Press Releases

State CIOs Lead Digital Services Efforts to Improve Citizen Experience

Oct 11, 2021

New Report Reveals Significant Lessons Learned During COVID-19 Pandemic
 

Seattle, Wash. – The ongoing response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic have significantly accelerated digital transformation within state governments on numerous fronts and placed the state Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the center of much of this work, according to the 2021 State CIO Survey, Driving Digital Acceleration. The report examines key issues related to the impact of COVID-19 such as digital government, remote workforce models, cybersecurity and broadband networks.

The state CIO survey, which has been published annually for the last 12 years, includes responses from 49 state and territory CIOs and is the product of  a partnership between the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO), Grant Thornton LLC and CompTIA.

“State CIOs “State CIOs are well positioned to effectively shepherd their states toward and through significant digital evolution on several levels,” NASCIO Executive Director Doug Robinson commented. “State leaders will continue to look to state CIOs to leverage and build on the progress made over the past year.”

“For state CIOs, there is no returning to pre-pandemic business models,” said Graeme Finley, principal at Grant Thornton. “The pandemic highlighted the value of technology and how critical it is in the delivery of government services and to the productivity of state employees."

“While 2021 was still very much dominated by a state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the results of this survey revealed a strong desire for government technology leaders to embrace these challenges and look for opportunities to improve how state agencies interact with and serve citizens and customers,” added Jordan Kroll, Director of Public Sector at CompTIA. “This ongoing focus on digital government, along with the shift to hybrid and remote work permanently, have fundamentally changed and elevated the role of state CIO.”

The 2021 State CIO Survey also highlights adoption of cloud, emerging technologies and legacy modernization within state government. The complete report, Driving Digital Acceleration, is available here.

 

About NASCIO
The National Association of State Chief Information Officers is the premier network and resource for state CIOs and a leading advocate for technology policy at all levels of government. NASCIO represents state chief information officers and information technology executives from the states, territories, and the District of Columbia. For more information about NASCIO visit www.nascio.org.

AMR Management Services provides NASCIO’s executive staff. For more information about AMR visit www.AMRms.com.

About Grant Thornton Public Sector LLC
Grant Thornton Public Sector LLC helps executives and managers at all levels of  government maximize their performance and efficiency in the face of limited resources and increased demand for services. It gives clients creative, cost-effective solutions that enhance their acquisition, financial, human capital, information technology, data analytics, and performance management. Grant Thornton Public Sector’s commitment to public sector success is burnished by a widely recognized body of thought leadership analyzing and recommending solutions to government’s greatest challenges. Based in  the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and with a presence in more than 35 cities  around the country, Grant Thornton Public Sector LLC serves federal, state and local governments. For more information, visit grantthornton.com/publicsector. 

About CompTIA
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a leading voice and advocate for the $5 trillion global information technology ecosystem; and the estimated 75 million industry and tech professionals who design, implement, manage, and safeguard the technology that powers the world’s economy. Through education, training, certifications, advocacy, philanthropy, and market research, CompTIA is the hub for advancing the tech industry and its workforce. Visit  https://www.comptia.org/.