From redundant manual entry of data to five part carbon copy forms, the State of Hawai‘i uses business processes and technology that are decades old and painfully outdated. Coupled with reduction in staffing levels over the last decade, state employees do not have the tools to do their jobs as well as they can and citizens are not receiving the quality services they deserve. In July 2011, the state hired its first-ever Chief Information Officer (CIO), Sanjeev “Sonny” Bhagowalia, to provide a clear and cohesive vision for moving from manual processes to implementing best practices utilized in state and local governments across the country. This effort is not just about investing in technology; it is about changing the processes by which government services are delivered. In many cases, outdated processes can be improved with technological solutions; in other cases, changes in the physical process may be all that is needed. Leveraging data gathered in a series of audits of the state’s information management and delivery of services, the CIO and Office of Information Management and Technology (OIMT) unveiled in October 2012 the Business and Information Technology/Information Resource Management Transformation Plan as a roadmap to move Hawaii into the 21st century. Recognizing the widespread benefits of the State of Hawai‘i’s effort to improve the way it provides services to citizens and in anticipation of the release of the “Transformation Plan,” community leaders came together in May 2012 to lend their support. Transform Hawai‘i Government - The Movement is the name of the coalition that was formed, in partnership with the Hawai‘i Community Foundation, to solicit public input, build broad support and hold the state accountable for making progress in the transformation initiative. The Hawai‘i Community Foundation has generously provided backbone organizational support for Transform Hawai‘i Government – The Movement, including development of the group’s logo, website and a video to educate the public. The Foundation believes in equal access to state services for all residents and recognizes the substantial improvements that the state’s Transformation Plan will make by streamlining its internal business processes and making more services available online. Not all of Transform Hawai‘i Government – The Movement’s supporters agree on every issue; there will be times when specific projects or initiatives proposed by the state are backed by some and opposed by others. However, we are all united in our belief that there exist opportunities for supporting better state government for Every Citizen, through Every Service, on Every Island. For the latest list of supporters, please visit http://TransformHawaiiGov.org/who-we-are/. Learn more about Transform Hawaii Government at http://TransformHawaiiGov.org. Learn more about the Office of Information Management and Technology at http://oimt.hawaii.gov.
