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finding the resources to assemble the data required for the self-assessment, implementing new governance and acquisition requirements across com- ponents, and accessing and sharing the necessary tools and background information on FITARA.
Agencies now must provide docu- mentation that wasn’t required before while achieving buy-in from agency leaders, acquisition shops and mis- sion owners. Drilling down throughout the organization makes that an even greater challenge.
At least one CIO froze IT acquisi- tions at his agency until reasonable spending plans and data sharing struc- tures had been established. Although that might seem drastic, it could have been the perfect pause to allow the agency to institute a more comprehen- sive approach. That might not work at all agencies, however, because of vary- ing cultures, reporting structures and even definitions of what constitutes an IT expenditure.
Understanding that differences exist, FITARA wisely aims to standard- ize good practices in IT management without locking agencies into a one- size-fits-all approach.
What happens next
Agencies’ focus now shifts to determin- ing whether their actions are indeed moving them toward meeting FITARA standards and, more important, wheth- er their changes and new structures are improving the coordination and oversight of IT management. After all, the ultimate goal is to improve an agency’s ability to deliver its mission. When FITARA is correctly implement- ed, agencies will have an enduring set of procedures, policies and practices that define their IT management.
So how do agencies prioritize chang- es and determine which will make the most meaningful impact? In the initial stages, they would be well served to reflect on some of the questions below, grouped into three key focus areas.
1. Coordinating across the agency
The most widely publicized aspect of FITARA is enhanced authority for the CIO. However, if you dig a little deep- er, you’ll find no single call for a shift of IT power to the CIO. Instead, the guidance directs agencies to involve all appropriate stakeholders — CIO, chief acquisition officer, chief finan- cial officer, chief human capital offi-
cer, privacy officer, general counsel and business unit leaders — in agency decision-making processes related to IT governance, budgeting, acquisition and the workforce.
That kind of collaboration makes sense because IT envelops almost every facet of government. But how do agen- cies bring such a diverse group of stake- holders together, especially when coor- dination across existing silos is one of the most persistent challenges faced by agency executives? And does your orga- nization have a process and analytical platform in place to catalog and track your organization’s IT investments?
The 2016 election and the eventu- al transition to a new administration are adding to the challenge. Regard- less of the election’s outcome, the new administration will bring a new set of challenges in implementing FITARA. The legislation was a bipartisan effort and will remain a priority, but how do agencies maintain momentum during changes to the CXOs and other key stakeholders? Will the time spent cul- tivating relationships and improving communication and awareness among those groups be lost to a change of players?
But how do agencies
bring such a diverse
group of stakeholders together, especially when coordination across existing silos is one of the most persistent challenges faced by agency executives?
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