Industry Warms to Idea of Federal CIO Within OMB

Information technology industry and government representatives meeting May 3 on Capitol Hill agreed that the U.S. government needs a federal chief information officer to lead electronic government efforts, but some seemed to soften on the idea that a new government office is necessary to house an e-gov czar.

Some IT industry officials who formerly worked in the federal government think having the CIO at the Office of Management and Budget is acceptable, said Olga Grkavac, executive vice president of the Information Technology Association of America in Arlington, Va.

"[They] think the right person could really get something done," Grkavac said.

ITAA has spoken out in favor of a separate office for a federal CIO. However, the Bush administration has said the deputy director of management within OMB will undertake the duties of a CIO. The position has not yet been filled.

"I think we might have preferred a separate office, [but] if the right person is at OMB ? with the necessary resources ? people would all be satisfied with that," Grkavac said.

Sens. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., and Conrad Burns, R-Mont., introduced a bill May 1 that would create a specific federal CIO position OMB.

IT industry officials speaking about the role of a federal CIO agreed that the person must be placed close to the president, have budgetary authority and the ability to drive change in government.

"The CIO has to be empowered to make changes, should have funding for pilot projects [in IT], and should look at cross-agency and interagency projects and ideally, multiple-year projects," said Kathleen Kingscott, director of public affairs for Armonk, N.Y., IBM Corp.

Paul Brubaker, president of e-government solutions for Commerce One Inc. of Pleasanton, Calif., agreed. "We don't need more studies," he said.

"The issue now is to get someone in there who can manage change. The position has to be at the most senior level of government ? in OMB or the Executive Office of the President ? not just another seat at the table," said Brubaker, who until recently was deputy chief information officer at the Department of Defense.