Is IT the Department of 'No?'
A number of government leaders say it's hard to get new technology approved.
There is an interesting conversation going on at GovLoop about how a number of government leaders are often turned down when they try to convince their IT shops to try new technologies.
“I’ve spoken to a number of government leaders who have told me, ‘I’d love to try a lot of the new technology and approaches out there, but my IT security shop will not budge and always says no. They do not want to do anything different as it’s too risky for them,’” writes GovLoop founder Steve Ressler.
Interestingly, many GovLoop members say they have encountered the same challenges at their agency. Some suggest providing an unbiased cost analysis as part of the request, offering to take on the new tech as a pilot project, or tying your request to a specific goal. Also, it can never hurt to simply forge a better relationship with your IT department, another member suggests.
What is your perspective on this, whether you work on the IT or program management side of your agency? What are your suggestions for forging better relationships and more buy-in on either side?