Techwire: What kind of technology does CalEPA use to fulfill its mission?
Gutierrez: One of the recent systems that we put online in the last 18 months and we continue to make changes to is a system called the Regulated Site Portal. The Regulated Site Portal is a public data warehouse that combines data about environmentally regulated sites and facilities in California into one interactive map. How we used this tool most recently is as part of the fires. The data is very important, especially to first responders; they’d like to understand what areas are potentially affected heavier by these chemicals around the burn areas. The Office of Emergency Services and the Department of Toxic Substances Control helped develop GIS maps, based on this data, that they can pass out to these responders.
Techwire: What other kinds of software are you using?
Gutierrez: I’d go so far as to say we’re a Microsoft shop. We leverage Office365, .NET technologies and .NET framework. In terms of documenting business processes, we use the standard tools out there — Microsoft project management. Sometimes we use very basic tools, very rudimentary tools, like Excel.
Techwire: What are the next big projects?
Gutierrez: We’re a Salesforce customer, so one of the systems we’ll be working on soon is the legacy system CalEPA Action Request System. It’s an internal system that’s used to track correspondence, internal throughout the agency and the boards, departments and offices. That system was built in Visual Basic many years ago — I think in 1999. We’re replacing it with a Salesforce system; we’re going to be starting that in the next couple of months. In addition to that, we’re going to be looking at getting rid of some internal paper-based forms and implementing electronic signatures.
Techwire: What kind of procurement will the agency and its departments need to do to keep fulfilling their missions?
Gutierrez: Off the top of my head, the one that’s going to be coming up is the correspondence replacement system. That’s going to be an RFO that’s coming out.
Techwire: How do you interact with the offices of procurement for each of the departments below you?
Gutierrez: The traditional state government framework is that there is an AIO — a CIO, at the agency level — and then there’s CIOs at each department. We provide a level of technology oversight to our departments, to ensure that we’re following industry best practices, and that we're following the Department of Technology (CDT) policies. I’m basically the conduit between those organizations and our partners, Department of General Services, Finance and CDT.
