The Federal Chief Information Officer Roadmap - Case Study Example

Case Study: Federal CIO Roadmap The Federal Chief Information Officer Roadmap provides an intricate look at the fields of responsibility for Federal CIO. It offers specific detailed responsibilities in, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circulars and guidance and Law. The case study points out that the Agency CIO’s chief responsibility is to maintain and develop annual strategic Information Resource Management (IRM) and describe Information Technology Management activities and functions. Agency CIO has a role to develop comprehensive Information Technology and Information Resource Management plans (Federal CIO Roadmap, 2012). Comprehensive IT/IRM frameworks ensure that the CIO has the responsibility of discerning development projects that align to the core business strategies of the agency and ensures IT investment on projects that provide the most positive impacts on the society. This work analyzes current and recommended governance approach of Federal CIO; and how the CIO should lead or manage IRM to meet the IT needs of the federal agencies. In his endeavors to ensuring strategic development, Federal CIO has a duty to ensure an efficient Federal IT Workforce (Federal CIO Roadmap, 2012). Federal CIO has the responsibility of assessing the Information Resource Management skills required for agency IT personnel. He has the responsibility of identifying, evaluating and rectifying deficiencies that may hinder the agency from meeting its strategic goals and business objectives. The federal CIO further has the duty of placing specific plans for hiring IT staff, training the IT workforce and ensuring the personnel of Information Technology Department have the requisite professional training. There are particularly emphases on providing regular appraisals and trainings on new concepts that develop every single day in IT (Federal CIO Roadmap, 2012). This is the only way a federal agency through the CIO and Information Resource Management can ensure there is increases and perpetual development of IT and IT services. A Federal Agency works with the CIO Councils and OMBs to ensure that there is proper identification of the competencies and skills needed to fill gaps in the IT vacancies (Federal CIO Roadmap, 2012). An agency, through the CIO, has the core responsibility of signing qualifies project managers for all its projects and document and examine the qualifications of the project managers. Federal CIO Improvement of IT and IT Services through Enterprise Architecture Federal Laws and regulations have sections that guide Chief Executive Officers in their operations. The law directs Federal Laws direct federal CIOs to develop Enterprise Architectures (EAs) as blueprints for modernization of IT in support for maintaining agency missions (Federal CIO Roadmap, 2012). Agency develops and maintains Enterprise Architecture as a means of ensuring there is Performance Improvement Lifecycle (PIL) (Federal CIO Roadmap, 2012). The Performance Improvement Lifecycle has three distinct phases; Architect phase Invest phase and Implementation phase. This is linked to the agency’s development and budget submission process. Every September, the OMB issues Federal Enterprise Architecture guidance. The guidance consists Enterprise Architecture Assessment framework for the fiscal year in question and any cross-agency initiatives. Upon receiving the Federal Enterprise Architecture guideline, an agency develops its own EA blueprint. The CIO works together with businesses within the agency sector to segment Enterprise Architecture in a bid to ensure the agency missions reach the grass roots and are met fully. In March every year, the federal government conducts an assessment that provides an immediate feedback on the performance of all the federal agencies. The CIO has the responsibility of fully cooperating with the assessors to ensure there is clear understanding the extent of success of the EA and Segment Architectures. An agency then uses the EA to inform and guide its capital investment procedures and to submit its budget to OMB in September (Federal CIO Roadmap, 2012). OMB reflects and assesses the budgets prepared from EA to ascertain their level of coherence. In order to have consistent and clear information for cross-agency Information Technology adoption, the OMB has instituted the Federal Transition Framework catalogue that has alignment with Federal Enterprise Architecture Models. CIO of a federal agency undergoes a job appraisal through the Annual EA assessments. The OMB develops and conducts an annual assessment of the agency’s EA in three dimensions. The three dimensions define the capability areas upon which the performance of CIO is anchored (Federal CIO Roadmap, 2012). The first area is based on the completion of agency’s Enterprise Architecture and other related artifacts that support the missions of the agency and other cross-agency initiatives. The second area of assessment is the use of agency’s Enterprise Architecture to figure out and drive the agency results achieved from the use of Enterprise Architecture s improved decision making process. Thirdly, the OMB uses the framework to assess CIOs in terms of efficiency and effectiveness (Federal CIO Roadmap, 2012). Further, CIO uses the Quarterly EA Performance Review as a framework of improving decision making. An agency hands over a quarterly progress report to OMB on the results its status of achieving transition strategies milestones. The results of these evaluations are reflected in the Progress Measure for E-government. The Chief Information Officer of every agency has the demanding duty of formulating Budget Formulation and Capital Investment Control (CPIC) (Federal CIO Roadmap, 2012). It is an integral part of the CIO to develop, formulate and execute the Capital Planning and Investment Control. The process is particularly necessary so that there is maximum reaping on every investment done on the taxpayer’s money. Monitoring and evaluation of performance of information resource investments requires CIOs to use the CPIC framework. Upon understanding this process, the CIO thereafter advices the agency head on the feasibility of a proposed or ongoing project. The agency ten decides on whether to modify, stop or continue with the project as it is. Agency CIO uses the CPIC plan to manage Information Technology investments on individual basis of the projects as well as upon consideration of the whole IT portfolio (Federal CIO Roadmap, 2012). A workable capital planning process requires that there is long-range planning and disciplined budgeting processes. This is the basis of managing portfolios of capital assets. A sound capital investment planning process by the CIO of an agency is based on three fundamentals. First, there is the need that the agency selects capital investment targeted for funding every year. The process of selection needs to be done keenly and effectively. Secondly, the agency controls and manages capital investments with the aim of achieving the agency’s goals within intended schedule, cost and performance. The last process is the evaluation of performance with an aim of maintaining positive return on capital investment. Chief Information Officer within the federal agency ensures improved IT services and Information Resource Management inculcates understanding and embracing efforts of the government to provide e-government services and IT implementation. The government has introduced E-Government initiatives, SmartBUY initiatives, and Lines of Business Measures. OMB assesses and measures the adoption and participation of agencies based on a set of established milestones that the agency agrees upon with the OMB. Based on these, the agency is required to submit quarterly progress reports detailing their status and level of adoption of e-government initiatives. In the event of any missing implementation and adoption milestone, the OMB requires CIO to provide a justified rationale for the failure and give expected dates of completion and full adoption (Federal CIO Roadmap, 2012). Further, the CIO has the responsibility of updating their implementation plans and milestones as new requirements and initiative progress are identified. The standards for success are marked with ability of the agency to demonstrate the completion and implementation of all E-Government implementation plans that are scheduled for the quarter. Failure to complete the implementation milestone as scheduled would lead to downgrading of the agency headed by the CIO on progress in the government’s E-Gov PMA Scorecard (Federal CIO Roadmap, 2012). Additionally, agencies that miss out on major milestones risk being downgrades on status score on the E-Government PMA Scorecard (Federal CIO Roadmap, 2012). If the agency misses out on important milestones as a result of justified circumstances beyond the CIO’s control, the status and progress score on the PMA Scorecard is never affected. CIO and Lines of Business Initiative CIO of agency has the role of staying put with the requirements of Line of Business Initiative that the OMB has instituted to expand E-Government services using the Federal Enterprise Architecture Program (Federal CIO Roadmap, 2012). There are 9 lines of business that OMB has instituted in its endeavors to help CIOs of various agencies aid in the realization of E-Governance. These lines of business include Case Management, Budget Formulation and Execution, Information Systems Security, IT Infrastructure Optimization, Financial Management, Federal Health Architecture, Geospatial and Grants Management (Federal CIO Roadmap, 2012). A Line of Business initiative defines the cross-agency efforts that design, implement and supervise a set of common solutions for government business functions and services of the Federal government. As much as the scope of LoB functions do not all fall under the office of CIO, he plays the most integral part in ensuring the interconnected businesses of different agencies work for the good of the government. Considering the position held by the CIO in interconnecting the various arms of the government, it is the CIOs of various departments and agencies that play the most essential role in completion of the endeavors of OMB through LoB (Federal CIO Roadmap, 2012). The scope of the LoB is to define the businesses and businesses’ protocols that are associated with the government-wide business functions. The LoB also informs the future policies and shapes existing policies to appropriate policy making authority in a particular business field. It provides implementation guidance to the IT projects and systems to align themselves with the initiatives in LoB (Federal CIO Roadmap, 2012). Furthermore, CIOs in agencies help the government realize their Information Resource Management dreams by the use of SmartBUY. This is federal government wide enterprise software initiative designed to streamline the process of acquiring and offering the best priced and standard compliant Information Technology (Federal CIO Roadmap, 2012). Agency CIOs have the responsibility that the SmartBUY initiative and software work well and within the required standards. This is one area where a proper assessment of the people hired to work in the IT Department of the agency is necessary. Maintenance of a proper system that ensures standard and low priced software is only possible if the team responsible is dedicated and has the requisite qualifications and skills. CIO of an agency is required to optimize the use of SmartBUY thus leveraging the government’s buying power and reducing software licenses expenses and avoiding redundant purchases (Federal CIO Roadmap, 2012). If a CIO of an agency works effectively, investment in Information Technology can have dramatic positive impact on the performance of an organization. If the CIO does not practice caution and good governance in determining what IT projects to invest in, there can be detrimental effects on the sustainability of the organization’s operations. These include wasteful spending on projects that are not profitable in addition to loosing opportunities for improvement of delivery of services to citizens. Earned Value Management (EVM) is one of project management tools that help CIOs of agencies to effectively manage their investment decisions in matters concerning Information Technology (Federal CIO Roadmap, 2012). It efficiently integrates the scope of work with cost and schedule elements for optimum control and investment planning. EVM allows for the development of performance measure baseline upon which accomplishments may be measured and independently verified. As a result of the tool, CIOs get quantifiable and consistent indicators upon which they can determine if their projects are running as proposed and if there is any change and modification to allow the IT investments to take the right course. The CIO is required to assign a qualified project manager to each IT project. Additionally, an agency is expected to achieve an average of 90% f its cost projections, performance goals and schedules for all major and non-major projects (Federal CIO Roadmap, 2012). The CIO is expected to ensure that all these are met, and is therefore expected to adhere to the tools of evaluation and correct unfavorable course as soon as it is observed. OMB is the body that evaluates the performance scales against proposed performance projections of each CIO in relation to the performance of IT Investment Projects. Measurement of performance standards of CIO in IT Investment projects and Information Resource Management are measured using PMA E-Gov Scorecard. Excellent CEO’s ability to manage IT Investment Projects is reflected on the performance scorecard (Federal CIO Roadmap, 2012). If the project has appropriate planning, management and execution, uses the EVM framework or operational analysis , has IT portfolio performance operating within 10% of the cost, performance goals and schedule,, it is considered excellent on the PMA E-Gov Scorecard (Federal CIO Roadmap, 2012). If the project has appropriate planning, management and execution, uses the EVM framework or operational analysis , has IT portfolio performance operating within 30% of the cost, performance goals and schedule,, it is considered moderate performer on the PMA E-Gov Scorecard. However, if a project has cost and schedule overruns in addition to performance shortfalls that surpass 30% of the project projections, both the performance of the project and CIO in charge get a “poor” rating on the PMA E-Gov Scorecard (Federal CIO Roadmap, 2012). In evaluations of whether the CIO meets the goals for success in an IT Investment Project and the extent by which he meets the targets of cost, schedule and performance, OMB uses five criteria. First, it discerns if the CIO prepared a documented agency policy that suits the project in question. The OMB then establishes the costs, schedule and performance baselines of the project (Federal CIO Roadmap, 2012). Thirdly, OMB looks at how well the CIO and his agency use data and analytic tools available in making decisions concerning IT investment projects. There is also a standard requirement that the CIO institutes and implements the use of EVMS that is in accordance with ANSI/EIA-STD 748 (Federal CIO Roadmap, 2012). The last criteria for evaluation of relevance and level of success of IT project and thus success of CIO in any particular agency is by assessment of current cumulative EVM data, correlation action plans and variance analyses. Security and Privacy Considerations of Information Resource Management The duty of CIO of securing data is backed by legislations of the land. Despite stringent provisions of the law that crusade against undue disclosure of information and data to the wrong persons, federal CUO still has a task of providing security to federal data. The Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) offers the scheme for securing the federal government information technology. This inculcates both classified and national security systems. All CIOs of federal agencies must implement the requirements of FISMA. In addition, the CIOs must report to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) (Federal CIO Roadmap, 2012). The OMB then assesses the effectiveness of the security systems that the CIOs put in place. Office of Management and Budget uses the results of its assessment and evaluation of the security situations in the federal departments to develop a security report to the Congress. Additionally, as a result of the demands of PMA Scorecard, CIOs are required to submit quarterly reports showing progress in addressing security weaknesses on their Plan of Action and Milestones (Federal CIO Roadmap, 2012). Privacy Act of 1974 requires Chief Information Officers to develop systems of record for all information they possess about individuals’ names, number and all other individual particulars assigned to the individual. In addition, the CIOs must provide a notice of character and existence of the records to be published by the Federal Registrars. Furthermore, CIOs are required to provide notice to people of the system records. CEOs of agencies need to decide who to permit to access individual records on their systems. They also disclose routine uses of data and information and gain permission before using the information for more than its original intent (Federal CIO Roadmap, 2012). The CIOs also establish the appropriate safeguards and measures to ensure confidentiality and security of their records. From this case study, one of the most useful sights is not what makes the different CEOs of federal departments similar. Even though the federal government has a set of standards within which federal CIOs need to conduct the affairs of the state, each federal CIO has different personality and styles of leadership. Federal CIO spends most of his time doing fundamentals of IT. These include managing the department’s digital infrastructure with duties such as setting standards, detecting IT vendors, determining architectures and enforcing data integrity, security and system availability (Federal CIO Roadmap, 2012). Despite these general duties of all CIOs, federal CIOs have distinct CIO mandates that are determined by the scope and nature of roles in a federal agency. These include transforming, Leveraging, Expanding and Pioneering. From iterative cluster analysis and state-of-the-art textual and statistical analyses of federal CIOs, it is evident that their duties and approach to how they undertake their roles differ considerably. Although governance of CIOs in the federal agencies is preset and guided by legal frameworks and OMB regulatory practices, individual CIOs have considerably difference governance approaches. This work provides a clear way forward for how a federal CIO should lead or manage IRM to meet the IT needs of federal agencies. Work Cited Federal CIO Roadmap. Federal CIO Roadmap. New York, New York, United States of America. 2012, May 09 Read More