The above article was published in the May 2008 edition of FEDTECH Magazine. It summarizes the key priorities of Federal CIOs as captured in the Information Technology Association of America's (now Tech Amercia) Survey of Federal CIOs, dated February 2008, entitled "Transforming IT to Support the Mission." The article is one in the series I write entitled "The Business of IT."

1. The Business of IT
Focus on IT Management By Paul Wohlleben
Mission Control
For CIOs, supporting their agencies’ missions propels IT transformation.
• I.T. securITy and cybersecurITy: By
a significant majority, the area of security
and cybersecurity remains the top chal-
lenge. (See the box on the opposite page
for a breakout on security concerns.)
• sTandardIzaTIon and consolIda­
TIon: Most CIOs mention IT infrastruc-
ture when discussing standardization
and consolidation, the focus being hard-
ware, system and operating software,
and networks. CIOs indicate that their
key objectives are to manage cost,
improve security, provide quality service
and enhance IT capabilities through
modernization to meet mission require-
ments. CIOs also mention standardiza-
tion and consolidation with respect to
IT management processes and upgrades
of both common management and
unique mission systems.
• I.T. workforce: The high num-
ber of IT workers retiring now or
within the next few years is of
particular concern. Aggravating
this, CIOs say, are recruiting dif-
ficulties, the slow hiring process,
B PAul TAylOr/GeTTy ImAGeS (rOCkS); elIzAbeTh hInShAw (PAul wOhlleben)
a perceived disparity in pay and
eing a federal CIO is clearly Technology Association of America has benefits, a perceived lack of com-
a complex job. CIOs must interviewed federal IT chiefs. This year, mitment to training and staff devel-
overcome many challenges ITAA met with 46 CIOs from 30 agen- opment, and a bias against federal
if they are to fill their roles cies to find out what they perceive to be employment among potential hires.
successfully and operate as part of the their most serious problems. The government’s chief techies
senior leadership team. Many things keep The report’s title communicates quite also express anxiety over their abil-
them awake at night: gaining control over well the dramatic changes and difficult ity to retain their current employees.
the IT budget and investment process, challenges CIOs face and their percep- CIOs believe they have less flexibil-
ensuring effective IT governance, tion of what takes priority: Transforming ity and fewer lures compared with
leveraging technology to accomplish the IT to Support the Mission. their private-sector counterparts and
mission, providing sufficient and efficient Again this year, I served as chairman note the emergence of a predatory
service, and implementing modernization of the CIO Survey Task Group. With environment where other agencies
projects capably, to name a few. ITAA’s permission, I will share some of poach current staff. The result? The
These aren’t assumed challenges. Each the findings from the survey. The top current pool of IT employees change
of the past 18 years, the Information priorities, in order of rank, are: jobs more often within government,
fact: 23% of CIOs report to their agencies’ chief financial officers, up from 5% last year.
SOURce: ITAA Federal CIO Survey, February 2008
26 FedTechmagazine.com | May 2008

2. InsIde The securITy challenges
==> Nature of the threats: CIOs characterize the security threats as dynamic,
but growth in the supply of federal IT well-organized, well-financed and relentless.
workers fails to keep pace. ==> Organization and culture: Consolidation and central authority are vital to
• I.T. governance: CIOs present gov- institutionalizing strong security practices, but in many agencies it is difficult to
ernance as the scope of management achieve organizational and cultural change.
practices dealing with how agencies ==> Governmentwide coordination: Although some CIOs see strong central
socialize, make and implement IT management by OMB as creating low-value bureaucratic action, a significant
decisions. Federal CIOs express the majority believe the strong coordinating effort is essential.
most concern over their organiza- ==> Operational control: CIOs say there’s an increasing emphasis on operational
tions’ ability to align IT to mission issues and control; significant discussion focuses on proactive protection,
goals and craft plans and road maps enterprise security operations centers and situational awareness.
to operate IT effectively and securely. ==> Technology: Most CIOs are incorporating or planning to incorporate improved
Most CIOs consider the IT gover- technologies into their security program and networks.
nance processes in their organizations ==> Speed of adoption and change: CIOs believe dynamic threats require
immature. They cite the following improved speed of technology adoption and change to mitigate vulnerabilities.
reasons: a lack of interest among the ==> Compliance: CIOs continue to make elements of the President’s Management
political leadership and senior career Agenda a high priority, and IT security is a key element of the PMA.
executives, unwillingness by some SOURce: ITAA Federal CIO Survey, February 2008
departments to cede control, conflict-
ing internal agendas and the complex-
ity of IT management processes. progress, we also have reported that But whether the sharing is internal
• resources: CIOs believe four elements the ability of these same organiza- or external, technology chiefs say the
contribute most to a lack of resources: tions to implement their IT plans is most critical component is trust. They
✛ political leaders who shift resources not on par with their planning capa- also note that they need to balance the
to meet administration priorities; bilities. CIOs say they need better depth of information shared against
✛ unfunded mandates introduced tracking systems, more project and the need to secure that information.
by Congress and the Office of budget control, better methods for
Management and Budget; dealing with complexity and inter- Focusing on the Here and Now
✛ back-to-back continuing resolu- dependencies across projects, and Although government CIOs have always
tions that have a cumulative improved oversight. struggled with vexing challenges, what is
effect on funding; and • InformaTIon sharIng: Many CIOs a tough job is likely to become tougher,
✛ yearlong continuing resolutions report a need to improve their orga- and soon. With a change in the admin-
that, over time, effectively result nizations’ ability to share informa- istration and a new Congress less than
in budget cuts. tion internally. a year away, many current projects will
need to downshift or be reconsidered.
Using past transitions as a guide, now is
not the time for bold new ideas and ini-
The current pool of IT employees change tiatives; instead, federal IT chiefs must
jobs more often within government, demonstrate the ability to implement
projects already under way, provide IT
but growth in the supply of federal IT services that agency employees value
workers fails to keep pace. — P W aul ohlleben and, perhaps most important, impress
transition teams and new political lead-
ers who will soon come on board.
There clearly seems to be a discon- A lesser though still significant num-
nect between the growth in federal IT ber cite data exchange across agen- Paul Wohlleben, a former federal CIO,
budgets, which have increased annu- cies as a critical challenge. In general, is a partner at Grant Thornton. E-mail him
ally at a moderate pace, and the con- where CIOs see external data sharing at paul.wohlleben@gt.com.
cerns CIOs voiced to ITAA. as a priority, the focus is on serving
• ImplemenTIng plans: In the past, distinct communities of interest, most
ITAA has reported steady improve- prominently multiple organizations The full ITAA CIO report is available
ment in IT planning and manage- sharing a common overall mission or from ITAA, at www.itaa.org,
ment processes by OMB and federal new mission strategies requiring dis- and from the report’s sponsor, Grant Thornton,
agencies. While acknowledging this parate organizations to work together. at www.grantthornton.com.
May 2008 | FedTechmagazine.com 27