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IPMA News : May 2004
Edited By Mary Ellen Bradley and Dennis Jones
IPMA News : May 2004Edited By Mary Ellen Bradley and Dennis Jones |
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Profile -- Pam Derkacht, Department of Printing
Summary of April 8, 2004 IPMA Board Meeting
-- by Dennis Laine, IPMA Forum Committee Co-Chair
The 27th annual IPMA Forum, with the theme "Getting Past the Hype – Delivering Business Value", will be held May 25 and 26 at Saint Martins Pavilion and Worthington Center.
Forum is the largest public sector Information Technology exposition in the Northwest and draws 1,000 attendees annually. Forum is open to all public sector employees and admission is free.
Mr. Shafeen Charania, Director, Platforms Communications for Microsoft will present the first day keynote. Mr. Charania will address the greatest challenge IT faces: demonstrating that investments actually return business value. He will present methods and approaches to accountability that ensures returns from IT investments.
Mr. Steve Gilbert, Director of Client Brand Marketing for Dell’s State & Local Government Markets will keynote the second day. Mr. Gilbert will review the ever changing mobile computing options available to government and how those options impact the overall public sector IT environment.
Doors open at 8:00am, with the daily keynotes starting at 8:30am. The Pavilion will be open from 9:00am to 4:30pm on the 25th and from 9:00am to 4:00pm on the 26th.
The IPMA has changed the format of the speaker sessions this year. Be sure to register in the lobby of the Worthington Center, pick up a program and thank you gift.
In addition to the 20 speaker sessions in the Father Meinard and Abbott Conrad rooms there will be 20 Corporate Sponsor specific presentations in the Father Michael room and the Cheney room. The new presentations will allow Corporate Sponsors to highlight their product lines, present their specific solutions, address unique topics and ideas. Take the time to attend the sessions of your choice, but know the difference between a vendor neutral session and a Corporate Specific session.
The IPMA is able to provide its programs and conferences because of the support of the Corporate Sponsors and vendors who participate in the Forum. So be sure to visit the display booths in the Pavilion and discuss your situation, the issues your agency is facing and the business opportunities you see. You may be surprised by the solutions you can find.
-- by Mary Ellen Bradley, IPMA Communications Committee Co-Chair
Pam began her new job at the Department of Printing at the end of August
2003.
Tell me a little about your background. I was born in Southern California and moved to Washington right before I started Kindergarten so I consider myself "almost a native" Washingtonian. I graduated from a private high school and didn’t attend college until after I was well into my career. I decided to attend college to get an accounting degree since the first six years of my career were dedicated to accounting. I started with an Associate of Arts from South Puget Sound, took a few years off to become a mom and then went back and earned a Bachelor’s Degree at the Evergreen State College.
How did you get involved in Information Systems? As a bookkeeper in a private accounting firm, I discovered I had a knack for programming the accounting reports and quickly inherited all the coding responsibility for the other accountants and bookkeepers. I also became responsible for all the data and system backups (yes, the big reel tapes) for the mainframe computer system for three office locations and got to dabble with a little system administration and networking which I really enjoyed.
How did you get started in state Government? My first position was with Department of Fisheries, now part of Fish and Wildlife, where I processed Hydraulic Project Applications in a Word Processing Center for a couple months. I then moved to a permanent position with the Department of Transportation and then the Attorney General’s Office. Over the next couple years I moved through the clerical and administrative classes. I ended up in the Information Services Division of the Attorney General’s Office where I worked for Jim Albert, the Information Services Manager for about seven years. He provided me with a great deal of opportunity to manage delivery of technical services and acquisitions, and to participate in all aspects of technology management. I drafted the agency’s first Technology Portfolio in response to DIS’s new (at the time) guidelines and requirements. I also had the opportunity to complete the Project Management Certification course sponsored by Department of Personnel and the University of Washington where I met some wonderful people in the IT community.
From the AGO, I went to Department of Labor & Industries to manage the IT Unit for Administration and the Director’s Office. Managing IT staff in L&I’s highly complex computing environment was a very enriching experience and in my short time there I had the opportunity to work with a great number of highly professional and experienced IT staff.
Less than a year after arriving at L&I, I became aware of an opportunity with the State Printer as the Contract Services Manager. A major part of the job was to oversee the Facilities Management Program which provides multi-function print equipment, service and supplies in a comprehensive contract with a single vendor. Implementing Print Management was one of the last projects I had been leading at the AGO, so I accepted a position that seemed designed just for me. It was a bit of a risk because it seemed to be taking me away from technology which is where my passion is, and toward the administrative side of contracting. Just as I was starting with the agency, the State Printer’s IT Manager took a promotion out of the agency, and I was offered the opportunity to oversee the IT Program and Graphic Design in addition to the Contract Program. Later Marketing was added to this mix. Because of the broad scope, it’s been a new challenge for me but I have a great "coach" in our director.
What do you see as the role of technology in State Government? Although it’s made the life of IT professionals far more complicated, technology has been streamlining work processes and providing us with far more complete and accurate information than any time in our past. As IT Professionals and stewards of public funds, we need to implement technologies carefully to avoid being sucked into the bottomless pit of frivolous IT spending. Careful planning and thorough analysis of all projects will help us implement and choose carefully the technologies we acquire.
What are the problems that you see with technology and government? From 2002-2004 I have worked in 3 different agencies and have been amazed that we are all experiencing the same challenges with technology and service delivery to our customers. That’s been a fascinating revelation to me. We all tend to see our challenges as unique and they just aren’t. Although we have come a long way, there is so much more that agencies could do to share their solutions and discoveries with one another.
What do you want to accomplish at the Department of Printing? IT Industry experts have been predicting that implementation of Print Management in an organization can cut 10-30% off the fleet of copiers, printers, faxes and scanners. I want to assist agencies in taking advantage of the convergence of these devices into multi-function devices (MFDs) and help them implement more sustainable practices by consolidating devices thereby reducing energy consumption, lease and maintenance costs, and consumable supplies. Since 1993, the State Printer has offered the Facilities Management Program which has been evolving into complete Print Management.
One of my goals it to more fully develop this program to offer agencies a convenient way to implement complete Print Management that truly adds value and enables us to "do more with less". I’m a firm believer in the mission of the State Printer which we summarize as "save taxpayer dollars". We say it to each other every day.
The other project that was already underway when I arrived here, but am currently focusing my support on is PRTonline, the new on-line catalog of print publications, promotional items, and products which we warehouse and distribute on behalf of our customer agencies. This new enterprise-wide e-commerce site for government agencies and political subdivisions will be replacing the current business card system and stationery source.
What I really want to accomplish while I am at the State Printer is help further develop and implement services that enable other organizations to meet their missions.
What are you most proud of in your career? At a time when there weren’t "model contracts" or acquisition processes posted on the web, I developed a technology acquisition process for the agency I worked in and coordinated and issued several very successful RFPs and RFQs which resulted in very successful hardware and software implementations.
The thing I’ve most truly enjoyed about my career has been leading others to succeed and inspiring them to be their very best and to take control of their work and the outcomes of their projects and initiatives. I think I’m a pretty firm believer in ownership and accountability.
Family? I’ve been married to Doug Derkacht for close to 14 years. We have a 5-acre piece of property that has been our project for many years now and which we have turned into our own little paradise. We have a 6-year old son Mason, who is in Kindergarten in the Tumwater School District.
Hobbies – Activities? Although I enjoy volleyball and softball, it’s been many years since I’ve played. Between having my son and then completing a college degree just over a year ago, I haven’t had much time for those activities. This past winter I took up snowboarding which I thoroughly enjoyed and boarded at Mt. Hood and Whistler. It’s a real workout but I loved it. I hope to try rock climbing this year. I love to garden and have perennial beds and a vegetable garden which I’ve just gotten started on for this year.
-- by Sheryl Hall, IPMA Professional Development Committee Co-Chair. Photos: Steve Shippee, Labor and Industries, Information Services.
This year marks the ninth consecutive year IPMA Professional Development (PD) seminars have been offered to the IT community. Thanks to participant feedback and valuable suggestions, several things have changed since the first educational seminar was offered. For example prior to 2000, one or two sessions were being presented during the calendar year. Due to growing interest and increased registration, six PD seminars were offered in 2002, 2003, and 2004.
Over the last two years, audience demographics have changed as well. Seminar planning has primarily included community feedback, along with corporate sponsor input. The programs are tailored to reach IT Managers, Project Managers, Application Developers, Data Architects and Designers, Database Administrators, Security Managers and staff, Network Managers and staff, Telecommunications Managers and staff, and Quality Assurance/Testing Managers and staff. We are now receiving between 90-105 registrations per session as opposed to earlier years where the numbers reached 60-70. We are now seeing new faces and attracting people from the Pierce and even King county regions too.
This year, we made a conscience effort to design the seminars with the business in mind hoping to attract IT partners in the business. Consequently, in January of 2004, we presented "Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning – Are you Ready?" March drew some new faces with the topic of "Best Practices and Experiences in Business Rule Management". Then in April, we offered "A roadmap for a successful contracting journey no matter what the distance". Each of these seminars drew an increase in registration and interest, in comparison to previous years.
The April seminar, "A roadmap for a successful contracting journey no matter
what the distance", highlighted a case study on the Human Resource
Management System project for the State of Washington. The
focus was on the selection process from writing the RFP to contract negotiations
and managing protests, presented by Kevin Anderson, Deloitte Consulting. The
program also featured panel presenters from the Department of Information
Services (DIS), Andy Marcelia and Marie Kirk; Office of Financial Management,
Jan McMullen; General Administration, Steve Lovaas; and Rick Sandler from
Employment Security Department.
107 people pre-registered for the program and we had an 85% showing. The demographics ranged from analysts, project managers, purchasing consultants and agents, contract managers, project office managers, and fiscal contracts managers, in addition to IT participants. We received 54 evaluations -- a 64% return. Primarily, the remarks were positive and great suggestions for future topic ideas were presented. After each seminar, evaluations are reviewed and all remarks are taken into consideration and often moved into action items. Thank you!
Evaluation highlights from the April event!
"Panel answered questions appropriately, accurately, and completely. Great Job!"
"Everybody did well in the question and answer session. They were able to be more relaxed and not get distracted because they weren't trying to work through presentation materials."
"The topic was timely and pertinent."
"I wish I had attended this seminar before I started my first RFP. It would have been a much easier process. The documents presented at this seminar will be great resources for future RFPs."
"Appreciated the knowledge various presenters had. Great material, just presented very quickly. Good QA discussion!"
"Marie Kirk was a wonderful speaker – clear, precise, and informative."
"Panel members were well selected."
"Every presenter needs handouts and/or slides to help emphasize their points."
"Good job for all those who participated. Logistics were done well."
"This was one of the most helpful IPMA Sessions I've attended. Excellent handouts. Many thanks to our speaker and panel members."
"Always a good idea to have this type of review since we all need to refresh ourselves on the differences between Purchased & Personal Services, also to address recent changes in policies, procedures, criteria, etc."
"Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to participate in a very informative training session. It was exactly what I wanted and the timing couldn't have been better. Well done!"
"Some of the panelists were a little stilted in their presentations and rushed through their material. However, their expertise was clean and the information they provided was relevant and valuable."
Be sure to check out the upcoming events:
IPMA Forum 2004, May 25-26, 2004
PD Seminar June 23, 2004, Voice over IP/Converged Networks with Right! Systems
PD Seminar August 12, 2004, Lunch Presentation with Molly Gordon, Certified Coach and Trainer
See the IPMA Professional Development Web site for more details.
(Note: This space is reserved for a new IPMA News feature, Sponsor's Corner. For more information, see Sponsor's Corner Guidelines.)
Novell has announced the availability of Mono 1.0 Beta 1, an open source version of the Microsoft .NET development platform that enables Linux and UNIX developers to build and deploy cross-platform .NET applications. More . . . .
(Editor's Note: Sierra Systems article removed 05/19/04.)
The new Olympia Chapter of the Project Management Institute will hold its first meeting on May 18. See meeting notice for details.
5 Years Ago -- May 1999 IPMA Newsletter
10 Years Ago -- May 1994 IPMA Newsletter
15 Years Ago -- May 1989 IPMA Newsletter
20 Years Ago -- May 1984 Association of Data Processing Managers Newsletter
25 Years Ago -- May 1979 Association of Data Processing Managers Newsletter
The following article appeared in the April 26, 2004 issue of The Olympian (Olympia, WA)
Washington's innovative electronic systems, guided by Stuart McKee, serve as model for governments
BY JOHN MILLER, THE OLYMPIAN
On Friday afternoon, Stuart McKee flew to Chicago, where he spoke at a conference of public information officers from around the United States. A day earlier, McKee spent a few hours with computer specialists from three African countries.
The 37-year-old director of the state Department of Information Services is in demand as technology specialists from governments across the nation — and the world — look to his department in Wash- ington for guidance.
Last month, he was named one of the top 25 "Doers, Dreamers & Drivers" by Digital Government magazine. McKee, who has been head of DIS since Steve Kolodney's departure from the post in 2001, ranked 14th on the magazine's list that includes a New York City politician and a Los Angeles police officer.
"Year after year, we have delivered results, from innovative use of technology by government to cost-effective use of technology," said McKee in a phone interview before his flight, from his offices over- looking Jefferson Street, a block away from the Capitol. "People look to us for innovation."
With state governments across the United States trying to boost efficiency and cut costs because of falling tax revenue, McKee was among those cited for "innovative ideas that improved citizen services and public safety," according to the magazine, a publication for computer specialists working for public agencies and departments.
The Spokane native oversees a staff of 420 state employees, with a budget of about $120 million. His unit maintains the electronic backbone for all state agencies, including running Washington's home page, www@access.wa.gov (sic), whose Ask George search engine gets about 6,000 queries a day from people searching for state, county and municipal services, spokeswoman Nancy Jackson said.
"Stuart McKee has been acknowledged as an influential player in this field," said Gov. Gary Locke, of the magazine honor, "For the last five years, Washington state has made a concerted effort to use technology to make government more efficient and user-friendly for our citizens," Two years ago, Washington lured McKee away from The Walt Disney Co., where he was a vice president of the entertainment company's Internet unit. There, he directed ESPN,com, Disney.com, ABC-News.com and GO.Com Web sites.
Streamlining government
In Chicago this past weekend, he spoke to public-sector computer specialists about the challenge they face from the Help America Vote Act of 2002, aimed at making elections more accurate after the vote-tallying problems in the race between George W Bush and Al Gore in 2000 in Florida, The law requires that governments, including Thurston and Mason counties, switch from their punch-card voting machines to new equipment that may include optical scanning systems that require computers.
"At the root of the issue is voter confidence," McKee said, "Much of the rhetoric we've been hearing is that we can't trust technology,"
Also on Digital Government magazine's top 25 list were Michael Bloomberg, the New York mayor and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, a financial analysis system; as well as David Boyd, head of research and development operations for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; and Los Angeles Chief of Police William Bratton.
The Center for Digital Government, a California-based industry group that publishes Digital Government magazine, last year gave Washington an award for its work in using computers to streamline government, calling the home of software firms including Microsoft Corp. "the state that's made the greatest contribution to digital government" for five years.
DIS projects under McKee's oversight include a plan by the Washington State Patrol to create a Web-based "Amber Alert" to quickly notify police officers about the disappearance of a child. That's due to be completed later this summer.
DIS also is working on a system for the Department of Licensing that will include biometric information such as finger-printing on Washington driver's licenses as a tool to help prevent terrorist attacks, said Jackson, the DIS spokeswoman,
"We have 420 people in this department," McKee said. "They allow me to be a risk taker, they allow me to be out front with our technology to make life better for citizens of the state,"
John Miller covers state government for The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-753-1688 or johnmill@olympia.gannett.com.
Members Present: Jim Albert, Mary Ellen Bradley, Thomas Bynum, Phil Grigg, Sheryl Hall, Dennis Jones, Dennis Laine, Andy Marcelia, and Christy Ridout. Phil Coates, CFO, and Jim Andersen, Forum Events Manager, were also present.
Christy Ridout, IPMA Chair, opened the April 2004 meeting of the IPMA Board of Directors at 7:30 a.m.
Secretary/Treasurer: The minutes from the March 2004 board meeting were approved.
The Board approved the March 2004 financial status and activities reports.
Special Projects:
Mid-Management Development Program: Dennis Jones led a review of the proposal he distributed at the March board meeting to establish a technology focused mid-management development program. He also presented a draft work plan. The board approved the proposal as presented and directed Dennis and his committee to proceed.
Corporate Sponsor Appreciation Luncheon:
Committee Reports:
Forum 2004: Jim Andersen presented the Forum Status report.
Executive Seminar 2004: Phil Grigg reported that preparations for this year's seminar are proceeding on schedule. The Executive Seminar committee will meet April 9th to develop the seminar agenda.
The attendee gifts for this year's event will be jackets. Phil asked if the board had a preference as to the presence or absence of an IPMA logo on the jackets. The board preference was to have the logo on the jacket but it should be subtle.
One hundred rooms are being held at Campbell's Lake Chelan Resort for September 20-22, 2004.
Professional Development: Sheryl Hall reported that the April 20, 2004, event is titled Best Practices in Contracting - "A roadmap for a successful contracting journey no matter what the distance." There are 107 people registered to attend and a standby list has been established.
After the April session, there are three more Professional Development events planned for the remainder of 2004.
The committee has secured Molly Gordon for the lunch/networking seminar in August. She will interview the members of the Professional Development Committee and/or several members of the board prior to the seminar. She wants to touch base with a variety of people to get a good understanding of what the IPMA believes the needs are so that she can customize the seminar and maximize its value to the participants.
The committee will meet shortly to begin developing the 2005 schedule.
Communications: Mary Ellen Bradley reported that the April issue of the IPMA News contained an interview with Stan Ditterline, the new CIO for the Washington Military Department, plus a very interesting article titled "Washington IT Leadership Continues."
Dennis Laine will have the article for the May issue and Mary Ellen has the June article.
Budget - Finance: No business
Other Business: No other business
The meeting was adjourned at 8:50 a.m.
IPMA, P.O. Box 1943, Olympia, WA 98507-1943