Case Study

Baltimore, Maryland
IT Financial Systems Strategic Planning

PFM worked with the City of Baltimore Finance Department to produce a Financial Systems Information Technology (IT) Strategic Plan. The major goals of the planning process were to improve operations, increase customer service, provide enhanced financial system capabilities, support business process change, and develop an overall vision for Departmental services.

The Plan was developed in a collaborative effort by five bureaus within the Finance Department and the Mayor's Office of Information Technology (MOIT) through a Working Group, chaired by the City's Finance Director. PFM acted as the project facilitator, coordinating and supporting the Working Group.

The process included a SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis by the Working Group, an electronic survey of system users to assess and determine concerns, five focus groups targeted to specific systems and processes to further explore issues identified in the on-line surveys, system process mapping to ensure that existing processes were known and understood, a review of IT system implementation at Finance Departments in peer cities, and an off-site full-day strategic planning session. The project resulted in a Strategic Plan that will guide system investments over the next five years.