The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) and Accenture recently partnered on research to study opportunities aimed at State CIOs. This report shares our findings.

1. Howtherolewilldriveinnovation
THEFUTURESTATECIO:
NASCIORESEARCH

2. IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT
FOR INNOVATION
While state CIOs’ main role has been keeping IT engines running, today’s
leaders should take the wheel as drivers and conductors of innovation.
Accenture partnered with NASCIO to hear directly from state CIOs about
the opportunities and obstacles they are encountering. Their insights led
to strategies state CIOs can take to accelerate innovation and create the
best government outcomes.
Copyright © 2020 Accenture. All rights reserved.

3. Copyright © 2020 Accenture. All rights reserved. 3
RACING
AGAINST
CHANGE
Several forces are
accelerating change and
putting pressure on state
governments to respond
in new and different ways.
An aging population and
a shrinking talent pool
Constant cyber risks,
including cyber ransom
Rising customer expectations
of personalized experiences
Keeping pace with new
technologies and creating a
culture that embraces innovation

4. Copyright © 2020 Accenture. All rights reserved. 4
To respond to these changes,
state CIOs must fundamentally
change how they operate.
State CIOs must become
brokers—skilled conductors of
collaboration and change
throughout state government.

5. ROADBLOCKS
TOINNOVATION
Copyright © 2020 Accenture. All rights reserved. 5
Culture
resistant to
change
State CIOs should be driving innovation,
yet only 14% report extensive innovation.
What’s in their way?
Technology
debt in legacy
systems
Aversion to risk
that hamstrings
innovation
Lack of buy-in
beyond pilots and
proofs of concept

6. PUTTINGINNOVATION
INHIGHGEAR
Copyright © 2020 Accenture. All rights reserved. 6
EXECUTIVE
SUPPORT
How can state CIOs overcome these common barriers and
become brokers of innovation and supporters of outcomes?
Our research points to 5 essential factors:
01 GOVERNANCE
02 FUNDING
03 ECOSYSTEM
04 NEW SKILLS
05

7. Copyright © 2020 Accenture. All rights reserved. 7
Executive support helps give CIOs the ability to drive
innovation. Yet only 26% said innovation was a stated
priority for their administration.
EXECUTIVE SUPPORT
01

8. Copyright © 2020 Accenture. All rights reserved. 8
A governance structure to oversee innovative
initiatives is essential to success. Some states
use a CIO-led structure, while others create
specific entities to spearhead innovative ideas.
GOVERNANCE
02

9. Copyright © 2020 Accenture. All rights reserved. 9
Most state CIOs (63%) identified funding as the top
barrier to innovation. State CIOs must collaborate to
fund innovation by engaging other leaders inside
and outside state government.
FUNDING
03

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States increasingly recognize the value of engaging
with others on innovations. They should look to expand
their ecosystems and create broad partnerships—
including with citizens—to spur innovative ideas.
ECOSYSTEM
04

11. Copyright © 2020 Accenture. All rights reserved. 11
One of the greatest imperatives for state CIOs is to
address skill gaps in the state workforce.
However, these leaders also need to evolve their own
competencies, particularly in relationship-building and
marketing & communication techniques.
NEW SKILLS
05

12. CULTURE
CONSIDERATIONS
Copyright © 2020 Accenture. All rights reserved. 12
Make
innovation safe
and desirable
Along with the 5 previous factors, creating a culture that embraces
innovation is key for state government. How can CIOs take the lead?
Communicate
the importance
of innovation
Cultivate an
empowering
culture
Become the
convener of
ecosystem
groups
Stay focused
on incremental
change

13. KEEPINGINNOVATION
INTHEFASTLANE
Copyright © 2020 Accenture. All rights reserved. 13
Stay focused on the
true destination: better
outcomes for citizens.
Be clear about how decisions
will be made and how the
state CIO’s office will interact
with other agencies.
Shift culture through
both formal initiatives
and informal interactions.
State CIOs must drive at two speeds—keeping legacy systems running
while putting innovation in the fast lane. Here are 6 recommendations
to help navigate the journey:

14. Copyright © 2020 Accenture. All rights reserved. 14
Identify opportunities
for leaders (including
the state CIO) to build
or bolster key skills.
Bring more parties into the
innovation ecosystem.
Get creative about funding,
such as establishing a
special innovation fund.
KEEPINGINNOVATION
INTHEFASTLANE

15. READY,SET…
Copyright © 2020 Accenture. All rights reserved. 15
Over the course of the next half century, we anticipate
innovation will become everyday business—but state CIOs
can make that a reality today.
Read our full report to see what other state CIOs are doing to
accelerate innovation and drive better citizen outcomes:
www.accenture.com/FutureStateCIO

16. Copyright © 2020 Accenture. All rights reserved.
Accenture and its logo are trademarks of Accenture.
16
ABOUT ACCENTURE
Accenture is a leading global professional services
company, providing a broad range of services and
solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology
and operations. Combining unmatched experience and
specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all
business functions—underpinned by the world’s largest
delivery network—Accenture works at the intersection
of business and technology to help clients improve
their performance and create sustainable value for their
stakeholders. With 505,000 people serving clients in
more than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation
to improve the way the world works and lives. Visit us at
www.accenture.com.
AUTHORS AND CONTRIBUTORS
Rick Webb
Senior Advisor
Accenture
rick.c.webb@accenture.com
Jenny Brodie
Research Manager
Accenture
jennifer.brodie@accenture.com
Doug Robinson
Executive Director
National Association Of State Chief
Information Officers (NASCIO)
drobinson@nascio.org
Eric Sweden, MSIH MBA CGCIO™
Program Director,
Enterprise Architecture & Governance
National Association Of State Chief
Information Officers (NASCIO)
esweden@nascio.org