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10 <br /> staff, or individual citizen - to have ready access to, and easily understand, the County's <br /> strategic direction for automation. The Automation Plan would be developed and implemented <br /> within the context of a mission statement for Orange County automation, and based on a <br /> number of underlying principles, which would include: <br /> a) Focus first on internal service departments (Personnel, Purchasing, Finance) that <br /> directly impact all employees, so that each employee has a stake in automation. <br /> b) Encourage and seek interdepartmental collaboration. <br /> c) Use electronic mail to enhance efficiencies, such as transmission of agenda items. <br /> d) Recognize and exploit the potential for automation to expand communications with <br /> Orange County citizens. <br /> e) Emphasize decentralization of expertise, where appropriate, and develop policies <br /> that promote user initiative and decision-making, within established parameters. <br /> f) Pursue a computer literate workforce with training in-house for standard uses. <br /> g) Identify benchmarks to test hardware and software technology requests, so that <br /> hardware and software outside the pre-determined County standard are fully <br /> evaluated and exceptions made to these standards on a case by case basis. <br /> h) Allow flexibility in departmental budgets for reallocation of resources to purchase <br /> minor hardware and software. <br /> i) Establish a replacement policy, with an underlying rationale, to address (for <br /> example) obsolescence. <br /> j) Encourage and seek collaboration with other governments, especially schools. <br /> Use of automation to promote efficient, effective and innovative services to its citizens should <br /> be an integral part of Orange County's mission. To that end: <br /> a) Every position will undergo systematic and periodic review of its functionality to <br /> automate manual tasks which reduce time available for services to citizens. <br /> b) Position appropriate technology will be made available to each employee. <br /> c) A computer literate workforce will be developed. <br /> d) Automation needs will be assessed when constructing or leasing office space. <br /> e) A strategic plan for automation will be developed. The plan will list the steps <br /> necessary to achieve the goals of this mission statement. The plan will be reviewed <br /> regularly with regard to implementation and changes in technology. Modifications <br /> will be made to the plan as appropriate. <br /> Recommendation 9: Limit the funding amount distributed to outside agencies excluding <br /> pass-through grant funds, funds to other government agencies [such <br /> as libraries] and/or State/Federal mandated programs. <br /> Actual expenditures for outside agencies in 1993-94 were $1,920,051. The Board of <br /> Commissioners' approved budget for 1995-96 is $2,268,149. This represents a 16 percent <br /> increase. Budgets for county operating departments have increased 3-4 percent over this same <br /> period. <br /> 8 <br />