Emily Batson

This strategic plan for the State of Montana Information Technology outlines a roadmap for digital transformation and improved performance from 2024 to 2026. It aims to deliver unparalleled IT services to enable modern, innovative, secure, and accessible digital government experiences for Montana citizens, empowering agencies, and streamlining government operations. The plan is structured around key themes including digitization, reducing technical debt, evolving IT into business consulting, and fostering better business partnerships. Strategic objectives are categorized into Citizen/Partner, Financial Stewardship, Internal Process, and Workforce Capacity, focusing on enhancing user experience, optimizing financial resources, streamlining internal operations, providing security by design, improving digital transformation, fostering strategic partnerships, and building a 'people first' culture.

This document outlines the State IT Strategic Plan for 2026-2028, with a vision to drive the future of digital government in Montana through innovation and public service. The plan's mission is to deliver unparalleled, modern, secure, and accessible digital government experiences. It focuses on strategic themes such as digitization, reducing technical debt, acting as business consultants, and pursuing incremental progress. The plan organizes its objectives across four key perspectives: Citizen/Partner, Financial, Internal Process, and Organizational Capacity, aiming to enhance citizen well-being, empower agencies, and streamline government operations.

The board meeting report covers a comprehensive overview of statewide IT integration, including its transition to a centralized model and the progress of the Integration Management Office. Key discussion topics include SITSD Program Increment planning, technology initiatives such as ADA Title II accessibility compliance and quality assurance programs, and cybersecurity operations including incident response and risk management. The operational overview highlights service desk performance, IT asset management efforts, and extensive AI integration across multiple state departments, documenting various pilot projects and experiments ranging from automated document review to AI-supported permit processing.

The board meeting included a safety minute presentation focused on the risks of motor vehicle accidents and the employer's role in supporting employees involved in such incidents. Additionally, the board held a series of new employee introductions, recognizing several individuals who joined the organization in various roles.

This document outlines the Montana State Government's IT Integration Strategy, initiated by an Executive Order. The primary objective is to transform technology services across state agencies by transitioning from a decentralized environment to an integrated model, aiming to enhance efficiency, strengthen cybersecurity, and improve digital service delivery. Key strategic themes include promoting digitization, reducing technical debt through cloud-based solutions, and adopting a business consultant approach. The strategy focuses on improving customer experience, maximizing financial returns on technology investments, optimizing internal product lifecycle management and data foundations, embedding security stewardship, and building organizational capacity through proactive partnerships and fostering a culture of ownership.