Federal Government Information Technology

CIOs, Time to Be 'Enabler in Chief' Instead of 'Constrainer in Chief'

Nextgov: The agency chief information officer role has gone through a few iterations over the years. Originally created as a IT decision-maker, CIOs today are tasked with more than just handling technology issues. They must lead and innovate in a time of stagnant or shrinking budgets, address crumbling and decades-old IT infrastructure, while also being prepared for the threats their organizations face from careless insiders and malicious outsiders.

The good news is, today's agency CIO is more empowered than ever, thanks to the enactment of the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act, which shies away from being a “box-checking exercise” to granting CIOs budget authority and a seat at the table with other C-level executives.

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