Representatives from three agencies will testify during the commission’s public hearing at 1 p.m. July 9: The Department of Information Resources (DIR), which impacts IT decisions across the state and beyond; the Texas Lottery Commission (TLC), with $8.7 billion in sales; and the Sabine River Authority (SRA), which serves Southeast Texas, will be present.
The commission highlighted DIR for its impact on public-sector IT, helping agencies navigate the technical landscape and procure goods and services, according to its documents. There are four areas with recommendations.
In a nutshell, they are:
- Improving input mechanisms and strengthening board structure
- Improving reporting and expanding agency procurement support
- Adjusting two contracting programs
- Adding cyber tools
The TLC Sunset Staff Report reflects that it is a needed agency and recommends improvements in governance and bingo regulation. Taking a deep dive into the documents reveals potential IT opportunities, including data management.
Suggestions include:
- Move the Charitable Bingo Operations Division from paper-based to digital operations
- Improve data practices such as data validation and quality control
- Develop dashboards
- Consolidate four reports into one
The SRA manages the floodwaters, rivers, streams and tributaries of the Sabine River Basin in Southeast Texas. It isn’t subject to abolition, only review, but its operations need modernizing.
Its Sunset Staff Report recommends adding best practices to grant programming, aligning its contract process to best practices, improving contract documentation, formalizing strategic decision-making and standardizing governance and the complaint process.
As to tech and procurement, problems include:
- Conflicts of interest
- No planned IT approach; outsourcing IT
- No formal vendor performance process tracking
- Lack of HUB contracting approach
- Using multiple spreadsheets with missing data points
SUNSET COMMISSION BACKGROUND
Texas established the process with the Texas Sunset Act in 1977 to monitor agency performance and to recommend agency abolishment or changes that improve efficiency and effectiveness, according to the commission website.
Next steps:
- Deliberation, including public hearings and a vote on recommendations
- Legislative action, including drafting and filing the sunset bill, going through the legislative process and voting on the bill
- Finally, the agency continues with improvements, or the agency is abolished
Other agencies undergoing review are:
- The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), including:
- Board of Pardons and Paroles, under TDCJ
- Correctional Managed Health Care Committee, under TDCJ
- Windham School District, under TDCJ
- Texas Ethics Commission
- Texas Real Estate Commission
- Texas River Authorities:
- Angelina and Neches River Authority
- Lower Neches Valley Authority
- Trinity River Authority of Texas
