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Podcast 8

Long-Term Governance of Regional CAD/RMS Projects

Topic/Title: "Long-Term Governance of Regional CAD/RMS Projects"

Description: The Fargo (North Dakota) Police Department received a COPS 2007 Technology Program grant to deploy a regional computer aid dispatch and records management system. This CAD/RMS will serve the Red River Regional Dispatch Center and agencies it supports through two counties in two states: North Dakota and Minnesota. The Red River Regional Dispatch Center is the first in the country to serve a multi-state area. Its staff and participating agencies have over seven years of experience with regional projects and their governance.

Participant: Capt. Tod Dahle, Support Services, Fargo Police Department, North Dakota

  Listen to Full Interview (duration time: 20:16:00)

Questions:

1. Can you tell us a bit more about the governance of the Regional Dispatch Center and how it has evolved?
   1. What formal agreements are in place?
   2. Were any additional ones needed for the CAD/RMS project?
2. How does the project governance fit with the Center’s Board of Authority?
   1. How is the Steering Committee structured?
   2. Will it go away or change after the system is implemented?
3. From what you’ve said, it sounds like most Steering Committee decisions are made by consensus.
   1. Formally, how are costs and decision-making authority split between participants?
   2. How does the committee get involved in change management for the project?
   3. Do you have any examples?
4. More and more agencies across the country are regionalizing communications and dispatch services, but few cross state lines.
   1. What sort of challenges arise with a multi-state CAD/RMS project?
   2. Does it pose problems for vendors?
   3. Do the states have different funding challenges?
5. Did experience with your earlier regional radio system project help prepare the Steering Committee for regional CAD/RMS project and long-term governance?
   1. What did you learn about project management and staffing?
   2. Will the Steering Committee have more responsibility for directing information services staff after the project manager is gone?
6. The river that separates the two states is notorious for flooding, including record levels in Fargo last year. I imagine that the shared problem brings the region together in many ways despite legal boundaries.
   1. Have past and expectations of future disasters affected governance over emergency services and projects like yours?
7. In closing, what are your take-away messages for the long-term governance of regional CAD/RMS projects?

  Written transcript of interview