| You want to become a CIO. You probably want to | | | | big change in what the IT department spends their |
| become a CIO in the private sector - you know, | | | | time working on. |
| those companies that have owners or stockholders | | | | Right now the federal CIOs are reporting that the |
| that they always have to work to keep happy. Why | | | | key programs that their departments are working on |
| haven't you spent any time thinking about becoming | | | | include: |
| a CIO who works for the biggest employer out | | | | - Virtualization |
| there: the U.S. Federal government? | | | | - Data Center Consolidation |
| Big Changes Coming | | | | - Green IT |
| The U.S. Federal government (the one that runs the | | | | - Federal Enterprise Architecture |
| country, not the states) employs over 300 CIOs that | | | | - Continuous Process Improvement |
| manage all of the different parts of the operation. | | | | - Business Intelligence |
| You would think that federal CIOs would have it | | | | - IPv6 Transformation |
| easier: I mean they don't really have to worry about | | | | - Application Performance Management How Are |
| keeping shareholders happy or anything like that, do | | | | They Going To Be Successful? |
| they? | | | | So if you were a federal CIO right now, how would |
| You need to keep in mind that although a federal | | | | you go about pulling off all of these initiatives while |
| CIO doesn't have to worry about the same things as | | | | dealing with the tightest budgets in years? As you |
| a private sector CIO, they have a whole bunch of | | | | might be able to guess, there is no one magic |
| different issues that occupy their time. One big issue | | | | answer to this question. |
| is that every four years they may have a completely | | | | In a survey done by InformationWeek magazine, |
| new boss what with the presidential elections and all | | | | 21% of federal CIOs said that they were using Lean |
| that. | | | | Six Sigma. 29% reported that they were using ITIL. |
| As the U.S. experiences the effects of the global | | | | Even within the military there was no one way to go: |
| recession just like everyone else, federal CIOs are | | | | the U.S. Army is using Lean Six Sigma while the Navy |
| feeling the pressure to show that their IT | | | | is planning on using ITIL. |
| departments can deliver a solid return on investment | | | | What All Of This Means For You |
| (ROI). | | | | In your future, there is actually a good chance that |
| It's becoming pretty clear that there is a lot of IT | | | | you might at some time become a federal CIO - |
| funding for the things that you would expect a | | | | there sure are a lot of them out there. You might |
| federal CIO to be working on: things like wireless | | | | have thought that this was an easy route to take - |
| projects and public safety projects. However, this | | | | no pressure from owners / shareholders. Think again. |
| doesn't leave a lot left over for all the other things | | | | Federal CIOs have to deal with a great deal of |
| that an IT department is supposed to be working on, | | | | upheaval in their upper management structure on a |
| What Are A Federal CIO's Biggest Priorities? | | | | cyclic basis. On top of that even during difficult |
| One of the key ways to tell if being a federal CIO is | | | | economic times they need to find ways to push |
| any different from being a private sector CIO is by | | | | forward on important IT programs that will transform |
| taking a look at what's on their list of projects. | | | | their organizations. |
| Federal CIOs always have to be nimble enough to | | | | If you do become a federal CIO, I sure hope that |
| adjust to a new administration's priorities which may | | | | you like change. You'll have your own set of issues |
| differ from the last administration's. This can cause a | | | | to worry about, but at least things won't be boring! |