(1) The director may organize the department into organizational entities and may merge or transfer functions between organizational entities to promote efficiency and economy. The director shall exercise direction and supervision over the organization entities in the performance of the respective functions. The director may appoint deputies and other officers and employees as permitted by law to effectively accomplish the duties and responsibilities of the department. The director may designate a deputy or other employee to act on behalf of the director.

  (2) The chief information officer shall report to and advise the governor on matters relating to information technology services and related technology. Under direction and guidance of the chief information officer, the department shall do all of the following related to information technology services:

  (a) Lead state efforts to reengineer the information technology infrastructure of this state to achieve the use of common technology across the executive branch of state government.

  (b) Coordinate a unified executive branch strategic information technology plan, identify best practices from executive branch agencies and other public and private sector entities, and develop and implement processes to replicate information technology best practices and standards throughout the executive branch of state government.

  (c) Oversee the expanded use and implementation of project management principles related to information technology services within the executive branch of state government. Funded projects within all executive branch departments and agencies shall use project management methodologies specified by the chief information officer for this state.

  (d) Serve as a general contractor between information technology users within the executive branch and private-sector providers of information technology products and services while working to build stronger partnering relationships with providers.

  (e) Develop and periodically update service-level agreements with executive branch departments and agencies to ensure quality information technology services are delivered on schedule and within budget.

  (f) Develop standards for application development, including, but not limited to, a standard methodology and cost-benefit analysis that all executive branch departments and agencies shall utilize for application development activities.

  (g) Determine and implement statewide efforts to standardize data elements, formats, and standards and determine data and information ownership or control issues among departments and agencies in the executive branch of state government with the full cooperation of executive branch departments and agencies.

  (h) Develop systems and methodologies to review, evaluate, and prioritize existing information technology services projects within the executive branch of state government.

  (i) Assist the office of the state budget director with the development of information technology services budgets for the executive branch of state government. All information technology budget requests from the executive branch must continue to be submitted to the office of the state budget director and the chief information officer. The office of the state budget director and the chief information officer will continue to jointly review and recommend for funding consideration only those proposals that fit into the overall strategic information technology management plan of this state and that provide a reasonable return on investment, subject to available resources.

  (3) All executive branch departments and agencies shall fully cooperate with the state chief information officer in developing and implementing the sharing of data and information throughout the executive branch. The state chief information officer shall determine and implement statewide efforts to standardize data elements and shall determine data ownership assignments among executive branch departments and agencies.