No one likes to see money go to waste, especially when taxpayers are footing the bill for the state’s multimillion-dollar IT (information technology) infrastructure projects.
Whenever a failed project, such as the state’s financial system modernization, comes to light, it may be tempting to call a halt to all of the state’s transformational IT investments, even though we know they are sorely needed and ultimately will benefit all of us.
The questions that haunt us are why these failures keep recurring and how we can approach these projects differently. The answers may not be what everyone wants to hear, but the fact is large government IT infrastructure projects, which are intended to transform the way the government does business, are inherently complicated and risky.
These projects require new ways of thinking and a change in business processes. They are disruptive. They may ultimately result in more efficiency and productivity, but the change process can be unsettling.
If there is any consolation, Hawaii is no different from other states. According to a survey of chief information officers in government departments conducted by Gartner, a global IT research and advisory firm, 55% of large-scale government transformation projects are at medium to high risk of failure. And that’s a conservative estimate.
Recognizing that major IT projects are challenging to implement, Hawaii’s Legislature mandated independent verification and validations (IV&V) to understand the health of a project and to document shortcomings in relation to vendor contractual obligations.
As a nonprofit organization committed to advocating for government efficiency and transparency, Transform Hawai‘i Government believes IV&V reports hold a wealth of valuable information and can serve as catalysts for positive change.
These reports, publicly available on the Office of Enterprise Technology Services website, are intended to enhance accountability and eliminate surprises. They provide early warning signals when a project is going astray and needs a course correction.
But public access to the reports is not enough. There must be a formalized process in which these reports serve as a springboard for honest discussions. There must also be a shared commitment by both the department undergoing modernization and legislative leaders to resolve any issues that surface for the investment in IV&Vs to be worth it. Early interventions can save the state and taxpayers millions of dollars and help these IT infrastructure projects cross the finish line.
In addition to what is revealed in IV&V reports, other factors determine the success of IT infrastructure projects.
The failure of IT projects is rarely about technology. It is about solid leadership throughout the entire lifecycle of a project. It is about engaging employees to create a work environment that welcomes change. It is about eliminating policies and procedures that are no longer relevant to create a user-friendly government. Undergirding all of this is the need for ongoing communication.
Needless to say, sufficient staffing is also critical for the implementation of IT infrastructure projects. With an average 30% job vacancy rate across all departments, our state government is currently caught between a rock and a hard place: there is barely enough staff to sustain current operations, let alone resources to successfully implement an IT infrastructure project. This is a multilayered, critical-path issue that requires broader discussion if there is any hope of success for projects of this magnitude.
We all want a modernized, fully digitized government to make our lives easier. When disasters strike, we want government to help us recover quickly rather than add to our misery. Instead of working against each other, legislators and state administrators can use the tools we have in place and work together to ensure Hawaii state government has the IT infrastructure it needs to serve all citizens.
Christine Maii Sakuda is executive director of Transform Hawai‘i Government, a nonprofit advocating for state government modernization.
