DOD needs geeky data lovers

The federal government could use more geeky types of folks who can define data standards that can facilitate the aggregation of pertinent information agencies need to perform their missions.

Although Elizabeth McGrath, deputy chief management officer and performance improvement officer with the Department of Defense didn’t use those words, she did describe the importance of “back office” tasks like defining architectures, business processes and data elements during a keynote address at the Enterprise Architecture Conference and Exposition 2010 held recently in Washington, D.C. by 1105 Government Information Group.

McGrath noted how members on her team get excited about doing value stream mapping, described by some as a workflow chart on steroids. But when she asks “who wants to join my data strategy team, people start looking around” the room. “There’s a guy up front who says ‘I love data,’ and he’s usually at a table by himself,” McGrath noted.

A guy who says "I love data" and sits alone is a geek. A nerd. We'll use the words even if McGrath won't.

“Those are the people we need,” McGrath said.