	Ensuring That CIOs Fulfill a Critical Leadership Role

Senior executives in the successful organizations we studied were personally committed to improving the management of technology. The PRA and the Clinger-Cohen Act make federal agency heads directly responsible for establishing goals and measuring progress in improving the use of information technology to enhance the productivity and efficiency of their agency’s operations. An agency should place its CIO at a senior management level, working as a partner with other senior officials in decision-making on information management issues. Specifically, agencies should appoint a CIO with expertise and practical experience in technology position the CIO as a senior partner reporting directly to the agency head; ensure that the CIO’s primary responsibilities are for information have the CIO serve as a bridge between top management, line management, and information management support professionals, working with them to ensure the effective acquisition and management of the information resources needed to support agency programs and missions; task the CIO with developing strategies and specific plans for the hiring, training, and professional development of staff in order to build the agency’s capability to develop and manage its information resources; and support the CIO position with an effective CIO organization and management framework for implementing agencywide information technology initiatives. Shortly after the Clinger-Cohen Act went into effect, OMB evaluated the status of CIO appointments at the 27 agencies. OMB noted that at several agencies, the CIO’s duties, qualifications, and placement met the requirements of the Clinger-Cohen Act. However, OMB had concerns about a number of other agencies that had acting CIOs, CIOs whose qualifications did not appear to meet the requirements of the Clinger-Cohen Act, and/or CIOs who did not report directly to the head of the agency. OMB also raised concerns about agencies where the CIOs had other major management responsibilities or where it was unclear whether the CIOs’ primary duty was the information resource management function. One area that we will focus on during the coming year is CIOs who have major responsibilities in addition to information management. At present, only 12 agencies have CIOs whose responsibilities are focused solely on information management. We are particularly troubled by agencies that have vested CIO and Chief Financial Officer responsibilities in one person. Because it may be difficult for the CIO of a large department to adequately oversee and manage the specific information needs of the department’s major subcomponents, we have also supported the establishment of a CIO structure at the subcomponent and bureau levels. We have reported on instances where the subcomponent CIOs were not organizationally positioned and empowered to discharge key CIO functions. While these activities have proved useful, the Council does not yet have a strategic plan to help guide its work and serve as a benchmark for measuring progress. Ultimately, the successful implementation of information management reforms depends heavily upon the skills and performance of the entire CIO organization within departments and agencies—not just the CIO as a single individual.
Why GAO Did This Study

GAO discussed the importance of having strong agency chief information officers (CIO) and an effective CIO Council, focusing on its study of how leading private- and public-sector organizations control system development projects and successfully apply technology to improve their performance, which identified a specific set of strategic practices that these organizations use to improve performance through information management.

What GAO Found

GAO noted that: (1) senior executives in the successful organizations it studied were personally committed to improving the management of technology; (2) applicable laws make federal agency heads directly responsible for establishing goals and measuring progress in improving the use of information technology to enhance the productivity and efficiency of agency operations and assign a wide range of duties and responsibilities to CIOs; (3) agencies should place CIOs at a senior management level, working as a partner with other senior officials in decisionmaking on information management issues; (4) having effective CIOs will make a difference in building the institutional capacity and structure needed to implement sound management practices; (5) shortly after the Clinger-Cohen Act went into effect, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) evaluated the status of CIO appointments at 27 agencies and noted that at several agencies, the CIO's duties, qualifications, and placement met the act's requirements; (6) however, OMB had concerns about a number of other agencies that had acting CIOs, CIOs whose qualifications did not appear to meet the act's requirements, or CIOs who did not report directly to the head of the agency; (7) OMB also raised concerns about agencies where the CIOs had other major management responsibilities or where it was unclear whether the CIOs' primary duty was information resource management; (8) one area that GAO will focus on is CIOs who have major responsibilities in addition to information management; (9) only 12 agencies have CIOs whose responsibilities are focused solely on information management; (10) GAO is particularly troubled by agencies that have vested CIO and Chief Financial Officer responsibilities in one person; (11) because it may be difficult for the CIO of a large department to adequately oversee and manage the specific information needs of the department's major subcomponents, GAO has also supported the establishment of a CIO structure at the subcomponent and bureau levels; (12) GAO has reported on instances where the subcomponent CIOs were not organizationally positioned and empowered to discharge key CIO functions; (13) the CFO Council has played a lead role in creating goals for improving federal financial management practices; the Council does not yet have a strategic plan to help guide its work and serve as a benchmark for measuring progress; and (14) ultimately, the successful implementation of information management reforms depends heavily upon the skills and performance of the entire CIO organization within departments and agencies, not just the CIO as an individual.