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September 2021
Volume 20, Number 9
From the CIO
On Aug. 5, Gov. Northam announced that Virginia would require its state workers to show proof that they are fully vaccinated or be tested for COVID-19 every week. He set forth Executive Directive Eighteen (ED18) to[LL(1] outline his vision and policy, and with the support of the Department of Human Resource Management, it went into effect on Sept. 1.
ED18 comes at a time when many executive branch agencies are beginning to return to the office in some form. After 18 months of working from home, we as a Commonwealth have learned a lot from this pandemic experience. We have seen a workforce that banded together and confirmed that great productivity can be accomplished regardless of where we sit.
Employees showed a strong commitment and have done a great job working within their constraints. We have also gained insights that it’s important to come together and be a collaborative body and to brainstorm as a unit. It’s easy to miss seeing faces around a shared space and the organic interaction that happens in an office doesn’t come as easily.
As we transition into our hybrid work environment later this month, I encourage you to take advantage of our new flexible options. Hybrid work will allow us the organic interaction that spurs creative solutioning, while also accounting for the benefits we’ve seen with remote work, whether that means extra family time, more work breaks throughout the day, or more time to pursue your own interests. Valuing people and their needs is most important to me. I look forward to safely welcoming you back to CESC very soon.
Finally, as we near the Labor Day holiday, I wish you all an enjoyable weekend. With hard work comes great satisfaction, and this is a special occasion to honor all workers. To my team and colleagues, please know that your efforts make a huge difference in our collective success. It’s been a great year for all of us. Have fun on Labor Day.
Nelson
Register for COVITS today -- One week away!
The 2021 Commonwealth of Virginia Innovative Technology Symposium (COVITS), will be held virtually on Wednesday, Sept. 8, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
COVITS offers a unique opportunity to explore a variety of technology topics and possibilities. There will be exciting guest speakers and interesting and informative breakout sessions. We encourage you to come join us for a day of education, innovation and networking, and support your colleagues from across Virginia who are participating in a number of the summit’s sessions:
- Agenda details are available on the COVITS website.
- Registration is available online and is quick and easy. It’s FREE!
- Start participating! Connect with other attendees, download papers and access resources, participate in challenges and make donations to charity.
Join for a day of powerful sessions that provide inspiration, participation, education and thought-provocation!
Vaccine messaging on agency websites
As a reminder, earlier this summer, Gov. Northam and his pandemic response team requested that vaccine messaging appear prominently on all agency websites.
The governor's request to display this information is still in effect. The message now has now taken on new importance amidst FDA approval, back-to-school activity and a virus variant.
The Commonwealth banner (Commonwealth branding bar) is a shared, top-level and user-focused design element. A hosted version of the banner is freely available to all agencies and provides compliance with current and future requests.
Agencies also still may create their own vaccine messaging using the same verbiage. Please see the example of the hosted banner on https://www.vita.virginia.gov/, find the code repository at https://developer.virginia.gov, and contact webmaster@vita.virginia.gov with any questions on implementation.
Women in Innovation virtual conference - Save the date!
Register now! On Sept. 22, the Secretary of Administration and the VITA Innovation Program (VIP) will be sponsoring a virtual Women in Innovation Conference. The first event had a sell-out crowd and was a huge success. We are looking forward to being back together virtually to hear about the journeys of women leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Speakers and panelists will discuss how they have guided their work and communities with impactful leadership by uplifting their peers and investing in change. Registration for this event will open soon. Stay tuned for more details!
Conference details and registration information
VITA launches robotic process automation
VITA launched the nation’s first end-to-end service offering of robotic process automation (RPA) in the public sector this summer. This innovative technology provides automation of repeatable, manual business processes to ensure accurate results and optimized time, human effort and technical resources. By using customized code, RPA can complete tasks and processes automatically to allow state employees to redirect their time and efforts to other, higher-valued work. The service was added to VITA’s enterprise portfolio of services in July and executive branch agencies are already benefiting.
Our internal VITA team conducted market research and pilot projects to meet customer agencies’ growing business needs, starting with its own internal financial system and expanding to partner with other state agencies to respond to needs prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. VITA’s financial system pilot, which focused on running financial reports on agency invoices, yielded successful results with just a small investment of 16 business hours to write the customized script. Results yielded 100% accuracy and the ability to retroactively check previous financial reports. VITA will save hundreds of hours and tens of thousands of dollars in just the first year of deployment.
Along with the service, the VITA team has launched an RPA center of excellence, which offers valuable training opportunities, builds a network of partners across the enterprise, and develops a library of RPA code to deploy and customize for individual agencies’ needs.
Mark your calendars: September AITR meeting rescheduled
The AITR meeting originally scheduled for Sept. 8 has been moved to Sept. 15 to avoid conflicting with COVITS.
Ordering Dell 3551 Mobile Precision laptops
VITA has procured 900 of the Dell 3551 Mobile Precision laptops to alleviate the strain caused by global supply chain issues. Below are the ordering guidelines for the Dell 3551 Mobile Precision laptops, as well as the device specifications and pricing:
- Ordering through the catalog – For quantities of 20 or fewer, agencies should submit orders for net new devices using the catalog. Please note: Orders will be filled on a first in, first out basis. The average fulfillment time from when the order is placed until the device is installed for the customer is two weeks. However, due to the demand currently in the environment, an additional one to two weeks may be required to fill customers’ needs.
- Ordering through the request for solution (RFS) process – For quantities greater than 20 devices, agencies must submit orders using the RFS process.
The Dell 3551 Mobile Precision laptops should not be ordered for refreshes or as replacements for previously submitted orders. Nor should previously placed orders be canceled. Orders canceled now will lose their place in line with the manufacturers and there is no guarantee of improved lead times in the future.
Please contact your agency IT resource (AITR) for more information and any questions.
Processes in place to ensure ITCL contractors are in compliance with ED18
VITA and Computer Aid, Inc. (CAI) are implementing processes to ensure all contractors engaged through IT Contingent Labor (ITCL) are in compliance with ED18. Beginning Aug. 30, all vendors will be responsible for certifying that their staff augmentation or statement of work (SOW) staff who work on-site or perform public-facing services are:
1) Fully vaccinated; or
2) If not fully vaccinated, required to wear a mask, maintain social distancing, and adhere to all COV and agency safety protocols while working on-site or engaged in-person with the public.
Proof of compliance by the vendor/employer for staff augmentation contractors will be verified with functionality in the Vector vendor management system (VMS). CAI will begin working immediately with all vendors that have engaged contractors to ensure that verification is complete within Vector. For all new positions, contractors will not be engaged on a new assignment until the attestation is complete.
If there are any questions, please contact your AITR.
If there are any questions relating to ED18, please contact:
DHRM (Department of Human Resource Management)
policy@dhrm.virginia.gov
Phone: (804) 225-2131
Hot List
Agencies, need to know what’s burning up your bandwidth? Check the “hot list” to find out!
This list contains wide area and local area network circuits that are at risk of becoming over utilized and could impact network performance. Agencies can review this list as a good starting point for managing usage. Contact your business relationship manager for details.
Did You Know?
Did you know there are new request for solution (RFS) forms for personal computers (PCs)?
Request for solution: Early refresh/custom upgrades to workstations – please use this form to request an early refresh or a customized upgrade to a PC that is in the catalog. You can also use this form to request 20 or more workstations.
Request for solution: Workstation repair – please use this form to request out-of-warranty repairs for PCs (typically caused by user-induced damage, such as drops or spills).
Information Security Tips
The latest edition of Information Security Tips focuses on cybersecurity for families. As technology continues to evolve, the tools and toys available to your children increase in number and evolve in capabilities. Technology can be used to educate and inspire creativity in kids, but it also exposes them to a risky landscape most of us didn’t have to worry about during childhood. Adults can discuss with children how the digital world is a great resource, but we must remain cyber aware. We all should be responsible with the information we share, and the ways we explore.
Read now for a list of things we should all do to protect our kids and our home networks.
Read Information Security Tips