Information technology is a vital part of a vibrant city government. Information technology, utilized appropriately, enables enhanced services to the community, increases efficiency of operations, delivers useful information, and supports innovation. The Phoenix Strategic Plan’s Technology Area leverages technology to drive key actions that fundamentally enhance the way Phoenix connects to information.
Priorities
Provide seamless customer service.
A seamless customer experience is achieved when a customer interacts with both internal and external city service providers without experiencing service interruptions during the service delivery process.
Strategies
- Use technology to provide a consistent customer experience, based on standardized service processes applied to all forms of customer interaction.
- Enhance phoenix.gov as a single “front door” for residents and businesses by offering Web-based government services.
- Adopt and expand the concept of technology service catalogs and hardware/software services that assist internal and external customers with finding technical solutions to business problems.
- Support the concept of a single “3-1-1” contact center through which telephone and web inquiries can be funneled to provide efficient and timely customer support and case management tracking.
Increase operational efficiency through constant innovation.
Constant product and service innovation nurtures ideas and focuses on customer satisfaction, combines process and technology to enhance productivity and value, drives down operational costs, and supports other City strategies.
Strategies
- Support and drive innovations that leverage technology and business solutions citywide.
- Focus on organization-wide applications, using right-sourcing and managed services where appropriate.
- Partner with City departments to conserve and redeploy resources while providing services supporting multiple City lines of business.
- Encourage development and use of computer-based business analysis processes and tools to more efficiently manage business data as well as help identify trends and innovations that impact customer service delivery.
Turn data into information through a web-enabled city.
When business data is stored in easily accessible, organization-wide repositories, the city can create opportunities to use this data to make better decisions. Internet-based information delivery and collection efforts empower the community to interact with and receive city services 24 hours a day, giving them the opportunity to conduct their business online versus waiting in line.
Strategies
- Investigate strategies to assist internal and external customers with access to data and web-based services at outlying city facilities.
- Identify common transactions and customer services within departmental business processes that can reasonably be developed into web-enabled services.
- Modify and implement online systems that utilize reengineered business processes for departments and the community.
- Create a technology foundation to support web-enabled government services.
Create a shared common infrastructure.
Consolidating technological infrastructure around common IT components allows improved investments on behalf of the entire city. Strategic use of technology will result in tangible cost savings and results in the efficient and effective allocation of resources.
Strategies
- Establish citywide business standards and measurement criteria that support consistency in IT project management, project completion and realized benefits.
- Enhance IT standards and requirements that will govern information system design, development, and operation across all city departments.
- Consolidate technologies where practical to take advantage of savings achieved through economies of scale.
- Secure software and hardware savings through volume purchasing and installation, and reduced maintenance costs.
Enhance information security and privacy.
In today’s business environment, information security and privacy form the foundation of technology projects. The city should create a comprehensive program to protect data and technology infrastructures, secure systems and assets, mitigate threats, and provide a mechanism for business continuity in emergencies.
Strategies
- Establish the organizational framework to develop and implement a comprehensive security and privacy program.
- Educate employees and residents about the importance of information security and about safeguards to protect confidential data.
- Collaborate with city security authorities to ensure a unified security and privacy framework.
- Investigate strategies to insulate the city’s technology infrastructure from threats to information security and privacy by adopting and implementing industry-standard continuity of operations concepts.
