whole-of-state strategy
Serving the public interest by working together across agency lines to create a more secure government.
What is Whole-of-state
A cybersecurity strategy between multiple public and private sector entities;
Coordination and standardization of strategic and operational cybersecurity objectives; and
Combining all available resources to find better ways to standardize solutions, share information, respond to incidents, and develop a sustainable workforce pipeline.
Strategic
The Strategic layer of a Whole-of-State strategy focuses on Policy, Financial, and Support.
The Strategic layer is often guided by the executives at the various participants. Determining the WHY is critical in this phase.
Policy
While considering policies, participants must determine what type of policies will be needed in order for different entities to participate. The policies can be formal or informal, technical, financial, or even governance related.
Financial
Figuring out how to finance a Whole-of-State strategy is critical to the initial and on-going success. Pooling resources to achieve the greatest return on investment is crucial. Financing your strategy both near-term and long-term will determine the scope of your strategy.
Support
When working with multiple entities, it is essential to build trust to attain your goals. Working from the top down (executives determining the strategy) and the bottom up (the line staff responsible for executing the strategy) is the key to success.
Operational
The Operational layer of a Whole-of-State strategy focuses on Program/Project Management, Execution, and Validation.
The Operational layer is often guided by the line staff at the various participants. Determining the HOW is critical in this phase.
Project/Program Management
Determining how to make the strategic objectives happen is often tied to overall success of the strategy. The program and project managers are responsible for the day-to-day operations and decisions of Whole-of-State. Frequently, this team is responsible for the managing the Governance of the strategy.
Execution
The execution of Whole-of-State can be managed by internal or external technical resources. This can include tool administrators, communication and marketing resources, and many other "doers."
Validation
It is imperative to set goals, measure the metrics, and make changes as needed to achieve the intended goals. Determine the metrics early, and report on them often. This allows continuous forward progress with your Whole-of-State strategy.
Where Does GMI Come In?
- Deployment Services
- MSP/MSSP Services
- Security Assessments
- Staff Augmentation
- Software Licenses
- Advisory
- Deployment Services
- Managed Services
- Licenses
- Advisory
- Incident Response Services
- Advisory
- Cyber Insurance
- Advisory
- Thought Leadership
- Relationships
Jennifer Pittman-Leeper
More commonly known as JPL, has nearly two decades of experience as a strategic thought leader and policy developer for State Government. At GMI, JPL works directly with SLED customers across the country develop their Cybersecurity and Whole of State strategies. She helps establish governance and policies around enterprise solutions, funding strategies, and guiding customers from initial deployment through operational maturity
