Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
y <br /> Orange County <br /> Strategic Automation Plan Technical Review Task Force <br /> (draft) <br /> November 13, 1997 <br /> Mr. William Crowther, Chair <br /> Orange County Board of Commissioners <br /> PO Box 8181 <br /> Hillsborough,NC 27278 <br /> Dear Commissioner Crowther: <br /> The Strategic Automation Plan Technical Task Force is pleased to submit its observations, <br /> conclusions and recommendations concerning the Orange County Strategic Automation Plan (SAP), <br /> dated May, 1997. The Task Force members wish to thank the Board for their appointments and <br /> especially appreciate the Board's recognition that information technology (IT) has become a critical <br /> and integral component of County services. <br /> The Task Force believes that the Internet and computers over the next several years will become <br /> nearly as ubiquitous in Orange County homes and offices as telephones are today. This <br /> technological shift offers many opportunities and challenges for Orange County Government. It <br /> will provide the framework for increasing the efficiency of government and for making information <br /> more accessible and convenient to citizens and staff. It also offers opportunities to provide new and <br /> better County services at reduced costs by enabling citizens to conduct their own County business <br /> 24 hours a day, 7 days a week—in effect, creating a virtual courthouse. By building and supporting <br /> a solid information technology infrastructure, the County can continue to promote healthy economic <br /> development to attract and retain new and existing business and industry. The SAP2001 plan is a <br /> critical step towards preparing Orange County for the new technological reality by positioning itself <br /> to realize these improvements. We believe that the County can move forward with confidence in <br /> implementing the short-term plan as recommended by your Information Systems (IS) staff. The <br /> plan's longer term components should provide a solid outline to guide future detailed analyses, as <br /> recommended in the Task Force's report to the Board. <br /> Meeting weekly since September 16, 1997 for a total of nearly 40 hours, the thirteen member Task <br /> Force has carefully studied and reviewed the SAP2001 Plan, and discussed it with County <br /> Commissioners, County administrators, and County staff. During its review,the Task Force agreed <br /> on several guiding principles for Orange County's information technology strategy—namely that <br /> staff should buy software applications where possible rather than build or customize in house, that <br /> any new or enhanced automation be preceded by redesigned workflows, and that department- <br /> specific applications be viewed in toto with all County functions. Based on these principles, we <br /> offer the following observations, conclusions and recommendations: <br /> 1. Orange County's first implementation strategy is to complete and enhance its network <br /> foundation—its IT infrastructure—and equip all County employees with up-to-date personal <br />