2006 Information Resources Strategic Plan Instructions

Guidance for State Agencies and
Institutions of Higher Education

May 5, 2006

*Note: This document is no longer updated. It has been replaced by the IRSP Instructions & Template document.

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INTRODUCTION

Background

Every two years, each Texas state agency and institution of higher education is required by Texas Government Code (TGC) §2054.097, the Information Resources Management Act (IRMA), to develop an Information Resources Strategic Plan (IRSP) and send it to the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) and the Quality Assurance Team (QAT) for review. The QAT comprises representatives from DIR, the Legislative Budget Board (LBB), and the Texas State Auditor’s Office. Each agency’s Information resources manager (IRM) is responsible for completing the IRSP.

DIR, in coordination with the QAT, must report to the agency or institution of higher education, and may report to the governor and the presiding officer of each house of the legislature, when an IRSP or plan amendment is not in compliance with the state strategic plan for information resources management (state strategic plan, or SSP). IRMA contains specific content requirements for the IRSP (TGC §2054.096).

The 79th Texas Legislature signaled a clear mandate for the state to restructure the roles and responsibilities for its investment in information and communications technology. The key elements of this change include a focus on advancing services to citizens, supporting the core missions of individual agencies, simplifying technology management, and maximizing the value of the state’s investment in hardware, software, services, data, and personnel.

DIR conducted a focus group with 19 representatives from agencies and institutions of higher education on April 12, 2006, to review IRSP questions, format, and direction. In response to the review and to input from other stakeholders, DIR reduced the number of questions and adjusted the scope in some areas. The resulting IRSP avoids requesting information already provided to the state through other data collection instruments.

Throughout this document, all references to agencies apply to state-supported institutions of higher education as well, unless otherwise indicated. In addition, all references to the state strategic plan refer to the 2005 plan, Shared Success: Building a Better Texas through Shared Responsibilities.

Purpose

The IRSP is one of several mandated planning and reporting tools that enable oversight entities to monitor and evaluate how effectively agencies are delivering on legislative mandates and requirements. The 2006 IRSP also helps agencies establish a roadmap for improving service delivery to citizens and in performing agency administrative functions more efficiently. It contains questions in various formats, including yes/no, single select, multiple select, survey, and text. While the IRSP is developed every two years, the required planning horizon for each plan is five years.

The 2006 IRSP is fully aligned with the 2005 SSP, and provides the basis for agencies to collaboratively develop technology solutions that support individual, mission-critical agency business processes. To ensure alignment of information and communications technology planning with agency missions, goals, and objectives, the IRSP should be developed in concert with Agency Strategic Plans (state agencies only) and the legislative appropriations request process.

Questions in the 2006 IRSP are limited to information that cannot be gathered through other sources. For example, although TGC §2054.096 requires DIR to collect project-specific information from agencies, there is sufficient project information in the Information Technology Detail (ITD) reported to the LBB, and the Texas Project Delivery Framework to meet these requirements. Therefore, the 2006 IRSP has no project-specific questions. Similarly, agencies involved in data center assessments and the data center consolidation project (institutions of higher education and 27 prioritized state agencies) will not be required to answer certain questions because they have already provided extensive information on their data center operations.

Approach

The 2005 SSP articulates five strategic goals that will govern the state’s technology investment. These goals are to

These goals will require substantial coordination among all levels of government. The Texas Model of the Enterprise, as discussed in the 2005 state strategic plan, supports these goals through ten objectives. The structure of the 2006 IRSP reflects the Model by addressing all of the objectives, promoting effective technology planning and service delivery at the agency level that also advances shared success throughout the state.

The base of the Texas Model—the statewide infrastructure layer—delivers shared functions
that, similar to utility services, are needed by all agencies, but are not unique or specific
to an individual agency. The collaboration layer supports the shared development of guidelines and practices that contribute to effective enterprise management of information and communications technology. This layer includes guiding the development of integrated architectures that advance data and information sharing among agencies, establishing a collaborative approach for evaluating opportunities to standardize agency business processes where common needs exist, and supporting the adoption of statewide technology rules and standards.

Leveraging each of the preceding layers, the most important is th e agency layer, which supports the unique functionality that an agency must deliver to successfully support its mission. By unifying Texas government through coordinated commitments and shared responsibilities, the state can strategically align its significant investment in information and communications technology with agency business needs.

IRSP Organization

Part 1, Agency Environment, represents the agency layer of the model (Objective 10). It describes how the agency aligns information and communications technology with its business goals and objectives, how it manages its information resources, and how it manages its portfolio of applications and databases.

Part 2, Support of 2005 SSP Goals and Objectives, represents the statewide infrastructure layer (Objectives 1-5) and the collaboration layer (Objectives 6-9). It describes how the agency’s technology plans and operations support, and are supported by, the statewide objectives contained within the 2005 state strategic plan.

Part 3, Compliance with State Standards, describes the status of agency compliance with key technology-related statutes and rules.

The IRSP includes a glossary of key terms to orient agencies completing the questions.

IRSP Submission Requirements

By May 31, 2006, IRMs will receive an e-mail from DIR containing login information and detailed reporting instructions for completing the 2006 IRSP using an online reporting tool. An IRSP will be considered final once it has been signed by the executive director of the state agency or by the president, chancellor, or vice chancellor of the institution of higher education. The submission deadline for completed IRSPs is August 22, 2006.

IRMs may use these IRSP instructions to begin development of the IRSP offline. However, it is likely that some edits and modifications will occur prior to release of the online reporting tool. The IRSP homepage, which includes an FAQ and other support documents, will also include future amendments to the instructions. Additional guidance materials will be posted periodically throughout the reporting period. Inquiries received by DIR will be addressed, in most instances, in 24 hours.