About

Organization

Relationship to City Council Goals

DoIT supports the following City Council goals, which act as a guide in the decision making process and development of the annual work plan.

Maintain Fiscal Responsibility and Stability

DoIT continually strives to improve City services by implementing sound, cost effective technology-based solutions that streamline processes, improve customer service, eliminate duplication of efforts, enhance productivity, and provide better access to important information and services. To this end, an IT Governance Committee (ITGC) was formed in April 2010 chartered with reviewing any IT investment of significant cost or any project that involves multi-departmental cooperation or is an enterprise-wide project. The ITGC will ensure that technology is leveraged city-wide in a manner that adapts to the business needs of all departments, and the demands of the community they serve. Given the current economic challenges, it is envisioned that technology will play an ever increasing role in the delivery of public services.

Ensure Public Safety

Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, DoIT provides service to City employees who rely on a dependable information and communications technology infrastructure to perform their duties in service to the community. Most noticeably, this support extends to the handheld and mobile radio communication devices that the Police Department and Fire Department use daily in the deliverance of public safety. Pasadena is a member of the Interagency Communications Interoperability System (I.C.I. System), which is a digital radio system that provides enhanced communication capabilities, such as a single tactical frequency for communications in daily operations and emergencies and the ability to have regional communication with other cities and support agencies, including the City of Glendale and the City of Burbank.

Support and Promote the Quality of Life and the Local Economy

DoIT manages the City’s 25-mile fiber backbone, which aside from providing City internet access and links between key City facilities for voice and data network services, it also provides data communications for local institutions such as Caltech and JPL and telecom providers that lease the fiber from the City. In addition, future opportunities for fiber optic and broadband usage are currently being explored.

Improve, Maintain and Enhance Public Facilities and Infrastructure

Technical infrastructure provides the foundation for the business software that streamlines City operations and automates critical business functions. It includes the hardware, system software, databases, operating systems and network components that support Pasadena’s application architecture. DoIT’s effort is directed towards providing the City with a cost-effective, secure, responsive, and reliable computing environment to deliver City services.

Strategic Plan

The 5-Year IT Strategic Plan (ITSP), completed in February 2018, is the result of a comprehensive and thorough assessment of the City’s existing technologies, operational requirements, and service delivery needs.  This ITSP is  the second for the department since it was formed in 2010, and represents a collaborative effort with participation from all City departments, staff, and constituents.  Advancing the vision of the previous strategy, this plan is focused on emerging technologies and trends that are defining how progressive municipalities operate and provide services, including the digital workplace and workforce; digital services, mobile services, data analytics, and Internet of Things/Smart Cities.  The cornerstone of this plan is to ensure that investments in strategic business technologies are sound and deliver the highest possible value to each City department, while addressing the enterprise needs of the entire Pasadena community.

IT Strategic Plan Part-I Findings and Recommendations
IT Strategic Plan Part-II Implementation Roadmap

Major Accomplishments

The Department accomplished the following during FY 2023:

• Installed technology and communication services for Jefferson Elementary School, facilitating the operation of the temporary library site and other City departments within the facility;
• Implemented security enhancements at multiple City facilities including Villa Parke, Robinson Park, and La Pintoresca Park to ensure the safety of patrons and employees;
• Expanded online permitting and electronic review services to include new construction, outdoor dining, and construction and demolition permits;
• Added electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits to the online Express Permits system, resulting in the issuance of over 2,000 express permits since implementation;
• Launched a new Permit Center Virtual Appointments portal, enabling businesses and residents to schedule consultation appointments with the City’s Permit Center;
• Introduced online public comment forms to support in-person and virtual public comment at City Council and Committee/Commission meetings;
• Secured a California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Local Agency Technical Assistance (LATA) grant to develop a strategic broadband plan aimed at improving broadband access to unserved and underserved areas in the City; and
• Received an Exemplary Use of GIS award from the California Geographic Information Association for the 2023 Homeless Count Survey mobile application used by the Pasadena Outreach Response Team (PORT). The app integrated real-time survey, count, and location data to aid in the homeless count survey.

In addition to the accomplishments above, the Department also completed the following internal projects in FY 2024:

• Launched multiple GIS applications, webpages, and websites to support various City programs and initiatives, including City Council Redistricting, Police Community Service areas, Transportation Enhancement Projects, Maps, Water Crew Construction Projects, and numerous dashboards;
• Upgraded and/or custom developed multiple departmental and enterprise systems leveraging modern online and mobile based capabilities;
• Enhanced the City’s website with various public campaign portals, including Public Health Department programs supporting Monkeypox awareness and the HEALTHY Wellness Program, as well as ADA training and compliance documents, and websites for the Measure H Rent Control and Youth Ambassador Program;
• Expanded and upgraded the fiber optic networks to multiple City facilities improving their connection bandwidth capabilities and reliability;
• Continued implementation of the City’s Cyber Security Awareness Training program and completed monthly cybersecurity training assignments for all City staff;
• Expanded the use of cloud data center services for application hosting, data storage, and other computing services to improve resiliency and lower costs;
• Completed the selection of a Unified Communications Platform cloud service for voice services and future replacement of the PBX telephone system;
• Supported software and tools for the Police Department to conform to the California State Racial and Identity Profiling Act (RIPA), submitting over 12,000 RIPA records in 2022;
• Migrated Police Department handheld mobile devices to a new Virtual Private Network (VPN) solution for enhanced security and legal compliance;
• Completed numerous department office remodeling and reorganization projects; and
• Implemented cost reduction initiatives to take advantage of more modern, existing technologies to improve both customer and internal efficiencies.

Technology is a critical tool for change and key to the provision of improved and cost-effective services to the community. With insight into the requirements of the City and expertise in communications and information technologies, DoIT provides centralized, efficient, and effective support of the City’s technology resources in an effort to make work easier across all department business operations. In FY 2024, DoIT will continue to:

• Develop a high performance, scalable, and reliable citywide Information Technology (IT) infrastructure that supports the dynamic requirements of the City;
• Align the City’s IT initiatives with the City’s overall business objectives while ensuring departmental responsibilities and priorities are recognized and taken into account;
• Invest in IT systems based on a rational and impartial assessment of both the tangible and intangible benefits and a realistic assessment of project costs and risks;
• Reduce the cost of operations or service delivery or improve the quality of services delivered to customers through IT investment;
• Deliver IT services in a cost-efficient manner; and
• Approach IT initiatives as a partnership between DoIT and individual departments.

Based on this framework, DoIT has the following major projects planned in FY 2024:

• Develop and enhance new online services for constituents to conduct business with the City 24/7. This includes the implementation of an Electronic Billing Presentment and Payment Portal;
• Enhance the City website with a particular focus on accessibility;
• Refresh all audio-visual technology equipment in the Council Chamber to seamlessly integrate with virtual meeting technology, enhancing the experience at public meetings;
• Continue implementation of the multi-year Fiber Expansion program. This includes expansion to support free public WiFi service in eighteen parks and park facilities and completing an update to the broadband strategic plan;
• Upgrade conference room audio visual technology to support increased use of virtual meeting technology that includes functionality related to messaging, transcriptions, ADA-compliance, and public interaction;
• Implement a Microsoft Teams Phone service and VOIP based contact center to replace the aging PBX telephone system;
• Enhance cybersecurity training programs for City staff and expand security programs, policies, and procedures to ensure City systems and data are protected;
• Implement Enterprise WiFi, VPN Remote Access, and Endpoint Network Access Control for City staff to access City network resources;
• Implement a vulnerability management program to identify, prioritize, and remediate vulnerabilities in the City’s IT assets, reducing the risk of system compromises;
• Upgrade the City’s anti-malware/anti-virus on all City computer systems to take advantage of the latest in ‘endpoint detection and response’. This improves the City’s ability to protect, detect, and contain modern cyber threats to City information and data;
• Update the department’s Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plan, accounting for the significant changes to technology operations occurring over the past few years;
• Expand electronic access controls and security cameras at the remaining branch libraries, City Yard, and other locations;
• Complete the second phase of the Police Department’s new Computer Aided Dispatch and Records Management replacement project. This includes a focus on data archiving, new eCitation functions, and Crime Analytics software;
• Expand the use of the Electronic Content Management System (ECMS) for department electronic documents and records;
• Implement Information Technology Service Management strategies to streamline and improve service delivery to customers. This includes Asset, Change, and Knowledge Management modules;
• Continue to leverage the 5-year Information Technology Strategic Plan to guide strategic technology investments citywide; and
• Invest in organizational and staff development programs to strengthen DoIT’s internal processes and commitment to our customers.

Powered by projects like these, DoIT will continue to make improvements in service and effectiveness and recognize the increased potential for technological growth in the City.