On the Agenda for Monday's Council meeting is the new Oshawa Information Technology Strategic Plan.
I want to refer it back to staff. I'm on this job to scrutinize City business for Oshawa residents and to help advance improvement...not on the job really as a cheerleader or to compliment consultants.
This was a $100,000 contract and although clearly a lot of detailed work was done by the consultant, it should be sent back to staff to be corrected and tightened. Imo in it's current state it is a document that does not stand out as a satisfactory IT Strategic Plan.
During the Committee meeting June 8 when the Report CORP-20-17 was presented I asked questions which could not be answered at the time. The following week I wrote to senior staff asking if they had been able to confirm the accuracy of the Capital expenses figure and percentage contained on page 19 where the Consultant had written: “In 2019, the IT capital budget was set at $1,445,000, of a total Capital budget of $62,448,000 – representing 2.3% of the City’s total capital budget.”
I received a reply that the numbers were incorrect.
The figure for the City's total capital budget was erroneous by more than double what it should have been. The actual numbers should read: In 2019, the IT capital budget was set at $1,115,000, of a total Capital budget of $26,514,000 – representing 4.2% of the City’s total capital budget.
Although the above causes some concern, imo there are more reasons the document does not seem to me like the final version of the Oshawa IT Strategic Plan:
a) Its length,101 pages with additional 5 appendices of 42 pages, which make regular updates, reviews, and measuring progress more difficult than needed;
b) It is labeled Final “Report”;
c) It reads like a research Report, written from a ‘we’ perspective that seems at odds with a City IT Strategic Plan, for examples, copied below are statements in the Report where the 'we' clearly is not the City, and after all it is the City's IT strategic plan:
“Looking forward, the following areas are the key Corporate Information Technology Strategy themes, the areas of work that we recommend the City pursues”. Page 6 of the plan
“We would encourage the City, as it continues to work on its future iterations of the Corporate Strategic Plan, to embed digital goals and establish metrics to help define and realize success.” Page 13
“The team also met with representatives from all Branches, we met with external partners (e.g., the Library, OPUC) and with arms-length organizations that IT supports (e.g., Airport, Gallery, Seniors), members of CLT and the majority of Council members. We also conducted an online survey with the public to seek their input on future digital service needs.” Page 13
“As we have discussed”, Page 22
“For the purposes of this report, we have extracted some of the information contained within the I&RM Strategy and made recommendations from an “IT lens”. Page 34
I recognize the Consultant’s professionalism and diligent work with city staff on this report. It is interesting and detailed. However, imo further edit would improve the Strategic Plan.
I want to refer it back to staff. I'm on this job to scrutinize City business for Oshawa residents and to help advance improvement...not on the job really as a cheerleader or to compliment consultants.
This was a $100,000 contract and although clearly a lot of detailed work was done by the consultant, it should be sent back to staff to be corrected and tightened. Imo in it's current state it is a document that does not stand out as a satisfactory IT Strategic Plan.
During the Committee meeting June 8 when the Report CORP-20-17 was presented I asked questions which could not be answered at the time. The following week I wrote to senior staff asking if they had been able to confirm the accuracy of the Capital expenses figure and percentage contained on page 19 where the Consultant had written: “In 2019, the IT capital budget was set at $1,445,000, of a total Capital budget of $62,448,000 – representing 2.3% of the City’s total capital budget.”
I received a reply that the numbers were incorrect.
The figure for the City's total capital budget was erroneous by more than double what it should have been. The actual numbers should read: In 2019, the IT capital budget was set at $1,115,000, of a total Capital budget of $26,514,000 – representing 4.2% of the City’s total capital budget.
Although the above causes some concern, imo there are more reasons the document does not seem to me like the final version of the Oshawa IT Strategic Plan:
a) Its length,101 pages with additional 5 appendices of 42 pages, which make regular updates, reviews, and measuring progress more difficult than needed;
b) It is labeled Final “Report”;
c) It reads like a research Report, written from a ‘we’ perspective that seems at odds with a City IT Strategic Plan, for examples, copied below are statements in the Report where the 'we' clearly is not the City, and after all it is the City's IT strategic plan:
“Looking forward, the following areas are the key Corporate Information Technology Strategy themes, the areas of work that we recommend the City pursues”. Page 6 of the plan
“We would encourage the City, as it continues to work on its future iterations of the Corporate Strategic Plan, to embed digital goals and establish metrics to help define and realize success.” Page 13
“The team also met with representatives from all Branches, we met with external partners (e.g., the Library, OPUC) and with arms-length organizations that IT supports (e.g., Airport, Gallery, Seniors), members of CLT and the majority of Council members. We also conducted an online survey with the public to seek their input on future digital service needs.” Page 13
“As we have discussed”, Page 22
“For the purposes of this report, we have extracted some of the information contained within the I&RM Strategy and made recommendations from an “IT lens”. Page 34
I recognize the Consultant’s professionalism and diligent work with city staff on this report. It is interesting and detailed. However, imo further edit would improve the Strategic Plan.
