The purpose of this plan is to communicate the strategic, tactical and operational initiatives planned for development and implementation over the next three to five years. The goals are broad statements that support achievement of the City's and ComIT's mission; they describe the desired state. The action items describe the specific steps we plan to work on to progress towards of these goals.

Goal
A comprehensive disaster recovery plan exists that identifies the critical business services that rely on technology resources and that provides a process to ensure the adequate reinstatement of business continuity.

• Conduct a Business Impact Analysis to establish the relative operational value City management places on each of the City's IT systems/applications.
• Acquire funding for and begin development of a Citywide Information Technology Disaster Recovery plan based upon the outcome of the Business Impact Analysis.
  • Consider the broad range of recovery needs including skill sets, hardware, software, staff physical support (supplies), communication and documentation (payroll, purchases).

Goal
The City's major automated systems are systematically planned and monitored throughout their life. Automated information systems are integrated and managed within the City's technology procurement and asset management processes to ensure that a flexible, robust, secure, scalable, well integrated and cost effective computing and communications infrastructure is available to support City business needs.

• Develop and implement Technology Infrastructure Management Program Phase 2: Application Inventory and Replacement Plan
• Evaluate any new, enhancement or replacement request for business process automation for applicability of the City's Enterprise Resource Planning suites prior to pursuing independent solutions
• Develop an Infrastructure Cabling Plan
  • Document our current reality for building inter-connectivity including copper and fiber
  • Acquire funding for and begin development of a Cabling Infrastructure Planning and Replacement Plan

Goal
Technology governance and information technology planning is closely linked to the business plans of the organization, incorporates a broad stakeholder perspective and objectively evaluates the strategic needs and priorities for citywide information technology investment.

• Use Steering Committees on all major information and communications technology projects
• Continue to enhance the value of the Managers Technology Symposium, Pagemasters and other stakeholder groups
• Refine the Communications and Information Technology Capital Improvement Plan submittal and review processes
• Establish an Executive Governance body to establish broad strategic direction for city technology investment

Goal
Information accessed by the public and city members is accurate, appropriate and timely, and is presented in such a way that users are not required to understand government structure but can focus on the service delivery need regardless of the medium.

• Sustain a consistent interface, navigation and information architecture relying on industry best practices
• Develop VBgov.com and BeachNet and other official City Web sites as dynamic portals
• Deploy consistent information across multiple channels (i.e. telephony, VBTV, web, print, AM Alert Radio)
• Deploy personalization capabilities to VBgov.com and BEACHnet
• Continue to explore and analyze additional technologies and communications channels to offer additional opportunities for communication

Goal
The City's existing investment in information resources is protected and future investments provide the greatest overall value possible to the organization.

• Reduce complexity of technical environment
• Eliminate non-value adding variation in hardware and software
• Develop information systems policies and practices to ensure security and integrity of systems
• Minimize system incompatibility and conflicts
• Make optimal use of shared infrastructure to support Departmental and Enterprise Business needs thus allowing for lower cost, better system integration and more adaptable technology
• Establish project accountability and resource commitments from all stakeholders prior to project initiation

Goal
Citizens will be better served and members will be empowered to provide enhanced services through real-time access to appropriate, accurate and timely information across the organization.

• Integrate disparate information through tools such as a data warehouse with data mining tools, or a middleware component that links the systems
• Provide a consistent interface and approach to align information management responsibility with appropriate business units
• Analyze ways to use the City's GIS Database repository to eliminate redundant systems and data inconsistencies
• Integrate ComIT departmental business activities to support members as efficiently as possible
• Coordinate accounts payable (including petty cash, procard, and payment vouchers) to minimize cost
• Make electronic alternatives to printed materials and paper-based forms more accessible and business practical for internal and external customers

Goal
A seamless citywide foundation of geospatial data and GeoSpatial Information Systems (GIS) is provided to expand citizen services, share vital data and optimize GIS investments.

• Add additional soft control points to the subdivision parcels to improve Cadastral Layer integrity
• Develop the GIS street network layer tables necessary to support GIS Based Routing
• Evaluate enterprise Location Based Server (LBS) to distribute GIS information into specific field applications utilizing either wireless or long transaction based technology
• Develop a method for acceptance of Digital Site Plans and as-builts and use them to update the GIS Systems across the City
• Reduce the duplication of effort associated with Physical Address Maintenance through continued development of the Address Location Layer
• Develop a process to migrate zoning and land use information into a GIS layer

Goal
Public Safety Communications and Radio Infrastructure are managed in a manner to ensure these vital systems are available to support first responders during emergencies and their daily public safety duties.

• Plan, design, construct and implement a new state-of-the-art public safety 911 emergency communications/emergency operations building
• Migrate the existing analog 800 MHz radio system to a new 700/800 MHz digital system;
• Plan for and replace existing "end of life" equipment
• Plan for and execute incremental improvements of existing systems to enhance public safety service delivery
  • Automated Vehicle Location (AVL)
  • Automated Emergency Medical Dispatch
• Participate actively in regional initiatives to support communications interoperability within Hampton Roads communities
• Manage the radio infrastructure for the city to ensure FCC compliance, frequency propagation and license/ frequency allocation are coordinated
• Evaluate opportunities to consolidate and optimize assets to more cost effectively implement and maintain wireless communications (i.e., possible consolidation of tower sites to Town Center)

Goal
Information and communication technology assets are managed to improve customer service delivery for the organization, to effectively control costs, and to assist the organization in determining how technology dollars can be spent most effectively.

• Support consistent acquisition by standardizing on a finite set of hardware and software that minimizes the number of variables introduced into the IT environment, making it easier to manage and support equipment
• Certify that the investment made in infrastructure is right for the phase of development our organization is in (impact analysis and risk assessment)
• Institute a department-wide initiative that can serve as an example to member departments in tracking ownership of small assets from purchase through employee termination
• Ensure IT assets are in alignment with and affect the organization's strategic mission in a positive way.
• Document our current reality for building inter-connectivity including copper and fiber
• Leverage the Technology Infrastructure Management Program Phase X: Cabling Infrastructure Planning and Replacement to facilitate prioritized upgrades
• Maximize the enterprise use of telecommunications applications (voice mail, ACD, IVR, etc.).
• Add incremental improvements to the telecommunications infrastructure and applications to enhance service delivery capacity (i.e., caller id, teleconference bridge, music on hold, etc.) consistent with commercially available offerings from ILEC and CLEC telephone companies.
• Implement a new dialing plan throughout the City of Virginia Beach using our allotment of 10,000 numbers to better facilitate internal and external communications.
• Fully utilize the Telecommunications Management System to enhance customer service.
• Re-engineer print job submission processes and reduce labor intensive operations
• Analyze asset information to gain thorough understanding of the existing computing environment. Use data to:
  • Forecast future purchases and upgrades
  • Plan and justify budgets
  • Estimate work and resource requirements for changes
  • Make strategic technological decisions
  • Negotiate enterprise licenses and maintenance contracts
• Develop and document the processes and procedures for accurately recording IT asset ownership
  • Include a regular reporting process to provide customer departments all available data
  • Provide value-added information and assistance regarding guidelines set by ComIT
  • Maintain legally required documentation in an easily accessible manner

Goal
Information technology investment decisions will be based upon their overall value to the organization. This includes: consideration of return on investment, total cost of ownership, and an evaluation and refinement of business processes in respect to best practices before new systems are acquired or major system enhancements are undertaken.

• Ensure that the scope of a development effort is defined by the system requirements and that these requirements form the basis for all plans, products, and activities.
• Ensure that system requirements for technology projects provide a clearly stated, verifiable, and testable foundation for development and management of the project, based on business and technical requirements.
• Ensure that project team members thoroughly understand requirements prior to developing a product or procuring commercial products for the project.

Goal
A focus on customer service to internal and external customers (members, citizens, businesses) is prevalent within all of the services and systems developed, managed, operated and supported by ComIT.

• Establish customer-service related benchmarks for new service prior to implementation and monitor customer satisfaction through ongoing communication and feedback mechanisms (i.e. surveys, customer interviews, reports, etc.)
• Establish services within the Project Management Office that will ensure that customer project requests are thorough and effective when submitted
• Cooperatively develop support plans for new systems and services prior to activation
• Utilize City technology to communicate processes and procedures with the customers as stakeholders in the process

Goal
Through planning and investment in our members, our workforce has the skills and capacity to provide a consistent level of quality service for current and future technologies.

• Analyze staffing levels and prepare for retirement or other types of staffing turnover
  • Include cross-training as a goal for key knowledge areas
  • Identify areas of weakness and address the need to share information
  • Improve process documentation
• Encourage responsibility shifting in order to ensure consistent coverage
• Create mentoring situations that encourage skill set development
• Incorporate personal training (delegation, supervision, team building) and process training (WAVE, HR, Payroll, AD, departmental) as minimum staff performance requirements
• Ensure that training is tailored to individual responsibilities and reflects changing job duties and changes in technology (such as new supervisors trained in hiring/leave/payroll issues)
• Use certifications whenever possible to validate technical skill requirements for career progression