WHEREAS, pursuant to S.C. Code Ann. §1-11-430 (Supp. 1995), §11-35-1580 (1986), and South Carolina Regulation 19-445.2000 et.seq., and its obligation to South Carolinians to improve efficiency, State Government is responsible for, among other things, providing broad-based accessibility to its goods, services, and information resources; creating a favorable economic climate; enhancing quality of life; and insuring the optimal performance of government through the efficient and effective use of technology; and

WHEREAS, information and information resources, including technologies residing in the various agencies of state government, are strategic assets belonging to the people of South Carolina that must be managed as valuable state resources; and

WHEREAS, State Government has been involved with, and participated in, a number of state, regional and national information technology efforts, including network-based applications of various government functions, such as electronic benefit transfer (EBT), electronic parent locator services (EPLN), child support (CSENet), taxpaying services (Taxconnect), commercial research network (SUNAnet), statewide voice and data communications (SCIN/ETN) and information services, regionally, statewide (MIDnet, Appnet and COASTnet, and SCIway), nationally and internationally (Internet, gopher and World Wide Web services); and

WHEREAS, historically, most existing State Government information resources have been established and maintained as single-purpose, stand-alone applications, and technologies supporting these information resources have been uncoordinated; and,

WHEREAS, well-designed, planned, and managed information resources and interoperable, interconnective technologies among agencies and programs are essential to support sharing information resources, within necessary security restrictions, across programmatic, agency, governmental, institutional, and other public and private-sector lines; and,

WHEREAS, business management, agency technology, and private sector resources should be brought together to improve the availability of services and information to the citizens of this state, without regard to location, while increasing efficiency, reducing costs and promoting economic development; and
WHEREAS, the need for the transfer of information among agencies of government, state, regional, and local, in the most timely and useful form possible requires a uniform policy and coordinated approach for the use and acquisition of information resources and technologies; and

WHEREAS, the Budget and Control Board, in partnership with the South Carolina Department of Education, South Carolina Educational Television, MidNet, COASTnet, and APPnet, and funded in part by a grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) of the U. S. Department of Commerce, is assessing applications and networks in progress, current and future technology/network requirements of the State's various "communities of interest", and the practicality and advantages of combining private and public resources to improve the State's information resources and technologies.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDERED, pursuant to the authority vested in me by the Constitution and Statutes of this State, that:

1. There is hereby created the Information Resources Council of South Carolina, to:
   • assist agencies in the development and implementation of sound business plans that include the effective and efficient use of information resources and technologies throughout government;

   • oversee and coordinate development of statewide policies, strategies, goals and objectives derived from sound business plans for how information resources and technologies shall be planned, managed and used;

   • oversee and coordinate development of a statewide information infrastructure that supports the State's strategic goals;

   • foster interagency and intergovernmental projects that share staff, budgets, information resources, and facilities to plan, collect, process, transmit and store data and information;

   • provide a forum that encourages innovation and creativity in the application of information resources and stimulates defining and resolving barriers to efficient and effective development, use and sharing of information resources among public, private, national, state and local interests; and

   • provide impetus to development of integrated statewide networks that cost-effectively facilitate sharing of and access to information, computing, and communications resources.

2. The Information Resources Council of South Carolina shall consist of nine members appointed by the Governor:
   • Four members representing business manager/programmatic interests within a state or local agency or organization and information technology interests within a state or local agency or organization; and

   • Five members representing the private sector with either business or technology interests.

   • A member of the Governor's Staff and the Executive Director of the Budget and Control Board shall serve as ex-officio members of the Council.

3. The Council to be appointed by me shall reflect a cross-section of the functional areas of State Government that may include, but not be limited to Legislative, Technology, Information and Media Services, Education, Commerce/Industry/Agriculture, Health/Medicine/Social Services, Emergency Environmental and Natural Resources interests.

   AND FURTHER, the membership plan shall have a system for sub-committees and work groups that will draw upon all state agencies and membership groups so as to bring all available expertise on issues the Council addresses.

4. The Office of the Executive Director of the State Budget and Control Board shall provide the Council with such primary support and resources as it may request and as he deems proper; including requesting that State agencies cooperate fully with the Council and provide staff support, as needed; directing the State's Information Technology Advisory Committee to make recommendations to the Council regarding its proposed information technology resources planning, policies, procedures, standards, etc.; and appointing a secretary to coordinate and direct all staff support.

5. The Council shall submit to the Office of the Governor, annually, a report on the State's technology inventory, including its infrastructure, workforce, management, critical applications, goals and objectives.

UPON CONSIDERATION AND EVALUATION OF THE COUNCIL'S INITIAL REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS, I will consult with the Council concerning such further action as is appropriate.

GIVEN UNDER MY HAND AND THE GREAT SEAL OF THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, THIS 5TH DAY OF MARCH, 1996

_____________________________________
DAVID M. BEASLEY
Governor

ATTEST:

___________________________________
JAMES M. MILES - Secretary of State

Last Updated: Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 11:17 A.M.