I'm in Atlanta for Governing's 2009 Managing Performance conference. It's always great to come to these things and meet individuals who are truly committed to improving the way government works for citizens.
I got to sit in on one of the pre-conference workshops this afternoon, and I wanted to share one great tidbit I heard from one of the speakers, Bill Bott, the former deputy CIO of Missouri and now a private sector management consultant.
Bill was underscoring a point I've heard before at this conference (and at Governing's Managing Technology conferences): Technology alone isn't going to fix your problems.
But Bill laid it out in the clearest way I've heard yet: "Eliminate, consolidate and then automate." You've got to streamline your processes and consolidate extraneous parts of your system before you ever think about turning to IT. Otherwise, you're simply automating a faulty system. It's bad IT.
"Technology isn't the answer, because technology typically isn't the problem," Bott said. "It can be part of the solution, but it's not going to be the solution itself."
Much more to come, but I thought that was a great thought worth sharing: Eliminate, consolidate, THEN automate.
Zach Patton -- Executive Editor. Zach has written about a range of topics, including social policy issues and urban planning and design. Originally from Tennessee, he joined GOVERNING as a staff writer in 2004. He received the 2011 Jesse H. Neal Award for Outstanding Journalism
E-mail: zpatton@governing.com 
Written and compiled by staff writers and editors, GOVERNING View is an on-the-ground, and sometimes behind-the-scenes, look at the topics we're covering in print and online. From notes on what's up in statehouses, county courthouses and city halls, to encounters with people, places and things, GOVERNING View is a window into the side of state and local government you don't always see.
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