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Chart 3: Sample KERA Roadmap
Policy&PracticeAugust 2016 50
waiver, as well as the availability of
state cost share and budget timing.
� Timeline: The duration and
sequencing of initiatives must be
rational and take into account inter-
dependencies both with initiatives
that are part of the transformation
effort as well as other initiatives that
may be occurring within the agency
or broader enterprise.
� Procurement strategy:
Consideration must be given to state
procurement requirements and
restrictions, potentially warranting
consultation with the procurement
office. Procurement is often the “long
pole in the tent” for transformation
initiatives, so emphasis should be
placed on efficient approaches that
reduce time lost to the procurement
cycle, including potential com-
promise on technical options and
sequencing of initiatives.
The completed roadmap serves a key
artifact that can give state executive
sponsors, as well as federal funding
agencies, a clear line of sight for how
the planned incremental moderniza-
tion will reach the ultimate vision and
realization of the goals and benefits
promised to obtain funding approval
(see Chart 3).
The Trip from New York
to San Francisco
Anyone who has ever taken a road
trip knows that they can be fun and,
if well planned, can be less costly
than simply jumping on an airplane
and flying direct. In addition, anyone
experienced with air travel today
knows that ticket prices seem to only
be getting higher, delays are common,
and the experience of being crammed
in a shrinking economy seat for hours
on end is, at best, uncomfortable. In
short, an airplane may still be the
fastest way to get from point A to point
B, but it may not always be the best.
A road trip provides some advan-
tages. You are not confined to the plane,
you have options regarding what route
to take, you can decide mid-trip to take
a detour or to change course entirely.
You might even decide to drive your
MDERNIZATION continued from page 29
own car part of the way and then jump
on an airplane if it makes sense to
quickly advance to the next stop.
If you decide to take the hypothetical
IT transformation road trip, it is impor-
tant that state executives understand
that they retain much greater respon-
sibility for getting from Point A to
Point B. As a result, it is critical that
the journey begin with a clear idea of
where you are headed and an initial
approach on how to get there that con-
siders the priorities and constraints
your agency may have.
Without that clear plan, you may
spend years and millions of dollars
and find yourself right back where you
started.
Thank you to Deirdre Brodie, Mark
Calem, and David Hansell, who contrib-
uted to this article.
Reference Note
1. McGrath, Rita. “The Pace of Technology
Adoption is Speeding Up.” Harvard
Business Review, November 25, 2013.
Retrieved from
the-pace-of-technology-adoption-is-
speeding-up/