Governor Abercrombie Signs Bills Related to Energy and Technology

Focusing on two of his administration’s priority issues, Gov. Neil Abercrombie today signed several bills that advance Hawaii’s energy and technology goals.

Senator Glenn Wakai shared the following picture on his Facebook account

Upon enacting four measures related to energy, Gov. Abercrombie stated: “We are removing unnecessary barriers to allow a greater segment of our community to invest in and benefit from renewable energy. These bills also improve the efficiency of the industry’s registration and reporting process, while encouraging greater openness and expanding protections for our local communities.”

HB811 (Relating to Energy Information Reporting) simplifies the registration and reporting process for fuel distributors. Part of the Governor’s legislative package, the bill also amends Public Utilities Commission (PUC) responsibilities and powers in relation to energy industry information reporting and allows the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism to receive energy industry information.

HB1405 (Relating to the Public Utilities Commission) requires the PUC to include a summary of the power purchase agreements in effect during the fiscal year in its annual report to the Governor. It also expands the use of the public benefits fee to support clean energy technology, demand response technology, energy use reduction, and demand-side management infrastructure.

SB19 (Relating to Renewable Energy) removes barriers for landlords to invest in renewable energy and allows renters/tenants to benefit from lower energy costs. The bill exempts landlords and lessors who install renewable energy systems on their property and provide, sell or transmit electricity generated from those systems to tenants or lessees.

HB1149 (Relating to Wind Energy Facilities) requires a wind energy facility owner to be responsible for facility decommissioning and provide evidence of financial security unless the owner has an existing lease or other agreement that provides for decommissioning. The bill establishes standards and assurances of adequate financial resources to avoid abandoned or neglected wind energy facilities.

Regarding three of the bills related to technology, the Governor said: “Technology is ever-changing, and state government needs to change with it. An open government helps citizens be engaged in their government and further promotes government accountability and transparency.”

HB632 (Relating to Open Data) requires state departments to make electronic data sets available to the public. The bill also requires the chief information officer (CIO) to develop policies and procedures to implement the Open Data Initiative, and appropriates $100,000 each fiscal year of the biennium to Office of Information Practices (OIP).

HB635 (Relating to Broadband) requires the state and counties to take action in advancing the Hawaii Broadband Initiative within 60 days (for conservation districts, the state must take action within 145 days). The initiative’s goal is to provide ultra high-speed Internet access by 2018, and this clear and decisive timeline will reduce uncertainty for broadband companies and serve as an incentive to invest in increased bandwidth.

SB1003 (Relating to Information Technology), another of the administration’s bills, authorizes the CIO to conduct security audits and direct remedial actions, as necessary, in the management of the state’s cyber security.

“As these resources come online, cyber security will become even more critical, and these measures include steps to further secure the people’s data,” the Governor added.

 

State Chief Information Officer Honored with Prestigious ‘Federal 100 Award’

Hawaii Only State Recognized Among 2013 Recipients

Gov. Neil Abercrombie is proud to announce that Hawaii is the only state government in the nation to be recognized as part of the 2013 Federal 100 Awards by Federal Computer Week magazine, which will bestow State Chief Information Officer (CIO) Sanjeev “Sonny” Bhagowalia with the prominent award.

This honor highlights the State of Hawaii for transforming its technology infrastructure, implemented as an element of the Governor’s New Day Plan by Bhagowalia and the newly created Office of Information Management and Technology (OIMT).

The “Fed 100 Awards” recognize top leaders in industry, academia and government who had the greatest impact on the government information systems community in 2012. This year’s honorees include 22 from industry, two from academia, 75 from the federal government, and Hawaii – the lone state government recipient.

“Sonny has built confidence and momentum across government agencies, industry leaders, and the people of Hawaii toward modernizing our state’s aging technology infrastructure and systems, a long-term investment that will improve government and business processes,” Gov. Abercrombie said. “His work transcends technology into a new way of doing business in Hawaii and providing public services.”

Gov. Abercrombie appointed Bhagowalia as the state’s first CIO in 2011, charging him with planning and implementing the state’s IT transformation, as well as overseeing the OIMT. Bhagowalia inherited business, information technology, and organizational cultural environments that were significantly behind the times – up to 30 years in some areas.

He was nominated for the Fed 100 Award for achieving groundbreaking results in transforming government in Hawaii through:

• completion of a first-ever, baseline analysis of the state’s business and technology environment;
• development of a comprehensive Business and Information Technology/Information Resource Management (IT/IRM) Transformation Plan that provides the roadmap for the state’s modernization initiative;
• implementation of foundational projects necessary to initiate transformation efforts; and
• facilitation of a positive “aloha with urgency” organizational culture change with all key stakeholders.

“While I am deeply honored with the Fed 100 Award, the recognition really belongs to everyone who contributed and collaborated in our efforts to develop and implement the state’s Business and IT/IRM Transformation Plan,” Bhagowalia said.

Bhagowalia also joins an especially elite group of multiple Fed 100 Award recipients, as this is his third; he previously received the award in 2010 and 2009.

In October 2012, Gov. Abercrombie and Bhagowalia unveiled the state’s Business and IT/IRM Transformation Plan, which highlights three categories of activities that help achieve the transformation:

1. Streamlining and improving current business processes and applications to directly benefit the public.
2. Leveraging the state’s investment in shared enterprise services and consolidated technology infrastructure.
3. Establishing a strong organization-wide management and oversight framework, including policies, processes, performance measures, program management and organizational change management.

The Transformation Plan is available at: oimt.hawaii.gov

Hawaii Plans to Provide Every State Resident 1 Gigabit Internet Service by 2018

Hawaii plans to provide every state resident 1 Gigabit Internet service by 2018.

Hawaii Chief Information Officer, Sonny Bhagowalia, talks of the island’s broadband plan

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Government Technology is the award-winning national magazine covering information technology’s role in state and local governments. Keep up on government tech trends by viewing more videos at http://govtech.com/videos

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State of Hawaii Office of Information Management and Technology Department Seeks the Publics Input

The State of Hawaii Office of Information Management and Technology department is seeking feedback and ideas to help shape the State of Hawaii’s Technology Transformation Strategy.

Click here to participate. Comments will be taken through Friday, June 1, 2012. Feedback will be considered by OIMT and incorporated in the final version of the Business and IT Transformation Strategic Plan that will be published in July.

The major focus areas of the strategy include:

• Governance and Management Methodologies – The life-cycle management of processes and policies that guide the management and oversight of the state’s portfolio of business transformation and IT investments, acquisitions, and projects, including system development, business process re-engineering, and infrastructure improvements.

• Business and IT/Information Resources Management (IRM) Transformation Strategic Plan – The Business and IT/IRM Transformation Strategic Plan documents the mission, vision, goals, strategies objectives, and performance measures of the transformation effort, as well as specific prioritized projects and initiatives that will be launched over the next 10 years.

• Enterprise Architecture – The blueprint for change that provides the framework for the design and development of IT systems, applications, business information, and processes to best support the goals and missions of the various departments’ line of business. This also describes the details relative to ongoing and planned investments and projects that will address the transition between from state’s current information technology environment to the future vision and the sequence that projects should be implemented over the next eight to ten years.

• Projects – An overview of the business process reengineering and IT/IRM projects that have been completed, are currently being implemented, or planned.

Members of the public will be able to review the various focus areas of the transformation initiative, as well as provide their comment and feedback through a web-enabled citizen engagement tool at the Office of Information Management and Technology’s website (www.hawaii.gov/oimt).

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Draft Information Technology Transformation Strategy Released – Public Encouraged to Provide Comment & Feedback

On May 8, 2012, the state released the first draft of its strategy to transform its information technology and business processes, Governor Neil Abercrombie and Chief Information Officer Sanjeev “Sonny” Bhagowalia announced. In a demonstration of the state’s commitment to creating an open and transparent government, the public is being encouraged to review the draft plan and provide ideas and feedback via the Office of Information Management and Technology’s website (http://www.hawaii.gov/oimt).

In September 2011, the state released the first-ever comprehensive assessment of its IT assets, policies and procedures in a baseline report. The baseline report identified 204 business functions and services delivered by state government employees in 18 Departments and over 500 IT applications currently in use. The recommendations and findings in the baseline report (Phase A) provided the basis for the priorities; architecture and projects identified in the Business and IT Transformation Strategic Plan.

“The state’s business and information technology transformation strategy establishes the foundation for a fundamental re-thinking of the way government conducts business,” stated Bhagowalia. “The transformation is not about just modernizing legacy technology systems. It is about transforming the state’s current business processes. Naturally, technology will play a significant role in enabling this transformation and the new way of how we deliver programs and services to citizens and businesses in Hawai’i. We have a lot to change and improve but we are taking important foundational and methodical steps to get to a New Day.”

The transformation strategy outlines a multi-year plan and transformation strategy, which are planned for implementation in five major phases over the next decade. Major focus areas of the strategy include:

• Governance and Management Methodologies – The life-cycle management of processes and policies that guide the management and oversight of the state’s portfolio of business transformation and IT investments, acquisitions and projects, including system development, business process re-engineering, and infrastructure improvements.
• Business and IT/Information Resources Management (IRM) Transformation Strategic Plan – The Business and IT/IRM Transformation Strategic Plan documents the mission, vision, goals, strategies objectives, and performance measures of the transformation effort, as well as specific prioritized projects and initiatives that will be launched over the next 10 years.
• Enterprise Architecture – The blueprint for change that provides the framework for the design and development of IT systems, applications, business information, and processes to best support the goals and missions of the various departments’ line of business. This also describes the details relative to ongoing and planned investments and projects that will address the transition between from state’s current information technology environment to the future vision and the sequence that projects should be implemented over the next eight to ten years.
• Projects – An overview of the business process reengineering and IT/IRM projects that have been completed, are currently being implemented or are being planned.

Comments will be taken through Friday, June 1. Feedback will be considered by OIMT and incorporated into the final version of the Business and IT Transformation Strategic Plan that will be published in July.

Click the links below to comment on the appropriate focus area:

Governance and Management Methodologies
Business and IT/Information Resources Management (IRM) Transformation Strategic Plan
Enterprise Architecture
Projects

State Releases Roadmap for Transforming Information Technology Systems

The state today released a report detailing its information technology (IT) assessment, a critical component in the Abercombie Administration’s long-term plan to transform technology.

The assessment, which includes a Baseline Assessment and Benchmarking Report, was conducted by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) in close collaboration with all state departments.  The assessment is the first phase of the state’s multi-year initiative to modernize its information technology and information resource management (IRM) systems.  The goal of the state’s technology transformation initiative is to make government more efficient and improve services for the people of Hawai’i while reducing costs.

“The massive undertaking to bring the technology of government into the 21st century is critical to our commitment to transform government,” Governor Abercrombie said. “This first-of-its-kind assessment of the state’s IT assets, policies and procedures is a major milestone for Hawai’i under the leadership of our new Chief Information Officer, Sonny Bhagowalia. The findings and recommendations in this report give us the basis for moving forward with confidence.”

The report explains that the state’s budget reductions over the last decade and lack of centralized governance of IT and IRM have resulted in minimal integration of business processes between departments, duplication of efforts and redundant processes, and aging legacy systems. Further, the state’s current level of investment on IT and IRM is inadequate compared to benchmark standards found in other states and existing best-practices.

Along with the SAIC report, Governor Abercrombie today issued an Administrative Directive to all Executive Branch Department Heads announcing that – with the exception of the University of Hawai’i, the Department of Education, and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs – the CIO and Office of Information Management and Technology (OIMT) now has authority over the design and implementation of all Executive Branch IT infrastructure, IRM, and shared services.

In addition, the Administrative Directive designates Deputy Comptroller Jan Gouveia as Business Transformation Executive to recommend business process reengineering projects to the Governor with the overall goal of streamlining business processes, increasing efficiencies, reducing duplication of efforts and improving delivery of services.

Under the leadership of Bhagowalia and Gouveia, the state will now develop a comprehensive strategic plan for statewide information management and technology based on the information reported by SAIC.  The plan and architecture is anticipated to be delivered in July 2012.

“A complete transformation of technology – from where we are today to where we want to be –will probably take eight to 10 years of working collaboratively with all stakeholders to realize the full benefits,” Bhagowalia said. “However, our actions will fundamentally change the way the government works in Hawaii. Given the state’s budget constraints, we need to prioritize our next steps in order to maximize the funding opportunities and resources that currently exist.”

While developing the statewide strategic plan and enterprise architecture over the next nine months, Bhagowalia will also immediately embark on the following initiatives:

• Develop statewide IT governance to establish the framework for the new IT strategy, including policies, standards, architecture requirements and IT investment oversight.
• Prioritize business process reengineering projects and implement performance changes.
• Identify opportunities for statewide data center and disaster recovery solutions.

The Baseline Assessment and Benchmarking Report, along with the Governor’s Administrative Directive, can be downloaded from the OIMT website:  http://hawaii.gov/oimt/.

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Meet the New Information Officer of Hawaii – Sanjeev “Sonny” Bhagowalia

Governor Neil Abercrombie today appointed Sanjeev Bhagowalia as the new Information Officer of Hawaii.

…Gov. Neil Abercrombie on Tuesday chose Bhagowalia for the job of upgrading the state government’s aging computer and technology systems.

Bhagowalia will lead a seven-person information technology office tasked with improving public online services, making government more efficient and saving money…

He obviously has some with some very high credentials:  Here is more information about Mr. Bhagowalia according to Data.Gov:

Sanjeev "Sonny" Bhagowalia

Effective May 24, 2010, Sanjeev “Sonny” Bhagowalia became the Deputy Associate Administrator, Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies, GSA. In this new role, Sonny will lead help GSA and the Federal CIO implement Government-wide e-Gov (or Open Gov) programs in an agile manner. These GSA-supported programs include Data.gov, Cloud-Computing, Collaboration, mobile applications, Federal Data Center Consolidation initiative and other programs.

Sonny served as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), a large cabinet agency with 2,400 operating locations across the United States, Puerto Rico, U.S. territories, and freely associated states supporting over 40 mission areas from December 2008 until May 2010. Sonny oversaw an Information Technology (IT) Portfolio of approximately $1 Billion of modernized and unified DOI’s diverse IT environment under its top-rated Enterprise Architecture Program. Sonny also served as the CIO for Indian Affairs (IA), a $2.3 billion sub-agency with 10,000 users within the US DOI from August 2007 until December 2008.

Sonny has served as a member of the Federal CIO Council Executive Committee, co-lead of its Architecture and Infrastructure Committee, and co-chair of the Inter-Agency Management Council for $1 Billion GSA “Networx” program.

Sonny served with distinction in the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the U.S. Department of Justice as an Information Technology Program Management Executive for eight years from July 1999 through August 2007, overseeing a $1 Billion portfolio. Sonny has also served with distinction in industry for 14 years at Boeing, a Fortune 500 company, from July 1985 until July 1999, as a Senior Principal Engineer in the prestigious Boeing Technical Excellence Fellowship Program in support of Systems Integration and Business Development for U.S. Government Civilian, Defense and Intelligence Community Clients.

Sonny holds a Masters’ of Science (MS) in Information Resource Management, a MS and Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering. Sonny is a Distinguished Graduate with a CIO Certificate from the National Defense University. He has received numerous awards from U.S. Government and Industry including the Presidential Rank Award for meritorious executive service.

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