Strategic initiatives setting the course for information technology (IT) in Arkansas state government were revealed with the official release of the State of Arkansas Strategic Plan for Information Technology by the Arkansas State Technology Council (STC). Announcement of the plan was made on behalf of STC by Claire Bailey, Arkansas chief technology officer and director of the Arkansas Department of Information Systems (DIS), to a statewide audience of IT professionals attending the annual Digital Government Summit, Wednesday, November 7, at the Embassy Suites, in Little Rock.

Each biennium, state agencies, boards and commissions participate in statewide technology planning that culminates with the creation of the plan detailing both initiatives and projects for future technology investments. The projects and plans are analyzed to identify opportunities that support the Gov. Mike Beebe’s strategic vision and strategic goals.

Among the governor’s strategic goals is to improve education for Arkansans. Initiatives featured in the IT plan aligning with this goal include:

• Arkansas Research and Education Optical Network (ARE-ON)
• Arkansas Public School Computer Network (APSCN)
• Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC)
• Distance learning/video conferencing network

In addition to improving education, initiatives aligning with the other four strategic goals of Gov. Beebe to improve economic development, increase efficiency in state government, improve citizen access to state services, and protecting the environment are also detailed within the plan. The plan can be found on the home page of the STC web site at www.stc.arkansas.gov.