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Technology Strategy Conducting an Environmental Scan
Technology Strategy Conducting an Environmental Scan
Conducting an Environmental Scan
(external stakeholder context)
The environmental scan reviews the external elements that impact the agency’s use of technology. It takes into account the agency’s commitment and ability to use technology across functions and systems. It assesses the ability of other branches of State government and external agencies to share information and evaluates how well those systems can be integrated. Issues regarding ownership of data, how to maintain security and the responsibility to preserve children, youth and families’ confidentiality should be considered.
Environmental scans should look for opportunities to collaborate. It is more cost-effective to share electronic systems that enable data sharing and build cultures that support interagency work than to create parallel systems that duplicate information systems. The critical questions are:
- Which stakeholders have vested interests in the success of technology options?
- What can these stakeholders contribute?
- What are the stakeholders' expectations?
- What current federal, state and/or local regulations impact potential innovations?
- What are current contracting relationships?
For example, The Federal Fostering Connections and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 includes a mandatory provision requiring states to have a Health Oversight and Coordination Plan. To meet this requirement, state child welfare agencies are looking to use technology to expedite if not fully automate sharing children’s health records. Collaborations include partnerships with Medicaid and Departments of Health, depending on agency structure and cross system organizational needs. Beyond satisfying the federal requirement, the coordination and integration of these agencies’ technology enable the tracking of children’s health care, support the provision of appropriate health care while children are in state custody and placement and build an electronic passport or health record that can follow the children when they exit care. States are at varying stages of automating this exchange.