by Cory Fleming, senior technical specialist/program director, ICMA

When computers first entered the office place, many local governments hired information technology (IT) directors to manage their computer network and to provide technical support to employees. Over time, the number of software solutions used by local governments has grown exponentially. IT departments can no longer be experts on all the software applications being used by different departments. Expertise on those software solutions now resides within the departments.

The organization of software systems requires a new structure for local government IT departments. Local government managers no longer need the IT department to function as a service provider for the organization but rather need a coordinator and collaborator who can develop innovative and creative solutions for the whole of the local government organization. Organizations like Austin, Texas; Southlake, Texas; and Riverside, California; are already leading the way with innovation officer roles dedicated to bringing new ideas to local government. 

Information technology and communications (ITC) professionals have a new role and need new skillsets to respond to evolving needs. With these new needs, local government managers must be prepared to ask new questions when hiring and working with their chief information/innovation officers (CIOs). Here are five key questions to ask in your next interview with a potential CIO:

1. What do you consider your primary role to be as a CIO?
2. What would be your approach to fostering innovation within the organization?
3. How do you envision the relationship between the local government manager and the CIO?
4. How do you see our organization making various data sets available to both our internal and external users?
5. What do you as a CIO see as the next evolution in technology development?

A local government can be successful only if it has effective technology leadership. To learn how to build an effective manager-IT executive partnership, attend the City/County Technology Leadership Symposium: Managers and IT Leaders on September 22 at the 2018 ICMA Annual Conference in Baltimore, Maryland. ICMA has partnered with the Public Technology Institute (PTI) to present a preconference symposium, and topics to be covered include: 

• Cybersecurity awareness
• Artificial intelligence
• Resident engagement
• Blockchain
• Team building: local government manager and CIO
• Evaluating the CIO
• Evaluating the CIO/IT infrastructure
• Evaluating the enterprise. 

Learn more and register.