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State and local government CIOs are entering 2026 under intensifying financial pressure. Federal stimulus funding has largely expired, revenues are tightening and legislative scrutiny of IT budgets is increasing — even as expectations for modernization, cybersecurity and AI adoption continue to rise.
In this session, Forrester will share a practical, guidance-led perspective on how SLED CIOs are funding modernization from within their existing portfolios, rather than waiting for new appropriations.
Attendees will learn:
- Why cost reduction has overtaken modernization as a near-term priority for many SLED IT leaders — and how unmanaged cloud spend, technical debt and vendor lock-in quietly erode funding capacity
- How leading agencies are using Forrester’s IT Spend Management Framework — visibility, control and optimization — to regain credibility over technology spend and redirect dollars to priority outcomes
- How to build repeatable capabilities to manage cloud and AI costs, retire high-impact technical debt, rationalize portfolios and strengthen vendor negotiation leverage
- How CIOs are reframing spend decisions in mission-aligned, defensible terms that resonate with CFOs, legislators and oversight bodies — a leadership skill that Forrester’s 2026 predictions indicate will be decisive