Bridging the Gap: Technology's Role in Modern Governance

Inez Rodenburg, Chief Information Officer, City of Danville, Virginia

Inez Rodenburg, a seasoned IT professional with over two decades of high-level management experience, excels in strategic planning, project management, and budgeting. Her career is characterized by a relentless passion for innovation, operational efficiency, and fostering change. In her current capacity, Inez leads a diverse team spearheading innovative services and technology initiatives for the City of Danville. Committed to delivering quality customer service and value-driven solutions, she also actively engages with boards and commissions to drive positive community impact.

In an exclusive interview with Govt CIO Outlook, Rodenburg shares her valuable insights on the challenges, trends, and best practices in the E-Governance space.

What methods and approaches do you employ to align technology with the broader business strategy and support the organization's goals and growth?

It is important to stay connected with internal and external organizational dynamics with an emphasis on strategic planning. Aligning our priorities with the strategic plan and regional initiatives is also vital, necessitating readiness to adapt to changing cultures and external influences. We use tools like Office 365 and Viva Goals to measure our key objectives and results, ensuring that R&D efforts align with our strategic goals.

“Functioning as a local governing body, our primary focus at the City of Danville is organizational efficiency rather than competitiveness.”

Additionally, reviewing and adjusting our goals regularly is important to remain flexible and responsive to changing circumstances both within our organization and in the community. In the fast-paced environment of Danville, adaptability and awareness of emerging priorities are crucial for our success.

Can you discuss successful IT projects and their impact on organizational efficiency and competitiveness?

Functioning as a local governing body, our primary focus at the City of Danville is organizational efficiency rather than competitiveness. A significant achievement this year has been the implementation of Microsoft Office 365 and SharePoint to improve communication within a diverse workforce of 1,300 employees. Various communication channels are used, such as email and face-to-face interaction. SharePoint, with around 88 to 100 different sites, serves as a critical tool for communication, particularly within the IT department. We leverage it to disseminate information and notify employees of important developments promptly. Implementing a unified bimonthly payroll cycle has been another notable initiative, streamlining pay calculations and reducing reimbursement complexities. In addition, strategically choosing projects that significantly enhance organizational efficiency is equally crucial.

What are some emerging trends and innovations in project management platforms that will significantly impact the future of IT project management, and why?

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, project management in organizations has undergone significant changes, particularly in terms of collaboration and communication. Various tools have become more readily available to enhance project management effectiveness. Organizations now use a customized toolbox of solutions for different project types based on complexity, departing from a one-size-fits-all approach. Furthermore, agile project management has gained preference over traditional Project Management Professional (PMP) methodologies here at the City of Danville due to its flexibility. It is also important to establish project management governance to empower staff in choosing project-specific processes and tools while maintaining standardized procedures.

What are the current challenges at the City of Danville where existing solutions or services fail to offer an optimal solution?

Introducing significant changes in an unprepared organizational culture can obstruct stakeholder acceptance and engagement, presenting a substantial challenge. To address this, we are working on fostering an innovative culture and providing training for organizational change management to make our employees more receptive to change.

Another challenge pertains to the heterogeneous levels of technological proficiency among the organization's workforce. It is imperative to foster employee acceptance and adaptation to these changes by emphasizing the underlying rationale.

What advice would you like to give to professionals in your similar role, working on government projects in different organizations, especially those new to the public sector?

A well-defined governance structure within an organization is of utmost importance as it sets clear expectations for processes, implementations, and problem-solving methods. This also underscores the importance of understanding resource allocation and the available skills within the organization to prevent overcommitting and ensure successful outcomes.

In addition, building strong relationships with executive leaders and stakeholders through authentic and transparent communication is also a key point of emphasis. This focus is attributed to the valuable insights it offers into their challenges and constraints, which can be integrated into risk analysis when introducing new technologies or innovations.