May 24th 2023 | Posted in Mary Scott Nabers' Insights, Opportunities by Mary Scott Nabers

Late last year, a survey of 38 state IT directors found that over half were focused on modernizing old legacy technology systems. The officials also reported having difficulty finding and retaining employees with the expertise required to carry out legacy modernization efforts. Because of that, technology contracting firms are in high demand to modernize legacy applications and digitize services. Opportunities abound not only for modernization projects but also for IT staffing. The abundance of large public-private partnership (P3) projects is also increasing the demand for the most modern technology available.

In Oregon, the city of Eugene is currently requesting information from qualified suppliers of data management systems. City officials are seeking software solutions that will make managing public records requests more efficient. Big data, which is required, is a growing issue that public officials must accommodate. Outdated technology makes the objective even more difficult, and occasionally impossible. As a result, city leaders plan to draw from responses to an RFI (request for information), which has been released and is due June 6. The plan is to use information received to determine how much funding will be required to implement the desired management system.

Local leaders in Waterbury, Conn., are appropriating millions of dollars for a software upgrade that will support the city’s department of finance. The funding will come from the most recent capital budget and will be used to deploy an upgraded financial management system that offers integration with human resources and payroll services. The $1.5 million technology upgrade is scheduled to launch in 2024 with implementation extending into 2025.

A $2.1 million technology project is being planned for the county of Chesterfield in Virginia. A new records management system will be developed to integrate into a countywide data-sharing plan. The objective will be to deliver a strategic information sharing (StratIS) technology system that will allow collaboration across all county departments. Officials will then be able to collect and use data for more informed decision-making. The project includes funding for the new records management software along with a new computer-aided dispatch system that will be connected. Also included will be numerous new police observation devices so that users can access the countywide information network.

The upcoming capital budget for the city of Rochester, N.Y., features several significant technology investments designed to make critical services more effective. In 2024, the city will allocate $400,000 in capital spending towards a new financial management system for the city’s police department. The new software will replace an out-of-date data application that the police department currently uses to manage expenses tied to its covert operations. City officials have allocated an additional $175,000 in capital spending for a new platform for the Rochester Fire Department’s National Fire Incident Report System (NFIRS). The modernized emergency records management system will be designed to streamline management and accessibility of fire investigation reports. Implementation of the new software is scheduled to begin in 2025 and extend into 2026.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversees regional transportation in an area of both states, has issued a “request for innovation” from potential technology partners for a sizable upgrade of its digital services. In anticipation of a new digital platform that will reshape its customer-facing services, the Port Authority is exploring ways to create a new mobile customer experience solution with support for an e-commerce marketplace. The Port Authority wants input from technology partners with expertise in improving the digital experience of customers at airports. And, officials want to hear about scalability of such systems to other facilities. This summer, the Port Authority will evaluate the information received as it develops a budget and a more detailed timeline for implementation of the new technology solution.

The Colorado county of Mesa is currently seeking information from technology firms as an initial step toward finalizing a new countywide behavioral health services initiative. County officials will use responses to the RFI to plan for a new case management system that will lay the digital groundwork for Mesa County’s new services including behavioral health consultations and records related to substance abuse treatments. Responses to the RFI will be accepted until late June.

Charlotte Water, the municipal water and sewer services provider for North Carolina’s largest city, will invest in new technology to improve its overall operations. Charlotte Water’s planned capital expenditures include $375,000 for a new work and asset management system to help gauge the real-time performance of its operations and efficiencies. Procurement of the new system will take place in 2025.

The California State Water Resources Control Board, which oversees quality and allocation services for water supplies in the state, is seeking information from suppliers of financial management technology. The information and responses officials receive will be used to determine a budget for the procurement of new commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software or software as a service (SaaS) for financial management. There is a desire to develop enhanced and streamlined support for accounts receivable and billing applications. The current RFI document, which has been released, will allow responses until June 23.

These are just a few of the types of technology projects that are currently planned for launch this summer. Tech firms will have an abundance of opportunities to provide advice and input to public officials before formal procurements are launched. These new projects offer extremely important opportunities for technology experts to help government officials determine exactly what is needed, or required, for diverse and very specific types of objectives.

As President and CEO of Strategic Partnerships, Inc., Mary Scott Nabers has decades of experience working in the public-private sector. A well-recognized expert in the P3 and government contracting fields, she is often asked to share her industry insights with top publications and through professional speaking engagements.