Building on a Strong Foundation

The 2001 Executive Order-consolidating IT in Michigan and creating the Michigan Department of Information Technology (MDIT)-centered on improving IT investments, standardizing information and data and enhancing the delivery of State services. It also mandated increased strategic technology infrastructure planning and the use of common technology across the executive branch.

Building on six years of consolidation and two statewide IT strategic plans, Michigan's IT organization is poised to move into the next phase of maturity. Not only meeting existing commitments, but also to begin addressing some of the historical structural challenges facing the state.

Michigan's IT strategic plan is developed with state agency goals and citizen priorities in mind and in light of best practices and the counsel of technology and business experts. Examples of activity over the last six months:

• Planning sessions and surveys with the Michigan Information Technology Executive Council (MITEC)-an advisory board of state department leaders
• Strategic planning retreats, discussions and surveys with Michigan's IT staff and leadership
• A survey of over 1,000 Michigan citizens on IT preferences and needs, conducted by Michigan State University
• Alignment of IT tools and solutions to statewide cabinet-level priorities, summarized in the table to the left and illustrated throughout the plan
• Discussions and feedback from leading IT researchers
  

Throughout the five-year planning cycle, regular updates and refinement will be made to the plan and progress will be reported to stakeholders. In these ways, Michigan's IT operations will enable and drive improved government service to Michigan's businesses and citizens. See Appendix A for more detail on the IT planning and governance approach.

Bridging the Gap

A comprehensive gap assessment-comparing baseline performance and functionality against future needs and requirements-completed Michigan's 2008-2012 IT action planning. The result was the creation of guiding policies and principles (detailed on page 6) that drive and integrate goals, strategies and initiatives; guiding both the IT strategic direction, as well as the plan implementation.

Policies and principles factor in social, economic and demographic changes, as well as public policies, consumer and citizen needs, agency business requirements, available and emerging business models and technology. These factors were measured against requirements for the immediate (less than two years) and intermediate (two to five years) future. More details on the gap analysis for this planning cycle are provided in Appendix A and Appendix N.

"We must guide our state from one era to another - all the while preserving a way of life that has always defined Michigan.
Hard work.
Strong families.
Proud communities.
And most of all, good jobs."

Governor Jennifer Granholm
- State of the State Address
- January 29, 2008