Unseen, Unheard, Undervalued: The Quiet Crisis at DTI

By 4 a.m., the CIO and senior leadership were mobilizing. A routine security update had turned into a nightmare—CrowdStrike had inadvertently crippled state systems, locking out thousands of Delaware’s government employees. By 7 a.m., DTI had coordinated with Information Resource Managers (IRMs) across state agencies, and by day’s end, a remediation plan was in place.

The next morning, a unified force of technicians, directors, and even Cabinet Secretaries worked alongside the Delaware National Guard to restore operations. DTI was momentarily in the spotlight, praised for its response. Yet, once the crisis subsided, the agency returned to the shadows, struggling with deep-seated issues that have long plagued its operations.

Employees are no longer silently enduring these struggles—they are writing op-eds, sending letters to legislators, and pleading for change. A particularly damning letter sent to state leadership outlined a pattern of poor leadership, stifled innovation, and a toxic work culture. The response? Silence. No acknowledgment, no internal communication—just business as usual.

The Silent Backbone of State Government

DTI is the foundation of Delaware’s digital infrastructure, maintaining critical systems for public safety, health services, and education. But because its work is behind the scenes, it remains largely invisible. When things function smoothly, no one notices. When they fail, DTI is the first to be blamed.

Unlike agencies such as Education or Health and Social Services, which can leverage public sentiment to drive legislative action, DTI lacks this advantage. It has no public-facing dashboards or advocacy channels, making it difficult to secure funding or influence policy.

Many of DTI’s largest projects, such as the GoDE portal and broadband expansion, were not internally developed but handed down from higher offices, often without proper funding or staffing. This reactive environment leaves no room for true innovation—only endless firefighting.

Aging Infrastructure and the Looming Crisis

Delaware’s IT infrastructure is alarmingly outdated, with 20-to-30-year-old systems supporting critical government functions. The state’s network, which supports K-12 schools and emergency services, was never designed to handle modern demands, yet DTI is expected to keep it running with insufficient resources.

A Workforce on the Brink

Adding to the crisis, up to 30% of DTI employees are eligible for retirement, and much of their institutional knowledge is undocumented. The agency is already struggling to recruit younger IT professionals, as it cannot compete with private-sector salaries.

Instead of addressing these concerns, leadership tolerates a toxic culture where tenured employees wield unchecked influence simply because their knowledge is irreplaceable. Meanwhile, younger employees—who value career growth over pensions—see no long-term future at DTI.

Will Legislators Take Action?

With the Joint Finance Committee hearings approaching, legislators must ask tough questions. DTI cannot survive on a “keep-the-lights-on” strategy forever. Issues that need urgent attention:

Funding: Will DTI receive the resources needed to modernize and hire top IT talent?

Transparency: Why does DTI have so little visibility in legislative and public discussions?

Cybersecurity: What measures are being taken to protect state systems against modern threats?

A Call for Change

DTI’s failures are not due to incompetence but an unrealistic expectation to do too much with too little for too long. If Delaware is serious about modernizing government IT, protecting critical infrastructure, and ensuring state agencies function effectively, it must invest in DTI—not just financially, but structurally and culturally.

The time for neglect is over. It’s time to give DTI the tools it needs to succeed.