Agency IT Plan Review and Evaluation
Since 1980, State agencies and institutions in South Carolina have been required by law to submit to a State central planning office annual information technology (IT) plans setting forth their plans for the use of information technology for the next fiscal year. Today, the State central planning office is the Office of Research and Planning within the Division of the State CIO.
Agency IT plans are submitted each year about the same time agencies are submitting their budgets to the Office of the State Budget. Routine plans are evaluated by the Planning Office and returned to the agency either approved or deferred for lack of justification or information. All plans involving new appropriated funds are coordinated with the Office of the State Budget. Major plans, plans involving high cost, risky undertakings, or multiple agencies, are extracted and set aside for special attention.

Portfolio Management
The Planning Office will select certain of the major plans and make them part of an applications portfolio. The plans and applications in the portfolio will be closely monitored by the Planning Office throughout their implementation. Candidates for the portfolio will be plans and applications having a potential to greatly impact the State’s overall IT strategic direction and those that cross agency boundaries..

Synthesis of a Statewide Strategy
One of the mandates in the section the Code of Laws that establishes the Planning Office charges it with the responsibility of developing a Statewide strategic IT plan. The Planning Office, in determining the content of this plan, relies heavily upon the strategic directions set forth in the agencies’ IT plans and also upon the directions and standards established by the State Enterprise Architecture Committee.

Management Reports
In January of each year when the State Legislature reconvenes, the Planning Office provides them with management summaries depicting how the State plans to employ its information technology resources in the coming fiscal year and what the total cost is expected to be. This information is critical to the decisions the Legislature will make in developing the budget bill.
In April, various reports summarizing the State’s planning initiatives are placed on the Planning Office’s web site and made available to all State agencies.

IT Architecture Committee Support
On an as-needed basis, the entire Planning Office staff serves as administrative and technical support to the newly-formed SCEA (South Carolina Enterprise Architecture).
Consulting Services When requested, the Planning Office provides planning and management analysis assistance to agencies and institutions.

Research
On-going research is conducted into emerging technologies and industry trends. Significant findings are posted to the Planning Office web site for access by State agencies and institutions.