The department was formally created in 1989 under House Bill 2736 during the regular session of the 71st state Legislature. As a result, DIR replaced previous iterations of the agency, which had been known as the Texas Automated Information Systems Advisory Council (1981-1985) and the Texas Automated Information and Telecommunications Council (1985-1989).
According to the state’s Library and Archives Commission, the previous councils couldn’t “monitor and enforce compliance with state-mandated information resources policies and goals,” prompting the creation of DIR.
Today the agency is tasked with the following:
- Offering purchasing support and policy insights
- Setting strategic direction for IT statewide
- Analyzing cybersecurity risks and solutions
- Assisting with technology procurement and purchasing
- Collaborating with technology vendors
- Creating a dynamic online community for knowledge sharing
Facts:
Budget: Estimated at $457 million overall, with a $17 million IT budget, according to Industry Navigator.* The department’s IT budget increased by 4.13 percent compared to last year.
Leadership: Executive Director and state Chief Information Officer Amanda Crawford has been in the role since February 2019. See her predictions and department goals for this year in an Industry Insider article published in December.
Staff: According to DIR’s website, “the approximately 200 professionals who work at DIR are driven by a sincere desire to make governmental technology more secure, cost-effective and forward-looking.”
*Industry Navigator is a product of e.Republic, which also produces Industry Insider — Texas.
