Report 2014-602 Recommendation 11 Responses

Report 2014-602: High Risk Update—California Department of Technology: Lack of Guidance, Potentially Conflicting Roles, and Staffing Issues Continue to Make Oversight of State Information Technology Projects High Risk (Release Date: March 2015)

Recommendation #11 To: Technology, California Department of

To ensure that it provides the appropriate level of oversight for IT projects under development, by December 2015 CalTech should conduct a workload assessment to determine the level of staffing and expertise required for each IT project it oversees.

1-Year Agency Response

ITPOD has established three processes to capture and evaluate workload information:

a) Stage Gate Tracking Spreadsheet (attached) - this provides the status and expectations for completing the work in each stage of the Project Approval Lifecycle. It will also provide earlier insight as to what level and when oversight work will be needed when the project is approved.

b) ITPOD established a monthly report of work activity by activity type, by manager and by branch (attached). This provides Branch managers and the Deputy Director with information about current capacity of individuals and groups within the Division. It will also facilitate better planning for future staff augmentation needs.

c) Effective April 1, every IPO manager will develop a work plan with their supervisor. (attached) This plan will cover a period to be determined by the supervisor depending on the experience and performance of the IPO manager. The work plan will include all anticipated work and relative priorities and, at the end of the period, will document accomplishments and explain any variances to the plan.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Fully Implemented

6-Month Agency Response

Activity is progressing in developing the workload assessment.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending

60-Day Agency Response

Plan for Implementation:

- Capture quarterly updates of workload activity by ITPOC manager and by Branch - in process

- Determine what new projects will begin in 2015-16 - completed

- Request additional staff needed for 2015-16 projects through provisional budget language - in process

- Develop a BCP for 2016-17 staff augmentation accounting for new projects and other workload activity in the justification - in process

- Document a process for on-going workload tracking and workload projections - not started

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2014-602

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.