Page 16 - CARAHSOFT, September/October 2020

IT MODERNIZATION
Executive Viewpoint
A conversation with
MARIA ROAT
MARIA ROAT
Deputy Administrator and Deputy Federal CIO, Office of E-Government and IT, Office of Management and Budget
The deputy federal CIO talks about how OMB develops guidance and works with the CIO Council to support modernization efforts
How did your previous work prepare you for overseeing governmentwide modernization efforts?
I think having the agency perspective brings a lot of value. I was the CIO at the Small Business Administration and also the CTO at the Department of Transportation. I led the stand-
up of FedRAMP, a significant governmentwide program. All of my experience led me to this. Working in the private sector as a government contractor for several years also gave me another viewpoint.
As the recipient of policy and running major programs, I know
what it takes to execute. When OMB develops memorandums and policies, my perspective allows me to ask better, more informed questions, such as: Did you think about the impact?
Are there resources coming with it? How do you expect the CIOs to execute on this?
It helps to have gone through a
huge digital transformation, especially at the SBA, and to understand the challenges and what it takes to move an agency forward quickly. The effort to consolidate contracts, modernize and standardize technology, move to the cloud, develop the IT workforce and build relationships with the program offices are just a few of many activities necessary to drive change and improve how the government meets its mission and serves the American public.
And we can’t just focus on technology because it’s critical
to consider the workforce. OMB
can issue guidance to enable the
use of new technologies that drive modernization, but it is also necessary to continuously train the workforce on
new and emerging technologies. Just as important when we consider any technology investment, the workforce using those solutions must also be skilled in the use of technology.
What role does OMB play in helping agencies achieve their modernization goals?
OMB tries to make sure that policies and guidance are flexible enough that agencies can embrace emerging technologies while also securely managing ongoing modernization initiatives.
The Cloud Smart policy, shared- services strategy, Federal Data Strategy, President’s Management
Agenda and cross-agency priority goals are all heavy on technology because technology is the enabler of the government’s mission. Many of those policies are vetted through the CIO Council, and the CIOs provide feedback: “This will work.” Or:
“This won’t work.” There is a strong relationship within the CIO Council to provide feedback on those policies as they are being developed to make sure that they’re useful and that they actually help the CIOs.
Over the last two years, the
Federal CIO team at OMB updated policies and guidance to eliminate barriers to modernization and align the guidance with broader strategic goals. They eliminated many of the old requirements, including reporting requirements that weren’t necessary or did not add value. CIOs are strategic partners with agency leaders and are being asked to deliver high- quality solutions to complex problems at a faster rate. Updated and relevant guidance is an enabler.
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