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NEWS FROM DAS | JUNE 2021
Director's Message
Katy Coba, DAS Director and State Chief Operating Officer
In this edition I am pleased to highlight two amazing DAS leaders who recently have been in the limelight, while first I want to congratulate our Chief Human Resources Office and the project team at DAS and in state agencies – everyone who had a hand in delivering state government’s new learning management system – Workday Learning.
The learning management replacement project began about two years ago just a few months after Workday (the state’s modern HR information system) went live. I couldn’t be prouder that the team delivered Workday Learning on time and on budget. Learn more about his new tool by visiting the Workday website.
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Congratulation also goes to State Chief Information Officer Terrence Woods for being named StateScoop GoldenGov: State Executive of the Year. The GoldenGov awards those who are leading state government into a new technology landscape with innovative ideas and inspiring others to get on board. I am grateful to serve state government alongside Terrence. His work for the state is incomparable and we are incredibly lucky to benefit from his skillset and drive. Read more in this DAS news release.
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In celebration of Pride Month, the Portland Business Journal has featured the lives and careers of members of the LGBTQ community, and DAS’ own Brian Light (HR Administrator, Chief Human Resources Office) is among them. In his interview with the PBJ, Brian announced that a new training is coming to state government, “Creating a Gender Inclusive Workplace.” The training is the product of a committee that has worked for over a year to formulate a framework to help state workplaces become more inclusive. He believes the new training can help state workplaces go from being welcoming of LGBTQ employees to respecting and supporting. We look forward to sharing details about the training in the days ahead. (To access Brian’s article, visit bizjournals.com/portland/, become a subscriber, then search for Pride.)
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  Interagency group drives electric vehicle adoption
The Zero-Emission Vehicle Interagency Working Group (ZEVIWG) is a collaborative of state agencies led by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to support adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in Oregon. The ZEVIWG was created by Executive Order 17-21 and tasked with increasing the number of EVs in the state. The agencies in the group oversee an ambitious list of initiatives – from awards to coordination with energy utilities, tools and technical assistance, EV rebate programs, building code changes, changes to the state’s Clean Fuels Program, procurement of vehicle chargers and adding EV charging to the DAS state fleet and parking lots.
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data show that the transportation sector is Oregon’s largest greenhouse gas contributor. Driving EVs, rather than internal combustion engine cars powered by fossil fuels, will help reduce GHG emissions from the transportation sector.
ZEVIWG continues its work today, with many initiatives completed or in progress. In addition to ODOT, ZEVIWG includes DAS, the Oregon Department of Energy, Public Utility Commission and Department of Environmental Quality with contributions from multiple other agencies. The ZEVIWG’s work is complemented by the Oregon EV Collaborative of non-governmental organizations, government agencies (including ODOT), private sector companies and individuals convened to pursue voluntary commitments for EV adoption. These and other efforts combine to enhance Oregon’s portion of the West Coast Electric Highway (pictured above).
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 Meals, Ready to Eat go to hundreds of households
The DAS State and Federal Surplus Property Program has a great story to tell about a 2021 FEMA program allotting Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs) to individual states that request them. Under the program, DAS Surplus Property has received several MRE allotments this year and has distributed 7,300 cases (12 meals per case) to Oregon state and local governments, as well as nonprofit organizations. That comes to 87,600 individual meals!
The cost of obtaining surplus property is largely tied to the cost of shipping. Because a FEMA distribution site is located in California, Oregon was able to keep those shipping costs down. DAS Surplus staff were able to charge just $10 per case, compared to an original price of $55.
During the February ice storms, counties sent employees armed with cases of MREs to residents stranded by downed tree limbs and electrical wires. People who had no electricity or were isolated in a rural area suddenly had ready-to-eat meals. Thanks to these organizations being proactive and responding quickly to DAS Surplus announcements, they were able to feed hundreds of cold, tired storm victims.
This is just one example of the many services DAS Surplus Property provides to Oregonians. Through an extensive network, Surplus staff have transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of property to local government and nonprofit participants.
 OregonBuys: One unified system — modernizing state procurement
On July 1, the state is getting a new eProcurement system called OregonBuys. This powerful tool will replace the Oregon Procurement Information Network (ORPIN) and will be the statewide solution for state agencies and many local government entities.
OregonBuys is a web-based system that brings a modern user experience, automates procurement processes, eliminates duplicative and manual steps, and captures information so we can better understand what state government buys.
The launch on July 1 marks the end of Phase 1 in a two-phased project led by DAS. In this first phase, agency procurement staff will use OregonBuys in many of the same ways they used ORPIN − while enjoying the added benefit of browsing statewide contracts in the new OregonBuys Marketplace.
The second phase of the project releases added procure-to-pay functionality. Individual agencies will get this new functionality when they take part in one of three waves that are eight months long. Phase 2 begins this August and waves continue through 2023.
We’re thrilled to introduce you to OregonBuys! If you’d like to learn more about the system or the project, visit https://oregonbuys.oregon.gov.
Phase 3 of the Payroll and Time Tracking Replacement Project
The Payroll and Time Tracking (PTT) Replacement Project is currently in the third of five phases: Configure and Prototype. This exciting project will modernize state government’s payroll system, time tracking and leave accrual by leveraging the Workday HR system that has been in use in Oregon state government for over two years. The current phase is on track to be completed this September and the project team is also finalizing integration designs and starting data conversion efforts. If it sounds a bit technical, it is!
With go live projected in summer 2022, employees can expect training to begin next spring.
To help keep the enterprise informed, a project newsletter will launch this fall. Click here to subscribe to the PTT newsletter to receive the latest information. Additional resources, such as project timeline and FAQ are available on the PTT website. Email questions, comments or concerns to osps.workday@oregon.gov.
 Stay up to date on coronavirus news and instructions by visiting these sites:
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