MAY-JUNE, 20179GOVERNMENT CIO OUTLOOKto red tape or bureaucratic hurdles, but because procurement of services from vendors, solutions providers or other private parties, need to be done according to a procedure. Also, there are certain guidelines to be met, which differ in each state. Further, the Local, State and Federal governments have different protocols for procurements that need to be adhered to. In this context, it is essential for government bodies to engage their procurement and legal departments to ensure that all specific contractual terms and conditions are met. Accountability of the service providers with regard to the number of similar projects handled by them, ability to complete projects on time within budgets and the quality of support provided by them after going on live, is extremely important. Security as a ServiceSecuring the environment where user-friendly applications are hosted is equally important. All organizations must emphasize on protecting the investments, information, assets and data of all types. In this connection, periodic assessment of the IT network becomes necessary to ascertain the absence of shortcomings. Security audits through conducting internal and external penetration tests to check the robustness of network infrastructure and the applications, is vital. As each application generates voluminous logs pertaining to human activities, having a full-fledged enterprise log monitoring mechanism to scrutinizes logs round the clock, is a must for identifying any malware.Challenges involved in Procuring Services for the Government sectorAlthough there are numerous vendors and service providers to help the government sector, strict protocols governing public sector contracts, hinder them from working with certain companies or vendors. Usually, some vendors are on a state contract, or work only for Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs), while others follow the Negotiated Request For Proposal (NRFP) process. Certain laws prevent individual local governments from working with such organizations directly. A solution to this can be found by forming a consortium of multiple local governments functioning as a GPO. Going as a group allows local governments to engage with the companies that work with GPOs besides others they can collaborate with, as individuals. All cities in the group can adopt the same procurement model for engaging software vendors and share the relevant information for improving customer services. Although not popular, this model is already being practiced in some parts of the U.S.Advice to budding CIOsWorking in a public sector is very challenging and interesting due to the nature of opportunities given to a CIO. Being open-minded and listening to people for understanding their problems, could be of immense help CIOs need to adapt to changes and take it as a challenge and inspire people to work with less. IT is not a function by itself but an integral part of an organization that simplifies workflow operations. Working in tandem with the users to cultivate and inculcate a positive mindset within oneself and team-mates, is ultimately what helps a CIO in steering the organization to success. Srikanth KarraWorking in a public sector is very challenging and interesting due to the nature of opportunities given to a CIO
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