Delivering Mission Results by Aligning Business and Information TechnologyThe following paper addresses the changing CIO role and the benefits to the agency of engaging that individual in developing, maximizing and optimizing mission critical activities through information technology. As the result of research and a series of interviews with current CIOs, a series of recommendations and performance measures is proposed to improve agency effectiveness, efficiency and security. If the recommendations are integrated into agency decision making processes and culture, the CIO can provide enterprise-wide technology leadership to develop an agile, outcome-based approach that affects positive results on behalf of the agency and the citizens who rely on its services.Institute for Innovation’s 2012 Quadrennial Government Technology Review: The Quadrennial Government Technology Review (QGTR) is an initiative through ACT-IAC’s Institute for Innovation to provide senior government leaders with a discussion of some of the nation’s most pressing challenges. Over 100 volunteers from government and industry provided input to the seven papers that comprise the QGTR. Recommendations are offered to provide ways that information technology can make a positive impact on these challenges. Information technology underpins virtually every federal program and agency mission. Increased efficiency and effectiveness is especially critical to mission support, especially at times of budget shortages. This paper provides background information and recommendations developed by a cross-section of ACT-IAC members and represents a non-vendor specific, non-partisan perspective. The papers may be found at www.actgov.org/quadrennial.ACT-IAC Institute for InnovationI4I_c64652dc-2ed9-11e2-a827-ee6ee5cf9241Established in 2011, the ACT-IAC Institute for Innovation was chartered to promote innovation in the delivery of government services and operations. It develops and delivers high-quality strategic advice that reflects cross-industry recommendations based on the consensus of experts from ACT-IAC’s member companies and government liaisons. Through ethical collaborative discussion, the Institute recommends approaches to key issues affecting government where information technology can be or is a factor and a broad spectrum of perspectives is required.ACT-IACAmerican Council for Technology -- Industry Advisory Council: The American Council for Technology (ACT) is a non-profit educational organization established by government leaders in 1979 to improve government through the efficient and innovative application of information technology. ACT was created to provide an objective and trusted forum for collaboration and education. In 1989, ACT established the Industry Advisory Council (IAC) to bring industry and government executives together to collaborate on IT issues of interest to the government. ACT-IAC is a unique, public-private partnership dedicated to helping government use technology to serve the public. The organization provides programs that facilitate communication, education and collaboration. Recognized as the premier collaborative forum in the government IT community, ACT-IAC has been called “a model of how government and industry can work together” and “the Switzerland of the government IT community.” ACT-IAC welcomes the participation of all public and private organizations committed to improving the delivery of public services through the effective and efficient use of information technology.CIOsExecutive Leadership Team... enterprise-wide technology leadership to develop an agile, outcome-based approach that affects positive results on behalf of the agency and the citizens who rely on its services._92828452-2f9c-11e2-b08e-2110e5cf9241To address the changing CIO role and the benefits to the agency of engaging that individual in developing, maximizing and optimizing mission critical activities through information technology._92828bdc-2f9c-11e2-b08e-2110e5cf9241AlignmentBy aligning the CIO with the Executive Leadership Team, the agency will be more: Effective, Efficient and SecureEffectivenessEffective – providing the right services to the right people at the right time in support of the mission. EfficiencyEfficient – getting the most out of its investments/resources for the taxpayer. SecuritySecure -- maintaining a culture of continuity and vigilance.ContinuityContinuity and security are important to promote: Confidence and TrustConfidence Citizens expect government services are available and accurate TrustData provided to the government is held private and secure.AgilityOutcomesEffectivenessAlign Business and Information Technology to Meet the Mission Effectively_92828d80-2f9c-11e2-b08e-2110e5cf92411Government CIOs Information technology contributes to the mission every day through major systems as well as through systems that support email, phone, Internet, finance, HR and other organizational operations. Meeting the mission effectively means doing the right thing, the right way and evolving how the organization gets the job done as requirements, funding, technology and other environmental factors change over time.
Users/customers, suppliers, employees and other stakeholders are the best judges of an organization’s effectiveness. Alignment to strategic business goals, legislative mandates, regulatory requirements, professional standards, service level agreements and other benchmarks and requirements are effectiveness measures. Requirements performance, customer satisfaction, supplier/vendor satisfaction and employee satisfaction are also valuable sources of effectiveness measures.
Strategically leveraged CIOs already manage business processes that address requirements for effectiveness and bring the necessary technical, business and organizational knowledge to strategic conversations. CIOs are best positioned to evaluate the IT aspects of organizational effectiveness and facilitate organizational deliberations and decision making about IT solutions for meeting stakeholder needs. CIOs help an organization evolve how the mission is accomplished. They bring together the art of the possible through close interactions with information technology and other companies’ best practices and solutions. CIOs should make recommendations and act based on a clear understanding of the agency’s missions and goals. The CIO is uniquely positioned to make this convergence understood and implemented successfully. The high performance organizations support the CIO in fulfilling that role.
Research and interviews with government CIOs identified several key recommendations to aligning business and IT to meet the mission effectively:PrioritiesAlign political leadership and the CIO to the administration and the Secretary’s priorities. _92828e16-2f9c-11e2-b08e-2110e5cf92411.1Political LeadersCabinet SecretariesCIOsPartnershipBuild a strong collaborative partnership among the Deputy Secretary, the CIO and other executive leaders. _92828ea2-2f9c-11e2-b08e-2110e5cf92411.2Deputy Secretaries CIOsExecutive LeadersOversightEmpower the CIO to oversee key and appropriate agency-wide strategic initiatives. _92828f38-2f9c-11e2-b08e-2110e5cf92411.3Knowledge & SkillEnsure the CIO has the requisite technical, management and customer service knowledge and skill, including the capability to understand organizational business needs and technology for mission units._92828fc4-2f9c-11e2-b08e-2110e5cf92411.4CapabilityBuild the capability to construct innovative solutions to meet future needs, including assembling the optimal workforce to deliver those solutions._9282905a-2f9c-11e2-b08e-2110e5cf92411.5EfficiencyAlign Business and Information Technology to Meet the Mission Efficiently_92829122-2f9c-11e2-b08e-2110e5cf92412Meeting the mission efficiently means an organization does the right things, the right way, with as few resources as possible. An efficient organization gets more done with the resources it has by knowing how to deploy its funds, people, time and attention to priority efforts.
Executive management is in the best position to determine their organization’s efficiency overall. Cost performance, return-on-investment, productivity, and cost of quality are good ways to measure efficiency. CIOs are in the best position to evaluate the efficiency of IT solutions and their contribution to the mission. Research and interviews with government CIOs identify key recommendations to best align business and IT to meet the mission efficiently: IT Cost Management PlanDevelop an IT cost management plan that evaluates options and costs that meet stakeholder needs within existing solution lifecycles and projects costs to the next lifecycle. _928291b8-2f9c-11e2-b08e-2110e5cf92412.1Funding, Costs & InvestmentsAlign cost saving opportunities to the organization’s funding structure, cost structures, and investment lifecycles._92829258-2f9c-11e2-b08e-2110e5cf92412.2IT Governance BoardAppoint the Deputy Secretary, CIO, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Acquisition Officer, other executive leaders as appropriate and senior program managers to an IT governance board._92829302-2f9c-11e2-b08e-2110e5cf92412.3IT Governance BoardDeputy SecretariesCIOsChief Financial OfficersChief Acquisition OfficersExecutive LeadersAuthorize that board to make IT investment decisions consistent with the agency enterprise architecture, investment plan and cost savings strategy.Empowerment & AccountabilityEmpower the CIO to lead the IT governance board and advise executive management on cost control, cost reduction, savings reinvestment and other efficiency opportunities -- and hold the CIO accountable._928293fc-2f9c-11e2-b08e-2110e5cf92412.4CIOIT Governance BoardSecurityAlign Business and Information Technology to Maintain a Culture of Continuity and Vigilance on Security_9282949c-2f9c-11e2-b08e-2110e5cf92413Information technology is critical to all agencies’ missions. The threats to those systems and their data are increasing exponentially and the ability for an agency to function at all is at stake. Therefore, it is imperative that the organization ensures protection of all government data and systems. Aligning IT and business infuses a more inclusive culture of shared responsibility. High performance organizations provide authorized users access to the data and information they need -- when, where, and how they need it -- and prevents unauthorized access. They ensure the privacy of their constituent’s personally identifiable information. These organizations perform daily business continuity activities to maintain service, consistency and recoverability -- not just during times of disaster.
Continuity and security are important to promote: Confidence -- citizens expect government services are available and accurate Trust -- data provided to the government is held private and secure
The CIO is best positioned to evaluate technology risks, facilitate senior-level cross-agency deliberations and balance programmatic needs against security requirements. Research and interviews with government CIOs identify three key recommendations to align business and IT to meet the mission securely:GovernanceeConduct business continuity and security governance at the enterprise level._9282978a-2f9c-11e2-b08e-2110e5cf92413.1IT Governance BoardMonitoringMonitor business continuity and security threats continuously against a business continuity plan that is updated often enough to ensure currency with information technology and threat advances._9282983e-2f9c-11e2-b08e-2110e5cf92413.2CultureMaintain a culture of vigilance and security within the enterprise to reduce internal threats and the likelihood of human error._928298f2-2f9c-11e2-b08e-2110e5cf92413.32012-11-15OwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net