Moderator Phil Bertolini, vice president of e.Republic*, posed these questions to Bridges Cruz and fellow panelists Jennie Strobeck of Adobe and Steve Witt of Nintex: Can we keep a dispersed workforce engaged over the long term? How do we create a culture that fits the times we live in? Should we be thinking differently about technology and security?
The answer to the first question, according to the OPD chief, is a resounding yes. All four of OPD’s key courses — the flagship Information Technology Leadership Academy (ITLA), the Digital Services Innovation Academy, the Project Management Leadership Academy and the Information Security Leadership Academy — have drawn increased interest.
“Going back to March 2020, everybody was sent home, kind of suddenly,” Bridges Cruz said. “We had maybe two weeks (to prepare), knowing that this was going to come. We were actually in the middle of ITLA 27 at that time, and as everything stopped, we said, ‘Students, we will get back to you as soon as we figure out what’s going on.’ Nobody at that time had any idea we would be working remote for as long as we did. We thought maybe through the end of March — two weeks or something.”
Once a few weeks had gone by with no end in sight to the remote-work order, Bridges Cruz said, it was time to make some decisions. The ITLA academy was about three-quarters of the way through the 17-week program, and OPD wanted to find a way to let them graduate the course and earn their credential.
“We made it work,” she said. “We figured out a way to make it work virtually.” This, she noted, required cooperation from the vendors and academy alumni who lead various aspects of the academy curriculum, and the students themselves, who come from the public sector. The graduation was delayed by several weeks, but it finished successfully. The graduation ceremony — normally a festive in-person event — was also held online.
“And everything has been virtual since,” Bridges Cruz said. “We have not had any classes in person since March 2020.” As the online protocol has become the new norm, she said, “we got better and better at it and more proficient with our technology.” She said the academies use both Microsoft Teams and Zoom, with the latter being the video platform of choice for the classes, and Teams used for document sharing and other functions.
Bridges Cruz said OPD has been working to equip CDT’s training center with the technology needed to accommodate a hybrid setup, with some students remote and others in the classroom, for when that time comes. That involves video and audio capabilities so all students can see and hear one another, whether in person or remote. She said her staff has been gathering CDT’s existing computer equipment, including re-purposing some devices, for use in a hybrid format.
She said OPD didn’t spend money on new technology to accommodate the shift; they used cameras and speakers and other devices that the department already owned.
“If we bought anything, it was cables and things like that,” she said.
For now, OPD is planning to hold ITLA 29, which begins in January, virtually — at least for the first couple of months. She said she and her staff will assess the COVID-19 situation in March and decide then whether to remain remote or return in a hybrid format.
In addition to a surge in interest in the academies among state workers, OPD has also noted an increase in applications from public-sector employees elsewhere in California. OPD has traditionally welcomed workers from counties, municipalities and special districts, but enrollment from that group was limited by distance when the classes were in person.
Now, with virtual instruction, it doesn’t limit the ability of those other public-sector technologists from joining their state colleagues in the virtual classroom. ITLA accepts 24 students per class, and Bridges Cruz said there are typically two applications for every available spot.
OPD has also begun offering “boot camps,” shorter versions of the academies, to supplement the academy offerings.
Assuming we ever reach the point of being “post-pandemic,” Bridges Cruz said, the hybrid format is likely to remain a permanent offering, for two reasons: Some people simply won’t feel safe gathering in groups for health reasons; and the remote offering will permanently open the courses to those in local governments who wouldn’t have been able to attend the classes in Sacramento for logistical or financial reasons, as many local governments have eliminated travel budgets in the time of remote work.
Bridges Cruz noted that the social and professional networking that had always been a popular part of the academies, particularly ITLA, has taken a hit. OPD has begun opening the video platforms a half-hour before classes start, and creating online breakout rooms, just so students can connect online and enjoy some of the social aspects of the academy.
“We’ve had to be really conscious about making opportunities for the students to still be able to do that in a virtual way … encouraging that personal and social component of it.”
With so many uncertainties ahead, Bridges Cruz had one final message as she reflected on the past 18 months: “A special shout-out to my OPD team who listened to my visions of new boot camps and a hybrid training environment and made them a reality. It’s largely due to their hard work that our programs are successful.”
*Government Technology is part of e.Republic, parent company of Techwire.
