§ 42-11-2.6. Office of Digital Excellence established.
(a) Within the department, division of enterprise technology strategy and services, there
shall be established the Office of Digital Excellence. The purposes of the office
shall be to move Rhode Island state government into the 21st century through the incorporation
of innovation and modern digital capabilities throughout state government and to leverage
technology to expand and improve the quality of services provided to Rhode Island
citizens; to promote greater access to government and the internet throughout cities
and towns; and to position Rhode Island as a national leader in e-government.
(b) Within the office, there shall be a chief digital officer who shall be appointed by
the director of administration with the approval of the governor and who shall be
in the unclassified service. The chief digital officer shall report to the director
of administration and be required to:
(1) Manage the implementation of all new and mission-critical technology infrastructure
projects and upgrades for state agencies. The division of enterprise technology strategy
and services, established pursuant to § 42-11-2.8, shall continue to manage and support all day-to-day operations of the state's technology
infrastructure, telecommunications, and associated applications;
(2) Increase the number of government services that can be provided online in order to
allow residents and businesses to complete transactions in a more efficient and transparent
manner;
(3) Improve the state's websites to provide timely information to online users and as
many government services as possible online; and
(4) Establish, improve, and enhance the state's use of social media and mobile technological
applications.
(c) The office shall coordinate its efforts with the division of enterprise technology
strategy and services in order to plan, allocate, and implement projects supported
by the information technology restricted receipt account (ITRR account) established
pursuant to § 42-11-2.5(a) and the large systems initiatives fund (LSI fund) established pursuant to § 42-11-2.5(b).
(d) All intellectual property created as a result of work undertaken by employees of the
office shall remain the property of the state of Rhode Island. Any patents applied
for shall be in the name of the state.
(e) The director of administration may promulgate rules and regulations recommended by
the chief digital officer in order to effectuate the purposes and requirements of
this act.
(f) The chief digital officer shall report no later than January 31, 2013, and every January
31 thereafter, to the governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the
senate president regarding the implementation status of all technology infrastructure
projects; website improvements; number of e-government transactions and revenues generated;
projects supported by the information technology restricted receipt account; and all
other activities undertaken by the office. The report shall also include planned use
for projects related to public safety communications and emergency services, recommendations
on the development of and opportunities for shared implementation and delivery of
these services among municipalities, and strategies for such shared services. The
annual report shall be posted on the office's website.