2005-06 Annual Report

The NYS Forum Rockefeller Institute of Government

Innovations in information resource management to support government

A Message from the Chair

Dear Members, Colleagues and Friends:

As I conclude my term as Chair of The New York State Forum (The Forum) Executive Committee, I see that 2005/2006 was a year of great achievements! The Forum revenue achieved a record high, the number of its educational and informational events surpassed the previous years, and membership in the New York State IT Corporate Roundtable increased by 15%.

I would like to thank the many wonderful speakers who honored us with their presentations at The Forum's monthly meetings:

Governor's Office of Employee Relations: IT Education and Training Opportunities - Onnolee Smith and Kelly Lopez

Office of the Chief Information Officer Update - James Dillon

Office for Technology Update - Meg Levine

Office of Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure Coordination Update - Will Pelgrin

Identity Access Management - JoAnn Bomeisl, NYS Insurance Department; Toffer Winslow, RSA Security; and Patrick O'Kane, Unisys Corporation

NYS IT Strategic Plan: An Update Dr. Mike Mittleman, CIO Committee Co-Chairs and Mike Donovan

IT Corporate Roundtable: Maintaining Business Momentum Through Major Organizational Change - Edward G. Amoroso, AT&T; Laura Mainville-Guenther, Dell; Suzanne V. Skipper, Deloitte Consulting LLP

NYS Information Security Breach and Notification Act Mara B. Ginsberg, NYS Office of Cyber Security & Critical Infrastructure Coordination and Lisa R. Harris, NYS Consumer Protection Board

Office of the Chief Information Officer Update - Dr. Mike Mittleman

The Forum Committees, together with the assistance of the many volunteers, both public and corporate, who gave their time, energy and knowledge to collaborate on projects that benefit the entire Enterprise, are to be commended for their accomplishments. Thank you, each and every one of you. Since each Committee has a public sector co-chair and a private sector co-chair and because each member of the IT Corporate Roundtable participated on at least one committee, amazing results came from this unique blend of public and private cooperation, which also has been both intellectually stimulating and enjoyable.

I would also like to give special thanks to the committee co-chairs:

Business Continuity

Tom Luther, NYS Office of the State Comptroller and Christopher Lloyd, Keane, Inc

Emerging Technologies

Peter Finn, NYS Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation; Joe Mangano, CDW-G; Doug Winkler, Newstream Technologies

IT Accessibility

Debi Orton, NYS Governor's office of Employee Relations; Mike Short, NYS Department of Civil Service; Lisa Hebert-Ryan, MicroKnowledge, Inc.

IT Procurement

Susan Zeronda, NYS office for Technology; Michael LaFrancis, Gartner; Peter Chynoweth, CMA

Multi-Agency Technology Resource and Information Exchange (MATRIX)

Peter Hilton, NYS office of the State Comptroller and Joseph Romano III, CA, Inc.

Project Management

Nancy Mulholland, NYS Workers' Compensation Board and Jonathan Blake, Keane, Inc.

Security

JoAnn Bomeisl, NYS Insurance Department and Chris Labatt-Simon, D&D Consulting

Small and Medium Agency Special Interest Group

Karl Kelly, NYS Division of Military and Naval Affairs; Paul Shatsoff, NYS Governor's office of Employee Relations; Peter Chynoweth, CMA

Webmasters Guild

Paul Maguire, NYS office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services and Don Bekkering, IMG, LLC

IT Corporate Roundtable

Robert G. Kelly, NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal; Bill Branch, BearingPoint, Inc.; Ken Damato, Microsoft Corp.

Since the staff members are the foundation of The Forum's very busy and successful organization, I would sincerely like to recognize Greg Benson, Executive Director, who continues to excel by increasing revenues and the educational and organizational activities offered by The Forum. Rebecca Buchner, Executive Assistant, who is amazing at organization and scheduling and she would have to be with the incredible schedule The Forum maintains! And Milena Ivanova, Technical Coordinator, who is our creative web master and photographer, and is responsible for all of the websites and event registrations.

The Forum provides a collaoratie process where you can make a difference, learn a great deal and produce results that help the Enterprise and one's own personal growth. The term for an officer of The Forum is three years, and they go by very quickly. I have enjoyed serving with past chairs Mike Donovan and Joanne Riddett and have learned a great deal from both of them. This past year, working with fellow officers Leigh Favitta and Diane Taylor has been very rewarding; I have benefited from their professionalism and creativeness. Next year, The Forum will have a new team of officers, led by Leigh and Diane. I am sure they will be great leaders during the transition year ahead. I have enjoyed being Chair of The Forum and particularly enjoyed meeting and working with such talented people. Thank you all for this wonderful opportunity.

Sincerely,

Celia Hamblin

Chair, 2005-2006

Our Mission

It is the mission of the New York State Forum (The Forum) to promote and support policies and practices for effective, equitable and secure use and management of information resources in New York state government at all levels.

The Heart of our Strategy

The pursuance of this mission is distinguished by The Forum's provision of the most relevant IT knowledge transfer and the highest quality education and training programs available to New York's state and local public sector IT leadership and staff.

Our Core Initiatives

• IT education and training for all levels of organizational leadership and staff
• Identification and promotion of best practices
• Policy-related research and analysis
• Development of tools for IT leadership and staff
• Enhancement of effective communications
• Development of productive collaboration with the IT corporate sector

Highlights of the 2005-2006 Program Year

Strengthening and Building New Alliances

NYS Forum programs rely on the expertise and support of a variety of public sector, non-profit and corporate partners. Without these vital and productive partnerships, The Forum's programs for New York state and local government leadership and staff simply would not exist. Given the extraordinary level of program participation this year, The Forum wishes to acknowledge the contributions of the program partners noted below:

2005-2006 Program Partners

All Member Corporations of the NYS IT Corporate Roundtable (All members listed at the end of this document)

All of the generous sponsors/exhibitors of the 2006 NYS Cyber Security Conference (visit: http://nysforum.org/pastseminars/csc-2006/exhibitorshall/).

and...

• Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired-Goodwill Industries
• AT&T Government Solutions
• Security Center of Excellence
• Enterprise Technical Center of Excellence
• BearingPoint, Inc.
• Bethlehem School District
• Better Business Bureau
• The Business Council of New York State, Inc.
• CA, Inc.
• Center for Technology in Government
• Center for Information Forensics and Assurance, State University at Albany
• Cisco Systems
• CMA Consulting Services
• CSO Magazine
• Cyber Smart Education Corporation
• D&D Consulting, Ltd.
• Dell, Inc.
• Deloitte Consulting, LLP
• Gartner
• HiSoftware
• Jenna Foundation
• Keane, Inc.
• Manhatten Chamber of Commerce
• McAfee
• MicroKnowledge
• Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center
• National Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs
• National Cyber Security Alliance
• New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications
• New York State
  • Attorney General, Internet Bureau
  • Education Department
  • CIO Council Committees
  • Consumer Protection Board
  • Governor's office of Employee Relations
  • Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services
  • Office of General Services
  • Division of Criminal Justice Services
  • Office of Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure Coordination
  • Division of Housing and Community Renewal
  • Office of Mental Health
  • Lottery
  • Office of the State CIO
  • Advocate for Persons with Disabilities
  • Office of the State Comptroller
  • Office for Technology
  • Department of Taxation and Finance
  • Workers' Compensation Board
• Nortel Networks
• Northeast ADA and IT Center, Cornell University
• Project Management Institute Upstate NY Chapter
• Public Employees Federation
• R&H Security Consulting
• Rockefeller Institute of Government
• South Colonie School District
• Sybase, Inc.
• Symantec
• Symbol
• US Department of Homeland Security
• US Department of Treasury
• US Government Services Administration
• World Organization of Webmasters

NOTE: Data reported reflects status as of late August 2006 and projections related to initiatives pursued through the end of The Forum's program year (September 30, 2006).

In addition, in 2005-2006 The Forum...

• Maintained and expanded the relationship with the Office of the CIO to (1) enhance communications and awareness of the NYS IT Strategic Plan, (2) support articulation and alignment of Forum committee work with CIO Council committees and (3) continue development of agency CEO/CIO education seminars on IT-related matters.
• Continued the productive relationship with the NYS Office of Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure Coordination (OCSCIC) resulting in programs for members in a variety of forms (two statewide conferences, presentation to The Forum's Executive Committee, support of state agency security training with OCSCIC). The most significant aspect of the work with the OCSCIC was the continuation and expansion of the web cast series to the national level with support from the US Department of Homeland Security and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC).
• Developed a strong relationship with the Governor's Office of Employee Relations (GOER) specifically designed to provide accessibility education and training which resulted in the offering of the Successful Web Communications Series in Albany, Rochester and New York City for over 1,000 participants.
• Established relationships with IT corporate leadership resulting in IT Corporate Roundtable membership growth from 36 to 44 members.
• Launched the IT accessibility awareness/training program specifically designed for corporations

Affording Quality and Timely Educational Opportunities

During 2005-2006 The Forum experienced extraordinary growth in the number of educational program participants. More education and training events were offered to a greater number of participants than ever before in the organization's history. These events, designed to specifically address member concerns and needs, were offered during the 2005-2006 program year to over 15,000 participants. Continuing as a key factor in the growth of this vital member service area is the use of virtual delivery mechanisms to expand outreach and participation beyond The Forum's traditional onsite, face-to-face format. The national cyber security web cast series developed in conjunction with the NYS Office of Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure Coordination on behalf of the US Office of Homeland Security and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center has been key to the expansion of this virtual capacity. The Forum also initiated the videotaping of key educational programs so those unable to attend can view the presentation(s) on The Forum's website.

Important Facts:

• More educational events were offered than ever before.
• The 2005-2006 record level of educational program participation achieved a 25%+ increase over the previous year.
• An unprecedented level of partner program and fiscal support for The Forum's educational offerings was achieved for 2005-2006.
• Increase of 22% in IT Corporate Roundtable membership over the previous year.

Research and Publication/Tool Initiatives

Research and tools produced during the 2005-2006 program year continued to reflect both the traditional pursuits common to The Forum but also continued a clear commitment to providing useful tools for IT leadership in New York state. The Business Continuity Committee conducted a survey of NYS agency representatives to determine the level of maturity of emergency response, business continuity and disaster recovery planning. Tool development was exemplified by the Project Management Committee's completion of the Peer Review Process to encompass active projects and also the finalization of the Business Case/Proposal template that was accomplished working in partnership with the NYS CIO Council's Fiscal Subcommittee. The Accessibility Committee also launched an effort to develop a NYS-specific accessibility compliance validation tool and also created video presentations in support of accessibility training programs. These examples of the balance of dynamic tool development and continuing research in support of program development is indicative of the rich variety of initiatives inherent to the work of The Forum and its committees in responding to the needs of New York's IT leadership and staff.

Selected Forum Events held in 2005-2006

• The first Annual New York State Cyber Security Awareness Conference: Protecting our Children on the Internet
• Celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the Webmasters' Guild
• Annual New York State IT Contracting Symposium
• Briefing for state and local IT leaders and staff related to the New York State IT Strategic Plan
• The National Cyber Security Web Cast series was continued for the full program year
• New York State Successful Web Communications Series of educational offerings based on The Forum's IT Accessibility Committee's curriculum
• Project Management Symposium conducted in partnership with the Project Management Institute Upstate NY Chapter
• Status and implication seminars on emerging technologies such as VOIP, RFID and mobile computing
• 9th Annual New York State Cyber Security Conference 2006 NYS Cyber Security Conference

Forum Committees: The Core of Forum Productivity

In recent years The Forum has matured and the work of The Forum committees has grown substantially focusing on providing the most relevant knowledge transfer and education and training programs available to New York's state and local public sector IT leadership and staff. The work of The Forum committees has also been key to the development of tools now adopted by the state and in use across all state agencies. New York State policies related to accessibility, procurement, and IT career ladders have been shaped by the work of The Forum committees. Indeed, the committees are the core strength of The Forum. In 2005-2006 the accomplishments of the committees far surpassed previous years. This only occurred because of the committed leadership of these important groups and The Forum is extremely grateful to our Committee Co-Chairs.

Though ongoing committee work and minutes of meetings are posted on The Forum's website and/or disseminated by Committee e-Newsletters, the exemplars below emphasize the value of committee accomplishments for New York State during 2005-2006:

• The IT Accessibility Committee worked in collaboration with the NYS Governor's Office of Employee Relations and Public Employees Federation to seek funding support and offer the "Successful Web Communications Education Series" to participants in classes offered in Albany, Rochester and New York City. The Committee also undertook a review of OFT Technical Policy P04-002 and Technical Standard S04-001 and forwarded recommendations for revisions/additions to OFT.
• The Project Management Committee concluded its work on the Peer Review Process by completing the Peer Review for Active Projects now used by state agencies. That work was done in conjunction with the Office of the Chief Information Officer, the CIO Council and the Center for Technology in Government. The Committee also developed and offered a series of extremely well attended education programs, one in conjunction with the Office of the NYS CIO (OCIO) and another in partnership with the Project Management Institute Upstate NY Chapter.
• The Security Committee worked in partnership with the NYS Office of Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure Coordination to continue and expand the bi-monthly educational cyber security web casts supported by the US Department of Homeland Security and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center. This initiative, specifically designed to address New York state and local agency needs, now attracts as many as 1,400 participants per session and has an international audience.
• The Business Continuity Committee launched (committee new this program year) its program by surveying state agencies to identify persons responsible for emergency response planning, business continuity planning, and disaster recovery planning. This was followed up by hosting a business continuity planning overview session for NYS agency continuity planning representatives.
• The IT Corporate Roundtable continued and significantly expanded upon the diversity and depth of expertise made available in support of all of The Forum's committee initiatives. The growth in the membership of the IT Corporate Roundtable and the willingness of its members to support the growing number of educational sessions has been a major factor in the increased quality and level of participation in Forum-hosted events.
• The MATRIX Committee expanded its educational offerings to four per year and did so working in collaboration with the NYS CIO Council's HR Committee and the NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal. The Committee's work in support of the New York state IT skills inventory was of particular value.
• The Emerging Technologies Committee met with the OCIO to ensure alignment of committee activities with the CIO and Office for Technology agendas. The resulting offering of programs was addressed to data strategies, RFID, VOIP and mobile computing. The committee also continued its organizational development by restructuring its leadership and adopting a monthly meeting schedule.
• The Webmasters' Guild celebrated its 10th anniversary and was also instrumental in working to see that the "Successful Web Communication in NYS Government" education series supported by GOER and PEF was successfully developed and offered. The Guild also continued its rich offerings of educational programs and hosted sessions on new web technologies, search engine optimization, security, and mobile technologies. The Guild also partnered with the World Organization of Webmasters' to offer a two-day workshop.
• The Small and Medium Sized Agency Special Interest Group merged the Local Government Committee into its structure, hosted a fall presentation on the Digital Towpath initiative and conducted several sessions geared to better de. ne how the Special Interest Group might best be responsive to the needs of small and medium size agencies and serve as a voice for the small agency perspective as state IT operational decisions are being considered and implemented.
• The IT Procurement Committee conducted the Second Annual NYS IT Contracting Symposium for state agency personnel associated with IT purchasing (agency purchasing agents, attorneys, IT leadership, etc.) which again was attended by a record number of participants. The Committee was also extremely active working with representatives of the NYS Office of General Services, NYS Office of the State Comptroller, NYS Division of the Budget and the NYS Office for Technology to formulate and put forth suggestions for improving the NYS IT purchasing process and conducted sessions designed to enhance understanding and disseminate information on the new lobby laws to The Forum's membership.

Administrative Operations

Enabling and supporting programs developed through the committee structure of operations is fundamental to achieving the organizational objective of providing proactive pursuance of services aligned with member and state priorities. The Forum administration strives to attain the highest level of efficiency and sustainable enhancement of organizational output quantity and quality. Over the last several years, The Forum's FTE staffing level has remained constant. This despite the near doubling of the number of organizational members, growth of educational program offerings approaching 600% and a ten fold increase in the number of program participants. As a result, late this year:

• Technical support services were contractually expanded to supplement the full time, onsite support.
• Contractual assistance with event planning, initially provided for a one-year trial period, was extended for a second year.
• Migration of The Forum's website and email was accomplished and is supportive of efforts to improve communications to all of The Forum's constituents.

While maintaining operations and achieving the above adjustments to organizational capacity to enable sustaining additional dynamic growth, The Forum also enjoyed another record year of total annual revenues and has perpetuated the 20 to 24 month cash flow horizon as set forth by the Executive Committee. Adding to the efficiency of operations is the fact that The Forum has expanded the use of credit card and automated fund transfers for fiscal transactions. Over 10% of The Forum's income was accomplished through these means during 2005-2006.

2005 - 2006 Executive Committee

Chair, Celia Hamblin, Department of Labor

Vice Chair, Leigh Favitta, Dormitory Authority

Secretary-Treasurer, Diane Taylor, Office of the State Comptroller

 

James Bell, NYS Senate

Walter Bikowitz, Office of General Services

JoAnn P. Bomeisl, Insurance Dept.

Vivian Conboy, Department of Taxation & Finance

Terri Daly, Office for Technology

Sharon Dawes, Center for Technology in Government

F. Michael Donovan, Chief Information Office

Thomas Duffy, Office of Cyber Security & Critical Infrastructure Coordination

Stanley France, Schoharie County

Robert Freeman, Department of State

Jeffrey S. Grunfeld, Office of the State Comptroller

Christine Haile, SUNY at Albany

Roman Hedges, NYS Assembly

Karl Kelly, Division of Military & Naval Affairs

Robert G. Kelly, Division of Housing & Community Renewal

Kim S. McKinney, NYS Local Government IT Director's Association

Janice Morris, Department of Transportation

Nancy Mulholland, Workers' Compensation Board

Gene Pezdek, Department of Environmental Conservation

Joanne Riddett, Thruway Authority

Franklin Slade, Department of Civil Service

Peg Schumacher, Division of the Budget

Victor Stucchi, Higher Education Services Corporation

IT Corporate Roundtable

Co-Chair, Bill Branch, BearingPoint, Inc.

Co-Chair, Ken Damato, Microsoft Corp.

Co-Chair, Robert G. Kelly, NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal

 

Annese and Associates, Inc.

AT&T Government Solutions

BearingPoint, Inc.

CA, Inc.

CCNY

CDW-G

CGI-AMS

CIBER, Inc.

Cisco Systems

Citrix Systems, Inc.

CMA Consulting Services

Computer Aid, Inc.

Curam Software

D&D Consulting, Ltd.

Dell, Inc.

Deloitte Consulting, LLP

DynTek

EDS

EMC Corp.

ESI International

Gartner

HiSoftware

Hitachi Data Systems

IBM, Corp.

IMG

IT Resource Solutions.net, Inc.

Keane, Inc.

KMPG LLP

Linium, LLC

McAfee

MicroKnowledge

Mircosoft Corp.

Newstream Technologies

Nortel Networks

NYSTEC

Oracle

Prudent IT Services, LLC

RSA

SAS Institute, Inc.

Strategic Computer Solutions

Sybase, Inc.

Symantec

Time Warner Cable

Unisys Corp.

Verizon Business

"This was an excellent event for us and we have had a tremendous response to the seminar that we held...we look forward to working with you in the future."

Eric M. Krauss, SecureWave, Inc., commenting on the 2006 New York State Cyber Security Conference