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6 ' <br /> Strategic Automation Plan for Orange County <br /> developed by <br /> Strategic Automation Plan Technical Review Task ForceNovember, 1997 <br /> The report of the Task Force is divided into two parts. The first provides a narrative description of <br /> the strategy recommended by the Task Force, including an outline of the different constituencies <br /> who will use the county's system, a strategy for addressing those needs, and expected outcomes. The <br /> second consists of more detailed descriptions of individual initiatives, based on the original <br /> Strategic Automation Plan developed by county personnel but revised and supplemented by the <br /> Task Force. <br /> Section A - Recommendations <br /> The goal for the Strategic Automation Plan for Orange County is to define steps that will lead to an <br /> improved countywide computer and communications system. In turn, this system will enable county <br /> government to operate in a more efficient and timely manner and to be more responsive to its <br /> citizens. <br /> The use of technology, when carefully planned, can significantly improve the way county <br /> employees work and the way citizens interact with their local government. For example, one way <br /> government can be improved through technology is through the use of networks to make public <br /> information available in ways that encourage participation and cooperation. While care must be <br /> taken to ensure that all Orange County citizens have access to this information, including its poorest <br /> and most disenfranchised citizens,this technology could play a large role in building a stronger, <br /> more cohesive community. This same network can also be used in county operations to enable <br /> workers in different offices as well as in the field to access and update the data they need to do their <br /> jobs more quickly and efficiently. <br /> In the discussion that follows, we will first outline a vision for what the Task Forces believes is an <br /> appropriate and achievable computer and communications system that will meet both the <br /> operational needs of Orange County government as well as the information access needs of its <br /> citizens. After that, we describe the computer and communication system that currently exists and <br /> list some of its limitations and the impacts they are having. <br /> 1.0 Future System <br /> 1.1 Users <br /> The county's computer and communications system must support four distinct constituencies: <br /> First, it must support staff in county departments and agencies who are geographically distant from <br /> one another. It must also provide access for county employees who do "field" work, such as the <br /> County Engineer and the Tax Assessor. <br /> Second, the system must support a broad range of citizens who have occasional needs for <br /> information and/or services of a highly varied nature. For example, citizens might wish to log into <br /> the system to retrieve information from one of the county libraries, to get data on political <br />