Page 38 - FCW, Sept/Oct 2018

DrillDown
Agencies still lag on
empowering their CIOs
Despite pressure from Congress and the White House to expand CIOs’ authorities, most agencies lack policies to make those requirements a reality
BY CHASE GUNTER
As technology grows increasingly intertwined with critical missions and the delivery of government services, the role of agency CIOs has evolved accordingly. The authorities they have been assigned — which include man- aging IT, providing input into the bud- get and shaping the technology work- force — have been enshrined in law for years.
Yet despite the passage of legisla- tion, sustained oversight pressure from Capitol Hill and a recent executive order from President Donald Trump, many agencies still have not estab- lished internal policies for giving CIOs the appropriate authorities.
The Government Accountability Office recently released a 195-page examination of how all 24 agencies governed by the Chief Financial Offi- cers Act are doing when it comes to implementing IT policies consistent with federal laws and guidance in six areas.
By far, agencies scored the highest on IT leadership and accountability. Eleven had policies that fully address that category, and all 24 at least par- tially addressed it. And for the most part, agencies had policies in place related to IT budgeting and informa- tion security, even if the majority had not fully addressed them.
“A chief CIO must report to the head of the agency, and if we have
to, we’ll write that into law.” — REP. GERRY CONNOLLY (D-VA.)
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September/October 2018 FCW.COM