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eAgenda Project To Replace the County's Agenda Management Solution

OC Information Technology (OCIT) is implementing an Agenda Management replacement solution that meets the County’s stated requirements of the agenda process lifecycle (creation of ASR’s, compiling ASRs/publishing agendas, post meeting minutes processes, archiving). This system is expected to roll-out County-wide by late Fall 2022. Below are the top ten objectives that this new system will provide the County.

 

Top Ten Objectives

Result

Example

1.   Current supportable infrastructure

Replace On prem with COTS;

 

2.   All operations within the system

No functional need to leave system during operations

Users can use all MS Word capabilities (track changes, version control) within the system

3.   Automate as many manual processes as possible

Eliminated 8+ number of manual log sheets;

Eliminate manual log sheets; no longer need to print out title revisions and pass around for approvals.

4.   Simplify workflow processing 

Reduced workflows by 20%

Reduced workflows by from 76 to 55; however, this is technically one workflow with configuration to satisfy each use case

5.   Improve collaboration by integrating MS Word with the system

Eliminated the need to email Word documents separate from the system

Users can open the MS Word file from within the system, using all the pertinent reviewing features, and then return to the system to include others in their collaboration without managing a copy of the file sent around by email.

6.   Improve the process for allowing changes or edits to an ASR during the Approval Review workflow

Eliminated the need to process a system function that would unlock a record and later lock a for a user to make changes after Approval Workflow

Users can request to make changes to their ASR after Approval workflow and there are two options within the system that can be used easily in order to accomplish this depending on the level of changes required.

7.   Intuitive user interface

Higher rate of user adoption to internal system functionality eliminating rogue processes

System will be using more familiar current day User Interface standards meaning that the existing user-base will be able to understand and accept its usage much more enthusiastically

8.   Eliminate need to keep 2 systems in sync

Increased user productivity by eliminating an entire time-consuming process that no longer needs to be performed or repeated

Users no longer need to download ASR data from one system and then upload the data into another system in order to prepare the agenda.  All information is immediately available when appropriate in the workflow.

9.   Eliminate workflow by emails

All activity can be tracked within the system and only one copy of the file exists

The system can track everyone involved in collaborating on the ASR, and version history is stored so that changes can be reverted or researched if the source of change is needed.

10. Eliminate need for SharePoint tracking

Moved as much of the tracking and reporting required for their processes into the system to save time and ensure there is one source of truth for all related information

Users can track and manage the status of all ASR items throughout the workflow from within the system, generate reports, and monitor their work more easily

NACo Recognizes OCIT with Achievement Awards

OCIT is the recipient of three (3) NACo Achievement Awards for 2018. The NACo Achievement Awards seek to recognize innovative county government programs.

The hard work and dedication of our staff directly impacts our customers and end users. Thank you for your contributions to these programs and making them a success.

The following programs were recognized for their exemplary demonstration of providing quality public services in an innovative manner:


 

Compliance Alert & Reporting System (CARS)

Risk & Emergency Management Category

*In partnership with OCWR

The County of Orange operates three of the largest active landfills in California, and is legally obliged to comply with numerous regulations from federal, state and local agencies. In fulfillment of these obligations, OC Waste and Recycling's (OCWR) Regulatory Support Services section submits 1,500 data sets and generates 200 reports annually for compliance. Missing any of these submittals puts the County at risk for fines and negative regulatory reaction. To help manage the massive amount of data, OCWR collaborated with OC Information Technology (OCIT) to develop the Compliance Alert and Reporting System (CARS). CARS is a web-based, task and record management application, whose purpose is to keep track of periodical inspections performed in waste management operations. Its main features include: § An automated email alert system to remind users of incoming or due inspections; § A task assignment system that allows workload management; § A tracking and auditing tool for Regulatory Support and Site Staff. The pilot program ran from July 1, 2017 until September 1, 2017. In less than a year of operation, CARS resulted in a 60% reduction in time spent on back and forth communication, an 80% reduction in time spent on locating data, and a 90% reduction in time spent on setting up and distributing monthly reminders and follow-up reminders.

 

Cyber Security Program - Driving Innovation in an Evolving Environment​

County Administration & Management Category

As the information technology environment continues to evolve, so too does the threat of cyber-attacks within government infrastructure. Orange County continues to be a leader in cybersecurity amongst California counties due to strategies that focus on resiliency, innovative policies and proactive education. OC Information Technology (OCIT) strives to deliver quality services to County customers. A vital component of that objective is to ensure that business operations are not disrupted by cybersecurity threats. The Enterprise Security team has a mission of embracing innovation to integrate cybersecurity into the fabric of how people live and work while defending County networks, systems and data from deliberate or accidental harm. Over the last year, they have developed an extensive cybersecurity environment, where investments in secure and innovative policies and programs help safeguard data. The team has implemented a vision that goes beyond the information technology setting; their culture embraces the critical nature of resiliency and deterrence as a best practice. Efforts to strengthen the County's resiliency have been extremely successful; they include centralizing cyber barriers, conducting adhoc penetration testing, the establishment of a Countywide Cybersecurity operations center, and the formalization of the County's leadership in a southern California government security consortium. Additionally, the team has welcomed external and third party assessments to help fortify the core environment, such as local municipalities, private sector businesses and the state and federal government.

The Innovation Engine - Driving Creativity in the Public Sector​

Information Technology Category

The Innovation Engine, an initiative that focuses on County of Orange constituent and organizational issues and how to solve them, is designed to drive creativity, foster collaboration among OC Information Technology (OCIT) staff, and facilitate a focus on our core mission: Providing innovative and reliable technology solutions to our customers. Our organization challenged staff to develop innovative solutions in order to transform government. Self-formed teams generated ideas and utilized allocated time to solve unique problems experienced both internally and externally within the County. These groups worked collaboratively in a cross-functional manner to ensure their thought process was outside of general public sector perimeters. In an environment that is generally classified as stagnant, the Innovation Engine teams managed to exceed expectations at an enterprise level, potentially benefitting departments throughout the County. The work we have done has the ability to enhance operations and improve service delivery to employees and constituents.