IT department prepares for digital future at City Hall

KELOWNA – The City of Kelowna is moving to bolster information technology and lessen the risk of future redundancy, data breaches and possible failure of key systems, says a new report.

Information services manager Rob Entwistle, in a report to council, says the department is moving ahead in four of 19 areas identified in its digital strategy, completed with the help of information technology consultant CGI in 2014.

Staff have reviewed over 100 software applications used by city employees, identifying 68 per cent of them as needing replacement or consolidation within five years.

Major projects in this area include financial, asset management, taxation, maintenance and recreation support systems.

A review of the City’s web platforms has highlighted the need to upgrade to a more progressive and flexible web platform, Entwistle says in the report, which describes a new web platform as a “key deliverable” of the digital strategy.

Staff are also upgrading data analytics capabilities, allowing them to gather detailed data in key areas and have developed a standard configuration for the city’s servers, to help with disaster recovery.

Analytics capabilties have been tested with three pilot projects, one involving the significant snow storm from last January and the others concerning attendance management and water supply.

In his report, Enwistile stresses the need for information services, increasingly at the core of other departments, to move from a support service to a full-fledged business unit within the city’s organizational structure.

Council will receive the report at its regular council meeting, 1:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 30 in Kelowna City Hall.

To contact the reporter for this story, email John McDonald at jmcdonald@infonews.ca or call 250-808-0143. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community? Create a free account to comment on stories, ask questions, and join meaningful discussions on our new site.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.
John McDonald

John began life as a journalist through the Other Press, the independent student newspaper for Douglas College in New Westminster. The fluid nature of student journalism meant he was soon running the place, learning on the fly how to publish a newspaper.

It wasn’t until he moved to Kelowna he broke into the mainstream media, working for Okanagan Sunday, then the Kelowna Daily Courier and Okanagan Saturday doing news graphics and page layout. He carried on with the Kelowna Capital News, covering health and education while also working on special projects, including the design and launch of a mass market daily newspaper. After 12 years there, John rejoined the Kelowna Daily Courier as editor of the Westside Weekly, directing news coverage as the Westside became West Kelowna.

But digital media beckoned and John joined Kelowna.com as assistant editor and reporter, riding the start-up as it at first soared then went down in flames. Now John is turning dirt as city hall reporter for iNFOnews.ca where he brings his long experience to bear on the civic issues of the day.

If you have a story you think people should know about, email John at jmcdonald@infonews.ca