2016 Techwire Year in Review, Part 2

What will this year be remembered for? When the dust settles, 2016 could be a tipping point for innovation in California government, as new ideas, new leaders and new approaches began to make their imprint on the state’s technology landscape. Here’s a chronological review of the year’s biggest headlines from April, May and June that could have an impact in the future.

April

State’s New Budget Subcommittee Approves Budget Increase for FI$Cal

California moves closer to approving changes to the IT project modernizing the state’s financial management and accounting system, Fi$Cal. After receiving a $237 million budget increase, the project will add dozens of staff positions and tack on an extra two years to the project timeline.

California Linking High-Speed Networks for Education, State Government

The state is linking the California Government Enterprise Network (CGEN) to the high-capacity California Research and Education Network operated by the nonprofit CENIC organization. CGEN provides the California state government with wide-area network connectivity. CENIC connects K-12 schools, public libraries and many of California’s biggest universities. The arrangement will allow institutions across the state to share services across a common network instead of remaining in silos.

California to Start Over on Medicaid Management Information System

The state and system integrator Xerox agree to stop development of a replacement for the California Medicaid Management Information System (CA-MMIS). Under the settlement terms, California will pursue the procurement of a new Medicaid Management Information System as the company continues to operate the existing system through 2019.

Secretary of State Plans New Approach for Business E-Filing System

California Secretary of State Alex Padilla is restarting an IT project that will enable businesses to submit filings and retrieve records online. The Business Connect project was suspended in 2015 after the effort fell behind schedule. Planning for the initiative has now been redone, with a new project schedule,scope and proposed budget. The new project budget is $53.3 million — about double the previous $26.9 million.

May

State Readies Online System for Medi-Cal Fee-for-Service Providers

California is replacing one of the lengthiest paper-based forms in all of government, perhaps the world, with a Web-based solution its designers say is like a more sophisticated version of TurboTax. Many of California’s 154,000 Medicaid fee-for-service providers — doctors and other medical personnel — can now securely enroll and validate their information through the Department of Health Care Services' public-facing Provider Application and Validation for Enrollment system.

Health and Human Services Establishing Pool of Agile Developers

The California Health and Human Services Agency announces it’s establishing a prequalified pool of vendors to provide “user-centric design” and agile software development services on IT projects. Forming a pool of agile developers could be an emerging trend in governments at all levels. Last year, the Federal Acquisition Service and 18F announced 17 vendors qualified through its prequalified pool. The federal pool submitted working prototypes developed from a public data set; California’s vendor pool took a similar approach.

Lawmakers Request State Audit of Large No-Bid Contracts

Lawmakers request the California State Auditor investigate how often the state awards large contracts without following the competitive bid process. In a unanimous vote, the Joint Legislative Audit Committee approved an audit of the California Department of General Services and the California Department of Technology. At issue is the extent of non-competitive bids awarded to private companies for goods and services provided to the state.

June

California Awards First Contract for Agile Child Welfare System

Folsom, Calif.-based Taborda Solutions wins the first agile contract attached to the state’s child welfare system modernization project. The vendor will develop an application programming interface (API) for the current Child Welfare Services/ Case Management System (CWS/CMS). The modernized system will be called CWS/NS — denoting a “new system.” In late 2015 California adopted agile for the child welfare system after deciding a monolithic procurement using traditional waterfall design could be unsuccessful.

Amy Tong Appointed California CIO and Department of Technology Director

Amy Tong stays on as California’s state CIO and Department of Technology director after serving in an interim capacity for three months. Gov. Brown announces Tong has been appointed the state’s CIO. Tong has worked in California state government for more than 20 years in positions of increasing responsibility. She was appointed deputy director of the Office of Systems Integration in July 2014 and previously was named the California State Lottery’s deputy director of information technology services in 2012.

California Hires a Chief Data Officer

California appoints its first-ever chief data officer for state government, naming Silicon Valley tech executive Zachary Townsend to the newly created position. Townsend, of San Francisco, was senior technology policy adviser in the Newark, N.J., Mayor’s Office in 2012. Most recently, he was co-founder of a banking startup in Silicon Valley.

Controller Reaches Settlement Over Failed Payroll System Modernization

The California State Controller’s Office reaches agreement with SAP Public Services Inc. that resolves lawsuits over the 21st-Century Statewide Payroll Modernization project, known as MyCalPays. Under the terms of the settlement, SAP will pay the State Controller’s Office $59 million in cash and also abandon its claims against the controller’s office amounting to about $23 million. The State Controller’s Office reiterates that it plans to finish IT assessments of the project and begin the process of re-engineering a new state payroll system.

Click here to read part 1 of our year in review, for January, February and March.