Concourse

Arkansas

IT Status Report & Strategic Plan

February 23, 2026 · Version 2.0

Executive Summary

Governor

Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R)

CIO

Jay Harton (CTO/Director, Office of State Technology)

CISO

Centralized Cybersecurity Office (Establishing under EO 25-10)

IT Organization

Department of Shared Administrative Services, Office of State Technology (formerly DIS)

State Agencies

42

Population

3.1M

✓ Key Strengths

  • Arkansas Forward initiative backed by Executive Order 25-10 (June 2025) centralizes all state IT under the Office of State Technology with projected annual savings of $65M-$130M from consolidation, procurement optimization, and legacy retirement
  • BEAD broadband program secured $1.024B federal allocation with 76% fiber deployment targeting 79,000+ unserved locations -- one of the most cost-efficient proposals nationally at $3,891 average cost per location
  • AI and Analytics Center of Excellence established by Governor Sanders produced initial policy framework report, followed by Act 848 (HB 1958) requiring all public entities to develop AI usage policies effective August 2025
  • IT Governance Team created under EO 25-10 provides centralized oversight of procurement and strategy across all state agencies, eliminating historically fragmented decision-making that drove inefficient spending

⚠ Key Risks

  • Cybersecurity spending of only $6M annually is dramatically below the $60M national average for peer states -- creating significant vulnerability exposure across all state agencies during a period of increasing cyber threats
  • IT consolidation under Arkansas Forward requires massive organizational change management across 42+ agencies with historically independent IT operations -- execution risk is substantial during the 2-3 year transition period
  • State IT budget of $680M-$700M is heavily weighted toward applications (70%+) vs. infrastructure, leaving limited investment capacity for modernization, cloud migration, and cybersecurity improvements simultaneously
  • BEAD broadband deployment shifting toward satellite technology (16% LEO satellite) due to federal policy changes may deliver lower-quality connections than originally planned fiber deployments in rural areas

Capability Areas

Capability Radar

Cybersecurity & …AI & AutomationDigital Governme…Data Management …Workforce & TalentCloud ServicesBroadband & Conn…IT Procurement &…Interoperability…Legacy Moderniza…
Arkansas

Current IT Projects

ProjectStatusDescriptionTimeline
Arkansas Forward IT ConsolidationIn ProgressComprehensive state IT overhaul under Executive Order 25-10, centralizing all IT administration under the Office of State Technology. Includes IT governance, procurement consolidation, comprehensive assessments, and a multi-year consolidation plan targeting $65M-$130M in annual savings.2025-2028
BEAD Broadband DeploymentApproved$1.024B federal broadband program connecting 79,000+ unserved locations across Arkansas. 23 ISPs awarded with 76% fiber, 16% satellite, 7% fixed wireless deployment. Pending NIST budget review and legislative authorization.2026-2030
Centralized Cybersecurity Office EstablishmentIn ProgressCreating new centralized cybersecurity office under the Office of State Technology to manage all state cyber risk. Addresses critical gap of $6M current spend vs. $60M peer-state average. Will set standards, monitor threats, and coordinate incident response statewide.2025-2027
AI Governance and Policy ImplementationActiveImplementing Act 848 AI policy requirements across all public entities. Building on AI CoE initial report recommendations for data protection, ethical frameworks, and workforce training. All public entities must have compliant AI policies by August 2025.2025-2026
Statewide IT Assessment and InventoryIn ProgressComprehensive inventory and evaluation of all state IT and telecommunications resources mandated by EO 25-10. Identifies redundancies, security gaps, and modernization opportunities to inform the IT Consolidation Plan.2025-2026
IT Procurement CentralizationIn ProgressConsolidating IT procurement across all state agencies under centralized governance. Renegotiating vendor contracts, eliminating duplicate purchases, and leveraging state buying power for estimated $40M-$45M in application consolidation savings.2025-2027

100-Day Strategic Plan

Quick-win initiatives for immediate impact

200-Day Strategic Plan

Strategic initiatives for sustained transformation

Sources

  1. Governor Sanders Executive Order 25-10: Modernizing State IT Services (accessed 2026-02-23)
  2. StateScoop: Arkansas Governor Orders Technology Dept. to Centralize (accessed 2026-02-23)
  3. Arkansas Forward: Plans for Cost-Savings and Efficiency (PDF) (accessed 2026-02-23)
  4. StateScoop: Arkansas Names Jay Harton as New IT Director/CTO (accessed 2026-02-23)
  5. Arkansas Department of Shared Administrative Services - State Technology (accessed 2026-02-23)
  6. Director Jay Harton - Office of State Technology (accessed 2026-02-23)
  7. Arkansas IT Governance Framework (accessed 2026-02-23)
  8. Arkansas AI and Analytics Center of Excellence Initial Report (accessed 2026-02-23)
  9. Act 848 (HB 1958): Public Entity AI Policy Requirements (accessed 2026-02-23)
  10. Arkansas BEAD Final Proposal - Arkansas State Broadband Office (accessed 2026-02-23)
  11. Arkansas Commerce: BEAD Proposal Unveiled for Public Comment (accessed 2026-02-23)
  12. Talk Business: Feds Approve Arkansas Broadband Proposal ($1.024B) (accessed 2026-02-23)
  13. Talk Business: Report Shows State Could Save $300M Over Six Years (accessed 2026-02-23)
  14. Arkansas Quarterly Employment Report FY2025 Q4 (accessed 2026-02-23)
  15. NASCIO 2026 State CIO Top 10 Priorities (accessed 2026-02-23)
  16. Heartland Forward: Arkansas Leaders Prioritize Safe AI Strategy (accessed 2026-02-23)
  17. Arkansas Digital Government Summit 2025 (accessed 2026-02-23)