Per AB 1498 (Buchanan) signed last year that required the state to update the way it purchases technology-related goods and services, the Brown Administration has has submitted a plan to transfer IT procurement authority from the Department of General Services to the new Department of Technology. The details are included in a recent Finance Letter submitted by the Department of Finance as part of this year’s budget process.
However, not all of California’s $5 billion in technology spending will be overseen by the new department. DGS will retain the authority over commodities and leveraged procurement vehicles such as Master Service Agreements, California Multiple Award Schedules and the Western State Contracting Alliance.
Last summer after the legislation was signed, the administration convened a working group of state employees with backgrounds in technology, project management and state contracting to develop a new model on how to do procurements going forward. Officials also reached out to the vendor community and other stakeholder groups, Agency Secretary Carlos Ramostold Techwire.netearlier this year. Ramos said common complaints about the state procurement process are that it’s complex, expensive and time-consuming, limiting vendor competition.
The new Department of Technology is being created from what currently is the California Technology Agency after last summer’s passage of Governor’s Reorganization Plan 2 which reduces the number of state agencies from 12 to 10. The department will be part of the new Government Operations Agency. Also as part of the plan that goes into effect in July, the Public Safety Communications Office will move from the Technology Agency to the Office of Emergency Services.
Governor Brown will present his May Revise budget tomorrow at a press conference at 10 a.m. in the State Capitol. The event will be live streamed by the California Channel.
