Chicago City Council December 14, 2022
Referred to the Committee on Economic, Capital, and Technology Development
RESOLUTION CALLING FOR A SUBJECT MATTER HEARING WITH TOP INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY VENDORS CONTRACTED WITH THE CITY TO DISCUSS REQUIRED REPORTING AND RELATED FINDINGS, IN ADDITION TO EFFORTS TO EXPAND DIVERSITY AND EQUITY WITHIN TECHNOLOGY FOR ALL CHICAGOANS
WHEREAS, Major cities across the Nation, like the City of Chicago (City), rely on technology as an essential part of government operation, collaboration, and innovation; and
WHEREAS, The City has historically struggled to develop, execute, and strengthen technology in an equitable manner across all 77 neighborhoods; and
WHEREAS, In 2021, Gartner-a world-renowned research, advisory, and consulting firm-released the "2021 IT Strategic Plan" (Gartner Report) addressing the City's current state of technology and related roadmap for using technology to better serve Chicagoans; and
WHEREAS, The Gartner Report called on the City to overcome current challenges through a structured approach that included several recommendations such as prioritization of vendor capabilities/capacity to support modernization; and
WHEREAS, Additionally, the Gartner Report revealed the City spends over 50% of its IT Budget on vendors—a significantly higher percentage than typically allocated by other cities; and
WHEREAS, The City's significant vendor spending illustrates a momentous opportunity to create and expand equity, access, and accountability with IT modernization through procurement practices that combat systemic tech barriers, while simultaneously empowering representation inclusive of those most-often experiencing such limitations; and
WHEREAS, Recognizing the power of intentional procurement practices as a serious tool in alleviating these challenges, the Mayor issued Executive Order 2021-2 (Order) calling for reporting requirements concerning Certified Firm Utilization Transparency and Business Diversity Program Informa...
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