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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMS IT Project RoadmapAgenda Item No: 5 o b Meeting Date: March 3, 2014 Fill 31 wl! I I - 11111ylfl &I1 � 01 Department: Management Services Prepared by: Gus Bush, IT Manager City Manager Approvalp#4Z_/4, SUBJECT: STATUS REPORT ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) PROJECT ROADMAP. RECOMMENDATION: City Council accept the informational report. BACKGROUND: The Great Recession period had a significant negative impact on the City's Information Technology (IT) resources and abilities. The effects of this period can still be felt today in many ways. The financial impacts led to fewer staff in IT and far fewer staff throughout the whole City organization. Having fewer staff throughout the organization put even greater pressure on the need for technology solutions and efficiencies. The City has only very recently reached a financial position where more financial resources could be put towards technology needs — while at the same time the demand is growing exponentially. Efforts since 2008 have primarily concentrated on maintaining existing systems. For example, the replacement schedule for desktop computers went from four years to six years. As the budget situation improves, however, the City finds itself in a position where significant improvements can be made — if done strategically. Already, the IT Division has replaced many of the server computers that enable data sharing and support various network services. Also, the ongoing one-year project to implement updated versions of Microsoft Windows and Office software is nearing completion. At the same time, City departments have begun contemplating several new IT systems and enhancements with the potential to improve their operational capabilities. Systems for electronic document management and for tracking customer requests are at the top of most of their lists. Plus, Public Works is in the process of implementing a new work order system, Police is testing body -worn cameras, and Finance is ready to begin planning for a new resource management system. The challenge is to determine which improvements are realistic and attainable in the short-term based on available budget, resources, and time; and which should be accomplished over the mid or long terms. ANALYSIS: Staff has recently contracted with NexLevel Information Technology, Inc., to develop an A Project Roadmap document which will identify and prioritize the City's IT projects for the next 12-18 months. NexLevel is a leader in IT assessment and planning, and has completed more than 30 simila projects for California local government clients such as Novato, Walnut Creek, and Santa Clara. NexLevel is very highly recommended by the cities where they have completed work and have an excellent reputation with staffs IT counterparts from the Municipal Information Systems Association of California (MISAC). Staff interviewed a number of firms on such subjects as methodology, costs, and availability and selected NexLevel based on their clear expertise and experience with similar sized I Council Meed* ng. - D 'is pos iffiio n municipalities and their strong knowledge of the technologies successfully implemented. NexLevel also puts a significant emphasis on the involvement and interaction with the department users of the A. technology and those setting the business direction for the City. This inclusive approach is absolutely necessary given the increasing departmental needs for technology solutions. Over the next two months, NexLevel will review the current state of the City's IT environment, receive input from key stakeholders (including the City Council), and then deliver their recommendations. Staff anticipates returning to Council with a completed IT Project Roadmap in May, along with a request for approval of the next step in the process. The IT Project Roadmap will provide a strong foundation for then developing a comprehensive 5 -year IT Strategic Plan. This follow-on effort, as currently envisioned, could take an additional six months to complete and will focus on analyzing the City's IT environment in relation to best practices employed by similar sized agencies. It will address issues such as aligning IT with the City's business objectives, mitigation of IT risks, and ensuring a return on IT investments over the next five years. FISCAL IMPACT: The IT Project Roadmap has a contract cost of $19,500, covered by existing funds in the IT budget. Funding for projects identified in the Roadmap will be appropriated through the City's normal budget process. OPTIONS: 1. Accept the IT Project Roadmap status report as delivered. 2. Direct staff to modify its approach to IT planning. ACTION REQUIRED: None. Attachment: Letter from NexLevel (dated Feb 23, 2014) describing their methodology for developing thA IT Project Roadmap Mr. Gus Bush Information Technology Manager City of San Rafael 1400 Fifth Avenue San Rafael,. CA 94901 NexLevel Information Technology, Inc. (NexLevel) respectfully submits this proposal letter to the City of San Rafael to assist the City in developing an IT Project Roadmap that identifies and prioritizes the City's IT projects for the next 12 — 18 months. NexLevel developed our proposal based on information we received during our Friday, January 31 meeting and subsequent correspondence and phone calls. We provide the City with a project scope that meets your short-term needs and prepares the City for completing a full 5 -year IT Strategic Plan at some point in the future. Our Company Founded in 1999, NexLevel is a California-based management consulting firm that helps public sector clients plan, procure, implement, and manage complex technology solutions. NexLevel was founded on providing top tier senior level consulting planning., procurement, and project management services to public agencies, and these services remain at our core 15 years later. Our Experience NexLevel's track record includes supporting over 50 cities, counties, districts,. and state agencies. As it relates specifically to the City's current needs, we have completed more than 30+ California local government IT assessment and strategic plan projects. Regional clients for similar services include the es of Novato,. Walnut Creek, Santa Clara,. Fairfield, Stockton, Folsom, and more. This benefits theCity through hands-on experience with the business and operational challenges facing similar sized municipalities, as well as a strong knowledge of the technolo•gies successfully implemented. Attachment A — Qualifications provides additional information about NexLevel. NexLevel proposes a team of consultants with the relevant experience to meet the needs of this important project in the desired timeline. The use of a team approach benefits the City by enabling us to run activities and tasks in parallel under accelerated timelines. In addition, it provides the City with increased depth of knowledge and expertise. Mr. Terry Hackelman, Managing Principa [/Founder of NexLevel will serve as the Engagement •Manager and subject matter expert. Supporting Mr. Hackelman will be NexLevel Managing Consultants Lee Curtis and Mik Stein. I Nel Information Technology, Inc. 6829 Fair Oaks Boulevard, Suite 100, Carmichael, CA 95608 816-692-20oo, eXt. 201 - www.nexievelit.com Page - 2 City of San Rafael — IT Roadmap Proposal SAW 41 11 91 OEM M NexLevel is proposing an approach that addresses the City's short-term objectives of identifying an IT roadmap to support the City's current budget processes. The proposed methodology is an abbreviated approach to the methods we use to complete 5 -year IT Strategic Technology plans. The IT roadmap provides the City a strong foundation and starting point if the City wishes to embark on a full IT Strategic Planning effort at some point in the future. A cornerstone of NexCevel's planning methodology is the focus and emphasis on the involvement and interaction with the department users of technology and those setting the business direction for the City. To develop the City's IT Roadmap,, NexLevel will incorporate input from key users and stakeholders, as well as the City's IT staff. NexLevel is familiar with the challenges and issues that can arise in developing such plans. For example, we are skilled in managing multiple, and often conflicting, stakeholder visions., missions,. goals, objectives, needs, and priorities. Our proposed methodology considers project prioritization and includes processes to helpmanag•e V competing priorities to ensure the IT Roadmap reflects the true business and operational needs of the City. Wzo, pride ourselves in helping organizations develop plans that are realistic and attainable in terms of available budg• et, resources and time. To complete an IT Roadmap for the City, NexLevel will complete the following three tasks: 1) Initiate; 2) Analyze; and 3) Strategize. In the following paragraphs, we provide a detailed description of each task, as well as key activities and deliverables for each task. Task I - Initiatte The primary purpose of Task 1 is to prepare for and initiate the project under a well-defined project plan and schedule, and to ensure alignment of expectations (i.e. purpose, timeline, resources, activities, etc.) among all project participants. To accomplish this, it requires careful planning and coordination between NexLevel and the City's Project Manager, as well as communication outreach activities to key City staff that will be involved in the project. The following table identifies each activity and associated deliverables. Table 1- Task 1 Activities and Deliverables 1.1 Planning NexLevel will meet with the City's Project Sponsor and City Manager, Project Meeting Project Manager to review and confirm the following Assistant City Charter project components: Manager, and IT Project objectives, scope of work, and schedule Manager Project status and update requirements Project risks and risk mitigation strategies Project issue management methods Identification of staff to be involved in the project NexLevel Information Technology, Inc. — Provided Exclusively for the City of San Rafael February 23,. 2012f Page - 3 City of San Rafael — IT Roadmap Proposal 'Actjv4, c Des� ni ,ton ot ty, partil 'Wer le s- Q clipants"I 1.2 Council NexLevel will attend the March 3 or as determined by As Determined Council Meeting the City) City Council meeting to discuss this project. by the City Presentation Attendance NexLevel will work collaboratively with the City staff to Materials prepare the necessary materials. -- ---- - 1.3 Document NexLevel will request and review documentation IT Manager Inventory Request including, but not limited to, the following: and Listing of Strategic Business Plan, Budget, and CIP Technology Documents Committee Received Prior Assessments and Plans Reps 0 Organizational Chart and Contact Information Technology Governance Agendas and Minutes In Process or Planned Technology Project Documentation IT Inventory (e.g. desktop/laptop/tablet applications, peripherals, servers, storage, backup devices, etc.) IT Policies and Procedures Technology Vendor Listing and Agreements NexLevel's Team is committed to being fully informed and prepared so as to make the best use of the City staff's time. I To this end, our Team invests the necessary time be familiar with the City's current operations and activities. Task 2 - Anallyze In developing a realistic and attainable IT Roadmap, it is necessary to first have a comprehensive and realistic understanding of the current IT infrastructure and support resources. Secondly, the City must have an accurate understanding of how departments are using technology today to support operations, and whether that technology is meeting the City's needs. Task 2 includes the activities that allow for the collection and verification of information to provide the foundation for the IT Roadmap. The following table lists each activities and identifies key deliverables. Table 2 - Task 2 Activities and Deliverables 2.1 IT Service NexLevel's IT Service Management Review evaluates the Management effectiveness of the City's IT infrastructure and support Review organization in supporting the future needs of the City by reviewing seven key operational "dimensions." The IT Service Management Review will include the following dimensions: Governance, Service Delivery, Application Support, Security., Infrastructure, Documentation, and Administration The primary purpose of the review is to understand strengths and weaknesses of the City's technology management and support. The current environment provides the foundation upon which the IT Roadmap is built. IM tN �& - - M WIE ' ' I Projects for IT Roadmap NexLevel Information Technology, Inc. — Provided Exclusively for the City of San Rafael February 23, 2014 Page - 4 City of San Rafael — IT Roadmap Proposal "Act ivity, :Des'c rtpflon S T taff 'Par't1d,p,0iqts Deli ables ver 2.2 Business NexLevel will facilitate a series of on-site workshops Dept. Recommended Technology with City departments to identify the current Directors and Projects for IT Review technology environment within each organization,. Tech.Ro admap barriers to full utilization of those technologies, and Committee planned uses and expansion of technology in the next Reps 24 months. The workshops will be held for each department and attended by department managers and key staff as directed by the City. NexLevel anticipates up to 12 workshops that will include the following workshops (Note - Some workshops will include multiple departments as determined by the City): ✓ City Attorney ✓ City Clerk ✓ City Manager's Office ✓ Community Development ✓ Community Services ✓ Economic Development ✓ Finance ✓ Fire ✓ Human Resources ✓ Library ✓ Parking Police ✓ Public Works ✓ Sanitation 2.3 Project ------------- ------ ------ ----- ----- - NexLevel will consolidate the information from To Be Project Listing Formalization Activities 2.1 and 2.2 to create a recommended Determined project listing. The projects will be designed to serve the City's immediate and short-term needs. Each recommended project will include the following information: project description., cost estimates, implementation timeframes., and criteria to prepare for project prioritization. As necessary, NexLevel will conduct research of benchmarks and comparisons to similar implementation approaches used by similar sized agencies. Ta-Ar Strateo7iz A. ct �� J-1 %, 1- e?—n The purpose of Task 3 is to prioritize projects that need to be included in the IT Roadmap. NexLevel brings th City proven methods and tools to ensure identified projects are well defined, understood by the stakeholders and prioritized using agreed upon criteria. During this task, NexLevel will facilitate a Project Prioritization Workshop that uses a multi -step process to arrive at a City-wide prioritization of identified projects that will provide the basis for the IT Roadmap. We detail the Strategize activities and deliverables in Table 3. 1 NexLevel Information Technology, Inc. — Provided Exclusively for the City of San Rafael February 23., 2014 Page - 5 City of San Rafael — IT Roadmap Proposal Table 3 - Task 3 Activities and Deliverables AdMity D' es, t 0 006n, Dellive ClItVParticipants *rabies 3.1 Prioritization NexLevel will prepare a packet of information for Prioritization Workshop City staff that will participate in the project Workshop Preparation prioritization workshop. The package will include Materials project information, as well as a description of the project prioritization workshop methods. ------------ ------------ 3.2 City-wide ---------------- NexLevel uses our proprietary "Blue Wall" approach Dept. Directors and Prioritized Prioritization to arrive at a prioritized list of projects that will be itt Tech. Committee C TecProject Listing Workshop included in the IT Roadmap. The Blue Wall approach Reps involves a facilitated multi -step prioritization methodology that encourages staff participation and collaboration. The workshop is designed to help drive consensus to obtain City-wide prioritization of projects. The end result of the workshop will be a prioritized list of projects assigned to a timeframe. In addition the workshop is designed to identify IT Roadmap enabling factors which are defined as key elements that must be in place or occur to allow the roadmap to be a success. Examples of enabling factors could include training, staffing, budget, governance., project management, change management. ........ . . - --------- 3.3 Publish IT --------- ------ ----- - NexLevel will incorporate work products from Draft review - IT IT Roadmap Roadmap previous tasks as the foundation for the Manager and (Draft) development of the IT Roadmap. The IT Roadmap Technology will be distributed to staff for review. Committee Reps IT Roadmap Once NexLevel has received City feedback on Presentation to (Final) the Draft IT Roadmap, NexLevel will revise and Department update the document. Directors IT Roadmap NexLevel will develop a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation of the Final IT Roadmap. Presentation ... .... . .. .... NexLevel understands that the City is looking to establish the IT Roadmap within two months. NexLevel has proposed a scope of work and the resources to meet this timeline providing we have timely access to key City itaff. Level of Effort and Pricing Based on our past experience in working with similar size municipalities, we estimate this project will require 130 hours. NeAevel is proposing a time and materials approach for billing our services at an all-inclusive (includes all travel and overhead) hourly bill rate of $150. NexLevel will only bill the City for the actual hours expended. We commit to a total not -to -exceed price for this project of $19,500. Supporting Future IT Strategic Planning Needs (Optional) NexLevel understands the importance of establishing a short-term IT roadmap in the next two months. We also understand that the City may wish to complete a 5 -year IT Strategic Plan at some point in the future. Our NexLevel Information Technology, Inc. — Provided Exclusively for the City of San Rafael February 23,, 201 zim 1490MO proposed IT roadmap approach is an abbreviated version of our proven IT Strategic Planning process that has resulted in more than 30 Council or Board approved IT Strategic Plans. Exhibit B of this proposal, provides greater detail on NexLevel"s IT Strategic Planning methodology. The work to establish the short-term IT roadmap can be leveraged to reduce the time and level of effort when the City chooses to embark on a 5 -year IT Strategic Plan project. To provide the City with a budget estimate to complete a 'full IT Strategic Plan, leveraging the work efforts of the IT Roadmap,. NexLevel estimates it would cost an additional $25,.000. We have included Attachment B — IT Strategic Planning Methodology for the City's reference with regards to the tasks and activities to publish a 5 -year IT Strategic Plan. If you have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact me at (9 16) 692-2000,. ext. 201. M= Terry Hackelman Managing Principal NexLevel Information Technology, Inc. — Provided Exclusively for the City of San Rafael February 23, 2014 ROUTING SLIP / APPROVAL FORM INSTRUCTIONS: USE THIS FORM WITH EACH SUBMITTAL OF A CONTRACT, AGREEMENT, ORDINANCE OR RESOLUTION BEFORE APPROVAL BY COUNCIL / AGENCY. SRRA / SRCC AGENDA ITEM NO. 5 b j i ;� i / ; ll' DATE OF MEETING: A FROM: DEPARTMENT: oo erf. DATE: TITLE OF DOCUMENT: ell - ti (LOWER HALF OF FORM FOR APPROVALS ONLY) APPROVED AS COUNCIL / AGENCY AGENDA ITEM: City Manager (signature) ILI Ms WASW w APPROVED AS TO FORM: I i A City Attoroey (signature)