2011 Information Technology Portfolio

This document, the 2011 Information Technology Portfolio, represents the current state of Information Technology (IT) for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) through the state fiscal year ending June 30, 2011. Adjustments to the agency IT investment portfolio occur throughout the course of the fiscal year in the areas of hardware, software, network infrastructure, maintenance, and staffing.

The Department of Information Services (DIS) defines an IT Portfolio as a "compilation of information about an agency’s investments in its IT infrastructure. The information is organized to show how these investments support the agency’s mission and programs and to demonstrate the relationships among current and planned investments. The portfolio enhances the ability of key decision-makers to assess the probable impact of investments on an agency’s programs and infrastructure, as well as on the overall state IT infrastructure."

Accordingly, the purpose of this document is to allow the WDFW to manage its IT investments in the same manner as one would manage other investments, like financial instruments such as stocks or bonds, and real estate. The department recognizes the business value of IT in allowing it to meet its mandated mission of providing sound stewardship of fish and wildlife.

This Portfolio demonstrates the value of IT investments to senior managers in order to prepare them and other stakeholders to make important IT investment decisions. Those stakeholders include Division and Regional managers, the Executive Management Team, the Director/Deputy Directors, the Fish and Wildlife Commission, DIS management and staff, the Information Services Board, the Office of Financial Management, and members of the Legislature.

WDFW will conduct an annual assessment of this IT Portfolio in conjunction with the biennial and supplemental budget process and make revisions as necessary during the year. The annual assessment will allow WDFW management the opportunity to review:

• WDFW’s IT Portfolio
• IT infrastructure changes, investments/projects, and operations
• Relationships between IT investments and the agency’s vision, mission, strategies, and programs
• Business process changes that affect the agency’s use of IT or plans for IT

In order to present the most up-to-date record of information technology in use at WDFW, we consider the IT Portfolio a �"living document.” The Portfolio is subject to interim updates throughout the year. The most current information is published to the Information Technology Portfolio Management System (ITPMS).

As the Portfolio is updated, it serves as a tool to show the amount and location of IT investments, as well as to help define the capabilities, limitations, and benefits of the investment in terms of meeting agency business needs.

The WDFW IT Portfolio begins with an overview, followed by additional sections that provide detailed information on the IT infrastructure, technology investment/project summaries, planned investments/projects, and technology investment/project reviews. Among other things, this document:

• Discloses links among agency strategies, business plans and IT investments;
• Facilitates analysis of the risks associated with IT investments and helps ensure that appropriate risk mitigation strategies are adopted; and
• Provides a baseline for agency performance reporting.

Where possible, WDFW investments in IT have been compared with other organizations.

The Information Technology Portfolio is produced in order to document current status and chart a technology direction for the WDFW. In order to set this course, the Department established the following as objectives for the portfolio and the IT planning process:

• To communicate a technology vision to employees.
• To provide a basis to integrate information resources.
• To ensure that funds are spent wisely on information technology.
• To provide systems to support WDFW’s internal and external customer base.