Voyatek recently attended the Florida Digital Government summit, where government and industry leaders came together (virtually) to discuss how state agencies are using data and technology to better deliver government services to Florida’s 21 million residents. We’d like to share a few of our key takeaways from the event:

Collaboration and Data-Sharing are No Longer Optional

Organizations change but principles are timeless. That’s why it’s crucial to build collaboration into the structure of agencies themselves. For example, the several agencies are creating horizontal structures, as opposed to a hierarchical chain of command, and organizing teams by: service experience, data management, information security, policy implementation, and infrastructure and modernization. In a structure like this, collaboration is key. To support and foster cross-team/agency collaboration, a comprehensive, interagency data sharing framework is needed to help break down information silos securely and efficiently.

Technology Mitigates the Risk of Employee Churn

Like most state governments, Florida continues to invest in programs that strengthen employee retention. Technology is significant to this effort. For example, making remote work easy and secure is important to attracting and retaining employees. NASCIO’s 2021 State CIO Survey found that expanded work from home and remote work options came in as the second highest priority for respondents.

But churn is never completely avoidable. During the summit, several state leaders highlighted the fact that Florida is always looking for hybrid managed service environments to avoid being overly dependent on a single employee or entity. They also noted the importance of building systems to withstand employee turnover.

Partnering with Local Government is Critical for Security

Florida leaders agree that cybersecurity is a paramount concern for state and local, as the threat of ransomware escalates for state and local government. Changes are needed to enable states, cities, and countries to work hand in hand to strengthen endpoint protection and industrial control systems. In the aforementioned survey, 83% of state CIOs said the adoption and expansion of enterprise identity and access management solutions will receive great attention in coming years as threats like ransomware and supply chain attacks continue to grow. Local governments should be able to benefit from those solutions as well.