For the people who run local government IT
You were promoted for your technical skills. This is the leadership framework they never taught you.
A field guide for the people who run IT across America's local governments. Built for the small, under-resourced majority the big-city playbooks overlook.
Local Government CIO | 25 Years | GovTech Top 25
90,000
local governments in the United States. Counties, cities, towns, school districts, and special districts, of every size. Some have a CIO. Many run IT with one person wearing several hats. If you do that work, with the title or without it, this book is for you.
A right-sized system, not another enterprise framework
The HPG-IT Framework
Five modules, 25 sections, the full scope of the job, designed to work with the team and budget you already have. A field guide, not a textbook.
1
Being a Government IT Leader
2
Building a Healthy Organization
3
Working on the Right Stuff
4
Delivering Great Service
5
Continuously Improving
What you get
A map of what the role really requires, beyond the technical work.
A way to see where your department is strong and where it is out of balance.
Practical guidance and real examples from small and mid-sized jurisdictions.
Action plans you can start using the week you read them.
GovTech Top 25 Doers, Dreamers & Drivers
California CIO of the Year
Twenty years top-five in Digital Counties,
First Place Six Times
Pick your format
Available July 20, 2026. Pre-order the Kindle edition now.
Paperback
$34.99
6x9 field guide
Kindle
$9.99
Read anywhere
Hardcover
$49.99
For the shelf
Free to start
Includes assessment questions. See where your department sits across the framework and what to focus on first
The sources and further reading behind the framework, curated and free to download
Leading Local Government IT
One useful idea for local government tech leaders, every other week.
Steve Monaghan
Held four concurrent roles across 25 years in California local government: agency director, CIO, emergency services director, and procurement officer. A GovTech Top 25 honoree, he created the HPG-IT Framework and advises the govtech AI company Ladris. He rides his mountain bike in the Sierra foothills most weeks.
©2026. All rights reserved. Published by LGOV LLC