• All incoming calls to be answered by a live person
• 2 hours for hardware repairs where parts are available
• Software problem identification within one hour
• Software installation/reinstallation within two hours (dependent upon licensing)
• Machine re-imaging within 24 hours
• Password resets for all major application, voice mail and network access within 5 minutes.
• Eliminate "lost" or "dropped" calls

This category will include Business projects that have an IT enabling component that improves the delivery of services. It would include projects such as:

• Mobile work force initiatives
• Integrated department initiatives (Integrated Property Tax Systems, Web enabled Services, etc.)
• Centralized timekeeping initiatives

The Online Visit Reservation (OVR) system is a secure Web-based self-service system that allows potential visitors to register and schedule visits with inmates online via the County's SCCgov portal. Kiosks are also provided for the public to use to register for and schedule visits. Once a user registers, the Department of Correction (DOC) runs a warrant and criminal background check on the potential visitor and approves or denies their visitation request. The registrant receives an email notification of the request's approval or denial. Once approved, the user is able to pre-schedule inmate visits up to three weeks in advance via SCCgov. The system generates email notifications throughout the visitation process, such as confirming visits are scheduled and alerting visitors when appointments need to be cancelled due to inmate court appearances and other triggering events. The automated system includes a real-time interface to the County's central Criminal Justice Information Control (CJIC) system. CJIC contains all inmate data, and is used to approve applicants based on their criminal history, as well as to track the number of visits an inmate is entitled to in a given period. If an inmate's status changes in CJIC, such as when an inmate in custody is released prior to the visit taking place, the connection between the CJIC and OVR systems ensures that the visit is automatically revoked, and the visitor is notified by email of its cancellation and the associated cause. This saves a visitor from a trip to the jail, as well as opening up a slot for other inmates to receive visits from friends and loved ones. While the system is built on the self-service model, it is also the system of record for DOC, which uses the system to maintain visiting schedules at various locations, as well as to run operational reports to plan and manage inmate visits. In addition to providing a means to schedule visits online, OVR provides a secure way for the public to obtain inmate booking and bail information, if they are able to supply: a name and date of birth or booking date; or either a booking or file number for the inmate. In this way, random searches by last name are disallowed, and the system does not provide more information than is necessary for our customers to visit an inmate, post bail for an inmate, or attend an inmate's court hearing(s).

Prior to the implementation of OVR, inmate visits could be scheduled in one of two ways: A potential visitor could call a general number at the Department of Correction (DOC) to schedule a visit over the phone, which was a time-consuming and costly process as the individual may have incurred a toll call to schedule the visit. Alternatively, members of the public could visit inmates on a "first come, first served" basis, which led to lines forming at the jails as early as 5:00 AM, even in extreme weather conditions. Often, people were turned away when the visit time slots were filled. Some of these individuals had traveled a great distance in order to visit a loved one in custody. Visitation hours were limited to weekends only, and no accommodations could be made for visitors with special needs or circumstances. The County's Board of Supervisors received many complaints from the public regarding their frustration at the inmate visiting process.

OVR has dramatically improved the quality of service the that Department of Correction is able to provide to the public with regard to their ability to visit inmates in custody, and to inmates' access to visits from friends and loved ones, one of their key civil rights while in custody. Visiting hours have been expanded from "weekends only" to six days per week. Because visits are pre-scheduled, the Department is able to handle requests for special circumstances, such as accommodating a request for a visit on a date or time when visits are not normally accepted. Individuals seeking to visit inmates no longer have to make lengthy and costly toll calls or wait in long lines without assurance that they will be granted a visit. Instead, they can register and schedule themselves from home or via in-lobby kiosks using the online system. The primary internal benefits resulting from OVR are the result of business streamlining, representing process improvements that translate into productivity savings and better use of staff time. Timesaving operational efficiencies have resulted in a doubling of capacity to process visitor applications and a reduction in the application processing cycle time by 50%, allowing staff to devote more time to direct service delivery. Additionally, the DOC has been able to expand the capacity of monthly visit appointments from 11,000 to 16,000, and the OVR system is flexible enough to accommodate different business rules at the different County correctional facilities, such as variations in the length of visiting sessions. With the help of this application, the DOC has essentially eliminated the occurrence of visitors coming to a facility and being turned away. On average, approximately 10,000 inmate visits take place each month, over 55% of which are now self-scheduled by members of the public using OVR. Over 65% of individuals who have never visited an inmate before self-register for appointments using the application. The real-time OVR interface to CJIC eliminates the need for dual entry of inmate information, as was the practice in the old business process and legacy system. Instead, inmate data is kept in CJIC and a look up is performed as necessary in order to access the necessary data to schedule visits using OVR. Planned enhancements include automating the look-up from CJIC in order to provide real-time visitor approval. Additionally, periodic automated rechecks of approved visitors will check for subsequent criminal histories.

This category will include Multi-Jurisdictional projects that have utilize IT systems and services. It would include projects such as:

• Regional GIS
• Regional Justice Systems
• Shared Applications
• Shared Computing

Nevada County: Nevada County Dial 211.com

Nevada County has partnered with First 5 Nevada County and Area 4 Agency on Aging/HelpLine to develop an extraordinary resource for the community, including the entire Truckee/Tahoe region.

The website www.Dial211.com lists close to 1000 agencies and over 1350 program sites providing services to community members in Nevada County and the Truckee Tahoe region which encompass parts of Placer and Washoe counties. The resources are focused on health and human services and include non-profits, local, state and federal government services, as well as critical for profit services and organizations providing free or reduced priced services in addition to their for profit services. The website provides valuable resources for individuals within the area, agencies looking for resources for their clients and for those outside the community looking for resources for a Nevada county family member or friend. These agencies can even create links on their own Websites that will "drill down" into the Dial211 database or instantly run a pre-determined search for particular services.

The name Dial211.com was chosen to reinforce a nationwide initiative started in 1996 by United Way in Atlanta, Georgia. Currently close to 70% of those living in the United States can simply call 211 for the type of information listed on our website. Nevada County does not have this telephone program at this time; however this website has been designed to meet all the criteria necessary for 211 databases. Our community has taken a first step in being prepared to join in with other counties and regions in California as funding is developed to provide this service in our area. The directory will be updated formally a minimum of once per year. However, it is designed for agencies to update themselves easily anytime they have a change. A large community rollout included presentations to government agencies, newspapers, banners and outreach with providing agencies.

Orange County: Shared Data Center

Overview
Orange County and Los Angeles County achieved significant cost savings by combining innovation, shared services, and resourcefulness in a collaborative relationship.

Problem/Challenge
In the year 2000, one of the most critical objectives of the County of Orange (Orange County) was to create a business model that would reduce fixed overhead for the Orange County Data Center (OCDC) and also provide a vehicle for increasing internal and external interest in hosting equipment at OCDC. The main purpose of Orange County's business model was to team with the private sector and other state and local government entities to spread resources and facility overhead costs across a broader range of initiatives. Orange County created its business model at approximately the same time that the "dot-com" bubble burst and data center floor space grew to exceed demand.

Solution
To cover its fixed overhead, Orange County developed an innovative approach to marketing OCDC floor space to outside entities, including commercial customers and other state and local governments. Today, the OCDC not only houses a significant segment of Orange County's Information Technology (IT) infrastructure, but it also supports almost (60) private sector co-location clients, as well as LA County's Disaster Recovery Center. In collaboration with its private sector partners in Fiscal Year 2006-2007, Orange County added 12 new clients to the list and many more new opportunities are in the pipeline for the next Fiscal Year (2007-2008).

Budget/Cost/Savings
This extremely innovative and collaborative approach has achieved well in excess of $18 million in hard dollar savings over the last eight (8) years -- dollars which otherwise would have come directly out of the County's operating budget.

Results
Through insightful and out-of-the-box thinking by LA County and Orange County, combined with the perspective of the Board of Supervisors, Orange County has collectively saved the taxpayers millions of dollars and has cultivated the potential for an environment that fosters future collaboration and cost savings.

Although the private sector presence is impressive, the real value is in the relationship between Orange County and LA County. This one-of-a-kind approach is truly unique and has the possibility of becoming a replicable model for how state and local governments work together to address the challenges of providing cost-conscious IT solutions and services to their constituents.