By using information technology not just as a tool, but as a catalyst for a reassessment of mission and a resetting of goals, government has an enormous opportunity to bring home these rewards - and get results. That is why, in spite of the Council's name, this report is not a testimonial to modern technology. It is a call to action for government to re-engineer itself with a focus on improving outcomes. And, it is about some of the ways that information technology can help. A focus on outcomes is essential because a computer is not a magic elixir that fixes an under-performing system simply by being unpacked, plugged in, and turned on.
Technology can only solve the problems it is given.
By itself, it solves nothing at all. Unless senior managers correctly perceive their department's mission, automation will only help get them a faster answer to the wrong question. In other words, garbage in, garbage out - an expression coined in the early days of computers that still holds true today. Therefore, California's schools and agencies need to do much more than contract for technology from our leading-edge companies. They should also adopt some of the ways these companies do business.