Indiana opens state technology center

Indiana has completed its Management and Performance Hub Technology Center, which aims to bring greater effectiveness, efficiency and transparency to state government by using real-time data technology.

The technology center will allow the governor’s office, the Office of Management and Budget and state agency analysts to access and visualize data in a variety of layouts and formats that will allow analysts to collaborate in pursuit of innovative solutions to public policy problems.

“Welcome to the future of state government, where Indiana will combine strong financial management with the speed of business,” Indiana Gov. Mike Pence said in a statement. “Our MPH Technology Center will help us better collaborate to solve some of Indiana’s toughest problems, allowing state government to run more effectively, with enhanced efficiency, and with better transparency for taxpayers.”

The completion of the center is the third step in Pence’s larger MPH initiative. The first was an executive order that launched the initiative and created a system of data sharing among state agencies, while the second was the launch of the official web site.

Paul Baltzell, Indiana’s chief information officer, previously spoke with StateScoop about the initiative. The goal, he said, was using state data to help solve problems that affect the lives of Indiana residents.

On the top of that list includes lowering the infant mortality and child fatality rates across the state. The goal is to use data collected by different agencies across the state and connect them in ways that will ultimately be beneficial to residents.

The technology center was built at no additional cost to taxpayers. Funding for the MPH Technology Center comes from two sources: savings by consolidating six OMB employees out of leased space and into the technology center and a portion of the $500,000 grant to the state of Indiana from the Lilly Endowment for the MPH Initiative.

Indiana has worked with SAP to secure the technology necessary to power the MPH initiative.