- What is the IRDR used for?
The agency IR deployment review primarily benefits the agency, by providing a structured, periodic process for assessing the status of all types of information technology used throughout the agency. The IRDR provides a sound basis for planning the agency’s future use of technology in order to optimally support its mission while meeting statewide technology standards. Statewide IRDR reporting is used by DIR and the Quality Assurance Team for several purposes, including assessing compliance with statewide technology standards and assessing alignment with the state strategic plan for information resources management.
- Why do the question numbers change between IRDR cycles, and how can I tell which 2011 question matches which 2009 question?
There are a number of factors involved in setting the content of the IRDR from one cycle to the next, including the dynamic nature of IT and DIR’s ongoing reporting streamlining initiative. Some items are added, removed, and changed in each cycle. We have not found a way to preserve question identifiers across cycles while also maintaining a logical organization and numbering scheme. However, a document, 2011 IRDR Question Map (XLS, 128KB), has been prepared which identifies the 2009 IRDR question number corresponding to each 2011 IRDR question number.
- How will the upcoming IR Corrective Action Plan process work?
DIR has continued to streamline the IR Corrective Action Plan process, with most of the reporting built into the IR Deployment Review. Here is a summary of the process:
- Agencies conduct their IRDRs by December 1. Part 2 is a thorough review of the status of compliance with the state’s technology-related statutes and rules.
- For each compliance item, four additional questions appear in the IRDR collection tool whenever the “Not in compliance” answer is selected: implementation status, estimated implementation date, brief description of steps to be taken, and optional comment.
- DIR will review agency IRDR responses in the spring of 2012 and will notify those agencies found to lack compliance in one or more areas of the need to submit an IR-CAP.
- When the IRM receives the request for an IR-CAP, a small spreadsheet will be included with data from the agency’s IRDR for each “not in compliance” item (status, implementation date, brief description, optional comment). The IRM will be asked to review the spreadsheet and update it as appropriate. For instance, the status of an item may have changed to “in compliance” since the IRDR was submitted.
- Upon return to DIR, the updated spreadsheet becomes the agency’s IR-CAP. DIR will notify the IRM of the approval of the IR-CAP. If DIR requires clarification on an item in the IR-CAP, we will contact the IRM to work it out so the plan can be approved.
- Why doesn’t DIR provide a web portal (database) containing all information requested from the agencies?
DIR is working in this direction, beginning with a recent establishment of a database architecture for managing multi-cycle IRDR data. Our efforts to improve usefulness of the IRDR process include making cross-agency data permanently available to the IRMs. First, we want to dialog with the agencies about how publicly available this information should be.
- How can I obtain previous reports/submissions?
- When I click on the link you provided to access the IRDR reporting tool it doesn’t work.
Sometimes the URL address wraps to a second line in the email message. If the entire URL is not hyperlinked, please copy and paste it into your browser’s address bar.
- Can a report be generated for review before submitting?
A “Review” button is available on the last page of the tool. You can jump directly to that page by selecting the “Review and Completion” page from the drop box at the lower left of the collection tool window. The Review button displays a listing of all IRDR questions and the agency’s current answers. There are options to “Save” and “Print.” Note that Part 3 (Inventory)is not included in this listing, since it is collected via spreadsheet, not the collection tool.
- Is there a way to print the IRDR?
Yes, the “Review” button described above has a print option. Note that DIR will provide a well-formatted electronic copy of each agency’s IRDR, including Part 3, soon after reporting is complete.
- Radio button logic makes it hard to record tentative responses; can’t this be changed?
Along with the drop menu, the radio button list is a standard device in survey applications for “choose one item” questions. In both cases, selection of one item automatically de-selects any other item that was already selected. To leave multiple items selected would render the question a “choose all that apply” type. Probably the best way for the questioner to build potential responses, including multiple candidates for a “choose one” question, would be to develop responses initially using an off-line template. This can be done using either the collection tool’s “review” report or the IRDR Instructions document, which is in MS Word format.
- In 1.14.01, shouldn’t this question be “choose all that apply,” not “choose one”?
Yes, this is an error in the collection tool. As a workaround, if the agency uses a single social media site, simply click that item; if the agency uses more than one, please select “Other” and list the sites in the provided text box. We apologize for this inconvenience.
- In 1.07.01j1, should Managed Document Output (MDO) service printers be included?
If a printer is owned or leased by the agency, it should be counted. Otherwise, it should not be counted.
- In 1.07.01xx, what if there is no formal refresh cycle for a category of computing device?
In this instance there is no pre-planned time to replace the device, so the appropriate answer would be the open-ended one, “6+ years.” You may optionally provide additional information/clarification about your approach to managing the lifecycle of these devices, using the optional comment question at the end of the section 1.07.12.
- In 1.08.03xx, do you need exact training numbers or are approximations sufficient?
Approximations are quite sufficient! We do not want you to have to dig around to generate data on training that you don’t already have at hand.
- In 1.08.03xx, are the last two response options mutually exclusive?
Yes, the last two response options are mutually exclusive. Here is some additional guidance on how to approach these questions:
- In phrasing this question and the answer categories, DIR strove to collect granular data about training completions where available, but to also give agencies a way to provide less granular data, if that is all they collect centrally.
- The first completion category is for completions of classes that are not primarily technology-delivered.
- The second through seventh categories are for completion data on various types of technology delivery. This represents the most granular response level.
- The eighth category, "undifferentiated technology-based training," is to allow the agency to report a single number of technology-based completions, if that number is available but cannot be broken into specific tech categories (2 through 7). So, if you had 400 completions, and 250 of those were tech-based, but you don’t know which technology category they fall into, you would enter "150" in the traditional category and "250" in the undifferentiated tech-based category. You would leave categories 2 through 8 blank.
- The ninth category, "undifferentiated training," is to allow you to report a single total number of completions. So, if you had 400 completions, but don’t know how many were traditional or tech-based, you would enter "400" in this line and leave all other lines blank.
- In section 1.09, does GIS include the use of GPS technology?
Some uses of GPS technology fall in the realm of GIS, and some do not. Here are some guidelines to assist in completion of this section:
- Exclude use of GPS technology in the practice of land surveying.
- Include use of GPS technology that is used to generate data that will be portrayed in map form for non-surveying purposes.
- Exclude standard, address-based vehicle navigation.
- Include use of GPS technology that assists field personnel in locating sites or facilities for regulatory or monitoring purposes.
- Several questions in this section address specific GIS software packages. It is not necessary to list GPS software or tools in your responses.
- In section 1.10, could you clarify the definition of “legacy application?”
Determination of which applications are classified as “legacy” is somewhat subjective and is made at the discretion of the IRM. Here is some additional guidance beyond the wording in the IRDR instructions: Legacy applications are those applications (including corresponding hardware/software systems) for which support is no longer available (or affordable), cannot meet current business requirements, or which no longer meet expectations for use of current technology. If the agency would replace an existing application/system if the resources were available, that application/system should be considered legacy.
- In 1.13.07, what is a “video exchange service”?
The original IRDR Instructions document omitted this definition in the glossary; this omission has been corrected. The definition is:
“Video Exchange Service. Provides a communications platform allowing organizations to schedule, hold, and playback video conferences over an IP backbone. These calls also include the ability to exchange documents during the call. A key benefit is the ability for end users to schedule and meet (via video) with other compatible users and organizations either intra-agency, inter-agency, or agency to rest of world on an as needed basis without the need to build a dedicated network infrastructure themselves. End user devices range from desktop phones to full dedicated video meeting rooms.”
- In 1.07.01i1, what is the distinction between a “basic wireless phone” and a “smartphone”?
In this question we are asking for approximate numbers of client devices in a number of categories. Beginning this year we have split wireless communication devices into “basic wireless phones” and “smartphones”. Feature sets overlap between different models, and there is no established industry definition to distinguish these two categories. Perhaps the best distinction is this: If the device supports productive, two-way email communications, it can be considered a smartphone.
- In 1.01.16 regarding SB701, what is a “high-value data set”?
The IRDR glossary includes a definition of high-value data set which was taken directly from Senate Bill 701. This is a new requirement for agencies and DIR recognizes the difficulty some agencies are facing in meeting the requirement. The purpose of this IRDR question (and the follow-up question about any factors that are hindering implementation of the requirement to post high-value data sets online) is to gage where the agencies are on this requirement and to determine if some enterprise level action (e.g. interagency dialogue or a shared service) would be helpful.
- In section 1.14, how much of a push is the state making towards social media implementation?
Social Media is a top strategic priority for the state. Each agency should evaluate the business value of this communications channel in its organization to determine whether it should establish a social media presence. As mentioned in the 2012-2015 State Strategic Plan, agencies need to carefully consider several factors such as agency strategy, internal resources, governance, stakeholders, etc. before deciding how they want to implement social media.
- In 1.07.01, if we received no funding for equipment refresh, how do we report refresh cycles?
When there is no clear “correct” answer, it is up to the IRM to choose the most appropriate answer. In the case of normal refresh intervals being disrupted by a lack of funding, one approach may be to bump the nominal interval to the next longer time. If desired, the optional comment question (1.07.16) can be used to elaborate on the situation.
- In 1.01.08, how should we respond to “status of policy” for a technology that we do not use?
The status of policy drop-down box is initially blank; just leave it blank. However, if you have already selected an item, you cannot return to a “blank” response; in this case, select “no formal policy”. This response, coupled with a response of “do not use” for the same technology category, makes sense.
