Social Services CIO's Priorities: Respect, Adapt, Innovate

Brian Wong is deputy director and chief information officer at the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) — a role he’s held for just eight months, although he’s an 11-year veteran of state service after having worked for Oracle for seven years. As part of the recent California Public Sector CIO Academy, he was a panelist in two breakout sessions: "A Guide to Making Strategic Leadership Decisions" and "Software Development Leads Innovation in the Public Sector." 

Wong is a graduate of California State University, Long Beach with a bachelor’s degree in finance. At Techwire’s request, he participated in this question-and-answer exchange via email. It’s been edited lightly for style and clarity.

Techwire: What’s your general philosophy of state government? Please describe your mission as CIO and deputy director. How is your time divided between your roles?

Wong: I believe we as leaders in state government have a great challenge and opportunity to provide better services to the citizens of California. In my role as the CIO and deputy director at CDSS, my mission is to serve as a partner to the CDSS programs and external stakeholders and partners in providing and enhancing services for some of the most vulnerable people in the state. From a pure leadership perspective, I’m focused on establishing an IT organization focused on collaboration and partnership; with core values based on integrity and respect. The focus should be on successful outcomes for the citizens that consume our services. 

Techwire: Most of your career has been with the Department of Motor Vehicles. What’s the biggest difference, culturally and practically, between DMV and CDSS?

Wong: While the missions of the two departments are different, both are wonderful organizations that face similar challenges in meeting customer and partner demands. One of the biggest differences I’ve observed is the size of the Health and Human Services Agency (CDSS’ parent entity) and the level of dependency amongst the agency departments in meeting their goals. Many major projects and initiatives impact multiple departments within the agency, which puts the ability to collaborate and communicate at a premium. Another big difference is that the majority of CDSS programs, while state-supervised, are county-administered, which makes CDSS’ role as a service provider to the 58 counties much broader and highlighted.   

Techwire: With the widely publicized job reclassification among state IT workers and managers, what effect has it had — or do you expect it to have — on the IT side of your department?

Wong: The IT Classification Consolidation is a big step towards improving the state’s information technology workforce structure. In the short term, it creates an additional workload as departments work to get their IT organizations aligned within the current guidelines of the consolidation effort. Long-term, I believe this new structure will allow departments to better recruit, retain and adapt their Information Technology workforce to the state’s ever-changing business needs.

Techwire: How and what do you like to hear from vendors? What are the tipoffs that they understand your needs and wants? Can you tell when a vendor is familiar with your strategic report?

Wong: I do enjoy hearing from vendors, particularly when they feel they have a product or idea that can help solve a business problem. I believe partnering with the vendor community is critical in the state’s success. I am particularly interested in establishing professional relationships with those that are not only interested in selling their products, but sharing innovative ideas and thoughts.

Techwire: What were your takeaways from the recent California CIO Academy?

Wong: The CIO Academy has always been one of my favorite events, and this year was no exception. I enjoyed the opportunity to participate as a panel member and had a chance to attend a couple other breakout sessions as well. The biggest takeaway for me was a constant theme of collaboration. Whether talking about strategic planning, governance, or evaluating and implementing enterprise technology solutions, I heard repeatedly about the need for collaboration at all levels. 

Techwire: Do you have a mentor among CIOs/AIOs? Are you a mentor to anyone?

Wong: I have mentors at multiple levels within state government. Getting different perspectives has helped me to approach things with a strategic and enterprise perspective; ultimately helping me become a better leader. I am particularly appreciative of the support I've received from the CIO/AIO community. Many have reached out and offered their support and advice,  which has been extremely helpful in my successful transition to my role as CIO for DSS. As far as serving as a mentor, I’ve had the honor of being approached by many people who have sought my advice and enjoy those relationships to pass down what I have learned. A very important part of my role is investing in and developing future leaders of state government. And quite frankly, helping others reach their potential and achieve their professional goals is very rewarding to me. The best advice I’ve received and passed on to others is to be an authentic leader. I don’t believe that you can truly achieve success trying to be someone you are not. You also must be willing to put in the work.

Techwire: What programs, projects or initiatives are just over the horizon for DSS? What should vendors be watching for?

Wong: Some of my major focus points for the year from a tactical perspective are on assessing and enhancing our Information Security program; creating a new IT Strategic Plan to clearly define our IT vision, goals, and values; developing our governance (enterprise, IT, data); and enhancing our Quality Assurance program.

Techwire: What are you reading? Hobbies? 

Wong: I am a big sports fan and spend most of my free time with family and supporting my kids’ extracurricular activities.