Our 2014 Top 10 priority ranking from state CIOs is out today. There's been a slight shake up in the list of strategies, however most of the topics are the same from previous years. Security tops the list in the number 1 slot. This is not a surprise given the dramatic increase in cyber threats faced by states and the consequences of state data breaches in the last year. Governors and other elected officials are have taken notice and are asking CIOs tough questions. Consolidation/Optimization, in the top position for the last 3 years, drops to number 2, but the vote was close. Consolidating, optimizing and standardizing is hard in state government, but a major game changer.
Since first appearing on the list in 2010, cloud services has remained a high priority and continues as a solid number 3 ranking for 2014. Budget and Cost Control, which occupied the top spot for several years and remained high on the list until the 2013, settles in at number 6. State CIOs are still focused on budget constraints and reducing spend, however the state fiscal picture is slowly improving so we've noticed the shift.
Mobility dropped to number 7, which I found puzzling given the state focus and conversations. One-third of CIOs consider mobile devices and apps an essential element of their strategic agenda. Despite the recent headline news on health insurance technology projects, health care moves to number 10. Disaster recovery/Business Continuity drops off the list, but only slightly. It was number 11 when all the votes were counted.
Expect surprises. Project and Portfolio Management joins the top 10 ranking for the first time ever and grabs a fairly high postion at number 4. During 2013, we saw the cancellation of several major state IT projects as a result of concerns related to inadequate progress, cost overruns, poor oversight or failure to perform. NASCIO has advocated for PPM adoptions and we've seen an increased emphasis on more IT project discipline recently. However it's unusual for a priority to jump on the list, although it happened before with cloud services in 2010.
What's on your top 10 list for 2014? Start the conversation.