OMES seeks increased appropriations for IT modernization, cybersecurity and underfunded mandates

Oklahoma Management and Enterprise Services Director Rick Rose told the House Appropriations and Budget Committee at an annual budget hearing that OMES will request increased appropriations to maintain and expand statewide shared services, fund underfunded mandates and finish modernization projects.

Rose said OMES has focused on improving customer service and internal transparency while keeping core operational appropriations relatively flat. "Our vision is serving those who serve Oklahomans," Rose said, adding that OMES publishes service-level metrics and customer satisfaction data online.

The request covers recurring costs such as Office 365 licensing, PeopleSoft (the state financial system), Workday (human capital/payroll), cybersecurity tools, and project-specific increases that appear on OMES accounts though they fund another agency's project. Rose and deputy staff described three categories: base operations, underfunded mandated responsibilities, and optional one-time investments the committee could choose to fund.

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