CMM Technology & Digital Government 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A city manager wants to improve public trust in algorithmic decision-making tools used by the municipality. Which governance practice is most appropriate?
- Keep algorithms proprietary to prevent manipulation
- Publish algorithmic impact assessments and audit results publicly (Correct answer)
- Delegate all AI decisions to department heads without oversight
- Require vendors to self-certify algorithm fairness
Correct answer: Publish algorithmic impact assessments and audit results publicly
Publishing algorithmic impact assessments promotes transparency and accountability, helping communities understand how automated tools affect public decisions.
Question 2: Which term describes a formal agreement between a local government and a technology vendor that specifies performance metrics, uptime guarantees, and remedies for failures?
- Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
- Service Level Agreement (SLA) (Correct answer)
- Master Services Agreement (MSA)
- Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
Correct answer: Service Level Agreement (SLA)
A Service Level Agreement (SLA) defines measurable expectations for vendor performance, including uptime, response times, and penalties for non-compliance.
Question 3: What is the primary purpose of multi-factor authentication (MFA) in municipal IT systems?
- Speed up login times for employees
- Add an extra layer of identity verification beyond a password (Correct answer)
- Encrypt data stored on city servers
- Enable remote access to city networks
Correct answer: Add an extra layer of identity verification beyond a password
MFA requires users to verify their identity through two or more factors (e.g., password plus a phone code), significantly reducing the risk of unauthorized access.
Question 4: A municipality is designing a digital equity program. Which population is MOST likely to be targeted by this initiative?
- High-income households with multiple devices
- Residents lacking reliable internet access or digital literacy skills (Correct answer)
- City employees who work remotely
- Technology vendors seeking government contracts
Correct answer: Residents lacking reliable internet access or digital literacy skills
Digital equity programs target underserved residents who lack internet access, devices, or digital skills needed to fully participate in the digital economy and government services.
Question 5: When evaluating a software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution for municipal use, which security concern is MOST critical to address in the vendor contract?
- The vendor's marketing strategy
- Data residency, ownership, and portability provisions (Correct answer)
- The number of software updates per year
- The vendor's stock market valuation
Correct answer: Data residency, ownership, and portability provisions
Data residency, ownership, and portability provisions ensure the municipality retains control over citizen data and can retrieve it if the vendor relationship ends.
Question 6: Which technology enables residents to complete government forms, pay fees, and access services online without visiting a physical office?
- Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)
- E-government portals (Correct answer)
- Geographic Information Systems
- Enterprise Asset Management systems
Correct answer: E-government portals
E-government portals provide digital interfaces for residents to interact with government services remotely, improving convenience and operational efficiency.
Question 7: A city council asks the IT department to conduct a total cost of ownership (TCO) analysis for a new permit management system. What does TCO analysis primarily evaluate?
- Only the initial purchase price of the software
- All costs over the system's lifecycle including licensing, training, maintenance, and migration (Correct answer)
- The number of features compared to competing products
- Vendor reputation and customer satisfaction scores
Correct answer: All costs over the system's lifecycle including licensing, training, maintenance, and migration
TCO analysis captures all direct and indirect costs over a system's full lifecycle to enable accurate budget forecasting and informed technology investment decisions.
CMM Technology & Digital Government 4
A city manager wants to improve public trust in algorithmic decision-making tools used by the municipality.
Which governance practice is most appropriate?