Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability
Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability

Program Evaluation & Justification Review Information Technology Program Administered by the Department of Management Services

Report 98-62, February 1999

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Report Summary

  • The Information Technology Program is not essential. However, the program generally provides cost-effective services to state agencies and local governments. Consequently, we concluded that the program should be continued.
  • The Legislature should authorize completion of the Statewide Law Enforcement Radio System with mobile only coverage in Phases 3, 4, and 5, with provisions for adding portable coverage in the future. This option would provide state law enforcement agencies with an adequate communications system. It would also be $31.7 million less costly than the current design.
  • The Department of Management Services should develop performance measures to provide information on customer satisfaction with the program's wireless services. Customer satisfaction information would help the Legislature assess the quality of services provided.
  • The department should direct advanced telecommunications services customers to use a 1 (800) telephone number to access the Florida Intranet and Internet. This could reduce the program's annual deficit to $198,000. The department should also raise its rates or attract at least 800 new state and local government agencies and non-profit organizations to use the services at current rates to cover the program's operational costs.
  • The department should more accurately identify the costs of each information systems service it provides and develop unit cost measures to allow the department to validly compare its cost to other state and private sector data centers' costs. The department and the State Council on Competitive government should pursue contracting to privatize the program's information systems services through a bidding process open to the department and any other state agency that could provide the services. The department should also complete the testing of all applications to ensure they are Year 2000 compliant and correct any identified problems before its planned deadline of July 1, 1999.

Related Reports
  1. An Altered Credit Allocation and a Combined Dispatch System Would Better Support State Law Enforcement Radio System
    Report 02-71 December 2002
Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by email OPPAGA@oppaga.fl.gov, telephone (850) 488-0021, or mail 111 W. Madison St., Room 312 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.
Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by email OPPAGA@oppaga.fl.gov, telephone (850) 488-0021, or mail 111 W. Madison St., Room 312 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.
government, government support,audio communication, communication, communication systems, information services, planning, radio communication, technology, teleconferencing, video communication