Florida TaxWatch, Associated Industries of Florida Outline Recommendations to Ensure Success of Florida’s Large-Scale Information Technology Projects
Florida TaxWatch, Associated Industries of Florida Outline Recommendations to Ensure Success of Florida’s Large-Scale Information Technology Projects
Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released It’s Time to Reform Florida’s Information Technology Procurement and Oversight, a report co-authored by the Associated Industries of Florida (AIF) that cites Florida’s 25-year history of poorly executed large-scale information technology (IT) projects and outlines recommendations to reform the Florida Digital Service’s (FL[DS]’s) procurement and oversight of these projects, ultimately ensuring their success.
Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro said, “Hard-working Floridians deserve for the state’s multi-year, multi-million-dollar IT projects – funded by their tax dollars – to be delivered on time, within scope, and within budget. After decades of failures, it’s critical that the Florida Legislature helps give the newly established Florida Digital Service a fighting chance to succeed in these efforts, minimizing the risk to the state and its people. Florida TaxWatch proudly presents this report as a resource for policymakers and their staff and looks forward to engaging with them to reform the state’s IT procurement and oversight processes during the 2024 Legislative Session.”
Associated Industries of Florida President and CEO Brewster B. Bevis said, “Florida is a national leader in many areas and clearly needs improvement to lead in the area of IT. It is important that we look to find ways to improve how Florida handles IT processes and to ensure the long term success of the FL[DS].”
In the report, FTW and AIF explain there have been a recurring set of problems with statewide technology platforms, such as the Department of Economic Opportunity’s (now FloridaCommerce’s) CONNECT, the Department of Management Services’ SLERS-2, and the Agency for Persons with Disabilities’ iConnect. The problems include poor planning, poor contracting, and poor oversight and management that did not hold vendors accountable for deliverables.
Since 1999, Florida has created, abolished, and recreated a state agency to oversee these enterprise-wide IT projects a total of four times, with the most recent being the FL[DS] established in 2020. FTW and AIF assert that public sector IT agencies like FL[DS] are at a competitive disadvantage in terms of hiring knowledgeable staff because they often cannot offer private sector salaries and more flexible working conditions (e.g., remote work). Therefore, they rely too heavily on consultants and vendors for project implementation.
To improve procurement and oversight of IT projects, FTW and AIF offer 10 recommendations for the Florida Legislature’s consideration, ranging from developing a joint Florida Senate and House of Representatives committee on IT to providing signing and/or recruitment bonuses, like those provided to teachers and law enforcement officers, for FL[DS] and state agency IT staff.
To learn more and access the full report, including all of FTW’s and AIF’s recommendations, please click here.
About Florida TaxWatch
As an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit government watchdog and taxpayer research institute for more than forty years and the trusted eyes and ears of Florida taxpayers, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) works to improve the productivity and accountability of Florida government. Its research recommends productivity enhancements and explains the statewide impact of fiscal and economic policies and practices on taxpayers and businesses. FTW is supported by its membership via voluntary, tax-deductible donations and private grants. Donations provide a solid, lasting foundation that has enabled FTW to bring about a more effective, responsive government that is more accountable to, and productive for, the taxpayers it serves since 1979. For more information, please visit www.floridataxwatch.org.
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