Welcome to the January 2020 Q&A.
The Q&A addresses questions and suggestions received through the online suggestion box (top, right, menu bar on the intranet). The submission form is setup to be anonymous.
We respond to questions with agency-wide relevance. We cannot answer questions that may affect client or staff/personnel confidentiality. If you have individual- or office-specific questions, please communicate those within your office or division.
Some questions/suggestions are summarized or simplified in the interest of clarity, brevity or to address tone.
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Suggestion/Question: The directories page has many spelling errors as well as incorrect information. Who updates and manages the directories page? Who reviews the information to make sure it is accurate? The misinformation can be misleading to clients who are looking for an address or a particular person whose name is spelled incorrect.
Response: When CPCS moved to the new website in 2015, it was agreed that each division and office would have the ability and would update their respective web pages. This was done so they could tailor communication to the needs of their staff and clients, and more quickly update their sites. This also would remove IT from being a bottleneck to communications and messaging, which was a significant concern within the Agency. So, each division / office is responsible for update.
Also, as a result of this change, we trained staff to perform this function and have been offering training in modifying the web sites two to three times per year since (most recently in October).
So, specifically to your question:
- The directories are updated and managed by the respective division or office who owns them.
- They should be reviewed by their respective division or office for accuracy and completeness.
If you see a page with inaccuracies or omissions, contact that office’s AIC or a divisional managing director to make them aware of the issues.
Division: Information Technology – Daniel Saroff
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Suggestion/Question: A member of staff received one of the KnowBe4 (our phishing testing vendor) regular security newsletters (see italics text, below). In response, the following question was asked, “Is CPCS in the process of establishing such a policy?”
KnowBe4 Security Tips – It’s not your personal computer.
Should you be doing that on your work computer?
Personal pictures, social networking, online banking… These are the kind of things that you should try not to have/do on your work computer.
Work computers are for work, visiting work-related web sites, researching, emailing, generating PowerPoint slideshows, etc.
Much like posts to social networking sites… everything you say or do can be used against you.
Acceptable use policy
Most organizations (perhaps yours too) have a ‘workstation acceptable use policy’ with regards to proper use of your work computer.
If there is one and you haven’t read it, you should…
Response: They are established. A succinct description of reasonable computer use is in the “Personnel Policies Manual” Section 5.2 found on the HR page of our intranet. http://cpcs-intranet/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2018/05/Personnel-Policies-Manual-2018-05-21.pdf
Division: Information Technology – Daniel Saroff
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Suggestion/Question: Why are some of the names and many of the phone numbers on the directory page on the internet site different from the Staff Directory?
Response: When the new website was rolled out at the beginning of 2015, besides the new technology and design, there was also a new process decided where the divisions (PD, MH, CAFL, YAD) and departments (IT, HR, Finance, A&O, etc.) would be responsible for maintaining the data in their respective portions of the website. This includes the directory information posted. All divisions and departments have people trained and with permission to update the directories (and other content) as they change.
If you find an error that needs to be corrected, you can identify whom to contact by clicking the “CPCS Web and Intranet Contacts” link at the bottom of each web page. This listing shows the respective editors for each division or department responsible for these updates.
Division: IT – Daniel Saroff
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Suggestion/Question: I have worked two jobs a week for 43 years, and knowing in advance which train I can take to my second job is very important. Can we get a few days notice on early releases before a holiday? I can’t understand why the notifications are so late and it would help me (and many staff) if we knew this earlier.
Response: Thanks so much for this great suggestion! We implemented it for the early releases for December 25th and January 1st. We hope it helped!
Division: Human Resources – Lisa Bacon
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Suggestion/Question: Does the agency have a continuity plan? Has it been communicated? Who are the folks considered “essential personnel” that would need to report to work in the event something major happened? Where would they report – do we have secondary operation locations? What’s the emergency/communication plan? Has facilities ever run a fire drill? The alarms went off once and not everybody left the building and it was real – what has been put into place on the floors for someone to check the restrooms and “sweep” the floor to make sure that everyone evacuates in the event of a fire? Do folks know where the emergency exits are in case elevator is unusable and front stairs are inaccessible? Who exactly is responsible for ensuring my safety?
Response: We have an emergency notification system – provided by Trumpia, our text-blasting service. When we want some but not all employees to report to work, either statewide or in any given office, we will continue to notify personnel by text and email. For example, during the IT Crisis, we made decisions over time about who needed to report to work and who did not. All AICs have been trained on how to select a skeleton crew at their respective offices, and the AICs also have the authority to close offices in emergencies. We have a number of back-up systems that permit us to function under a range of emergencies. The senior management team is also in the process of creating a business continuation plan
Division: Multiple