Title
Requesting that the City Controller conduct a Forensic Information Systems Audit of the City's Technological Infrastructure.
Body
WHEREAS, As noted by the Annual Auditor's Report on Philadelphia City Departments for Fiscal Year 2017, the City's Office of Innovation and Technology (OIT) "oversees all major information and communications technology initiatives for the City of Philadelphia. OIT responsibilities include: identifying the most effective approach for implementing new information technology directions throughout City government; improving the value of the City's technology assets and the return on the City's technology investments; ensuring data security continuity; planning for continuing operations in the event of disruption of information technology or communications services; and supporting accountable, efficient and effective government across every City department, board, commission and agency"; and
WHEREAS, By many objective and well-publicized measures, OIT appears to not be successfully delivering results to further its mission to "manage the City's technology assets efficiently and effectively to help [its] clients advance opportunities and innovations to modernize City government and improve services to all Philadelphians"; and
WHEREAS, A July 18, 2017 letter from former City Controller Alan Butkovitz to former Chief Information Officer Charles J. Brennan states, "the City has not developed a plan to deal with a potential disaster or disruption of service to systems that many City departments utilize on a daily basis. This includes applications to process tax payments, water bills, contracts, and pension and payroll checks...it is even more troubling that the City has expended millions of dollars for technology systems that either did not perform properly or were never even implemented"; and
WHEREAS, The City Controller has faulted a lack of updated technology for the Department of Finance's repeated bookkeeping errors, w...
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