Program Overview

The Technology Assessment Program fulfills a key role in the overall purchasing process of a technology products or services in Travis County. The program requires the Technology Assessment Team to comprehensively assess technology products and services requested by departments prior to purchase for adherence to security standards and prevention of duplication.

The Technology Assessment Team

The Technology Assessment Team assesses Travis County technology purchases and renewals. The Team is made up of representatives from Travis County Technology & Operations (TOPS), including the Offices of Information Security (InfoSec), Compliance and Privacy (CAP), and Information Technology Services (ITS). The TOPS Program Management Office (PMO) performs an initial review of the request and coordinates communication throughout the assessment process.

This team plays a pivotal role in safeguarding the organization's technological landscape while facilitating informed and strategic decision-making in the adoption of new technologies.

Benefits of a Comprehensive Assessment

✓ Ensures Travis County data is kept secure and confidential.
✓ Determines whether the technology architecture can integrate into Travis County systems.
✓ Reduces duplication, ensuring efficient use of Travis County resources.
✓ Identifies any gaps between vendor safeguards and Travis County requirements.
✓ Confirms that the technology and vendor are compliant with recognized standards, including:

• Travis County Technology Standards.
• Travis County baseline data security standards.
• NIST Security and Privacy Controls (NIST SP Framework 800-53).
• Federal and state legal and regulatory requirements.
• Other industry standards and best practices.

Note: Given the evolving nature of government and industry security standards, the standards listed above may be updated frequently.

Types of Technology That Need an Assessment

The team assesses Travis County purchases and renewals of specific hardware, software, services, or solutions related to IT or other technical fields. This includes:

• Technologies that are new to Travis County
• New integrations with existing Travis County systems
• Subscriptions to cloud services
• Existing products with changes in architecture
• Networking equipment
• Software licenses
• Servers
• Any other technology-related products or services desired for an organization's operations, projects, or initiatives.

Note: For endpoint products, like computers and peripheral devices, submit a HelpDesk ticket.

How Can I Streamline My Assessment?

Clear business use case
Identify a clear business use case for the technology.

Manager approval
Obtain manager approval before requesting an assessment.

Funding approval
For technology purchases that require funding, obtain funding approval before requesting an assessment.

Tip: Work with your department’s purchasing contact to learn about the purchasing process. If your department doesn’t have a purchasing contact, visit the Purchasing Office SharePoint site for more information.

Federal certification
Visit the FedRAMP Marketplace to check if the technology has been federally certified, which is a factor considered by the Technology Assessment Team.

Microsoft certification
If the technology integrates with Microsoft 365 apps, like Office apps, visit the Microsoft Certification website to check if the technology has been certified by Microsoft (indicated by a certification badge ).

If the technology integrates with Microsoft 365 apps but isn’t certified by Microsoft, your technology assessment request will be automatically denied.

The Technology Assessment Process

The following steps make up the technology assessment process for a new technology product or service request:

1. Business department submits a Technology Assessment form through ChangeGear, providing as much product/service and vendor information as possible and attaching any supporting documentation. The request should be submitted by a designated representative responsible for all technology requests from that department and after consultation with the department’s management and IT staff, if any.
   
   Note: If a technology purchase is expected to exceed $50,000 over the contract lifetime, the business department must coordinate with the Travis County Purchasing Office prior to requesting a technology assessment. Visit the Purchasing Office SharePoint site to learn more.
   
   
2. PMO sets up a meeting with the business department, including IT staff, if any, to identify business use case and complete a complexity matrix.
3. Technology Assessment Team assesses the product or service's compliance with established security standards. Team members will contact the requesting department and/or the vendor to gather information. Additionally, the vendor will be asked to complete and submit a security vendor questionnaire.
4. Technology Assessment Team presents assessment findings and recommendations to the Change Advisory Board (CAB) during a weekly Thursday CAB meeting.
5. CAB considers the assessment findings and makes the final decision to approve, deny, or defer the technology request.
6. PMO or other TOPS representative provides results to the business department and Purchasing as needed.

After receiving CAB approval, the business department may proceed to coordinate with a purchasing agent to purchase the product/service from the vendor.

Contact Information

For questions regarding the technology assessment process, email the Technology Assessment Team at Technology_Assessment_Team@traviscountytx.gov.

For detailed information security questions, email the Information Security Assurance Team at InformationAssurance@traviscountytx.gov. Include “Technology Assessment” in the subject line.

FAQ