the first legally binding international treaty dealing with privacy and data protection. As a committed Champion of Data Privacy Day, NASCIO will promote this international effort to create awareness about the importance of privacy and protecting personal information. NASCIO recognizes and supports the principle that organizations, businesses and government all share the responsibility of being conscientious stewards of personal information by respecting privacy, safeguarding data and enabling trust. 

Data Privacy Day is part of a greater effort, the National Cyber Security Alliance’s (NCSA) #PrivacyAware campaign, which helps consumers understand how they can own their online presence and reminds businesses that privacy is indeed good for business. Data Privacy Day is the signature event in a greater privacy awareness and education effort. NASCIO joins the growing global effort among organizations, corporations, educational institutions, government entities, municipalities and individuals to raise awareness. All DPD Champions will work toward the common goal of improving consumer and business consciousness while encouraging and empowering all digital citizens to be #PrivacyAware.

“Data Privacy Day is the perfect opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of privacy and protecting personal information. We encourage all state Chief Information Officers (CIO) to participate in this international event,” stated West Virginia Chief Privacy Officer and NASCIO Privacy and Data Protection Working Group co-chair Sallie Milam.

In addition to becoming a DPD Champion, NASCIO continues to hold monthly calls with its Privacy and Data Protection Working Group, which was formed last year. This group highlights privacy issues of importance to state CIOs and their teams. The working group is a subcommittee of the NASCIO Cybersecurity Committee.

DPD and the #PrivacyAware campaign are spearheaded by the National Cyber Security Alliance, a nonprofit, public-private partnership dedicated to promoting a safer, more secure and more trusted Internet. For more information about how to get involved in DPD and the Champions program visit https://staysafeonline.org/data-privacy-day/. You can also follow the campaign on Twitter at @DataPrivacyDay or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DataPrivacyNCSA and use the official hashtag #PrivacyAware to join the conversation.

NASCIO Releases Federal Advocacy Priorities: Highlights Need for Strong Intergovernmental Partnership

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The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) announced its 2017 federal advocacy priorities today. NASCIO’s federal advocacy agenda will focus on four issues:

1. State chief information officers’ (CIOs) seek strong intergovernmental partnership on cybersecurity
2. Flexibility in federal funding regulations that encourage legacy system modernization and cloud adoption
3. Information sharing and safeguards: meeting citizen expectations
4. FirstNet: successful implementation of state plans
Fact sheets and additional details on NASCIO’s 2017 federal advocacy priorities can be found at www.NASCIO.org/advocacy.
“NASCIO’s 2017 advocacy priorities reflect the ways in which state CIOs hope to work collaboratively with the federal government. Chief among these priorities is cybersecurity. Protecting public networks and reducing the risk to the digital assets of citizens and government is a shared mission across all levels of government and it is our hope that our federal partners will work with state CIOs to achieve a more secure cybersecurity posture,” said NASCIO President and Connecticut CIO Mark Raymond.
NASCIO’s 2016 Cybersecurity Study data indicates that the biggest challenge to cybersecurity as reported by state chief information security officers (CISOs) is insufficient budgets; this has been the number one challenge since the inception of the NASCIO Cybersecurity Study in 2010. In addition to the lack of funding, state CISOs report that compliance with voluminous federal security regulations redirects scare state resources to compliance activity instead of those that would more effectively ensure the security of state government networks and digital assets.
Given the resource-constrained environment in which state governments operate, NASCIO hopes to work collaboratively with the federal government to introduce flexibility in federal funding regulations that will encourage legacy system modernization and cloud adoption within state governments. Currently, federal funding regulations are promulgated in a “silo” fashion that does not incentivize enterprise solutions.
Scarce resources have also led to increased collaboration between various levels of government including state-to-state and state-to-local. This kind of cross-jurisdictional collaboration highlights the need for effective, efficient, and consistent information sharing and in 2017, NASCIO will work with the federal government to stimulate and incentivize the adoption of the National Information Exchange Model (NIEM).
FirstNet appears again as an advocacy priority in 2017 because this year, governors will be making the decision to opt-in or opt-out of the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network. Many state CIOs serve as FirstNet’s Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for the state and all state CIOs serve as a trusted technology and business advisor to their governors. Thus, it is important that FirstNet communicate regularly with states as final state plans are delivered and acted upon.
The association’s federal advocacy priorities for the year are selected by its Executive Committee based on the intersection of the leading policy priorities of state CIOs (available at www.NASCIO.org/topten) and key opportunities to work with Congress and the Executive Branch.

State Government Associations Establish Action Plan for Navigating the IT Purchasing Landscape

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The National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) and the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) have developed an action plan for navigating the ever-changing terrain shaping state procurement efforts and information technology (IT) updates. 

While Chief Procurement Officers (CPOs) and Chief Information Officers (CIOs) have shared interests in working together to improve IT procurement, they face many challenges as states struggle to reform sometimes decades old procurement systems, and at the same time, keep up with the rapid changes of the technology landscape. 

“Leading IT procurement transformation continues to be a priority for state procurement leaders nationally, and NASPO is committed to working with our IT partners to be at the forefront of this effort,” said Larry Maxwell, NASPO President and New Mexico State Purchasing Director.

In demonstration of this collaborative spirit, NASPO and NASCIO convened a joint roundtable in 2016: “Designing for Agility: Advancing IT and Procurement Modernization.” A key outcome of the roundtable was the development of an action plan, setting a vision forward for state CPOs and CIOs to work together to redesign the dimensions of governance and organizational structure, interaction and processes, and budgeting and forecasting.

Mark Raymond, NASCIO President and CIO for the State of Connecticut said, “Technology procurement is truly unique given the rapid changes in technology offerings. NASCIO is proud of the state IT procurement modernization efforts that have already been accomplished by working together, and state chief information officers stand ready to continue collaboration with state procurement officials.”

The action plan addresses several key areas of state government common to both specialties, including:

• Governance and organizational structure

• Teaming and roles

• Interactions and processes

• Budgeting and forecasting

Read more about the joint action plan developed by NASPO and NASCIO by visiting www.nascio.org/procurement.  

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About NASPO

The National Association of State Procurement Officials is a non-profit association dedicated to strengthening the procurement community through education, research, and communication. It is made up of the directors of the central purchasing offices in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the territories of the United States. NASPO is an organization through which the member purchasing officials provide leadership in professional public purchasing, improve the quality of purchasing and procurement, exchange information and cooperate to attain greater efficiency and economy. Please visit www.naspo.org for additional information.

About NASCIO

The National Association of State Chief Information Officers is the premier network and resource for state CIOs and a leading advocate for technology policy at all levels of government. N​ASCIO represents state chief information officers and information technology executives from the states, territories, and the District of Columbia. For more information about NASCIO visit www.nascio.org.

AMR Management Services provides NASPO and NASCIO’s executive staff.  For more information about AMR visit www.AMRms.com.

Contact

Jill Midkiff, NASPO
859.514.9830
[email protected]

Kayla Leslie, NASCIO
859.514.9191
[email protected]

NASCIO Announces 2017 and 2018 Annual Conference Cities

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The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) is pleased to announce the host cities for their upcoming 2017 and 2018 annual conferences. The NASCIO annual conference gives state CIOs and members of their staff the opportunity to come together with the many service providers for education and networking.

NASCIO will hold their annual conference October 1-4, 2017, in Austin, Texas and October 20-23, 2018, the conference will be in San Diego, California. Todd Kimbriel, Chief Information Officer for the State of Texas, noted “Austin is very excited to be welcoming NASCIO’s Annual Conference next year. The conference will be at one of our spectacular new hotels, the JW Marriott. Between the fantastic venue and the vibrant downtown of Austin, I’m certain that NASCIO attendees will leave this conference with great information and good memories.”

Doug Robinson, NASCIO Executive Director, stated, “NASCIO last held their Annual Conference in Austin in 2009 and San Diego in 2012. NASCIO enjoyed productive and highly-rated conferences in both cities as they provided an outstanding location for our conference attendees to meet and enjoy their time together. NASCIO and our members are looking forward to the chance to return and experience these two fantastic cities again.”

To learn more about NASCIO’s Annual Conference, visit our website at www.NASCIO.org. 

2017 State CIO Priorities Reflect Importance of Security and Strategic Enterprise Thinking

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The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) today released its Top Ten state chief information officer (CIO) priorities for the coming year.  Not surprising, security, consolidation and cloud services continue to top the list as state technology leaders look toward 2017. 

This year, the State CIO Top Ten shows information technology (IT) security strategies and tools are at the top of the list across the states, with security topping the list of priority strategies for the third consecutive year. Cloud services and consolidation/optimization remain at the top as second and third rated priorities.

NASCIO President and Connecticut Chief Information Officer Mark Raymond stated, “The survey results show a strong alignment between strategic plans and technology investment. Data management, cloud solutions and certainly security are demanding our attention. Consolidation and sharing of services will drive needs to improve identity management, governance and optimization.  We will carefully examine these priorities as we develop our workplan for the 2017 program year.”

“No major surprises in the priorities for 2017. State CIOs continue to recognize the importance of IT Governance as they address enterprise security, cloud services and drive IT consolidation,” stated NASCIO Executive Director Doug Robinson. “Agile software delivery makes it in the top ten for the second time which reinforces the results from our recent national survey.” 

NASCIO utilizes the annual list of priorities to develop strategic areas of focus for the coming year, formulate new committees and working groups and plan NASCIO conference sessions and publications. 

The prioritized rankings of strategies and technologies reflect voting by state CIOs and are available for download at www.NASCIO.org/TopTen.

Updated NASCIO Strategic Plan Released

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The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) is pleased to announce the release of its 2016-2018 Strategic Plan.  NASCIO relies on its strategic plan to guide the development of the Association’s business plan, align products and services with the mission and define desired outcomes and performance indicators. Linked to objectives, the underlying measures and metrics help define progress toward accomplishing these objectives and support the vital signs of NASCIO.   The new strategic plan can be found online at https://www.nascio.org/AboutNASCIO/StrategicPlan.

“On a semi-annual basis, the Executive Committee of NASCIO reviews and renews its strategic plan,” said Mark Raymond, Connecticut CIO and NASCIO President. “The latest update was released to the membership just weeks ago at our Annual Conference in Orlando. While the plan didn’t change significantly, we did emphasize some new objectives that reflect the current needs of state CIOs. These changes will ensure that NASCIO continues to align the organization’s activities to ensure we’re providing our members with the support, research and information they’ve grown to expect.”

NASCIO is the premier network and resource for state CIOs and a leading advocate for technology policy at all levels of government. NASCIO represents state chief information officers and information technology executives from the states, territories, and the District of Columbia. The primary state government members are senior officials who have executive level and statewide responsibility for information technology leadership. State officials who are involved in agency level information technology management may participate as state members. Representatives from other public sector and non-profit organizations may also participate as associate members. Private sector firms may join as corporate members and participate in the Corporate Leadership Council. 

NASCIO Observes Electronic Records Day

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In an effort to raise awareness for the crucial role and importance of electronic records, on October 10, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) is observing Electronic Records Day.

“It’s no surprise to public sector leaders that the increase in conducting government business digitally has resulted in a tremendous growth in electronic records.” said Doug Robinson, NASCIO executive director. “We all must recognize the importance of managing and preserving records in this modern format which promotes greater accessibility of information for the public.”

E-Records Day was created by the Council of State Archivists (CoSA) as part of its State Electronic Records Initiative. In recognition of its fifth year, CoSA has promoted electronic records awareness leading up to October 10 and has placed a special focus on electronic communications in government.

Join NASCIO and CoSA in raising awareness of digital records and the importance of their preservation among government agencies, professional organizations and stakeholders, as well as the general public. See CoSA’s Electronic Records Day page for more information and tips on managing e-records.

NASCIO Champions National Cyber Security Awareness Month

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LEXINGTON, Ky., Wednesday, October 5 — The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) is once again observing National Cyber Security Awareness Month by being an official cybersecurity champion. For the 13th consecutive year, the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Cybersecurity and Communications, the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center and the National Cybersecurity Alliance are promoting cyber security awareness, safety and security online. Once again, NASCIO is partnering with these organizations to officially show support and promote a safer, more secure and trusted Internet.

To further promote cybersecurity awareness, NASCIO will release an updated version of the State Cybersecurity Resource Guide later this month, which observes the awareness, training, and educational initiatives available throughout the states.

The updated guide will include examples of state awareness programs and initiatives. This is an additional resource of best-practice information, together with an interactive state map to allow users to drilldown to the actual resources that states have developed or are using to promote cyber awareness.

“Cybersecurity continues to be top of mind for our state CIOs,” said Doug Robinson, NASCIO executive director. “NASCIO supports the states’ efforts in cybersecurity not only during Cybersecurity Awareness Month, but all year long with research and publications that advance cybersecurity as a top priority. NASCIO applauds the states for bringing attention to the importance of online safety and security by hosting and highlighting their own state programs and resources throughout the month of October.”

Cybersecurity resources and advocacy efforts can be found on NASCIO’s Cybersecurity Awareness resource page at www.nascio.org/cybersecurity. 

To learn more about participating in National Cyber Security Awareness Month, please visit www.staysafeonline.org. Consider joining NASCIO and becoming a cybersecurity awareness champion today.

NASCIO Conference Attendees Give Back to Orlando, Host City of the 2016 Annual Conference

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Total donation of $12,250 provided to local Orlando organization

ORLANDO, FL., State, associate, and corporate members of the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) donated to the Melrose Center at the Orange County Public Library System this September as part of NASCIO’s Give Back program. Funds for the local organization were raised leading up to and during NASCIO’s 2016 Annual Conference held in Orlando. In addition to funds raised from individual attendees, the CompTIA SLED Council gave a kickoff gift of $5,000 and NASCIO contributed and additional $5,000 – providing a grand total donation of $12,250 to the local organization.

Donations made through the NASCIO Give Back program will help offset the cost of supplies, such as circuitry and materials for 3-D printing, that are used in camps and classes to allow kids to take their projects home and keep learning. The Melrose Center offers classes that introduce youth to circuitry and robotics, 3-D printing and design, and coding; all of which are offered at no or extremely low cost, which means the Melrose Center makes technology education and training accessible and affordable for all kids in Orange County.

“The Melrose Center at the Orange County Library System puts technology directly into the hands of Orange County’s children, supporting their experimentation, providing them with hands on opportunities to experiment, create and innovate to eventually become our community’s future tech gurus,” said Mary Ann Hodel, Library Director and CEO. “Thanks to NASCIO’s generous give back donation, we will be able to provide the components, materials and supplies to children at all family income levels. Orange County Library System is extremely grateful to NASCIO’s members for their strong and generous support for our emerging innovators.”

To learn more about the Melrose Center, visit http://tic.ocls.info/.