• Bear Tracks Self-Driving Shuttle

    As we look to adapt our communities to technology that is evolving on an ever rapid pace, projects such as MnDOT's Bear Tracks Self-Driving Shuttle offer a prototype for cross-sector partnerships that represent a comprehensive subset of stakeholders. In this panel discussion, presenters will discuss what lead to White Bear Lake's interest in participating, why MnDOT's Connected and Automated Vehicle (CAV) Office is championing pilot projects of CAV technology, and the collaborative nature of the project including public, private, education and non-profit partners.

    Room 1
    Wed 10:00 am - 11:00 am
    • Beginning
    Who is the Audience?
    Everyone
    Learning Objectives
    As a result of this session, attendees will understand how to: 1) facilitate cross-sector collaborations, 2) advance the technology of tomorrow and 3) utilize user-centered design in planning for the future

  • Modernizing for Operational Efficiency

    A Minnesota state agency's application infrastructure relied on a legacy cloud provider which resulted in high costs through a managed hosting contract, low resiliency, and longer than expected service outages. The CIO had a vision to migrate to a public cloud, introduce more agile development tools, and build an application recovery service. Hear how a small cloud team accomplished all three and modernized with the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud and AWS Consulting Partner Atlasticity.

    Room 7
    Wed 10:00 am - 11:00 am
    • Beginning
    Who is the Audience?
    Agencies or departments who are hesitant to take on a journey to the cloud because of limited staff or staff with limited cloud skills.
    Learning Objectives
    How to get started on migration. Ask the audience: Do you have application migrations in your strategy. What are your obstacles? Patrick and Norman present answers.
    Sponsored By:
    AWS

  • Virtual Session: A Path Towards Conscious Inclusive Design Decisions

    In a world of 7.8 billion people, where every person interacts with the design and its environment in its unique way, how do you commence the process of Inclusion?

    In this session you will gain hands-on experience in applying inclusive design practices, while at the same time making conscious and responsible design choices using the designed tool, “The User Mapping Canvas” and “Cards for inclusion."

    Virtual Room 2
    Wed 10:00 am - 11:00 am
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    Designers; Decision-makers; User Researchers; Project Managers; Team lead
    Learning Objectives
    As a result of this session, attendees will be able to: 1) Apply inclusive design practices while making conscious and responsible choices. 2) Identify a clear pathway to implement inclusive design. 3) Learn a practical tool that is easily applicable in varied industries.

  • Virtual Session: Keeping Up With WCAG

    The creation of accessible experiences goes beyond checking a list and relying on third-party tools to evaluate and implement accessibility. Ensuring accessibility requires a unique intersection of knowledge and technical expertise, the application of accessibility principles and guidelines, and a thorough understanding of key elements of human-centered design. In this session, we will analyze the advancing WCAG standards, present a real case study where WCAG 2.1 standards were applied to a large government agency, and discuss what lessons and best practices agencies may apply in their accessibility journey.

    Virtual Room 1
    Wed 10:00 am - 11:00 am
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced
    Who is the Audience?
    Government agencies and organizations with public-facing websites and applications.
    Learning Objectives
    As a result of this session, attendees will: 1. Understand the advancing WCAG accessibility standards 2. Embrace accessibility early in the design process 3. Establish strong processes for incorporating accessibility into human-centered design

  • Building a Digital Front Door for Government Services

    Government front doors can range from physical locations like the DMV, a contact center providing 311 services or agency websites like ssa.gov.
    Increasingly though, citizens expect the government to provide the same DIGITAL experience as they get from Amazon or Target. Because of that, governments have recognized the need to deliver ‘No Wrong Door’. This approach allows their citizens to easily access the great programs and services they offer, regardless of which agency delivers the service.
    Join us for a live demonstration and hear a panel interview with MN DHS on how their team is delivering a digital front door for child care providers.

    Room 8
    Wed 10:00 am - 11:00 am
    Learning Objectives
    Learn how government agencies across the country are building a digital front door for services. See a digital front door in action. Hear from a government leaders on how their agency is modernizing.
    Sponsored By:
    Salesforce

  • Hennepin County’s Digital Accessibility Journey

    Join us to hear the story of Hennepin County’s journey to make digitally accessible services a priority and responsibility for all employees. Hear how the team combined a grassroots and traditional government top-down approach to launch the effort for a county-wide policy. Learn about:
    • the impetus of this journey,
    • obstacles faced when implementing a digital accessibility policy,
    • creating a training plan for employees, and
    • developing a sustainability plan to ensure digital services meet brand standards and are accessible to residents.

    In this interactive session, participants have an opportunity to share their challenges and gain insights on how to prioritize digital accessibility in their work. Hennepin County is committed to making digital content and products usable for everyone, including people who live with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive impairments.

    Room 1
    Wed 11:15 am - 12:15 pm
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    Web, IT, and business staff looking to implement digital accessibility in their organizations. Roles include but are not limited to web specialist, business analyst, project manager, designer, developer, and product manager.
    Learning Objectives
    As a result of this session, attendees will: 1) Learn how to begin implementing digital accessibility in their organization. 2) Identify multiple realistic and achievable methods including implementing policy, procuring training, and sustaining support for employees.

  • Are You Content-Forward? How the Right Strategy Can Save Time, Money, and Headaches

    Designing a government website without first taking stock of its content is like sewing a dress without measuring the person who will wear it. It might fit and be flattering … or it might not. Learn how you can take a content-forward approach, starting content work much earlier than the traditional website design process, pacing tasks in manageable chunks, and ensuring that the site you build works for the content you need. Say farewell to the last-minute scramble to fill your site with content, and say hello to high-quality content that lets your site live up to its full potential.

    Room 6
    Wed 11:15 am - 12:15 pm
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    Anyone who works on their government website or is a stakeholder on the direction of their website strategy.
    Learning Objectives
    As a result of this session attendees will: 1. gain an appreciation for the importance of government website content; 2. recognize that content knowledge matters; 3. understand that content process matters.

  • The Hardest Question: Asking Users With Disabilities

    We know we should include users with disabilities in our design and development considerations, but are we really? What's holding us back, and how do we move forward?

    A group of digital experts living with disabilities from Digital Accessibility by WeCo, will help you break the ice and understand how to engage insights from real users with disabilities. Bring your curiosity and know that no question you ask us is ever the wrong one!

    Room 7
    Wed 11:15 am - 12:15 pm
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced
    Who is the Audience?
    Digital designers, developers, content managers. But also anyone who can benefit from learning how to interact effectively with stakeholder living with disabilities.
    Learning Objectives
    1. Unearthing common fears about interacting with people with disabilities 2. Simple steps to finding users with disabilities and respectfully soliciting their feedback 3) Interfacing directly with WeCo Testers an Specialists with disabilities--there is no wrong question!

  • Building an Enterprise Data Fabric

    Businesses are challenged in their efforts to put data to work. The growth in data sprawl and volume, diverse ecosystems and varied existing management systems hinders optimal data usage. Research shows that up to 68% of data is not analyzed in most organizations and up to 82% of enterprises are inhibited by data silos.

    A data fabric is an architectural approach to simplify data access in an organization to facilitate self-service data consumption. This architecture is agnostic to data environments, processes, utility and geography, all while integrating end-to-end data- management capabilities. A data fabric automates data discovery, governance and consumption, enabling enterprises to use data to maximize their value chain. With a data fabric, enterprises elevate the value of their data by providing the right data, at the right time, regardless of where it resides. To become fully data-driven requires enterprises to utilize an integrated data strategy and architecture that overcomes data complexity challenges.

    Room 6
    Wed 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced
    Who is the Audience?
    Data engineers, Data stewards, Data base administrators, LOB executives, Enterprise data architects etc.
    Learning Objectives
    As a result of this session, attendees will be able to identify data Integration best practices and tools.

  • Improving UX with Accessible Web Standards

    Accessibility-focused web standards create a shared effective design language between cross-functional teams, aiding in building inclusive digital products and consistent experiences for both employees and residents. In this session, learn how web standard design systems deliver better user experiences, creating cohesive and consistent digital products that guide stronger strategy for future projects.

    Room 5
    Wed 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
    • Beginning
    Who is the Audience?
    Developers, designers, content creators
    Learning Objectives
    As a result of this session attendees will recognize the importance of web standard design systems, and apply those standards to ensure accessibility and a shared understanding.

  • Virtual Session: Navigating the Technology Waters of Local Government

    Local government IT leaders need to stay abreast of current technology requirements, expectations and opportunities, and how to be successful in related implementations. In this session we will focus on the current technology environment that local government is faced with. Priorities to be covered include cyber, digital transformation, cloud implementation and data governance.

    Virtual Room 2
    Wed 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced
    Who is the Audience?
    IT leaders and decision makers
    Learning Objectives
    1) Understand national trends and requirements with technology in local government. 2) Learn successful methods in addressing those national trends and requirements. 3) Take away options for types of and how to develop and nurture partnerships at the national, state and local level.

  • Best Practices for Conducting an Accessible Remote Meeting

    This session will show you how to consider the needs of everyone, when planning a remote meeting using Zoom or Teams. Do everything from the keyboard and make sure the needs of disabled persons are met.

    Ballroom B
    Wed 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
    • Beginning
    Who is the Audience?
    Anyone conducting or participating in meetings via Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
    Learning Objectives
    * Consider the needs of all participants, including those with disabilities, in a remote meeting. * Learn how to run or participate in a Zoom or Microsoft Teams meeting not using a mouse. * Learn about the best practices and procedures when conducting a meeting in which disabled persons are taking part, such as proper use of chat.

  • Accessibility Compliance on Government Websites

    Web accessibility is the law. Governments are being sued, fined, and exposed for being inaccessible. But what are the laws? How do I know if my website is accessible? How can I ensure people with disabilities can use my website?
    In this session, we will unpack what web accessibility means for local government, what the rules are, and how you can ensure that you are not only compliant, but that you have an accessible website that works for everyone, regardless of ability. We will discuss how to use your website to ensure equity for people who have a disability.

    Room 1
    Thu 10:00 am - 11:00 am
    • Beginning
    Who is the Audience?
    Government leaders: State and Local
    Learning Objectives
    To learn the rules that require accessibility; To learn how to strategically have an accessible website, how to tactically have an accessible website

  • Virtual: Leading Digital Transformation: Using Open Principles to Manage Change and Spur Innovation

    Government organizations undergoing digital transformation quickly realize a challenging truth: transformation requires culture change and as much as it does technological change. How are leaders to respond?

    In this session, we explain how principles derived from open source communities—like transparency, inclusivity, and collaboration—can help leaders spur the kinds of cultural changes their transforming organizations require. In addition, these cultural values also help manage people through the changes that digital transformations bring. Participants will explore five key open principles and better understand how they operate to create inclusive, agile, innovative teams. Through exercises and discussion, participants will identify ways they can improve their leadership skills to become more inclusive, adaptable, collaborative, transparent, and community-oriented.

    Virtual Room 1
    Thu 10:00 am - 12:15 pm
    • Beginning
    Who is the Audience?
    Government IT leaders managing teams through periods of change
    Learning Objectives
    1) Recognize principles of openness that lead to successful change. 2) Differentiate between conventional and open leadership styles. 3) Asses personal leadership style and determine initial steps for adapting it.

  • Buying Accessible Tech: Tools and Workflows to Help Any Organization

    The modern technology environment in our teaching, learning, employment and civic settings relies more and more on platforms that we get from a third party. However, it is still our organizations’ responsibility to make sure that we take the accessibility, or lack thereof, into account when we decide to purchase or use a piece of technology. And as individuals, in a variety of roles outside of the purchasing office, we can contribute to making sure that this happens.

    This session will help you to better understand the pieces that need to be in place to make it all happen. You will learn how to use some of the tools and processes that may already be in place to extend their reach to include accessibility. You will also learn about tools and workflows that are entirely specific to accessibility. Together, this suite of resources can help any organization to make accessibility a part of its decision making. No matter your role, you will leave this session with an increased awareness of how to take tangible steps toward better accounting for accessibility in your technology use and purchase decisions.

    Room 1
    Thu 11:15 am - 12:15 pm
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced
    Who is the Audience?
    Procurement and purchasing officers and staff, product owners, contracting, finance, IT, accessibility professionals, vendors
    Learning Objectives
    1) Discuss at least 3 challenges that organizations face when accounting for accessibility in third party products and platforms. 2) Identify at least 5 tools organizations can use to more fully vet candidate vendors and products for accessibility. 3) Identify and discuss how at least 5 organizational roles can contribute to this process.

  • Deliver Reliable Citizen Services and Drive Digital Transformation with Cisco FSO

    As citizens and government staff demand flawless digital experiences for fast, reliable and inclusive engagement, the ability to monitor, optimize and secure applications is essential. Traditional monitoring approaches fall short in providing clear, end-to-end visibility throughout the IT environment and cannot provide a complete understanding of complex, highly-distributed and dynamic application topologies. Cisco full-stack observability with AppDynamics and ThousandEyes moves beyond domain monitoring into full-stack visibility, insights, and actions, transforming siloed data into actionable insights that provide shared context for IT teams at any stage of their digital transformation journey.

    In this session, Gregg Ostrowski, Executive CTO and Angela Self, SLED Systems Engineer at AppDynamics will outline how AppDynamics application performance monitoring enables agencies to reduce alerts to only the most significant, quickly identify and remediate issues without the need for inefficient war rooms and accelerate digital transformation initiatives with fewer resources. They will also demonstrate how with dynamic baselines, anomaly detection and code-level diagnostics agencies can identify problems before users are impacted and dramatically lower MTTR when issues arise.

    Room 6
    Thu 11:15 am - 12:15 pm
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    Government and higher education IT professionals
    Learning Objectives
    1. Monitor application performance with AI driven dynamic baselining and application dependencies in real time at every stage of your digital transformation journey to deliver optimized and secure digital services for citizens and staff. 2. Plan, execute and quickly address technical and performance issues pre and post production with code-level analysis and remediation. 3. Align with mission leaders to provide outcome driven dashboards which focus on citizen experience and mission level KPIs.
    Sponsored By:
    AppDynamics

  • The Sonoma County Story: Collaborating to Support At-Risk Populations

    Merative Care Manager helps care managers and case workers to provide a holistic approach to managing the social determinants of health. This holistic approach to an individual’s support and care means that the care team is not just focusing on the whole person. This can facilitate better engagement with multiple service providers based on assessments of the individual, which in turn can lead to better overall health. Merative Care Manager helps organizations unlock and integrate the full breadth of information from multiple systems and providers, automate care management workflows, and scale to meet the demands of growing populations under management.
    Sonoma’s Challenge
    In 2017 Sonoma County, California, declared a crisis among their unhoused population. Meeting the complex needs of this vulnerable population required more than homes. Sonoma needed organization, collaboration and a technology partner attuned to social services. The county formed Accessing Coordinated Care and Empowering Self Sufficiency (ACCESS) Sonoma. They piloted Merative’s Care Manager solution with 6,500+ people. For the first time, caseworkers accessed integrated care management data across agencies – directly from mobile devices. Sonoma has continued to expand the types of services provided and the population which they serve.

    Room 5
    Thu 11:15 am - 12:15 pm
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced
    Who is the Audience?
    Government agencies and organizations with public clients
    Learning Objectives
    1. How to establish a multidisciplinary team to support complex cohorts. 2. Engaging community providers to improve service delivery. 3. Sharing data across departments and organizations to create a holistic care plan.
    Sponsored By:
    Merative

  • Analytics as a Service

    How can you give the power of visual analytics to your citizens so they can better understand their own data?

    Room 7
    Thu 11:15 am - 12:15 pm
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    Agency leadership and analysts
    Learning Objectives
    How providing analytics as a service creates a premium product for constituents. Show data-to-dashboard lifecycle. How to setup an analytics as service to ensure enterprise-grade security
    Sponsored By:
    Tableau

  • A data chat with Minnesota Department of Health

    Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) continues to innovate and be a leading example for other agencies looking to modernize their data infrastructure strategy. Hear MDH [title] and [title] share their best practices and recommendations for modernizing with speed, prioritizing modernization efforts, and making organizational change.

    Exhibit Hall B
    Thu 1:15 pm - 2:00 pm
    • Beginning
    Learning Objectives
    • Best practices and considerations to modernizing data infrastructure with speed • Approach to prioritizing modernization efforts • Recommendations for organization change supporting data modernization

  • Driving Digital Experience in Local Government

    The pandemic forced government to address gaps in accessible digital service delivery. Future-ready governments must reorganize their approach to service research, design, and delivery to ensure resident needs are intentionally centered and served. Join us to hear how Hennepin County’s Office of Digital Experience (DX) is demonstrating the value of consistently positive and accessible digital service that exceeds residents’ expectations and increases their trust. The panel will discuss successes and challenges in maturing DX approaches to community engagement, resource management and partnerships, UX skillsets, and Agile values.

    Room 1
    Thu 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
    • Beginning
    Who is the Audience?
    IT and business staff needing to restructure to serve residents online. Staff looking to mature UX skillsets
    Learning Objectives
    As a result of this session, attendees will: 1) Learn the role of local government in creating a positive digital experience for users. 2) Hear how to leverage community partnerships to center the resident voice. 3) Hear about successes and challenges of local government meeting residents' digital service delivery expectations.

  • To Improve Digital Inclusivity, Take Cues From Your Government Website’s User Success

    In theory, digital spaces can provide both services and better quality of life to more people than ever before. In practice, too many government websites are not serving diverse populations equally. You want your website to do better and attract historically underprivileged categories, but how do you begin?

    Interpersonal Frequency Chief Growth Officer, Eric Burgess, will reveal the 2021 Government Benchmarking report with user success data with insight on how to attract those digitally left behind, and help you decide where to invest your next research funds. Plus, he’ll discuss unique insights learned from I.F.’s in-depth website discovery process with cities and counties. We will also cover “hidden” insights buried in the benchmarks, like the services that municipal government web users most want -- but often fail to find or receive.

    Room 6
    Thu 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    Anyone who works on their government website or is a stakeholder on the direction of their website strategy.
    Learning Objectives
    In this session, you’ll learn what google analytics can and can't do for you, how civic analytics can give solid clues about building a more inclusive website, and unique insights from our government benchmarks.

  • Virtual Session: Accessibility & Usability of Services

    Join a panel of accessibility and design specialists as we discuss the areas of opportunity in government IT tools and services, the importance of accessibility, and ways to rethink design/development tools.

    Virtual Room 1
    Thu 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    Anyone in government IT designing/developing/using tools.
    Learning Objectives
    1) Understand struggles faced in government IT 2) Learn from professionals on how to innovate and ideate 3) Understand the importance of accessibility in design/development tools.

  • Virtual Session: Inclusion Today- How IT Changed the Gaming Industry at Electronic Arts

    No one is going to call you one morning and ask for your help making the agency more diverse and inclusive. This was the realization moment for our UX team in IT. We leveraged our unique position in the organization to create a more inclusive environment for underrepresented employees both existing and future hires e.g. choosing vendors with that follow accessibility best practices, leveraging Employee Resource Groups for testing support experiences, and having focus groups to understand how we could improve the intranet.

    At the end of this session, you will walk away feeling empowered to make changes to the DNA of your company from your seat in IT.

    Virtual Room 3
    Thu 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced
    Who is the Audience?
    All of IT
    Learning Objectives
    As a result of this session, attendees will understand how to: 1) Procure the most accessible vendors; 2) Recruit employees to help test experiences; 3) Iterate from employee feedback

  • Automation at Scale: From Hybrid Cloud to the Edge

    Curious how to build and operate IT automation at scale, from hybrid cloud to the edge? In this session we will explore how IT managers can provide guidelines on how automation is applied to individual teams, and how automation creators can write tasks that use existing knowledge.

    Room 5
    Tue 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced
    Who is the Audience?
    IT Operations, Developers, Business Leaders
    Learning Objectives
    1) understand basic principles of general automation; 2) identify product features and where they apply; 3) view a live demo

  • Bear Tracks Self-Driving Shuttle

    As we look to adapt our communities to technology that is evolving on an ever rapid pace, projects such as MnDOT's Bear Tracks Self-Driving Shuttle offer a prototype for cross-sector partnerships that represent a comprehensive subset of stakeholders. In this panel discussion, presenters will discuss what lead to White Bear Lake's interest in participating, why MnDOT's Connected and Automated Vehicle (CAV) Office is championing pilot projects of CAV technology, and the collaborative nature of the project including public, private, education and non-profit partners.

    Room 1
    Wed 10:00 am - 11:00 am
    • Beginning
    Who is the Audience?
    Everyone
    Learning Objectives
    As a result of this session, attendees will understand how to: 1) facilitate cross-sector collaborations, 2) advance the technology of tomorrow and 3) utilize user-centered design in planning for the future

  • GIS as a Platform - Empowering Mobile Workers with Data and Information

    Field mobility has never been easier to integrate into your workflow through apps such as ESRI Field Maps or Survey123. Discover the options available when using ESRI’s ArcGIS platforms to manage your team’s field spatial data collection. This session will introduce you to the primary ways you can utilize ESRI’s ArcGIS platform to digitally transform mobile staff’s field initiatives. Learn the differences between ArcGIS Online, as a SaaS model, and ArcGIS Enterprise implemented on your server.

    Room 2
    Wed 10:00 am - 11:00 am
    • Beginning
    Who is the Audience?
    Those curious about GIS and how to properly and safely implement it into your workflows
    Learning Objectives
    As a result of this session, attendees will: 1) Discover options available for managing your GIS data; 2) Understand which apps are best used for a data mobility workflow; 3) Be introduces to ArcGIS Solutions models to help get your data structures started.

  • Creating a Local Government Innovation Ecosystem

    Historically, government lags the private sector by about 5 years in the adoption of new technologies and solutions. That worked when the world was changing slowly, but no longer is acceptable. The Alliance for Innovation is building a local gov innovation ecosystem that incorporates local government innovation labs that test, evaluate and report on new technologies, incorporates peer review and case studies, along with a complete rethinking of how procurement for technology is done. AFI is creating an innovation ecosystem that reduces risk for buyers, while dramatically accelerating and streamlining the procurement process.

    Ballroom C
    Wed 10:00 am - 12:15 pm
    Learning Objectives
    1. Understand the barriers to accelerating the adoption of innovative technologies and solutions. 2. Understand the key principles that determine the success and pace at which innovative solutions are adopted and spread. 3. Learn about the AFI Innovation Ecosystem and how it can impact all governments as well as technology providers.

  • Collaborative work: Planning space for the future

    The Hennepin County Information Technology and Facility Services, have partnered in planning shared work spaces for staff returning to the office after spending two years working off site. IT has been a pivotal participant in providing a future ‘look and feel’ of a hybrid work environment. The IT Department has positioned itself to offer guidance in creating standardized workspaces, from the simple hotel cubes to multipurpose conference rooms.

    Room 9
    Wed 10:00 am - 11:00 am
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    Organizational Leadership
    Learning Objectives
    Planning your space for hybrid meetings and returning to the office
    Sponsored By:
    Hennepin County, Microsoft

  • Easily Discover and Model Processes with Process Mining

    Looking for more visibility into what is going on in your organization's work and processes? This session will explore process mining - specialized data mining algorithms are applied to processes, cases and events logged by enterprise applications to understand real work done by employees. Process mining can help locate hidden bottlenecks and pinpoint where automation will lead to the biggest process improvements.

    Room 2
    Wed 11:15 am - 12:15 pm
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced
    Who is the Audience?
    Anyone
    Learning Objectives
    As a result of this session, attendees will be able to: 1) Identify bottlenecks; 2) Boost business intelligence; 3) Surface process deviations.

  • Hybrid Cloud with Red Hat

    Hybrid Cloud with Red Hat using Open Shift

    Room 5
    Wed 11:15 am - 12:15 pm
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced
    Who is the Audience?
    IT Operations, Developers, Business Leaders
    Learning Objectives
    Take Advantage of hybrid cloud flexibility with platform consistency, Streamline application development, end-to-end management & security across clusters
    Sponsored By:
    IBM/Redhat

  • USAF Kessel Run - Achieving Mission Success from the Ashes of a $500M IT Program Failure

    While serving as a US Air Force Program Manager, Jeremiah Sanders inherited a $500M IT Weapon System modernization effort that hadn’t delivered a single line of code in over 10 years. He partnered with innovators in the government and Silicon Valley to co-found Kessel Run, a hybrid program office and operations unit, with the primary goal of Continuously Delivering war-winning software users loved. Within three years, he scaled Kessel Run from under 50 to over 1,300 personnel, building what amounts to a software company inside the Air Force. Kessel Run now operates a multi-region, multicloud infrastructure, shared services and application platform environment on multiple classified networks, enabling over 1,000 software developers and distributed operational resilience for over 75 modern mission applications that have achieved 80+% operational efficiency gains, saved over $1B and 200K+ manhours, all while achieving a software deployment frequency of every <2 hours and operational availability on par with commercial ‘as a service’ providers.

    This interactive presentation will focus on the repeatable and scalable people, process, technology, procurement process and organizational transformation patterns Kessel Run used, with a three-decade heritage across public and private sectors.

    Room 9
    Wed 11:15 am - 12:15 pm
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    Government and Integrator C-level and IT infrastructure, Cloud Broker, Application Portfolio/Business owners , ISSO/M, Development Managers
    Learning Objectives
    1) Enabling the government workforce to lead digital transformation; 2) 'Learning to work in a new way' - repeatable modernization approaches that scale; 3) Technologies that power innovation with speed, choice and control
    Sponsored By:
    Dell

  • Open Source Software in Government

    If you think "open source is for nerds" or "you get what you pay for," then you're stuck in 1990s thinking. Open source is in the enterprise, and it's here to stay. In modern organizations, if you do not leverage or engage in open source software, you are already behind the curve. Today's organizations use open source software solutions to advance their operations or build new business models.

    In this session, you'll learn "what is open source software" including licenses, how they differ, and what to watch for when using open source. We'll also discuss how to establish an open source program office, including who needs to be part of the program office and what those roles fill.

    Room 2
    Wed 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    Government IT leaders, IT managers
    Learning Objectives
    As a result of this session, attendees will be able to identify: open source, licenses, open source program licenses

  • Virtual Session: Navigating the Technology Waters of Local Government

    Local government IT leaders need to stay abreast of current technology requirements, expectations and opportunities, and how to be successful in related implementations. In this session we will focus on the current technology environment that local government is faced with. Priorities to be covered include cyber, digital transformation, cloud implementation and data governance.

    Virtual Room 2
    Wed 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced
    Who is the Audience?
    IT leaders and decision makers
    Learning Objectives
    1) Understand national trends and requirements with technology in local government. 2) Learn successful methods in addressing those national trends and requirements. 3) Take away options for types of and how to develop and nurture partnerships at the national, state and local level.

  • Accessibility Compliance on Government Websites

    Web accessibility is the law. Governments are being sued, fined, and exposed for being inaccessible. But what are the laws? How do I know if my website is accessible? How can I ensure people with disabilities can use my website?
    In this session, we will unpack what web accessibility means for local government, what the rules are, and how you can ensure that you are not only compliant, but that you have an accessible website that works for everyone, regardless of ability. We will discuss how to use your website to ensure equity for people who have a disability.

    Room 1
    Thu 10:00 am - 11:00 am
    • Beginning
    Who is the Audience?
    Government leaders: State and Local
    Learning Objectives
    To learn the rules that require accessibility; To learn how to strategically have an accessible website, how to tactically have an accessible website

  • Technology Opportunities of the Infrastructure Bill

    On November 15, 2021, the President signed into law the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which authorizes $1.2T in spending, including for IT initiatives such as broadband, smart cities, and cybersecurity. Join Info-Tech for a briefing and peer-discussion on the content of the bill, opportunities for IT, and how your jurisdiction can capitalize on this opportunity.

    Room 2
    Thu 10:00 am - 11:00 am
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    Local Government and State Government CIOs, CISO, and IT Directors/Leaders
    Learning Objectives
    At the end of this session, attendees will be able to: 1) Understand the technical aspects of the infrastructure bill and funding opportunities; 2) Consider their own projects which may align to the grants. 3) Identify next steps to take

  • Enhancing Citizen Engagement: The evolution of AI multi-language Conversation Agents

    Today Conversation Agents (chatbots) are becoming ubiquitous with Customer Experience (CX). The majority of these chatbots are simplistic, offering basic FAQ forms of responses on websites. Conversational AI Agents improve these basic chatbots by including advanced technologies such as Natural Language Understanding, Machine Translations, and advanced integration to enable workflows. When deployed, this technology reduces call and email volumes while enabling better DEI outcomes for residents.

    In this presentation, we will discuss how to define a strategic approach and best practices for the implementation of conversational AI agents. This presentation will include a real case study on implementing strategy, planning, developing the roadmap, language translation, implementation, and community engagement.

    Room 7
    Thu 10:00 am - 11:00 am
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    IT and Business Managers, Operations Managers, DEI Stakeholders
    Learning Objectives
    1) Improving Operations and response time 2) Driving DEI Mandate 3) Reducing cost of conducting business
    Sponsored By:
    Insight Public Sector

  • Broadband Planning and Assessment

    Getting your Fair Share ? Leverage Maps and Data to Ensure it!

    The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is currently in the process of updating its broadband maps with more detailed and precise information on the availability of fixed and mobile broadband services, and expected to be released late this year. Called the Broadband Data Collection (BDC) program, these maps will ultimately determine the amount of money each state gets through federal broadband grant programs, like the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, which is a part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) passed into law in the fall of 2021. Although every state is guaranteed to receive $100 million, the remaining $35+ billion will be allocated based on the unserved population in each.

    This session will show how your GIS and Esri’s Living Atlas of the World can help communities assess broadband availability, identify locations limited by transmission technology and inadequate speeds, calculate the total number of unserved/underserved households, and ultimately address digital inequalities. It will help communities get prepared for the upcoming BDC challenge process and ensure they receive their fair share of BEAD grant funding.

    Ballroom D
    Thu 10:00 am - 12:15 pm
    • Beginning
    Who is the Audience?
    State/Local Government and other broadband communities of interest
    Learning Objectives
    Broadband planning and assessment

  • Evolution of AI in Security

    This panel session will include government critical infrastructure, private sector and law enforcement experiences and perspectives covering a range of current challenges, including: volumes of events and data, staffing shortages, expertise deficiencies, and siloed security controls. We will also provide statistics from recent Ponemon Institute reports including the current Cost of a Data Breach Report's findings in attack vectors, response/organizational impact and costs attributed to remote workforces, impact in cost and response times of AI/Machine Learning etc. Finally, we will explore the way’s AI is used in law enforcement and critical infrastructure protection, AI bias and evolving Trust and Validation requirements in AI systems, the necessity and value of AI insight to security and where the industry is moving in AI for security.

    Room 2
    Thu 11:15 am - 12:15 pm
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    All (Novice to Expert)
    Learning Objectives
    As a result of this session, attendees will: 1) Understand the ROI of AI Security according to Ponemon Institute. 2) Recognize challenges/mitigations in using AI. 3) Identify advanced technological uses for AI in Govt, Private Sector and Law Enforcement

  • Building Cyber Resilient Strategies & Multi-Cloud Options for Government Organizations

    Part I: Common threat vectors from a cyber-attack and how to defend against the "bad guys".
    Part II: Building cloud experience models; On-Prem to SaaS to Public Cloud.

    Room 4
    Thu 11:15 am - 12:15 pm
    Learning Objectives
    Gain understanding of modern cyber-attacks, How to recover when the worst has happened, Cloud economics and how to build your strategy for success
    Sponsored By:
    Dell Technologies

  • The Sonoma County Story: Collaborating to Support At-Risk Populations

    Merative Care Manager helps care managers and case workers to provide a holistic approach to managing the social determinants of health. This holistic approach to an individual’s support and care means that the care team is not just focusing on the whole person. This can facilitate better engagement with multiple service providers based on assessments of the individual, which in turn can lead to better overall health. Merative Care Manager helps organizations unlock and integrate the full breadth of information from multiple systems and providers, automate care management workflows, and scale to meet the demands of growing populations under management.
    Sonoma’s Challenge
    In 2017 Sonoma County, California, declared a crisis among their unhoused population. Meeting the complex needs of this vulnerable population required more than homes. Sonoma needed organization, collaboration and a technology partner attuned to social services. The county formed Accessing Coordinated Care and Empowering Self Sufficiency (ACCESS) Sonoma. They piloted Merative’s Care Manager solution with 6,500+ people. For the first time, caseworkers accessed integrated care management data across agencies – directly from mobile devices. Sonoma has continued to expand the types of services provided and the population which they serve.

    Room 5
    Thu 11:15 am - 12:15 pm
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced
    Who is the Audience?
    Government agencies and organizations with public clients
    Learning Objectives
    1. How to establish a multidisciplinary team to support complex cohorts. 2. Engaging community providers to improve service delivery. 3. Sharing data across departments and organizations to create a holistic care plan.
    Sponsored By:
    Merative

  • Virtual Session: Microsoft Power Apps and Power Automate

    In this session, learn about the capabilities of Microsoft's Power Apps and Power Automate. Empower everyone to turn ideas into apps with no code/ low code productive solutions that solve business problems. Bring user experiences and data together to build process automation in Power Automate. Select from 700+ connectors, or create your own, to automate system to system CRUD operations. There will be an overview and technical components discussed.

    Virtual Room 2
    Thu 11:15 am - 12:15 pm
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    IT Administrators, Citizen Developers, Key Decision Makers
    Learning Objectives
    As a result of this session, attendees will be able to: 1) Empower all users to become citizen developers; 2) Reduce time to production; 3) Scale across many agencies

  • Extract and Apply Business Information with Automation Document Processing

    Automation Document Processing accelerates the processing of large volumes of unstructured data. It eliminates slow, error-prone manual work by your employees to save time and improve data accuracy. That means you can respond quickly to new opportunities without adding staff, improve compliance transparency, power-up automated workflows with valuable data, and achieve faster ROI.

    Room 2
    Thu 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced
    Who is the Audience?
    Anyone
    Learning Objectives
    As a result of this session, attendees will be able to: increase processing efficiency, reduce risk and save time

  • Building a Business Continuity/ Disaster Recovery Plan

    Too many organizations have focused all their attention on trying to prevent a security incident, leaving themselves completely unprepared for the one that slips through the cracks. While a strong layered defense is still the cornerstone of cybersecurity strategy, the reality is that it’s not a matter of if but when and planning for the inevitable is critically important for keeping the lights on after an event. In this talk, we’ll discuss the risk that government and higher education face in the modern threat landscape and how to formulate a business continuity and disaster recovery plan to quickly recover and move forward from a cybersecurity incident.

    Room 3
    Wed 10:00 am - 11:00 am
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    IT and business leaders
    Learning Objectives
    In this session, attendees will: 1) Identify the top cyber threats facing government and higher education. 2) Determine how to create a business continuity and disaster recovery plan. 3) Understand the key cyber defensive tips for all organizations

  • Benefits of Intelligent Document Processing

    With intelligent document processing government entities can achieve significant ROI, secure privacy, and prevent fraud. Getting information from documents securely and efficiently enables better decision-making.

    In this session, we will describe what intelligent document processing is, who can benefit and why, and how intelligent processing can help government improve efficiency, accuracy, and security.

    Room 6
    Wed 10:00 am - 11:00 am
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    project managers, supervisors, directors, business analysts, and commissioners
    Learning Objectives
    As a result of this session, attendees will: 1) Identify the benefits of using intelligent document processing. 2) Understand the potential pitfalls with using IDP. 3) Recognize the implementation challenges with IDP.

  • Securing the PC and supply chain

    The supply chain is becoming a more attractive target for attackers. In this session you will learn how technologies at the end point device can help secure both the device and the supply chain before deploying the device.

    Room 5
    Wed 10:00 am - 11:00 am
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    IT decision makers and security focused professionals
    Learning Objectives
    Learn about PC security. Learn about supply chain security. Learn about the PC security ecosystem beyond the device. Intel® Transparent Supply Chain is offering you an unprecedented degree of supply chain transparency and assurance. Smarter, end-to-end security for a work from anywhere era. From the factory floor straight to your employees’ hands, Intel® Trusted Device Setup and Intel® Transparent Supply Chain keep devices safe and secure.
    Sponsored By:
    Lenovo

  • Cybersecurity Response Planning for Leadership Teams

    Cybersecurity events are on the rise at organizations small and large. As a leader, you have likely taken steps such as antivirus tools, firewalls, email filtering, and others to protect your organization from threats. But are you prepared to respond if, or when, an event occurs at your organization? Developing and regularly, at least annually, reviewing a response plan is important so that in a moment of vulnerability you know the steps to take to protect your organization, staff, clients, and other stakeholders. In this session, we will present recommended policy items, including complete template documents, for an organizational response plan. As a group, we will also conduct mock cybersecurity event response scenarios to share and discuss recommendations for how your organization may respond to future events.

    Ballroom A
    Wed 10:00 am - 12:15 pm
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced
    Who is the Audience?
    Top leadership and leaders at all levels
    Learning Objectives
    1) Understand the vulnerabilities that organizations of any size may face and how to identify and protect against some likely security threats. 2) Review and apply a template response plan to be modified by leaders as appropriate for their organization. 3) Utilize a check-list for leaders to take back to their organization and start making cybersecurity improvements immediately.

  • Virtual Session: Simple Ways to Test Your SIEM

    From our experience in pentesting, it is amazing how many of these expensive SIEM/SOC services completely fail to detect what we consider "low hanging fruit" attacks. In this session we will demonstrate some common attacks we do during penetration testing engagements so that session attendees can better understand how to test their own SIEM.

    Virtual Room 2
    Wed 11:15 am - 12:15 pm
    • Beginning
    Who is the Audience?
    Hands-on IT/security folks, such as network/system admins and security analysts
    Learning Objectives
    1) Understand common Active Directory and network attacks that go undetected by SIEMs. 2) Understand how to use open source tools to recreate these attacks on your own network. 3) Feel comfortable running a SIEM through several technical/security tests to gauge its effectiveness.

  • Defending Against Modern-Day Infrastructure Attacks in the Cloud

    The future for the public sector is a hybrid model composed of on-premise and cloud infrastructure. Cybersecurity and attacks from cyber adversaries remains the number one concern of IT and Security practitioners across the enterprise spectrum. This session will examine the foundational pieces necessary to protect cloud and on-premise workloads from attacks with an emphasis on adopting a Zero Trust architecture.

    Room 4
    Wed 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    The presentation is tailored to anticipated GOVIT Symposium attendees detailed in the prospectus.
    Learning Objectives
    1) Identify the foundational/core elements necessary for digital transformation. 2) Recognize the strategic components necessary to engage public cloud adoption. 3) Discuss the elements necessary for cybersecurity posture enhancement based on the changing nature of the cybersecurity threat landscape.

  • Combating the Cyber Threat Landscape

    The modern cyber threat landscape is constantly evolving as new sophisticated threats emerge and ultimately become commoditized. In order to defend against these threats, you first need to understand what you're up against. In this session, we'll discuss the current adversarial tools, tactics and procedures targeting state and local governments and the defensive strategies you can deploy to secure your systems

    Room 7
    Wed 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    Everyone
    Learning Objectives
    Tools Tactics and Procedures you can deploy to secure your systems
    Sponsored By:
    Verus

  • Virtual Session: Navigating the Technology Waters of Local Government

    Local government IT leaders need to stay abreast of current technology requirements, expectations and opportunities, and how to be successful in related implementations. In this session we will focus on the current technology environment that local government is faced with. Priorities to be covered include cyber, digital transformation, cloud implementation and data governance.

    Virtual Room 2
    Wed 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced
    Who is the Audience?
    IT leaders and decision makers
    Learning Objectives
    1) Understand national trends and requirements with technology in local government. 2) Learn successful methods in addressing those national trends and requirements. 3) Take away options for types of and how to develop and nurture partnerships at the national, state and local level.

  • Automating and Reskilling for a Modern Security Operations Organization

    State and local agencies are automating their security response to quickly detect and respond to security events, and scale operations. This approach, paired with a highly skilled team developed with modern security practices, also enables organizations to better address urgent needs around security, risk, and compliance. Hear a panel of experts discuss how organizations can automate and develop talent to achieve their security objectives, including modernizing and measuring security operations in a way that matters to constituents.

    Room 5
    Thu 10:00 am - 11:00 am
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced
    Who is the Audience?
    US SLG, IT and Business leaders, decision makers
    Learning Objectives
    How to automate security operations to enable digital transformation, How to better enable a workforce to enhance security and security posture, How to measure security/workforce progression to business stakeholders
    Sponsored By:
    AWS

  • PCI DSS v4 Is Finally Here

    A completely new and improved version of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard was released at the end of March 2022. While there is a two year transition, April 2024 is just around the corner, and this new release may have significant impacts if organizations are not prepared. This session will describe the impacts of v4 on merchants and service providers as well as introduce the new requirements that will be coming in March 2025.

    Room 6
    Thu 10:00 am - 11:00 am
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    Person involved in PCI compliance and Internal Audit
    Learning Objectives
    As a result of this session, attendees will understand: 1) PCI DSS v4 business impacts; 2) PCI DSS v4 changes; 3) Coming PCI DSS v4 requirements.

  • How to Conduct a Cybersecurity Tabletop Exercise

    Do you have a cybersecurity response plan or maybe you are planning to adopt one soon? A great way to test any plan is through tabletop scenario exercises. Get a jump start on how to conduct them at your organization! In this session you will a Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Advisor will provide a toolkit pre-configured cybersecurity scenarios, worksheets and sample memos to help support the initiative at your organization. We will start with some basics like why an incident plan is so important and then step through how to conduct a preplanned tabletop scenario. You will learn tips to hold valuable group discussions about the scenarios and how to evaluate the effectiveness of group strategies and tactics.

    Ballroom B
    Thu 10:00 am - 12:15 pm
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    technology leaders; project managers, trainers, business analysts
    Learning Objectives
    1) Understand why tabletop exercises are important; 2) Learn how to recommend and plan this activity at your organization; 3) Apply the tabletop toolkit to conduct a successful exercise at your organization.

  • Minnesota State Records and Data Practice Laws

    Minnesota law regulates the collection, use, storage, maintenance, and preservation of data. Any person who works with government data has an obligation to comply with these laws. Even so, they are often misunderstood or not made known at all. This session will emphasize the importance of these regulations, and demystify some of these concepts.

    Room 9
    Thu 10:00 am - 11:00 am
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    MN state government employees
    Learning Objectives
    At the end of this session, attendees will leave with: 1) A basic understanding of the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, especially how it classifies data and what obligations it requires of government employees. 2) A greater awareness of why it is important to be aware of and complying with records and data laws. 3) Practical resource handouts and links.

  • Evolution of AI in Security

    This panel session will include government critical infrastructure, private sector and law enforcement experiences and perspectives covering a range of current challenges, including: volumes of events and data, staffing shortages, expertise deficiencies, and siloed security controls. We will also provide statistics from recent Ponemon Institute reports including the current Cost of a Data Breach Report's findings in attack vectors, response/organizational impact and costs attributed to remote workforces, impact in cost and response times of AI/Machine Learning etc. Finally, we will explore the way’s AI is used in law enforcement and critical infrastructure protection, AI bias and evolving Trust and Validation requirements in AI systems, the necessity and value of AI insight to security and where the industry is moving in AI for security.

    Room 2
    Thu 11:15 am - 12:15 pm
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    All (Novice to Expert)
    Learning Objectives
    As a result of this session, attendees will: 1) Understand the ROI of AI Security according to Ponemon Institute. 2) Recognize challenges/mitigations in using AI. 3) Identify advanced technological uses for AI in Govt, Private Sector and Law Enforcement

  • Building Cyber Resilient Strategies & Multi-Cloud Options for Government Organizations

    Part I: Common threat vectors from a cyber-attack and how to defend against the "bad guys".
    Part II: Building cloud experience models; On-Prem to SaaS to Public Cloud.

    Room 4
    Thu 11:15 am - 12:15 pm
    Learning Objectives
    Gain understanding of modern cyber-attacks, How to recover when the worst has happened, Cloud economics and how to build your strategy for success
    Sponsored By:
    Dell Technologies

  • Social (engineering) Dilemma

    This session will explore:
    *social engineering techniques using social media outlets
    *search engines that can disclose IOT devices
    *software and firmware versions
    *password cracking and hash to clear text translation
    *other bad actor tools, what they do, and how easily accessible they are for purchase
    *best practices to secure yourselves.

    Room 3
    Thu 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced
    Who is the Audience?
    All (Novice to Expert)
    Learning Objectives
    As a result of this session, attendees will learn: 1) Techniques to show how much information is freely available, and how to recognized is someone has been compromised. 2) Best practices to avoid or respond to an incident against you. 3) To recognize easily attainable bad actor tools and devices to watch for to avoid incident.

  • Cyber Threat Awareness and Creative Strategies for Managing Risk

    Ransomware. Spear phishing. The “insider” threat. Organizations and firms face a myriad of cyber threats that come with ample amounts of risk. From reputational damage to financial losses, the possible costs of a cyber attack or data breach can be challenging to quantify—and mitigate. Mark Lanterman, Chief Technology Officer of Computer Forensic Services, will discuss latest trends in our cyber landscape including topics such as the Dark Web, doxxing, ransomware, and the role of the human element in making or breaking a strong security culture. Mark will also provide practical suggestions for improving cybersecurity postures with proactive and reactive strategies.

    Room 5
    Thu 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    All
    Learning Objectives
    As a result of this session, attendees will be able to: 1) Identify the dangers of the Dark Web. 2) Demonstrate the value of digital evidence in court. 3) Explain key best practices in cybersecurity and how to establish a strong security culture.

  • Influential Communication

    Communication is not what's said, it's what's heard.

    Influential communication is essential at every level in every organization. The amount of information people must respond to each day is overwhelming. Increased distractions and decreased attention spans have become major obstacles to productivity and effectiveness. To be understood, we must be clear, concise and compelling in a variety of situations. The most effective communicators understand the importance of organizing their thoughts and then speaking clearly with purpose and intention.

    Room 2
    Tue 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced
    Who is the Audience?
    This course is for anyone who needs to speak clearly and confidently in everyday situations.
    Learning Objectives
    As a result of this session, attendees will learn how to: 1) Organize thoughts clearly to deliver concise messages. 2) Present an idea, product or service convincingly. 3) Speak confidently in a variety of situations.

  • Customer Service and Conflict Resolution

    Regardless of who you are serving (either internal or external clients) customer service is needed in every organization along with rapid conflict resolution skills. In this session you will learn principles of excellent customer service along with the empathy method of conflict resolution. Several small group activities are included in the session. Go the extra mile everyday for your customers with the mindset of excellence!

    Room 2
    Tue 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
    • Beginning
    Who is the Audience?
    anyone
    Learning Objectives
    Learn principles of customer service excellence, 2, Going the extra mile 3, The empathy method of conflict resolution

  • The Happy Leader: Unlocking the Power of Positive Leadership!

    People who are happy at work are more committed to their organization, rise to leadership positions more rapidly, achieve higher productivity, and suffer fewer health problems. Current research shows that happiness should not be an afterthought in workplaces. It should be a fundamental goal, entwined with position skills is the key to individual and organizational success!

    In this session, you will discover the benefits of a happy workplace and come away with practical strategies you can implement that boost your own emotional well-being, support the well-being of colleagues and employees, and foster a workplace culture of happiness. This upbeat and interactive session delivers an inspiring message to help you embrace the true happiness that lies within yourself - for both your personal and professional life.

    Room 4
    Wed 10:00 am - 11:00 am
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced
    Who is the Audience?
    Anyone who wishes they were happier and wants to learn HOW to be happier
    Learning Objectives
    The audience will leave with: ​ 1) An awareness that they are "boss" of their own happiness - not the workplace! ​ 2) Understand the positive impact that happiness has on productivity and creativity. ​ 3) Daily actions that will improve personal happiness and the ripple affect it has on co-workers and customers.

  • Creating Change Resilient Teams

    Change is inevitable, however 70% of all change initiatives fail. Attend this session to learn the science of change and how to assess and manage stakeholders engaged in change within the organization to not be this statistic. The success of any change starts with the leader. This session will cover the fundamentals of change, how leaders can drive effective change, how to adjust our communication approach to drive positive change and how to assess the impact of the change on key stakeholders and the organizational culture.

    Ballroom D
    Wed 10:00 am - 12:15 pm
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced
    Who is the Audience?
    Any leader in any size organization.
    Learning Objectives
    Understanding of the Foundational Elements of Change and key tools to help with each Understanding of our own leadership style and how to adjust our communication to be more effective to drive change in the organization Self-awareness around emotional intelligence and how to improve to drive higher trust with team

  • Home Workspace Healthy Improvements and Set-up

    Are you struggling with back pain, neck pain, eye strain, self-motivation, mood, concentration? Then this session is for you! Join us to learn some new tips on improving your home workspace for better health.

    Room 4
    Wed 11:15 am - 12:15 pm
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    anyone with a home office
    Learning Objectives
    Improve health, mood and concentration when working from home.

  • The Hardest Question: Asking Users With Disabilities

    We know we should include users with disabilities in our design and development considerations, but are we really? What's holding us back, and how do we move forward?

    A group of digital experts living with disabilities from Digital Accessibility by WeCo, will help you break the ice and understand how to engage insights from real users with disabilities. Bring your curiosity and know that no question you ask us is ever the wrong one!

    Room 7
    Wed 11:15 am - 12:15 pm
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced
    Who is the Audience?
    Digital designers, developers, content managers. But also anyone who can benefit from learning how to interact effectively with stakeholder living with disabilities.
    Learning Objectives
    1. Unearthing common fears about interacting with people with disabilities 2. Simple steps to finding users with disabilities and respectfully soliciting their feedback 3) Interfacing directly with WeCo Testers an Specialists with disabilities--there is no wrong question!

  • Virtual Session: The Shift to a Skills-First Talent Strategy to Retain & Attract Top Performers

    In today's tight talent market, there are three major challenges. The skills the employees and organizations need to succeed are changing rapidly. Organizations are overlooking candidates by relying heavily on credentials as proxies for skills, reinforcing systemic barriers to opportunity. Among record high attrition rates, employees are 10x more likely to look for a new job if they feel their skills are not being put to good use. Transitioning to a skills-first talent strategy can help organizations to develop the skills their employees need most, expand talent pools to find skilled candidates, and empower employees to accelerate their careers internally and ultimately increase employee retention. LinkedIn’s unique skills taxonomy and tools for employee attraction, development, and retention can help your organization execute a skills-first talent strategy.

    Virtual Room 1
    Wed 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced
    Who is the Audience?
    IT leaders & HR professionals
    Learning Objectives
    As a result of this session, attendees will understand current talent trends, and be able to make the business case for a skills-first talent strategy.

  • The Leader's Playbook for a Conscious Culture

    Do you have a Culture Playbook? How connected are the leaders and employees in your organization? Having consistent plays and transparent communication across all levels of your organization is necessary to execute your goals and strategy. Now, more than ever, Conscious Leaders must recognize the integral role they play in purposefully creating a Culture of trust and care. Conscious Leaders are aware of how they think, act and interact with everyone around them and how that impacts the culture, and the ultimate success of the business.

    This workshop style session will provide clarity on the key building blocks and crucial plays for a strategic business foundation, definition of culture and the critical role leaders play working at the intersection of strategy and culture. Attendees will learn simple, yet impactful, tools they can utilize immediately and leave with an action plan of their first next steps to enhance culture and bridge the gap between human needs + business needs.

    Ballroom A
    Thu 10:00 am - 12:15 pm
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced
    Who is the Audience?
    Any level leader at any size company.
    Learning Objectives
    Ability to define culture. Understand the leaders role in culture. Understand the intersection between business needs + human needs.

  • Virtual Session: Evolutionary Resilience Roadmap - Don't Rebound, Bound Forward

    VUCA: Volatility, Uncertainty, Chaos, Ambiguity:
    The “pandemic earthquake” has us continually off balance, resulting in brain fog, energy drain, decision fatigue and extreme anxiety over the uncertainty of the future.

    Every aspect of our life can suffer, including our health and even our longevity.

    Using the latest scientific principles, we can learn to stop constant energy “leaks” and generate the focused energy we need to be able to keep our balance and think innovatively as we continue to keep pace with ongoing change.

    Virtual Room 2
    Thu 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    Overstressed leaders
    Learning Objectives
    Attendees in this session will learn to: stop energy drain and generate energy when needed; a process to replace brain fog with clarity and deeper intuition and innovative thinking; ways in which leaders can inspire trust especially during crisis situations.

  • Project Management for the Beginner: The Minimum You Need to Know to Thrive

    Whether you and your boss have made a conscious decision to have you manage a project, or it happened organically, you now need to do more than your “normal” daily job. In addition, you now need to lead a project – so what does that mean? Successful completion of a project requires knowing the art and science of project management. This seminar will deliver the blend of skills you will need to be a Project hero.

    The major points to be covered include:
     The top 10 most common mistakes a project manager makes, and how to overcome the common them
     Project Charters – your savior
     Communications - what you need to know and practice
     How to build out your right-sized plan for easy on-going maintenance
     Interviewing techniques for gathering project data points

    Room 3
    Tue 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
    • Beginning
    Who is the Audience?
    Project Managers
    Learning Objectives
    1. Learn the basics of project management 2. How to "right size" a plan 3. Learn interviewing techniques for gathering project data points

  • Achieving Outcomes in a Complex World: Foundations of Agility

    Agile isn’t a buzzword, it’s your best path to success in complex environments. Learn how the building blocks of Agility help you pursue meaningful outcomes for your business.
    This session is about the beating heart that makes Agile work. Without these elements, organizations are going through the motions; using Agile's words but not receiving its benefits. Topics include:

    Agile Philosophy
    Product Thinking
    Outcomes > Output
    Empiricism
    Real Teams
    Scrum Values
    Intrinsic Motivation

    Is achieving business goals as important as finishing on time and on budget? Do your organization focus on business value or keeping people busy? Do you have transparency throughout the organization? Do you have management who tries to motivate people or leaders who unleash people’s intrinsic motivation?

    This session outlines how to approach these questions and will help you shift the conversation to what really matters in your work environment.

    Room 4
    Tue 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    Leaders, managers, project managers, product developers
    Learning Objectives
    Understand foundations of Agile, Explain 3 factors in intrinsic motivation, Recognize the importance of Scrum Values in team environments

  • Write Your First Selenium Test Script in Just 4 Hours!

    The open source Selenium test tool has become an industry standard for automated testing of web-based applications. In this workshop, you will learn how to set up a Selenium test development environment from scratch. Within 4 hours, you will also learn how to write and execute your first Selenium test script. Furthermore, you will learn the best practices of Selenium test script design. The code examples will be provided in Java. Basic understanding of Java is required.

    NOTE: You will need to bring your own laptop (windows or Mac). Internet access will be provided.

    Room 6
    Tue 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
    • Beginning
    Who is the Audience?
    Software quality assurance testers and software developers wanting to learn how to automate software tests developers
    Learning Objectives
    Attendees will learn: 1) How to create automated test scripts using Selenium WebDriver with Java. 2) How to create an automated test framework using Selenium. 3) The best practices of creating automated test scripts.

  • Ten Simple Ways to Screw-up a Good Project

    Ever wonder what happens during a project that can make or break its success? In this presentation we will discuss the ten most common ways a project could go wrong, and some lessons learned on how you might change that. From communications and sponsorship to political landscape, risk management and good planning, learn how you might help correct the course of a project gone wrong.

    The major points to be covered include:
     The top 10 most common mistakes that derail your projects
     Joe’s Truisms - how to overcome the common mistakes
     How to learn from “Dilbert” – the keys to repeatable, consistent project success
     Communications - what you need to know and practice

    Room 3
    Tue 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
    • Beginning
    Who is the Audience?
    Project Managers
    Learning Objectives
    1. Understand common mistakes that can happen in managing a project. 2. Learn how to overcome common project management mistakes 3. Identify the keys to repeatable, consistent project success 4. Outline the communications that need to be understood and practiced

  • The Scrum Experience: A Lifetime to Master

    Ken Schwaber, a co-creator of Scrum, has said that Scrum takes, “two days to learn, a lifetime to master”. In this session you will learn the basics of Scrum in 3.5 hours. It will still take a lifetime to master.

    This session is not for people who like to spend their whole afternoon listening to a lecture on Zoom. Participants will be hands-on with the Scrum framework; actively participate in a real Sprint, actively building a real (virtual) product. In the process you will learn about common Scrum anti-patterns, why they are a problem and how to fix them.

    For people new to Scrum, this session will give you experience using it and determine if it might fit in your organization. For people experienced in Scrum, you will get an opportunity to reflect on how you practice it and if there are aspects you could improve to better achieve business value. In either case, the afternoon is going to fly by.

    Room 4
    Tue 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
    • Beginning
    Who is the Audience?
    Leaders, managers, project managers, product developers
    Learning Objectives
    Use the Scrum framework, Understand misconceptions of Scrum, Explain how Scrum works

  • A Multi-faceted Approach to Government Services Modernization: Impact of Digitization and Analytics

    Modernization encompasses perspectives, practices and processes. Teams ability to evolve from their current to future state is highly impacted by openness, capacity and commitment to plan and manage change management in each of, and between, these organizational dimensions.

    Experiences collaborating with multiple Minnesota agencies and their MNIT Services / vendor partners has allowed Logisolve to identify key intersections between organizational change management initiatives that promote transformation of perspective, practices and processes. In this session we will discuss digital workflows, process flows, and data stewardship initiatives that have been instrumental in addressing the intersecting needs to modernize what services are delivered, when, to whom, how and with which emerging combination of online, phone-based and in-person touchpoints.

    Ballroom B
    Wed 10:00 am - 12:15 pm
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    Presentation content is geared toward both agency and MNIT professionals. Individual contributors, managers and senior leaders will be interested in findings and recommendations.
    Learning Objectives
    Attendees will benefit from insight into: 1) how team facilitation can leverage road mapping, business process context mapping, process flow decompositions, capability mapping and agile practices. 2) How materials created at the pilot, team or department level may be reused at the Divisional, Cross-Divisional or Agency level. 3) How taking an outside-in view of organizational operations allows decision makers to consider customers' and suppliers' needs and wants.

  • Hennepin County’s Digital Accessibility Journey

    Join us to hear the story of Hennepin County’s journey to make digitally accessible services a priority and responsibility for all employees. Hear how the team combined a grassroots and traditional government top-down approach to launch the effort for a county-wide policy. Learn about:
    • the impetus of this journey,
    • obstacles faced when implementing a digital accessibility policy,
    • creating a training plan for employees, and
    • developing a sustainability plan to ensure digital services meet brand standards and are accessible to residents.

    In this interactive session, participants have an opportunity to share their challenges and gain insights on how to prioritize digital accessibility in their work. Hennepin County is committed to making digital content and products usable for everyone, including people who live with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive impairments.

    Room 1
    Wed 11:15 am - 12:15 pm
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    Web, IT, and business staff looking to implement digital accessibility in their organizations. Roles include but are not limited to web specialist, business analyst, project manager, designer, developer, and product manager.
    Learning Objectives
    As a result of this session, attendees will: 1) Learn how to begin implementing digital accessibility in their organization. 2) Identify multiple realistic and achievable methods including implementing policy, procuring training, and sustaining support for employees.

  • Easily Discover and Model Processes with Process Mining

    Looking for more visibility into what is going on in your organization's work and processes? This session will explore process mining - specialized data mining algorithms are applied to processes, cases and events logged by enterprise applications to understand real work done by employees. Process mining can help locate hidden bottlenecks and pinpoint where automation will lead to the biggest process improvements.

    Room 2
    Wed 11:15 am - 12:15 pm
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced
    Who is the Audience?
    Anyone
    Learning Objectives
    As a result of this session, attendees will be able to: 1) Identify bottlenecks; 2) Boost business intelligence; 3) Surface process deviations.

  • From Business Analysis to Data Modeling

    Communicating business terminologies and concepts, and converting them into technical specifications (such as data models which can be incorporated into engineering practices) is a very useful and effective way to bridge the gap between non-technical business personnel to technical personnel. This presentation will provide current challenges and how to overcome them in order to have a smooth communication mechanism between very different group of people.

    Room 3
    Wed 11:15 am - 12:15 pm
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced
    Who is the Audience?
    Business and technical personnel
    Learning Objectives
    As a result of this session, attendees will learn: communication skills, both technical and business; data modeling; and XSDs, JSON, MongoDB

  • Virtual Session: Turbonomic AIOPS Hosting Platform

    Assuring application performance & driving sustainable IT with Applications Resource management. During this time will discuss how to implement trustworthy automation that enables businesses to:
    1) Ensure critical applications receive the resources they need to perform reliably
    2) Utilize infrastructure/cloud resources as efficiently as possible driving sustainable IT
    3) Improve operational efficiency by preventing performance issues via automated actions

    Virtual Room 1
    Wed 11:15 am - 12:15 pm
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced
    Who is the Audience?
    Application, infrastructure, cloud, and devops personnel
    Learning Objectives
    Discuss why Application Resource Management is important the value it drives

  • Agile, Waterfall, Iterative - Select, Integrate, Deliver in a Multi-Methodology Environment

    In this day and age, Agile is a big part of how Software teams get their work done, while many other departments have not jumped on the same bandwagon. How does one manage projects and programs that need to co-exist, hopefully seamlessly? How does one gain acceptance (or tolerance) from Agile and/or Waterfall-only adherents?
    The major points to be covered include:
    • The many situations, good and bad, through which project leaders need to navigate
    • The key times for handling this "opportunity" - Before and during project kickoff, and on-going
    • Typical pitfalls and how to avoid them
    • Best practices in integrating disparate methodologies, including Communication musts
    This presentation will cover the full life-cycle – from Intake through Execution through Retrospective/Lessons Learned, and how you can navigate the choppy waters with you and your project intact.

    Room 1
    Wed 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    Project Managers
    Learning Objectives
    1. The key times for handling this "opportunity" - Before and during project kickoff, and on-going. 2. Typical pitfalls and how to avoid them 3. Best practices in integrating disparate methodologies, including Communication musts

  • Building a Better Broadband Map

    This session will be interactive deep dive into how your ArcGIS and Esri’s Living Atlas of the World can help communities assess broadband availability, identify locations limited by transmission technology and inadequate speeds, calculate the total number of unserved/underserved households, and ultimately address digital inequalities.

    Attendees will learn how to build a broadband map and several supporting applications focused on their community.

    Room 3
    Wed 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    GIS Professionals and Broadband Offices
    Learning Objectives
    Broadband Mapping, Planning, and Assessment

  • Best Practices for Conducting an Accessible Remote Meeting

    This session will show you how to consider the needs of everyone, when planning a remote meeting using Zoom or Teams. Do everything from the keyboard and make sure the needs of disabled persons are met.

    Ballroom B
    Wed 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
    • Beginning
    Who is the Audience?
    Anyone conducting or participating in meetings via Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
    Learning Objectives
    * Consider the needs of all participants, including those with disabilities, in a remote meeting. * Learn how to run or participate in a Zoom or Microsoft Teams meeting not using a mouse. * Learn about the best practices and procedures when conducting a meeting in which disabled persons are taking part, such as proper use of chat.

  • It's Not a Software Problem, It's a People Problem

    Software updates and changes can have a huge impact on employees and costs, if not done well. Better planning can make it a positive experience. In this workshop we will present the challenges of installing or updating a software solutions and where we often fail. We will also identify how to better work with software users, set expectations, and get users involved in the process. Solution champions and communication can make a big difference at your agency.

    Ballroom A
    Wed 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    Project managers, department heads, IT, and end users.
    Learning Objectives
    As a result of this session, attendees will learn better planning. better understanding, better communication.

  • Why Software Fails & How to Fix It

    Want to save time and money on your next software development project? In this session, we will review the common areas of software development failure and possible remedies.

    Room 3
    Thu 10:00 am - 11:00 am
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    Dev Managers, Product Owners, PMs, Senior Management
    Learning Objectives
    As a result of this session, attendees will: 1) Identify common development pitfalls; 2) Determine how to address said pitfalls; 3) Recognize other best practices

  • Share that (geospatial) data!

    Getting inundated with geospatial data requests? Have GIS data that you don’t know what to do with? The amount of geospatial data on hand is swiftly increasing, as is the demand for this data. As demands increase, data owners must decide how to keep up with ongoing priorities while meeting the requests of an increasing consumer base. This session helps identify why sharing geospatial data is important, how it can be accomplished, the benefits of sharing geospatial data and how MnGeo, the Minnesota Geospatial Information office. can help.

    Room 4
    Thu 10:00 am - 11:00 am
    • Beginning
    Who is the Audience?
    Local, regional, and statewide geospatial data stewards and handlers, as well as leadership responsible for recommending and / or determining geospatial data sharing practices for their organization.
    Learning Objectives
    As a result of this session, attendees will understand the (1) definition and (2) benefits of geospatial data sharing and (3) become familiar with real-world examples of geospatial data sharing at various levels of government.

  • Enhancing Citizen Engagement: The evolution of AI multi-language Conversation Agents

    Today Conversation Agents (chatbots) are becoming ubiquitous with Customer Experience (CX). The majority of these chatbots are simplistic, offering basic FAQ forms of responses on websites. Conversational AI Agents improve these basic chatbots by including advanced technologies such as Natural Language Understanding, Machine Translations, and advanced integration to enable workflows. When deployed, this technology reduces call and email volumes while enabling better DEI outcomes for residents.

    In this presentation, we will discuss how to define a strategic approach and best practices for the implementation of conversational AI agents. This presentation will include a real case study on implementing strategy, planning, developing the roadmap, language translation, implementation, and community engagement.

    Room 7
    Thu 10:00 am - 11:00 am
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    IT and Business Managers, Operations Managers, DEI Stakeholders
    Learning Objectives
    1) Improving Operations and response time 2) Driving DEI Mandate 3) Reducing cost of conducting business
    Sponsored By:
    Insight Public Sector

  • Virtual Session: Improved Metrics for Project Success

    Project success is too often determined by the ability to deliver the scope within the budget and schedule constraints. This operational success measure represents the minimal expectations of the project and does not evaluate the actual organization's expectations of the project. In fact, the operational measure of project success promotes project actions and behaviors that are counter to achieving the true organizational goals.

    In this presentation, a more complete set of project success measures are proposed to better support the organization's goals and to align project actions and behaviors to these goals. These expanded measures can be used to better evaluate project success on its contributions to the organization's project portfolio.

    Virtual Room 2
    Thu 10:00 am - 11:00 am
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    Project Managers, Managers, Director, and anyone looking to deliver value to the organization.
    Learning Objectives
    As a result of this session, attendees will be able to: 1) Associate project evaluation metrics with team actions and behaviors. 2) Realize the real project success evaluates the performance of all project stakeholders. 3) Better evaluate the value your project offers to the organization

  • There's No Such Thing as an IT Project

    Many of the projects IT is involved in are often doomed from the moment they get a name ... they're characterized as IT projects, but in reality they are always about intentional business change, not implementing applications. Or at least they should be.

    In this session, we will explore how naming, chartering, planning, and executing them as business change projects (or initiatives, or programs) gives an "IT project" a much better chance of success.

    Ballroom C
    Thu 10:00 am - 12:15 pm
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced
    Who is the Audience?
    CIOs, App Dev managers, business analysts, project managers
    Learning Objectives
    As a result of this session, attendees will be able to: 1) Recognize the mechanics of organizing projects around business change. 2) Define and achieve the NoSuch change in management culture. 3) Understand the competencies needed to achieve intentional business change and not just application implementation.

  • The Sonoma County Story: Collaborating to Support At-Risk Populations

    Merative Care Manager helps care managers and case workers to provide a holistic approach to managing the social determinants of health. This holistic approach to an individual’s support and care means that the care team is not just focusing on the whole person. This can facilitate better engagement with multiple service providers based on assessments of the individual, which in turn can lead to better overall health. Merative Care Manager helps organizations unlock and integrate the full breadth of information from multiple systems and providers, automate care management workflows, and scale to meet the demands of growing populations under management.
    Sonoma’s Challenge
    In 2017 Sonoma County, California, declared a crisis among their unhoused population. Meeting the complex needs of this vulnerable population required more than homes. Sonoma needed organization, collaboration and a technology partner attuned to social services. The county formed Accessing Coordinated Care and Empowering Self Sufficiency (ACCESS) Sonoma. They piloted Merative’s Care Manager solution with 6,500+ people. For the first time, caseworkers accessed integrated care management data across agencies – directly from mobile devices. Sonoma has continued to expand the types of services provided and the population which they serve.

    Room 5
    Thu 11:15 am - 12:15 pm
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced
    Who is the Audience?
    Government agencies and organizations with public clients
    Learning Objectives
    1. How to establish a multidisciplinary team to support complex cohorts. 2. Engaging community providers to improve service delivery. 3. Sharing data across departments and organizations to create a holistic care plan.
    Sponsored By:
    Merative

  • Virtual Session: Microsoft Power Apps and Power Automate

    In this session, learn about the capabilities of Microsoft's Power Apps and Power Automate. Empower everyone to turn ideas into apps with no code/ low code productive solutions that solve business problems. Bring user experiences and data together to build process automation in Power Automate. Select from 700+ connectors, or create your own, to automate system to system CRUD operations. There will be an overview and technical components discussed.

    Virtual Room 2
    Thu 11:15 am - 12:15 pm
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    IT Administrators, Citizen Developers, Key Decision Makers
    Learning Objectives
    As a result of this session, attendees will be able to: 1) Empower all users to become citizen developers; 2) Reduce time to production; 3) Scale across many agencies

  • Virtual Session: Partnering to Make change in 2 organizations = Greater accessibility

    All of us experienced the unprecedented changes that March of 2020 brought. With it came new opportunities to advocate for changes in technology, processes, and the culture of organizations. Lights were quickly shined on things that needed improvement to fit with this new way of working.

    The shift to working from home required large numbers of employees to rely heavily on conferencing tools. The accessibility of these tools, while always important, suddenly became critical. Internally, Minnesota IT Services developed new strategies to address these issues. It became very clear that this was not enough. These strategies were not effective enough on their own. Through relationship building and shared advocacy they partnered with one vendor's employees. Their shared vision: find better ways to escalate the accessibility issues. The results included:
    • Better ways to report issues.
    • Improved communication about needed improvements.
    • A more inclusive tool.

    During this session you will hear from both Minnesota IT Services and Cisco employees. Together they partnered to advocate from both sides to make changes happen.

    Virtual Room 3
    Thu 11:15 am - 12:15 pm
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced
    Who is the Audience?
    •Procurement Managers •Project & Product Managers •Quality Analysts • BA • Accessibility team •Vendors
    Learning Objectives
    After the session, participants can: 1) Describe how to begin an assessment of issues, which relationships are important to a solution, and resources needed. 2) List methods for communicating and problem solving together. 3) Identify skills that will support better advocacy, leading from where we are within our organization, and influencing change.

  • Extract and Apply Business Information with Automation Document Processing

    Automation Document Processing accelerates the processing of large volumes of unstructured data. It eliminates slow, error-prone manual work by your employees to save time and improve data accuracy. That means you can respond quickly to new opportunities without adding staff, improve compliance transparency, power-up automated workflows with valuable data, and achieve faster ROI.

    Room 2
    Thu 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced
    Who is the Audience?
    Anyone
    Learning Objectives
    As a result of this session, attendees will be able to: increase processing efficiency, reduce risk and save time

  • A Brief History of Spreadsheets

    A fun walk through spreasdheet history, showing how we got from "there" to "here" with modern spreadsheets. LANPAR (1969) was the first spreadsheet, then VisiCalc (1979) was the first desktop spreadsheet which introduced many of the common concepts we use today, including "A1" addressing. We'll also review Lotus 1-2-3, As Easy As, Quattro Pro, Excel, and other modern spreadsheetes to show how many of the original concepts are still there. If you use Excel, you will love this talk!

    Room 4
    Thu 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
    • Beginning
    Who is the Audience?
    Finance, IT
    Learning Objectives
    Attendees will: 1) learn spreadsheet history; 2) identify spreadsheet concepts; 3) Have fun!

  • Hands On Hacking (IT Auditing)

    Cyber fraud and data breaches continue to be at the top of the news. But according to security breach reports by Verizon, many breaches are preventable with simple controls. Join our cybersecurity specialists as they explore ways to help your organization avoid being victimized by cyber criminals.

    We'll walk through how to identify weak or default configuration settings, and provide recommendations for strengthening security, audit, and monitoring settings. You'll also learn how to use automated tools to make IT audits more efficient. This seminar includes information on attack trends, recent crimes, new vulnerabilities, compliance requirements, and methods to mitigate risks.

    At the end of this session, you will be able to:
    • Identify common hacker attack methods, privilege escalation scenarios, and the simple controls that need to be enabled
    • Use the demonstrated tools to identify vulnerable systems
    • Outline audit and hardening procedures to periodically perform as part of your normal IT implementation, administration, and audit processes.
    • Identify specific Red Team hacker tactics
    • Identify Blue Team defender best practices to identify and contain attacks
    • Identify best practices to monitor networks, respond to attacks, and remediate attacks

    Room 1
    Tue 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
    Learning Objectives
    At the end of this session, you will be able to: • Identify common hacker attack methods, privilege escalation scenarios, and the simple controls that need to be enabled • Use the demonstrated tools to identify vulnerable systems • Outline audit and hardening procedures to periodically perform as part of your normal IT implementation, administration, and audit processes. • Identify specific Red Team hacker tactics • Identify Blue Team defender best practices to identify and contain attacks
    Sponsored By:
    ClliftonLarsonAllen

  • Influential Communication

    Communication is not what's said, it's what's heard.

    Influential communication is essential at every level in every organization. The amount of information people must respond to each day is overwhelming. Increased distractions and decreased attention spans have become major obstacles to productivity and effectiveness. To be understood, we must be clear, concise and compelling in a variety of situations. The most effective communicators understand the importance of organizing their thoughts and then speaking clearly with purpose and intention.

    Room 2
    Tue 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced
    Who is the Audience?
    This course is for anyone who needs to speak clearly and confidently in everyday situations.
    Learning Objectives
    As a result of this session, attendees will learn how to: 1) Organize thoughts clearly to deliver concise messages. 2) Present an idea, product or service convincingly. 3) Speak confidently in a variety of situations.

  • Project Management for the Beginner: The Minimum You Need to Know to Thrive

    Whether you and your boss have made a conscious decision to have you manage a project, or it happened organically, you now need to do more than your “normal” daily job. In addition, you now need to lead a project – so what does that mean? Successful completion of a project requires knowing the art and science of project management. This seminar will deliver the blend of skills you will need to be a Project hero.

    The major points to be covered include:
     The top 10 most common mistakes a project manager makes, and how to overcome the common them
     Project Charters – your savior
     Communications - what you need to know and practice
     How to build out your right-sized plan for easy on-going maintenance
     Interviewing techniques for gathering project data points

    Room 3
    Tue 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
    • Beginning
    Who is the Audience?
    Project Managers
    Learning Objectives
    1. Learn the basics of project management 2. How to "right size" a plan 3. Learn interviewing techniques for gathering project data points

  • Achieving Outcomes in a Complex World: Foundations of Agility

    Agile isn’t a buzzword, it’s your best path to success in complex environments. Learn how the building blocks of Agility help you pursue meaningful outcomes for your business.
    This session is about the beating heart that makes Agile work. Without these elements, organizations are going through the motions; using Agile's words but not receiving its benefits. Topics include:

    Agile Philosophy
    Product Thinking
    Outcomes > Output
    Empiricism
    Real Teams
    Scrum Values
    Intrinsic Motivation

    Is achieving business goals as important as finishing on time and on budget? Do your organization focus on business value or keeping people busy? Do you have transparency throughout the organization? Do you have management who tries to motivate people or leaders who unleash people’s intrinsic motivation?

    This session outlines how to approach these questions and will help you shift the conversation to what really matters in your work environment.

    Room 4
    Tue 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
    • Intermediate
    Who is the Audience?
    Leaders, managers, project managers, product developers
    Learning Objectives
    Understand foundations of Agile, Explain 3 factors in intrinsic motivation, Recognize the importance of Scrum Values in team environments

  • Write Your First Selenium Test Script in Just 4 Hours!

    The open source Selenium test tool has become an industry standard for automated testing of web-based applications. In this workshop, you will learn how to set up a Selenium test development environment from scratch. Within 4 hours, you will also learn how to write and execute your first Selenium test script. Furthermore, you will learn the best practices of Selenium test script design. The code examples will be provided in Java. Basic understanding of Java is required.

    NOTE: You will need to bring your own laptop (windows or Mac). Internet access will be provided.

    Room 6
    Tue 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
    • Beginning
    Who is the Audience?
    Software quality assurance testers and software developers wanting to learn how to automate software tests developers
    Learning Objectives
    Attendees will learn: 1) How to create automated test scripts using Selenium WebDriver with Java. 2) How to create an automated test framework using Selenium. 3) The best practices of creating automated test scripts.

  • Customer Service and Conflict Resolution

    Regardless of who you are serving (either internal or external clients) customer service is needed in every organization along with rapid conflict resolution skills. In this session you will learn principles of excellent customer service along with the empathy method of conflict resolution. Several small group activities are included in the session. Go the extra mile everyday for your customers with the mindset of excellence!

    Room 2
    Tue 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
    • Beginning
    Who is the Audience?
    anyone
    Learning Objectives
    Learn principles of customer service excellence, 2, Going the extra mile 3, The empathy method of conflict resolution

  • Ten Simple Ways to Screw-up a Good Project

    Ever wonder what happens during a project that can make or break its success? In this presentation we will discuss the ten most common ways a project could go wrong, and some lessons learned on how you might change that. From communications and sponsorship to political landscape, risk management and good planning, learn how you might help correct the course of a project gone wrong.

    The major points to be covered include:
     The top 10 most common mistakes that derail your projects
     Joe’s Truisms - how to overcome the common mistakes
     How to learn from “Dilbert” – the keys to repeatable, consistent project success
     Communications - what you need to know and practice

    Room 3
    Tue 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
    • Beginning
    Who is the Audience?
    Project Managers
    Learning Objectives
    1. Understand common mistakes that can happen in managing a project. 2. Learn how to overcome common project management mistakes 3. Identify the keys to repeatable, consistent project success 4. Outline the communications that need to be understood and practiced

  • The Scrum Experience: A Lifetime to Master

    Ken Schwaber, a co-creator of Scrum, has said that Scrum takes, “two days to learn, a lifetime to master”. In this session you will learn the basics of Scrum in 3.5 hours. It will still take a lifetime to master.

    This session is not for people who like to spend their whole afternoon listening to a lecture on Zoom. Participants will be hands-on with the Scrum framework; actively participate in a real Sprint, actively building a real (virtual) product. In the process you will learn about common Scrum anti-patterns, why they are a problem and how to fix them.

    For people new to Scrum, this session will give you experience using it and determine if it might fit in your organization. For people experienced in Scrum, you will get an opportunity to reflect on how you practice it and if there are aspects you could improve to better achieve business value. In either case, the afternoon is going to fly by.

    Room 4
    Tue 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
    • Beginning
    Who is the Audience?
    Leaders, managers, project managers, product developers
    Learning Objectives
    Use the Scrum framework, Understand misconceptions of Scrum, Explain how Scrum works

  • Breakfast

    Bacon

    Upper Level Concourse
    Wed 8:00 am - 9:00 am
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