As part of the Department of Technology’s State Technology Approval Reform (STAR) project introduced last year to improve California’s project approval process, state agencies have until October 31 to submit plans for upcoming IT projects.
To get projects into the pipeline for consideration as part of the state’s IT Capital Plan, agencies must complete the first stage of the STAR project, which is focused on making the business case for a technology project. With more business analysis of the agency’s program needs, STAR seeks to create a more realistic budget and schedule. The previous approach with Feasibility Study Reports has led to premature requirements and planning that is subject to substantial change, according to an August 2013 task force report issued shortly before the announcement of the STAR project.
This summer at a legislative oversight hearing on IT procurement, state officials said they are encouraging state agencies to modernize their business processes to avoid unnecessary IT customization, which historically has added time and cost to procurements.
"Some of that is breaking down the departments’ understanding of their own operations to get them to really document those businesses processes upfront, so before we even go out and decide what is the right solution – before we go out and start the procurement process — really understanding what the business processes allow us to do," said Andrea Wallin-Rohmann, CalTech’s chief deputy director of policy.
As a part of STAR, in addition the business analysis stage, state agencies will face three additional stages in the process: alternative analysis, procurement analysis and solution analysis, according to the Department of Technology’s website.
