Florida's Department of Elder Affairs: A Case Study
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[ Case ]
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[ Telecommunications Management ]
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The following case explores the elements involved in the telecommunications management of a state agency. The issues of Information Resource Management in the context of providing public services to the elderly in the State of Florida.
- Information Resource Management
- Providing Public Services to the Elderly
- Department of Elder Affairs
- Issues for Consideration
Within the public sector Information Resource Management (IRM) is viewed as a key element in management reform. IRM is concerned with the continuous improvement of the methods involved with the creation, collection, processing, transmission, dissemination, use, storage, and disposal of information, both automated and non-automated. Information-related technologies such as telecommunications, office systems and computing are addressed by IRM.
The central goal of government IRM practices is to improve public management through more efficient and effective use of information. Many states, including Florida, began with a centralized top-down management approach to IRM but eventually adopted and developed a more workable and more politically acceptable, decentralized structure.
The Information Resource Commission (IRC) and the Division of Communications in the Department of Management Services are responsible for the development and implementation of Florida's IRM policy. Florida IRM is a large operation, spending over $189 million in fiscal year 1988-89. Of that amount, 26% is spent on personnel salaries and benefits.
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Like most states, Florida's IRM efforts began as highly-centralized, top-down management effort, but by 1980 it became obvious that this oversight strategy was not suitable to accomodate the explosive changes in information technology and telecommunications. The following year, the Florida State Legislature formed a Joint Select Committee on Electronic Data Processing to develop reform recommendations. In 1983 the committee issued the following findings:
- Too much concern was placed on the acquisition of technology versus managing the resource towards public service objectives;
- Dual operational and policy responsibilities within the Division of Electronic Data Processing with inevitable conflict of interest problems;
- Failure to assign IRM responsibility to agency senior managers, leading to the inability to determine how much agencies were spending on information technology;
- Standards for data security, disaster recovery, and other policy areas were ineffective if they existed at all.
With those the recommendations came the creation of the Information Resources Commission (IRC) in 1983. Both the Governor and Cabinet sit on the IRC, which is also staffed by IRM professionals who report to both the Governor and the Cabinet. Its duties include:
- Developing, publishing, and monitoring IRM policies and procedures in areas such as data security;
- Coordinating training programs in IRM for state personnel;
- Providing technical and managerial assistance in IRM;
- Overseeing the planning process including required strategic and operations report on the state of IRM activities;
- Reviewing agency budget requests for IRM and providing recommendations to the staffs of the governor's budget office and legislative appropriations committees.
The IRC's mission is policy development, technology planning, standards setting and stressing assistance over regulation in its work with state agencies.
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The Division of Communications (DOC) within the Department of Management Services has control over coordinating, approving and procurring all communications services. This division also prepares telecommunications implementation plans on a biennial basis and arranges consolidation of state agency communications systems where economical. The duties of the DOC are primarily related to the IRM function of telecommunications.
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While the IRC is responsible for directing the strategic information resource management planning process, each agency information resource manager is responsible for developing an individual agency strategic plan that identifies its information resource requirements for the biennial budget cycle and the four-year strategic directions of the agency. Plans are reviewed by the IRC staff and taken to the Governor and Cabinet for approval. State agencies produce annual performance reports describing their progress in spending their appropriations for initiatives outlined in their strategic plans.
Included in the IRM planning process are the state strategic plan, agency strategic plans, agency performance reports and the state annual performance report that aggregates the agency data on information technology to present an update of the progress made toward achieving the state strategic plan.
The most critical factor in IRM planning, is the level of involvement by top management. Unless top management incorporates IRM into their business and views of technology as a tool for improving organizational effectiveness, the planning process becomes another paper exercise. Evaluating the actual success of IRM planning in Florida is dependent on the successful implementation of IRM practices by individual agencies.
Source: Chackerian
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State and local governments are being looked at more closely as the vehicles to provide public services while still operating under strict budgetary and human resource constraints. Among the services states are expected to provide are elder services that range from a variety of in-home and community-based services that include the provision of information and referral, outreach, transportation, congregate and home-delivered meals and nutrition education to counseling legal assistance, and Medicaid and other relevant services.
As the population of the United States continues to age, new demands on elder services will force governments at the federal, state, and local level to adopt innovative and efficient methods of providing these services. Improved telecommunications management can improve the case management required to provide these services.
The response launched by the State of Florida to this specific issue has be chosen for a case study because the large elder constituency within the state is well organized, politically active, and very demanding. Today, Florida leads the nation in percentage of older residents; 23% of the population of the state is 60 years of age or older. In addition to the clients, the key players include federal, state, local and private agencies. The diffusion of clients and service providers around the state and across the country creates many challenges to the effective management of these services.
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The Florida Department of Elder Affairs (DEA) was approved by voter referendum in 1988 and created in 1991 by the Legislature to provide an improved focus on aging issues. DEA faces the daunting task of responding to the nation's largest and fastest growing population of elder citizens by assisting 11 area agencies on aging and more than 300 service provider offices.
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To maximize opportunities for self-sufficiency and personal independence of Florida's elders and to plan, advocate and administer programs and policies that assure accessible, responsive and comprehensive services and long-term care.
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The objectives of the DEA may be broadly defined as:
- Advocating and coordinating elder services with other state agencies, organizations and the general public;
- Improving management and program administration;
- Establishing the DEA as the long-term care policy and planning agency for the State of Florida.
Within the heading of improving the management of information and referral, the DEA strives to:
- Provide to, or on behalf of elders, a comprehensive system for access to information and referral services through enhancing the Elder Helpline central access telephone systems;
- Develop a standardized recording/tracking system and uniform screening instrument for use by the Elder Helplines;
- Produce in one planning and service area, as a demonstration, a monthly community access television program which presents information to and about older people and services available to them.
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Over the past two years the has successfully accomplishmented:
- Implementation of a wide area network
- Implementation of a client registration of the Elder Care Managment Information System (ECMIS)
- Identification of additional functions needed in the ECMIS
- Selection of an information systems development methodology and project management tools
Although no one, comprehensive state level information resource system exists, many agenices that operate under DEA contracts have developed various independent systems to support their business needs. Many of these will become obsolete with the creation of the ECMIS.
When the department was established no MIS infrastructure was in place and service providers did not have access to the Health and Rehabilitative Services Client Information System that contained vital information for the DEA.
Currently serving every county in Florida, there is an Elder Helpline which provides information and referral services to the elderly. By calling this Helpline individuals can locate available services, receive referral assistance to a community agency, if needed, or simply get answers to questions regarding aging issues.
In coorporation with the Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) and the other aging network service providers, the DEA plans to develop a state-wide computerized information and referral resources directory, which contains comprehensive data regarding community services, consumer education, advocacy, and volunteer opportunities. Currently programs to assist elders are separated between departments creating confusion for elders seeking services and is administratively inefficient.
A wide area network consisting of 12 personal computer-based local area networks connects the DEA and each of the 11 AAAs. The current access to this network includes the DEA, 11 AAAs and approximately 90 external service provider agencies. This WAN supports access to office automation software, electronic mail, the Client Information Registration and Tracking System, the Information and Referral Systems, the Contract Management System, and the Correspondence Tracking Systems. All of these systems are at various stages of completion.
CIS must be accurate and responsive to federal, state and local users of the systems. A previously existing CIS was owned by Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services did not meet these objectives. A new system -- the Client Information Registration and Tracking Systems (CIRTS) -- will fill this need.
Final implementation of the system will replace the previously used systems which are outdated and ineffective. Many agencies use their own individual systems to conduct business. To reduce the amount of resources required to operate redundant systems, the DEA will expand the new CIRTS to meet the needs of all users.
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The projects described in DEA's strategic plan for IRM were chosen to increase the productivity of the agencies information systems and reduce the number of redundant, parallel systems in operation. Below are some of the elements described in the strategic plan concerning infrastructure components and support along with their communications plan.
Commercial Software includes:
- CC MAIL, the electronic mail used statewide by all agencies;
- Oracle with including various CASE and ISDM tools;
- Standard Office Automation including Word Perfect, Paradox, and Quatro Pro.
In-house Oracle applications include continued development of PC networks supporting applications developed using Oracle CASE and ISDM tools.
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- Documenting and distributing security policies
- Implementation and maintenance of a documented ongoing training program of information resource security
- A set of defined roles and responsibilities of Information Security Managers and security administrators
- Documentation of employees and contractors acknowledgment and acceptance of agency's security policies, procedures and responsibilities
- Clearly defined and current security responsibilities for each information resource user, custodian, provider and their management
- Documentation for managing access criteria and privileges for information resource
- Annual information resource security compliance certification
- Current lists of information resource owners, users, custodians
- Documented procedures for conducting backgrounds checks for positions of special trust and responsibility or positions in sensitive locations
- Ongoing documented program of risk management, including risk analysis for all critical and sensitive information resources, and comprehensive periodic risk analysis of all information resources
- Current identification of all agency critical and sensitive information resources
- For all critical information resource, documentation, for implementing and maintaining auditable emergency, disaster recovery and business resumption plans including:
- procedures for cross training of critical or unique skills
- responsibilities and procedures for information resources custodians, owners, and users
- procedures for maintaining current data on critical information resources
- interdependencies between and among resources
- Documentation for executing and maintaining test scenarios for emergency, disaster recovery, and business resumption plans.
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DEA's plans for the management of the proposed information systems and communications networks are strongly influenced by two factors.
- The ability to integrate other systems which may become necessary with potential transfer of remaining aging and disabled programs from the Department of Health & Rehabilitative Services to DEA
- The need for more cost effective communications.
Below is a regional listing of the proposed improvements for the communications with local service providers who will be most often dealing directly with the clients.
- Pensacola
CURRENT: 4 counties using dial in communications
FUTURE to add 1 direct line for network to network communications
- Tallahassee
CURRENT: 12 counties using direct lines communications
FUTURE: no plans expansion at this time
- Gainesville
CURRENT: 10 counties using direct lines
FUTURE: upgrade connection from network to PC to network to network for all counties
- Jacksonville
CURRENT: 7 counties using dial in
FUTURE: no expansion plans at this time
- St. Petersburg
CURRENT: 2 counties using dial in
FUTURE: no plans for expansion at this time
- Tampa
CURRENT: 5 counties using dire lines for personal computer to network communications
FUTURE: plans to upgrade all five to network to network connections
- Orlando
CURRENT: 4 counties using dial in
FUTURE: not plans for expansion
- Ft. Myers
CURRENT: 7 counties with dial in
FUTURE: plans to upgrade to network to network connections
- West Palm Beach
CURRENT: 5 counties with 2 direct lines for communications
FUTURE: plans to upgrade to network to network connections for at least 2 counties
- Ft. Lauderdale
CURRENT: 1 county has dial in
FUTURE: plans to expand to a direct line for that county
- Miami
CURRENT: 2 counties have dial in
FUTURE: plans to expand to direct lines for network to network connections
Source: State of Florida Department of Elder Affairs: Strategic Plan for Information Resource Management
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- Identify application opportunities presented by DEA's mission.
- Explain the issues that arise with the adaptation of technology under externalities.
- What are some of the security issues that must be addressed by DEA? How are they being addressed by the DEA?
- Describe the computing and communications architecture of DEA. Will this architecture need to change in the near future? How are standards chosen within this architecture?
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Sources
- DEA's Introduction to Mission, Programs and Resources
- DEA's Strategic Plan for Information Resource Management,
(FY95/96 - 1998-99)
- Schmandt, et al.
To Go to the Next Section [ Analysis ].
Last updated May 5, 1995.