Consortium to Provide CIO Education & Certification Programs
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 12, 2008 – To provide professional development opportunities to technology executives in city and county government, Public Technology Institute, the University of North Carolina School of Government, Center for Public Technology, and the Florida Institute of Government at Florida State University have partnered to launch the Consortium for State and Local Government Technology Leadership Development.
The consortium has created a national certification and professional development program for public service oriented chief information officers and for those interested in becoming a public service CIO. The program is designed with a core curriculum applicable for senior public sector IT leadership across the nation.
Based on active engagement with the Florida Local Government Information Systems Association (FLGISA) and the North Carolina Local Government Information Systems Association (NCLGISA), this core curriculum has been augmented with special modules focused on the needs of the local government sector.
In the near future, the consortium plans to release additional modules focused on needs specific to state government. Both versions of the program offer the same nationally recognized public service CIO certification.
The course will span 240 professional development hours over a 12-month period. It will include five multi-day in-person classes to be held every two to three months. Subject matter experts and peer professionals will teach these classes, which will include facilitated and group discussions.
Between each of the five physical classes, the consortium will provide for individual work and instructor-led assignments, and group interaction and projects via the web.
“Florida State University and the University of North Carolina have strong educational programs for local officials in their respective states,” said Alan Shark, Executive Director of PTI. “By teaming with PTI, we are able to adapt various components of these outstanding programs with new features and content and offer a truly national professional development and certification program.”
The program is focused on helping CIOs effectively serve their local government as part of the executive leadership team. The curriculum is designed around the following topics:
- Understanding the Enterprise
- What Local Governments Want and Need from IT
- What is the Real Role of the CIO?
- IT as a Customer Service Organization
- Strategic Technology Planning
- Strategic Goal Alignment
- Creating the Business Case
- Records Management
- HR Issues
- Leadership
- Intergenerational Workforce and Succession Planning
- Project Management and Portfolio Management
- Risk Management
- Change Management
- Emerging Trends and Leading Practices
Upon the successful completion of the course, graduates will receive a certificate awarded by Florida State University, the University of North Carolina and PTI.
“The opportunities offered through the consortium will augment the skills that executives have already achieved in their roles of delivering technology services in local government,” said Shark. “Participation in this program will improve the leadership and managerial skills, business acumen and organizational expertise of technology executives. Unlike many other local government professions, there has been no recognized technology professional development and certification program for local government technology executives—until now.”
The Consortium intends to implement the “national” version of the local government and state government program nationwide. While complying with the national certification requirements, the University of North Carolina and Florida State University currently provide customized modules specific to their local government and their state government IT leadership. Using this model, the Consortium for State and Local Government Technology Leadership Development expects to grow the program with universities in other states while maintaining focus on national certification based on the valuable core requirements.
To learn more about the curriculum, admission requirements and registration fees, contact Dale Bowen at 202-626-2456, dbowen@pti.org.
About the Florida Institute of Government
The Florida Institute of Government (IOG) was created by the Florida Legislature in 1980 to enhance the capacity of Florida governments to effectively serve their communities through education and training, technical assistance, applied research and public service. The IOG fulfills its statewide mission through a consortium of six program offices located at the Florida State University, the University of Florida, the University of South Florida, the University of Central Florida, Florida Atlantic University and Florida Gulf Coast University.
The Florida IOG and its public service technology empowerment initiative have extensive experience in developing and implementing training, conducting research programs for real-world change, performing special technical and technology services, and grant and contract administration activities that may involve federal, state, and local governments, non-profit organizations and the private sector. The primary recipients of the Institute’s services are state, municipal, county, special district and school district officials and employees.
About the Center for Public Technology, University of North Carolina School of Government
Founded in 2000, the Center for Public Technology (CPT) is focused on responding to the needs of information technology professionals working in local and state government. CPT works closely with the North Carolina Local Government Information Systems Association (NCLGISA) to provide collaborative educational opportunities for government IT officials, with the common goal of strengthening North Carolina communities through the appropriate use of information technology.
About PTI
Public Technology Institute is a national, member-supported organization based in Washington, D.C. Created by and for cities and counties, PTI is a resource for technology executives in local government. PTI works with a core network of leading local government officials—the PTI membership—to identify opportunities for technology research, share best practices, offer consultancies and pilot demonstrations, promote technology development initiatives and develop enhanced educational programming.
Officials from PTI member governments participate in councils and forums that address specific technology areas. Through a corporate partner program with leading technology companies, and partnerships with federal agencies and other governmental organizations, PTI shares the results of these activities and the expertise of its members with the broader audience of the thousands of cities and counties across the U.S. Visit PTI online at www.pti.org.
