Report finds Y2K problems pull CIOs from procurement reform efforts

Federal chief information officers are finding that the Year 2000 crisis—- coupled with a shrinking work force trying to handle rapidly advancing technology challenges—- may be hampering their efforts to meet recent procurement reform legislation requirements, according to a report released today.

The report, titled "The Impact of Change: Clinger-Cohen Act Implementation—- Laying the Foundation for the Year 2000 and Beyond," was compiled by the Information Technology Association of America based upon interviews with 19 federal CIOs and information resources managers representing 12 agencies.

Those interviewed for the report said their time is divided among program offices re-engineering business processes with new technology, shrinking budgets that sacrifice these new systems and the persistent Year 2000 conversion problem. In addition, downsizing and the early retirement of government workers, combined with defections to the private sector, have created a major challenge to CIOs' efforts to bring skilled managerial and technical resources to their users, according to the report.

Douglas Stevens, co-chairman of ITAA's 1997 CIO Survey Task Group, said almost all the CIOs interviewed expressed concern that their roles and responsibilities were not yet institutionalized in their agencies. They also noted that the challenges they face on a daily basis may be hampering their ability to meet the Clinger-Cohen Act (Information Technology Management Reform Act).