COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Information Services Department

DATE:

April 30, 2002

BOARD MEETING DATE:

May 14, 2002

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Luther Perry, Director Information Services

SUBJECT:

eGovernment Project Third Quarter Status Report

Recommendation

Approve third quarter status report from the Information Services Department (ISD) for the County eGovernment (eGov) project.

Background

Your Board approved at your August 7, 2001, meeting the first quarterly status report for the eGov project. In that report we listed eGov objectives and major policy issues; we also presented the internal project organization and its relationship to County departments. Finally we provided a detailed first quarter project plan. The second quarter eGov status report and work plan were approved by your Board at your September 18, 2001, meeting.

Discussion

The work plans for the second quarter and the balance of this fiscal year have been impacted by the dramatic deterioration of the State's fiscal situation. The resulting County budgetary constraints have made it necessary to scale back the 2001-02 and future, work plans by greatly reducing the number of eGov applications that can be addressed.

The revised 2001-02 work plan still retains design and implementation of the new Web site, the new "look and feel", conversion of all old Web site pages to the new site, and the authoring/maintenance software tools that will be needed by departments to maintain their respective parts of the new Web site.

Summary of Second Quarter's Accomplishments

_ Created the design for the technical infrastructure required to support the new site services.

_ Created a partnership with Nevada County and the State Librarians to work on a Countywide navigation structure (Information Architecture) for the new Web site.

_ Completed the RFP and selection of vendor, Cuesta Technologies, to aid County staff and the Committee in the development of a Countywide "look and feel".

_ Created a design to support the common look and feel which was approved by the Web Management Committee.

_ Completed product evaluations for a Content Management System/Portal System and acquired the Vignette product suite.

Third Quarter Work Plan

_ Completion of a Countywide navigation structure (Information Architecture) with Nevada County and the State Librarians.

_ Review by Executive Council at their March 25, 2002, meeting of the common Countywide "look and feel" and navigation structure (Information Architecture) of the new site.

_ Identification of departments for initial conversion to the new structure.

_ Gathering and analysis of constituent questions by surveying front desk and telephone services staff.

_ Gather business requirements from identified departments for initial conversion.

_ Initial installation of the infrastructure for the new eGov platform.

_ Finalize detailed plans for implementation of the eGov project.

Vision Alignment

The eGov project and the new County Web site will contribute to all of the County's Visioning goals by simplifying public access to services via the Internet. Important elements include greatly improved human-factors design in the "look and feel" and navigation by service and subject rather than by agency and department.

Fiscal Impact

The approved eGov budget, the new Web site and conversion of the present County Web site are included in the 2001-02 budget. There is no new fiscal impact.