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Federal Chief Information Officers: Responsibilities, Reporting Relationships, Tenure, and Challenges

GAO-04-823 Published: Jul 21, 2004. Publicly Released: Jul 21, 2004.
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Highlights

Although the federal government has invested substantially in information technology (IT), its success in managing information resources has varied. Agencies have taken steps to implement modern strategies, systems, and management policies and practices, but they still face significant information and technology management challenges. Recognizing the key role of the chief information officer (CIO) in helping an agency to achieve better results through IT, congressional requesters asked GAO to study the current status of CIOs at major departments and agencies. Among the topics this report describes are (1) CIOs' responsibilities and reporting relationships, and (2) current CIOs' professional backgrounds and the tenures of all of the CIOs since enactment of the Clinger-Cohen Act.

Recommendations

Matter for Congressional Consideration

Matter Status Comments
As it holds hearings on and introduces legislation related to information and technology management, the Congress may wish to consider the results of this review and whether the existing statutory requirements related to CIO responsibilities and reporting to the agency heads reflect the most effective assignment of information and technology management responsibilities and reporting relationships.
Closed – Not Implemented
As of September 2008, the Congress has not reexamined through hearings and legislation the statutory requirements related to CIO responsibilities and reporting relationships to the agency heads.

Full Report

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Topics

Chief information officersE-governmentInformation disclosureInformation resources managementInformation technologyReporting requirementsStatistical dataStrategic planningSurveysIT investment management