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Can you give us a brief background about your roles in the organizations you've working for?
My responsibilities as Chief Information Officer include overseeing the organization's technology functions and supporting various departments. This includes facilitating services for the public through our health and human services department and supporting our court and jail systems.
Additionally, as Dallas County is the ninth largest county in the country, we also take responsibility for supporting our voters through technology. This means ensuring that the technology used during elections is up-to-date and efficient in its operation. My team and I are committed to providing quality technical support to all areas of our organization and the community we serve.
Having an extensive experience in the field, how would you describe the development of the government sector in the past few years?
From a holistic perspective, the current business landscape demands a shift in thinking through the lens of people, processes, and technology. It is imperative to leverage automated services and predictive analytics to augment the data utility and enable remote work or work that can be done anytime, anywhere. This increase in technological advancements also creates an opportunity to reinvent processes that have existed for decades. For example, transitioning from legacy mainframe systems to modernized case management systems can revolutionize operations and improve outcomes.
“Restoration services are not just about fixing the damage, but about rebuilding hope, restoring peace of mind, and bringing back the comfort of home.”
However, technological advancement is only one piece of the puzzle. It is equally important to prioritize staff motivation, continuous improvement, development, and training in a hybrid work environment. This involves providing technical training and fostering a culture of operational excellence. By providing the necessary resources and support, organizations can encourage staff to embrace change and continuously improve processes.
Organizations must balance people, processes, and technology to succeed in today's business environment. By leveraging technology to modernize operations and prioritizing staff development and training, organizations can achieve operational excellence and improve outcomes.
Can you describe the technological and process components that you utilized to achieve success in projects?
We have accomplished significant milestones in our health and human services project, specifically completing phase one of an online disease surveillance system. Collaborating with our Parkland partners, non-profit organizations, and various labs located in the county, we utilized cloud technology to facilitate predictive analytics for COVID. This allowed us to target hotspots and areas based on the seven key factors to conduct outreach and pop-up vaccination clinics, ultimately resulting in a successful increase in vaccination rates. We have also leveraged the same system for NParks and are exploring its potential use for STDs.
Furthermore, we have been working with the state to automate and integrate laboratory results to improve the efficiency of the process. This partnership has been pivotal in promoting proactive care for underserved or unserved populations while minimizing the spread of diseases. Leveraging this solution has been foundational in our efforts to target resources where they are needed most. It is essential to prioritize the people side of the project by considering how to serve those who may have been overlooked and proactively prevent the spread of diseases. This project has been grant-funded by the CDC, benefiting our county and other counties partnered with the state.
What technological trends excite you about the future of the government sector?
We are currently working on a project to update our website using technology. Our partnership with Google involves utilizing a chatbot to leverage some of the AI technology. We analyzed our website usage and identified the top 25 frequently asked questions to automate their answers. This will ensure that our services are available to users 24/7. Additionally, we are working towards creating a translation hub that can translate our key documents into multiple languages, which aligns with our county’s value of diversity and inclusion. This is a large project that will benefit NGOs and our diverse community. I am excited about the potential of AI not only for front-facing services but also for operational purposes. We aim to modernize the organization to make it more efficient and effective, enhancing the customer experience as much as possible. While we may not be like Google or Amazon, we strive to provide the best possible customer experience within our government context.
What is your advice for budding professionals in the field?
Innovation should rely on more than just technology to achieve it. Instead, it should be viewed as the third element in the equation. Organizational maturity should also be considered, including the development, tools, and training needed for the workforce. Processes must be established to facilitate the integration of these key aspects, and the interdependencies between them must be understood. With these factors in place, technology becomes an easy piece of the puzzle in achieving innovation. Therefore, focusing on the maturity of the organization's processes and people is crucial.
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