Department of Innovation and Technology Moves Forward in Transforming Illinois' Digital Landscape

SPRINGFIELD - Governor Bruce Rauner and State CIO Hardik Bhatt announced today the Administration is moving forward in the formation of the new Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT). The Secretary of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) and the Director of the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) also joined the Governor to explain how their respective agencies have started to transform and modernize their departments' IT systems.

"Modernizing Illinois' technology by consolidating resources and services under a single agency will allow us to be more efficient while saving taxpayers money," Governor Rauner said. "We are well on our way to providing quicker and more effective services to Illinois taxpayers and businesses. DoIT brings Illinois out of the technological stone age."

"We are on a digital transformation journey, and our vision is to provide Illinoisans high-value, customer-centric technology," said Bhatt, who will become the Secretary of DoIT. "The Governor's action and legislature's bipartisan support have created the Department of Innovation and Technology, which will allow us to accelerate our modernization."

Since last year, the Rauner Administration began taking steps to transform Illinois' digital services. IDFPR recently announced it has started migrating from paper-based license renewals to electronic-license renewals. IDOC has implemented the Offender360 program to reduce paperwork, while improving the efficiency of Illinois' public safety workers.

"By enacting a paperless renewal process and shifting towards an electronic verification of licensure, we increase efficiency, reduce costs, and provide an overall better experience for our licensed professionals," said IDFPR Secretary Bryan A. Schneider. "These changes will enhance our licensed professionals experience and create a regulatory environment more conducive to strong economic growth and opportunity."

"Offender 360 brings real transformation to the Illinois Department of Corrections," IDOC Director John Baldwin said. "It allows us to track offenders digitally to provide real time information about their needs in a way that we have never been able to before. Offender 360 will allow us to create a more streamlined offender intake process and improve workflow for staff. As we continue to build on the system, we'll be able to share data with other human service and law enforcement agencies, which will reduce paper usage and give staff a more timely and better understanding of the offender's background."

Created under Executive Order 16-01, DoIT will consolidate all IT services in Illinois into one central agency. In the two months since the Governor signed the Executive Order, the proposal has received bipartisan support ensuring DoIT becomes a reality.