The annual survey, conducted by the Center for Digital Government and presented by Government Technology*, ranked participants for their innovative approaches to government IT and the initiatives of the previous year.
There were nine California counties recognized across three population categories, the largest of which was the 1 million or more category. A regular name at the top of the list was Alameda County, followed by San Diego County in third place and San Bernardino County rounding in sixth.
All three counties were highlighted in last year’s survey, and have all risen from their respective rankings.
Here’s what they’ve been up to in the past year.
1ST: ALAMEDA COUNTY
Alameda County is no stranger to the Digital Counties Survey leaderboard. This year, the county’s Information Technology Department (ITD) took a first-place spot for its commitment to consistent innovation and good government IT under the leadership of longtime CIO and Government Technology’s Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers award winner Tim Dupuis. ITD’s mission is simple and succinct: “the delivery of services through secure, effective and innovative technology solutions," and to that end the department is focused on bolstering and securing the necessary infrastructure to provide internal and external services.
Several large departments and initiatives have transitioned under ITD’s purview, including the technical functions of the Health Care Services Agency’s (HCSA) Social Health Information Exchange program, technology services for the Department of Child Support Services and radio functions for the Alameda County Fire Department. In October 2023, ITD introduced SyntraNet, which hosts the county's Community Health Record and Jail Scheduling systems in addition to processing California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal claims. The consolidated platform allows HCSA to better coordinate clinical, behavioral and community-based organization care teams.
ITD has also been moving forward with responsible adoption of artificial intelligence for some time now, jumping into possible applications earlier than most. ITD has six AI-enabled chatbots in place for the departments of health care, probation, ITD service desk, public works, human resources and social services. In addition, a pilot initiative was launched to test the efficiency of an application that connects unhoused individuals with living accommodations using AI tools, resulting in a 25 percent user satisfaction increase.
Cybersecurity is a key concern for the ITD, and efforts have been made to secure critical infrastructure and systems, like those associated with the voting process and myriad possible digital threats to its integrity. Where staffing is concerned, ITD’s vacancy rate is half of the industry average at 7 percent. This is largely attributed to the consistent development of staff and a positive working environment.
3RD: SAN DIEGO COUNTY
With so much data being generated from different departments and locations across San Diego County, the County Technology Office (CTO) is centralizing its data analytics with a “data lake,” which will enhance San Diego’s ability to combine data-informed decision-making with multiple operations like migrant services and homelessness. Data is put into a consistent format, taking the concept of data analysis from compartmentalized, department-level systems to a system that can be more easily used and integrated across departments. The county is using AI to help redesign its website for better engagement with residents and improved digital services. The new site, which will begin to be rolled out this summer, will be more readable, with easier-to-understand language.
To better serve residents impacted by winter flooding events, San Diego County issued specially configured laptops for temporarily housed flood victims, allowing them to easily access support from local, state and federal resources. Take-Home Tech Connect Kits, which provide a Chromebook and MiFi hot spot, increased from 7,000 to 9,000 in the last year, providing access to newspapers, magazines and other resources. The Tell Us Now mobile app is another tool for engaging with residents, enabling the submittal of any number of service requests, allowing residents to report incidents when they see them — geomarkers identify the location without the need for an address. Rover AI is an example of developing a proof-of-concept into a real-world application: Cameras mounted to county vehicles collect road condition data as they drive across the county, identifying hazards in need of attention.
Broadband infrastructure has been upgraded across more than 50 county libraries, parks and other facilities, retiring outdated copper communications technology with fiber-optic cables, thus increasing bandwidth and download speeds for residents and employees.
6TH: SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
San Bernardino County’s strategic technology plan highlights opportunities to consolidate and optimize existing technology infrastructure, leveraging automation and artificial intelligence to create new assets while safeguarding current ones against evolving security risks. This is achieved through multiple teams, each responsible for specific components, working collaboratively. The county’s emerging technology team — consisting of development, infrastructure and business technical staff — evaluates emerging technologies through proof of concepts to determine their benefits. They employ their Emerging Technology Analysis Canvas for these evaluations, which assesses new technologies hitting the market, including generative AI.
San Bernardino County’s Information Security Program has evolved through the expansion of its Phishing Simulation Program (PSP) and Threat Intelligence Program. The PSP uses AI-generated emails for monthly tabletop exercises to identify process improvement areas by mirroring real-world scenarios to enhance preparedness against ransomware attacks. Another standout technology is the county’s enterprise GIS, which combines secure cloud-based solutions to manage and leverage geospatial data during critical times such as natural disasters.
In the months ahead, the county plans to dive further into cloud computing for cost savings and scalability. Investing in CRM systems and analytics tools to personalize user experiences and identify needs is also top of mind for county tech leaders.
Industry Insider — California will continue to highlight the remaining California-based winners in the coming days.
*Government Technology and the Center for Digital Government are sister organizations of Industry Insider — California, and their parent company is e.Republic.
