Join us on this exciting journey as we embark on a special blog series dedicated to honoring the exceptional accomplishments of the counties that triumphed in the National Association of Counties (NACo) 2024 Achievement Awards. Each week, we will shine a well-deserved spotlight on a few remarkable counties, taking a deeper dive into their accomplishments, innovative initiatives, and the profound impact they have had on their communities.
Technology Services
Howard County received seventeen awards in this category.
IT’s Contribution to Finance Taxation Platform
The Department of Technology and Communications Department (DTCS) Development Team produced a scalable and supportable Finance Taxation Platform that not only fulfilled an immediate need, but it also has the potential for nationwide use. The team converted an aging tool into their ServiceNow platform, overcoming many challenges such as determining the data needed to calculate, track, and validate the tax credits, how to get this data from the external systems to the team’s ServiceNow instance, calculating the new tax credit, and integrating the application process. This tool simplified how the county’s aging population submits, tracks and manages their tax credits. It also made it possible to process more applications during the tax season, giving the constituents the ability to take advantage of these credits. The platform manages two tax credits: the Aging in Place Credit and Senior Tax Credit, but with this platform, the team can effortlessly incorporate the remaining 30 or more credits in a standardized manner. Another notable success lies in its vast possibilities. Every state and local jurisdiction issue tax credits. Therefore, a platform of this nature could prove beneficial on a nationwide scale.
IT’s Contribution to Fire Department’s Hybrid and Remote Learning Initiatives
The Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services (HCDFRS) sought the expertise of the Department of Technology and Communication Services (DTCS) to deliver hybrid and remote instruction. HCDFRS needed a stable wireless
solution, bandwidth to send and receive terabits of data, and the ability to broadcast video. With the county’s wireless upgrades and replacement, the team proposed that the outdoor access point (AP) on the fire grounds building be relocated to the outside storage building so wireless signals can reach the back end of the fire simulation building. The team also proposed creating a new virtual local area network (VLAN) on the switches just for the video recordings. This VLAN would be shared throughout the Public Safety Training Center (PSTC) complex so the video equipment could be monitored. Throughout the process, DTCS continually shared the results of the network test and monitoring with the Fire Department. DTCS enabled HDCFRS to install and operate their video recording system and firefighters can update their skills without taking additional time to come to the PSTC for instruction. With the new wireless access points, DTCS can better monitor and track wireless activities and take advantage of the newer wireless technologies.
IT’s Contribution to New Housing System
The county Finance Department recognized the need to transform the Housing database for several reasons: security, accessibility, efficiency and manageability. They required a modern interface to store and track housing loans that was easier to manage and use. The Department of Technology and Communication Services (DTCS) developed a centralized repository of loan information using modern web application development practices. The system vastly improved upon the previous housing database, as it also includes these features: search functionality, reporting functionality, ability to provide auto calculations, and web accessibility. The project successfully met the Finance department’s requirements to enhance the user experience by addressing previous areas of confusion or inefficiency. This involved implementing features to make the system more intuitive, efficient, and user-friendly. It also streamlined report generation and automated calculations, resulting in significantly improved efficiency and accuracy.
IT’s Contribution to Public Information Act (PIA) Application
Howard County’s County Administration proactively sought a streamlined solution for tracking and responding to the many Public Information Requests that they receive and reached out to the Department of Technology and Communication Services Department (DTCS) for a digital solution. The department quickly developed a PIA (Public Information Act) application to do just that. DTCS developed an application that tracks all requests in a database in which the administrator can view the history of the request. The application also programmatically creates email templates based off the user’s request, eliminating the need for the administrator to create new emails for every response. This innovative new application streamlined the PIA request tracking process and saves County Administration hundreds of hours per year.
IT’s Rebuild of Council Applications
Working under a very tight deadline, the Department of Technology and Communication Services (DTCS) Digital Experience Team modernized the County-Council’s in-house applications to launch concurrently with its revamped website.
An engineer, with the assistance of a UI/UX designer, rebuilt the Online Legislation Information System (OLIS) using modern web application development practices. New requirements included testimony applications and a legislative search tool. The search tool better integrated with the Council’s website by including links that provide direct information, sorting that was based on constituent feedback, and the ability to easily export searches into popular formats like Microsoft Excel. The tool successfully met the requirements of the County Council. With the new ability to display all budget-related legislation, it’s now easier to find the information and compare it to what previously was proposed and approved without searching through all the proposed legislation. The testimony application has successfully been used to register for testimony for each hearing since it was released.
The Howard County Police Department (HCPD) sought to improve the public’s access to crime data in the County, thus increasing data transparency. By collaborating with the Department of Technology and Communications the HCPD was
able to do this with an innovative dashboard. This interactive map-based tool improves the visibility of crime data and summarizes the data of popular geographic boundaries. The dashboard was developed using Microsoft PowerBi with existing county licenses, county crime data, and county Geographic Information System spatial data. In addition to public access, the dashboard database is easier to update internally by automatically pulling crime data directly from the Computer Aided Dispatch database. This innovative tool was rapidly developed in-house by the county Department of Technology and Communications and the Police Department under the direction of the Chief of Police and represents the simplification and modernization of crime data.
Records Management “Spring-Cleaning Campaign”
In an effort to instill sound record management processes in the County and assist departments in managing paper and
digital content, the Department of Technology and Communications Records Management team implemented a comprehensive “Spring-Cleaning Campaign” on May 17, 2023. The four-pronged program consisted of reviewing records retention schedules, purging unwanted documents, digitizing paper documents, and saving documents to recommended repositories. These tips were communicated via an email to all departments. The campaign increased awareness of strong records management practices, increased the visibility of the department and its value in partnering with other departments regarding digitizing records, increased interest in retention schedules, appreciation for records management’s role in risk reduction regarding digital content and requests for public records.
Senior Leadership Tabletop Exercise
In October 2023, the Department of Technology and Communication Services (DTCS) conducted an in-house ransomware tabletop exercise with senior leadership. Ransomware is a type of malicious software that can be used to block access to
county data unless a ransom is paid. Tabletop exercises are discussion-based scenarios with county officials role playing responses to critical situations based on actual county resources. Months of preparation went into the exercise using internal resources and expertise. Leveraging existing knowledge and resources in the program’s development allowed for the efficient utilization and optimization of available funds. This not only resulted in cost savings but also enabled the reallocation of resources to other areas. This innovative event was instrumental in establishing technological and operational goals and expectations across various departments. The cybersecurity ransomware tabletop exercise enhanced incident response plans, improved communication strategies, heightened employee awareness, and addressed weaknesses in cybersecurity infrastructure.
Together, let’s explore the remarkable stories behind these award-winning counties, and draw inspiration from their passion, creativity, and commitment to making a positive difference. View all 2024 NACo Achievement Award winners through their interactive and searchable map.
