Rob GuckenbergerExecutive Director
The Office of IT Architecture and Governance (OIAG) provides the governance and guidance necessary to ensure that a cohesive IT strategy, and the enabling technologies, are designed and deployed. This oversight is essential to achieving the appropriate levels of service quality while, at the same time, leveraging economies of scale to reduce the costs of software deployment, development, licensing and infrastructure.
Directly under OIAG is the Research and Development Branch. The Branch serves as the "forward observer" for the office, in general, and the Chief Innovation Officer specifically. As IT continues to evolve and constantly change, COT must have the ability to consistently evaluate and test new hardware, software and/or sourcing options. This critical function carries implications across all areas of COT and, by extension, all Executive Branch agencies. One result of the recent consolidation efforts is that the variety and diversity of architectural platforms will contract over the next few years. Migration from multiple systems and approaches to common, Enterprise-wide platforms requires fervent and comprehensive research and testing. The Research and Development Branch is established to fill this mission-critical role.
DIVISION OF AGENCY APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT
The Division of Applications has extensive expertise in the development, implementation and management of business applications. This Division provides application services for our executive branch colleagues. These services include design services, operational control services, data standards, analysis, sharing, and governance processes, testing services, and post-production services. Service offerings use proven methodology with Industry Best Practices and Information Technology Standards. Technical capabilities include: Web site design, data modeling and database development, e-commerce solutions and content management systems. Toolset expertise includes: Java, .NET, COBOL, Telon, Rational, Mercury, AccVerify, Weblnspect, Federated Server, Information Analyzer, QualityStage, DataStage, Erwin and Master Data Management.
The Division of Agency Application Development consists of four branches:
EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE SYSTEMS BRANCH
The Education
& Workforce Systems Branch is
responsible for project management, analysis, and application development
support for the legacy applications within the Education and Workforce
Development Cabinet's Unemployment Insurance Program. This support includes
Business Registrations, Wage Records, Unemployment Insurance Claims and
Benefits, Appeals, Tax Rates, and Interstate Benefits Claims.
GENERAL GOVERNMENT SERVICES BRANCH
Branch Manager:
The General Government Systems Branch is responsible for project management, analysis, and application development support for over 50+ agencies within the Commonwealth. The agencies/customers include the Governor's Office, Boards & Commissions, Attorney General,
Legislative Research Commission, Charitable Gaming Commission, and Legislative
Ethics.
FINANCE CABINET SYSTEMS BRANCH
Branch Manager:
The Finance
Cabinet Systems Branch is responsible for project management, analysis, and
application development support for legacy applications for the Kentucky
Department of Revenue. This support includes Individual Income Tax, Corporation
Income and License Tax, Intangible and Tangible Property Tax, Omitted Property
Tax, Delinquent Property Tax, Sales and Use Tax, Telecommunications Tax,
Utilities School Tax, Withholding Tax, Streamlined Sales Tax, Enterprise
Collections, Kentucky Debt Assignment, Federal Vendor Offset, Modernized Front
End, Revenue Journal Voucher, Sheriff’s Auto Collection, Accounts
Receivable, Application Activity System, Business Tax Refund, Compliance and
Receivable, Computer Assisted Collection System for Government, and Cross
Reference Index System.
KYTC SYSTEMS BRANCH
The Kentucky Transportation Systems Branch is responsible for project management, analysis, and application development support for legacy applications for the Transportation Cabinet. This support includes Driver's License, Vehicle & Boat Registrations, Mandatory Insurance, Point of Sale, Driver History Records, Motor Carriers and Graduated Driver's License.
DIVISION OF ENTERPRISE GOVERNANCE
The Division of Enterprise Governance is responsible for
coordinating enterprise IT governance activities; provide support to the Chief
Information Officer (CIO) by facilitating the Technology Advisory Council (TAC)
and developing enterprise policies and process documentation for COT personnel
and enterprise agencies. Provides status reports to the Capital Projects
and Bond Oversight Committee on IT systems not yet completed which received
line item authorization by the Kentucky General Assembly. The status of these
projects is reported at the regular quarterly meetings in January, April, July
and October.
The
Division consists of three Branches:
ARCHITECTURE AND STANDARDS BRANCH
This Branch supports the Chief Information Officer (CIO) by developing enterprise policies and process documentation for COT personnel and enterprise agencies. Assists with research, developing strategies, and policies to support the effective application of information technology within state government as a means to reduce costs, increase employee productivity, and improve state services to the citizens of the Commonwealth.
Servers as the CIO’s custodian of technology policies, collaborates with the appropriate subject matter experts, legal and IT security contact to draft policies as needed.
DATA SERVICES AND BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE
This branch is responsible for development of
services which enhance the quality, efficiencies and effectiveness of data
within Commonwealth. Specifically, the activities include data
profiling, data integration, data hygiene/quality, enterprise data web
services, as well as managing the Commonwealth’s Enterprise Business
Intelligence (EBI) initiative.
CHANGE MANAGEMENT BRANCH
Change Management Branch ensures that
standardized methods and procedures are developed, maintained, implemented and
communicated for efficient and prompt handling of changes to the IT environment
in order to minimize the risk and potential impact of services due to proposed
changes.
COT
utilizes a centralized enterprise-level change management process to ensure
that standardized methods and procedures are used for efficient handling of
changes in order to minimize the impact of change-related incidents upon IT
service quality and delivery. This branch has central ownership and
responsibility for change management throughout COT
DIVISION OF SUPPORT SERVICES
DIVISION DIRECTOR: Bill Kidd
The Division of Support Services is responsible for the administrative activities necessary to provision, support and sustain the delivery of IT services to the user community.
ASSET MANAGEMENT BRANCH
The Asset Management Branch tracks IT hardware and software assets throughout their service lifecycle. The Branch is responsible for receiving equipment into inventory, insuring it against damages and loss, tracking its geographic location and custodianship, and ultimately disposing of it when it reaches end-of-life. Similarly, the Branch's Software Asset Managers work to ensure the appropriate use of the Commonwealth's software assets, tracking all purchases, reviewing maintenance agreements and overseeing Enterprise License Agreements.
COMMONWEALTH SERVICE DESK:
The Commonwealth Service Desk Branch is the first point of contact for all users of the Commonwealth's IT infrastructure services. The Branch is staffed with ITIL trained and Helpdesk International (HDI) Certified Service Desk Analysts, who assist with services such as e-mail, local and wide area network connectivity, servers (Windows, UNIX, and mainframe) and related applications. All requests for support and for establishing new services are tracked and monitored using pre defined processes and procedures, in order to facilitate a timely and predictable response. Help with any COT-provided services is available from the CSD by phone, email or COT' s online self-service web portal.
BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT BRANCH
Branch Manager : Greg Thomas
The Business Relationship Management Branch is responsible for managing and maintaining the quality of IT services delivered to customers by serving as a liaison between COT and the agencies. The branch seeks to improve the quality of service by monitoring current metrics, negotiating with customers, facilitating service improvement plans, planning for service growth and new technologies, and reviewing the cost of services with customers.
DIVISION OF ENTERPRISE PORTFOLIOS
The Division of Enterprise Portfolios is designed to provide oversight, expertise, guidance and approval authority pertaining to the deployment and operations of computer application software deemed to be enterprise platforms. At present, some of these centers of expertise have already begun to evolve around specific applications (i.e. e-Mars for financials, KHRIS for personnel functions, etc.). The majority of these functional areas have not been managed at the enterprise level historically and, as such, no standard platform(s) has emerged. The various Branches within this Division are designated to provide organizational structure as building blocks for new centers of expertise at the enterprise level.
COMMERCIAL SERVICES BRANCH
More information is to come on the Commercial Services Branch.
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS BRANCH
Branch Manager: Kent Anness
The primary responsibilities of the Geographic Information Systems
Branch consist of maintenance of the enterprise Geographic Information Systems
(GIS) services, on-going support of the Kentucky Geography Network, and
oversight of the "KY From Above Program". This Branch collaborates
with geospatial publishers to provide a wealth of GIS-related information,
including downloadable data sets, web mapping services and map products. These
valuable resources support education and training, research, and policy formulation.
This Branch promotes GIS discussions through their "KYGIS listserv"
membership of over 300 participants, giving members a platform to voice their
concerns, present new information or share project updates.
COLLABORATION AND DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT BRANCH
More information is to come on the Collaboration and Document Manangement Branch.