Technical and Business Skills Help Charta Digital Course

Alan Fuller, Chief Information Officer, State of Utah

As the CIO of the State of Utah, Alan Fuller oversees all IT functions for executive branch agencies in Utah, intending to improve innovation and improve government services through the use of technology. A resident of Lehi, Utah, Fuller has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Brigham Young University and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Could you provide an overview of your role andresponsibilities within the company?

I am the Chief Information Officer for the State of Utah.I am also the director of the Division of Technology Services, which has over 750 employees. The Division of Technology Services (DTS) is the information technology service provider for the executive branch of the State of Utah, offering state agencies a wide variety of services. The vision of DTS is to bean innovative technology leader that delivers meaningful value for agency partners and improves the lives of Utah residents.

DTS has optimized all IT resources and services for the State of Utah into one division to enhance accountability, reduce costs, increase services to taxpayers, and more closely align IT with state agencies’ needs. Technology enables agencies to performmore efficiently in fulfilling citizens’ needs, and the digital delivery of government services will continue to make it easier and more convenient to interact with government services. 

Utah.gov has almost 1,800 online services. The growing portfolio of technological applications results from an evolving strategy designed by agencies, working in partnership with DTS, to keep Utah at the forefront of the field of technology by utilizing IT tools to better serve business customers and the residents of the state.

What are some of the key challenges you face?

Security: We live in a dangerous world and face constant threats to sensitive state data. The State of Utah’s IT infrastructure is tightly woven into all state business functions and is an integral part of daily tasks. Security is a top priority of DTS, and we protect sensitive data through robust security and privacy programs.

“Gaining a good base of business skills is essential for technology leadership. Communication, working as part of a team, and strategic thinking are all skills to be developed to be successful in technology leadership.” 

Streamline and Modernize State Government: Utah executivebranch agencies use more than 1,800 applications. Many of these applications are running on older or out-of-date technology, and others need significant enhancements to better meet agency and citizen needs. In some cases, applications need to be consolidated or retired altogether. There is a strongneed to address the technical debt in the application portfolio of the state.

Further, there is increasing demand for new applications to meet current and emerging agency and citizen needs. New applications need to be built in such a way that they do not add to the burden of existing technical debt. They need to be built using modern methodologies and techniques that make them easier to support, integrate, update, and enhance in order to lower the total cost of ownership for the applications over their life cycles.

What would you say are some of the futuristic trends that

will have an impact in the next 18-24 months?

In today’s world, new technologies are frequently beingintroduced. Many of these technologies have the potential to provide additional value in the way state government delivers services to its citizens. DTS is working to assess and adopt new technologies to support state agencies such as:

● Verifiable Digital Credentials: We need better digitalidentity and credentials issued by the state, which should be offered in digital form.

● Artificial Intelligence: This technology can be used toevaluate massive quantities of complex data. Generative AI has the potential to become a conversational interface for numerous business processes.

● Hyper automation: This technology offers the possibility of automating various routine business tasks.  

What advice would you give to young professionals who areinterested in pursuing a similar career, and what qualities do you think are essential for success in this field?

Gaining a good base of business skills is essential fortechnology leadership. Communication, working as part of a team, and strategic thinking are all skills to be developed to be successful in technology leadership. I would encourage young professionals to explore various roles in IT and business functions. There are many skill sets needed,including many business-related roles.

 

 

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