OHCS Technology Strategic Plan
IT Mission, Vision, and Guiding Principles
IT Mission
We deliver effective technology solutions, enabling OHCS to provide housing opportunities and supportive services.
IT Vision
Delivering high value information technology services with our business partners.
IT Guiding Principles
- Be purposeful
- Be ethical
- Be excellent
- Be collaborative
IT Core Values
- Integrity
- Innovation
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Reliability
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Responsiveness (Customer centric)
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Equity-centered design: Technology must serve all Oregonians, especially those historically underserved.
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Security by design: Privacy and protection are foundational, not optional.
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Simplicity and sustainability: Solutions should be easy to use, maintain, and scale.
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Transparency and accountability: Clear metrics and open communication guide our work.
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Partnership and collaboration: We build with, not just for, our stakeholders.
These principles and values guide how we deliver services, make decisions, and collaborate across the agency.
Strategic IT Initiatives Supporting OHCS Priorities
IT will deliver on key initiatives directly supporting business-critical OHCS priorities:
Agency strategic project support
- U.S. Housing & Urban Development (HUD) Contracts Administration Section Request for Proposal (RFP)
- Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), Statewide Homeless Data Repository (SHDR) project for data consolidation
- HMIS Solution Replacement project
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system requirements, selection, implementation CRM system– Expand use agencywide
- Website and Digital Accessibility Program (WADAP), Americans with Disability Act (ADA) compliance project
Applications support to enhance business data and analytics
- Data lake pulling data into a centralized server for unprecedented accessibility
- Implementation of Power BI “capacity” solution for analytics and reporting internally and externally with dashboard capabilities
Records retention
- Oregon Records Management System (ORMS) solution implementation agency-wide
Supporting business process improvement through consultation and technology
IT Operational Excellence Initiatives
The IT team identified several initiatives for improving technology operational excellence. These projects will increase technology process maturity and systematically improve IT operational performance:
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Upskilling team through training on new technologies
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Agency workforce development through IT training
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Focus on security enhancements and implementation of state security initiatives
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Improve engagement and communications with business stakeholders
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IT governance framework and implementation
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Smartsheet governance framework
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Creating a culture of documentation within the agency by providing support, assisting in the creation of templates and guidance
Technology Innovation Initiatives
Five key initiatives will help drive and support technology innovation. These projects will improve future innovation capabilities and decrease risk by increasing our technological maturity:
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AI governance, guidance, and policy
- Identify where artificial intelligence (AI) or synthetic intelligence can make an impact
- Rollout agencywide policy(ies) as needed to ensure consistent application of AI and the safeguarding of agency information
- Develop an AI strategy with business partners
- Assist in forming AI governance with the agency leadership
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Migrate and enhance agency in-house applications to a cloud environment
- Copilot AI in GitHub to assist in accelerating application migration efforts
- AI-enhanced reporting from the agency data repository in an Azure Cloud Environment
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Use Power platform
- Creating a pocket of excellence for agency-use
- Evaluate processes, streamline and use workflow integration
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Data governance and data quality
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SharePoint Teams migration project
IT Strategy Scope and Business Alignment
These are the areas in which IT has responsibility, and it is accountable to take specific actions:
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Service desk
- Incident management
- Service requests
- Maintaining agency intranet - ECHO
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Business and systems analysis
- Cloud solutions and architecture
- Project support
- IT procurement support
- Business application support and training
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Applications development, maintenance, support
- In-house application support
- Project support
- Cloud solutions support
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SaaS support and training
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Data management and security (Custodial)
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Cybersecurity and agency systems security (Cyber security consultation partnership)
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IT asset management
Strategic Goals and Supporting Actions
The overarching goal is to be an agency partner in technology goals. Five supporting goals ensure that this overarching goal is achieved:
Advance IT Security Maturity
- Mature our security posture through controls implementation
- Adhere to all privacy and regulatory compliance requirements
- Continue implementing recommended controls and support Cyber Security (CSS) assessments
- Improve security posture through application migration and authentication processes
- Expand mobile device management and endpoint protection
- Adopt Zero Trust security principles
- Conduct regular risk assessments and staff training
Innovate through Reliable, Secure & Resilient Solutions
- Use AI to streamline workflows and reduce repetitive tasks
- Implement automations where beneficial
- Transition to modular, API-driven platforms
- Improve reliability and security by migrating applications to the cloud
- Enhance in-house applications to meet business requirements
- Continued implementation of a “cloud-first” architecture for scalability and resilience
- Partner with divisions to improve legacy applications
- Provide sustainable technology solutions
Improve Support for the Agency
- Increased alignment of IT strategic projects with budget processes
- Provide training for new technology implementations
- Apply change management principles
- Build a data warehouse for centralized reporting
- Offer accessible information on IT services
- Use Jira for IT consultation requests
- Expand digital intake and case management tools
Governance
- Establish governance for Azure, application development, and artificial or synthetic intelligence
- Develop protocols and policies for AI use
- Implement development lifecycle processes for in-house applications
- Use defined user groups to improve user experience
- Track value delivery and outcomes for all major IT initiatives
- Formalize IT governance structures with cross-divisional input
Develop and Retain IT Staff
- Provide upskilling opportunities in new technologies
- Continue succession and career planning
- Allocate IT training budget throughout the biennium
- Require training in emerging technologies
- Ensure succession planning for all IT positions
- Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement
Ongoing Communication and Collaboration
IT is committed to maintaining regular communication throughout the year to ensure alignment between the strategy team and stakeholders regarding updates or modifications to strategic IT initiatives.
We eagerly anticipate collaborating with the agency strategic planning team to enhance the precision of the IT plan as the agency evolves over the biennium. Our approach will involve frequent reviews of the strategic plan, allowing us to proactively address shifts in OHCS' strategy or direction.
A Look Back
These initiatives were completed in the 2023-2025 biennium.
Advance IT Security Maturity
- Upgraded the Affordable Rental Housing Division portfolio compliance software to enhance inspection capabilities and ensure regulatory alignment.
- Implemented Mobile Device Management (MDM) to improve endpoint security and remote access control.
- Strengthened workforce web security through the deployment of Microsoft Defender across the agency.
Enhance Data Stewardship Maturity
- Successfully extracted and archived data from the Landlord Compensation Fund and the Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program systems, ensuring compliance and historical preservation.
- Supported the development and implementation of the Racial Equity Analysis Toolkit (REAT) through data integration and reporting tools.
- Established a cross-divisional Data Governance Committee to guide data quality, access, and stewardship practices.
- Completed the IT Governance Framework to align technology decisions with agency strategy.
- Launched the Agency Data Warehouse, centralizing data for analytics and reporting across all divisions.
- Implemented a Public Records Portal to streamline records management and improve transparency.
Establish IT Governance
Developed a draft IT governance structure and collaborated with stakeholders to determine the appropriate committee model. Still to be determined.
Deliver Reliable and Resilient Solutions
- Implemented the Disaster Recovery and Resilience (DRR) system of record and transitioned ownership to the program team.
- Conducted solution analysis and technical support for the Racial Equity Toolkit initiative.
- Deployed a new ITSM Helpdesk ticketing solution using Jira, including the creation of dedicated centers for multiple business units.
- Built the HMIS Data Warehouse infrastructure to support housing data analytics.
- Hired a new developer to accelerate modernization of in-house applications and improve development capacity.
Develop and Retain Staff
Funded and launched a training platform to support continuous learning in IT. Transitioned platform ownership to human resources to support broader agency workforce development initiatives
These initiatives were completed in the 2023–2025 biennium and reflect OHCS IT’s commitment to delivering secure, data-driven, and resilient technology solutions in alignment with agency priorities.
Looking Ahead
As OHCS continues to evolve in scale and responsibility, our technology strategy will evolve in parallel to meet new challenges and opportunities. We are committed to continuous learning, agile delivery, and inclusive innovation, ensuring that every investment in technology strengthens our ability to serve Oregonians with dignity and care.
Our newest technology challenges center around meeting the needs of the agency with AI tools. We are working in tandem with the enterprise to align priorities and approaches, and planning workshops and learning opportunities to help our business find useful productive uses for these tools.
IT Satisfaction Scorecard
Although management participation in the April 2025 Info-Tech surveys was lower than anticipated, likely due to survey fatigue, the technology section demonstrated measurable progress, with IT satisfaction increasing by 8% and perceived IT Value by 5% compared to the previous year. These gains reflect the impact of our ongoing initiatives to enhance service delivery, prioritize customer service, and alignment with business needs. We will reassess the survey’s timing in FY 2027 to optimize engagement and ensure continued value from this feedback mechanism.
IT Division Report by Into-Tech Research Group, Inc.
Overall IT Satisfaction Scores
Security Friction Scores
Business Satisfaction and Importance of Core Services Scores
The core services of IT are important when determining what IT should focus on. The most important services with the lowest satisfaction offer the largest area of improvement for IT to drive business value.