NASCIO: Make a policy roadmap before venturing into the IoT
Connecting state and local government leaders
A recent report by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers urges CIOs to get out in front of the Internet of Things.
What: The National Association of State Chief Information Officers’ recent policy brief, “Value and Vulnerability: The Internet of Things in a Connected State Government,” focusing on the growing use of IoT in state governments.
Why: When NASCIO asked state CIOs in its 2015 State CIO Survey where IoT fell on their agendas, 53 percent said they were in the informal discussion phase, with one in five in the formal discussion phase. The policy paper encourages CIOs to develop an IoT roadmap as well as risk and asset management policies as they expand enterprise architectures for “smart state” initiatives.
Findings: Although public-sector IoT usually relates to smart city initiatives, states are using connected devices to improve services in transportation, health care and public safety. Oregon is looking to deter a gas tax with a pilot program in which volunteers will pay a road usage charge for the amount of miles they drive, calculated by a plug-in GPS monitor. Texas and Illinois are combining GPS systems with mobile devices to verify home health visitations. Florida’s highway safety and motor vehicles use dashboard cameras and Wi-Fi antennas to capture downloadable footage that can be used in trials.
In order to leverage IoT to improve services and reduce expenses, NASCIO recommends states addresses the policy aspects of IoT implementations through a framework that includes security; privacy; data management and standardization; funding and investments; legislation; broadband and spectrum capacity; device management; and machine learning.
Takeaways: Rather than wait for IoT devices begin to be installed, state CIOs should identify how IoT – or connected information -- can help address mission challenges and incorporate that insight into enterprise architecture discussions. They should work toward standardization to ensure that all parts of the state IoT ecosystem can easily exchange data and craft a roadmap for early adoption.
Verbatim: “If a state invests in sensors in all areas of government without a policy framework for how to use the sensors and collect the data, then at best they are a waste of resources and, at worst, a portal for disaster.”
Find the full report here.