Information Technology Advisory Committee

(a) Areas of focus

The committee makes recommendations to the council for improving the administration of justice through the use of technology and for fostering cooperative endeavors to resolve common technological issues with other stakeholders in the justice system. The committee promotes, coordinates, and acts as executive sponsor for projects and initiatives that apply technology to the work of the courts.

(b) Additional duties

In addition to the duties described in rule 10.34, the committee must:

(1) Oversee branchwide technology initiatives funded in whole or in part by the state;

(2) Recommend rules, standards, and legislation to ensure compatibility in information and communication technologies in the judicial branch;

(3) Provide input to the Judicial Council Technology Committee on the technology and business requirements of court technology projects and initiatives in funding requests;

(4) Review and recommend legislation, rules, or policies to balance the interests of privacy, access, and security in relation to court technology;

(5) Make proposals for technology education and training in the judicial branch;

(6) Assist courts in acquiring and developing useful technologies;

(7) Establish mechanisms to collect, preserve, and share best practices across the state;

(8) Develop and recommend a tactical technology plan, described in rule 10.16, with input from the individual appellate and trial courts; and

(9) Develop and recommend the committee's annual agenda, identifying individual technology initiatives scheduled for the next year.

(c) Sponsorship of branchwide technology initiatives

(1) Oversight of branchwide technology initiatives

The committee is responsible for overseeing branchwide technology initiatives that are approved as part of the committee's annual agenda. The committee may oversee these initiatives through a workstream model, a subcommittee model, or a hybrid of the two. Under the workstream model, committee members sponsor discrete technology initiatives executed by ad hoc teams of technology experts and experienced project and program managers from throughout the branch. Under the subcommittee model, committee members serve on subcommittees that carry out technology projects and develop and recommend policies and rules.

(2) Technology workstreams

Each technology workstream has a specific charge and duration that align with the objective and scope of the technology initiative assigned to the workstream. The individual tasks necessary to complete the initiative may be carried out by dividing the workstream into separate tracks. Technology workstreams are not advisory bodies for purposes of rule 10.75.

(3) Executive sponsorship of technology workstreams

The committee chair designates a member or two members of the committee to act as executive sponsors of each technology initiative monitored through the workstream model. The executive sponsor assumes overall executive responsibility for project deliverables and periodically provides high-level project status updates to the advisory committee and council. The executive sponsor is responsible for facilitating work plans for the initiative.

A workstream team serves as staff on the initiative and is responsible for structuring, tracking, and managing the progress of individual tasks and milestones necessary to complete the initiative. The executive sponsor recommends, and the chair appoints, a workstream team of technology experts and experienced project and program managers from throughout the branch.

(d) Membership

The committee must include at least one member from each of the following categories:

(1) Appellate justice;

(2) Trial court judicial officer;

(3) Trial court judicial administrator;

(4) Appellate court judicial administrator;

(5) Trial Court Information Officer;

(6) Member of the Senate;

(7) Member of the Assembly;

(8) Representative of the executive branch; and

(9) Lawyer.

(e) Member selection

The two legislative members are appointed by the respective houses. The executive member is appointed by the Governor. The lawyer member is appointed by the State Bar. In making all other appointments to the committee, factors to be considered include a candidate's technology expertise and experience, as well as an ability to act as lead executive sponsor for technology initiatives.

(f) Chair

The Chief Justice appoints a judicial officer to serve as chair.