Editorial: 4 ways to improve government IT

The annual Federal List is one of our favorite issues. The list format is accessible, but we also focus on important topics.

This year, we settled on the Survivors Guide theme that comes from these trying -- yet invigorating -- times. Not only are organizations dealing with a constantly changing landscape, but the speed of those changes seems to increase.

As more than casual observers, we offer our list for improving government information technology (with more than a little help from several friends).

Teach IT people to speak English

We get caught up in our own worlds, and the IT community is no exception. But unfortunately, the community has created its own language. The acronyms, techie terms and lingo end up being detrimental to accomplishing the true task, which is to use IT to accomplish an agency's mission. Although the goal is to speak English, it is even more important for IT leaders to speak "mission."

Give CIOs true authority

IT is important to federal agencies, and yet it is only tacitly acknowledged. IT enables agencies to accomplish their missions. That importance should be demonstrated in how agencies are organized. The chief information officer should have a seat at the table and be a key part of an agency's management team.

Equal pay for equal work

Federal workers face many changes. They increasingly have to compete for their jobs. They face potential changes to personnel rules that would link pay more directly to performance rather than to time spent in government. If federal employment becomes more like private-sector employment, federal pay should become more like private-sector pay.

Get it right

The General Services Administration has conducted a campaign to get government contracting right. GSA began the Get It Right initiative following some contract abuses. Most people agree that procurement reform in recent years has helped agencies accomplish their missions. It would be a travesty if a handful of bad procurement cases were to spoil those gains. We hope GSA will continue to enhance its campaign.

— Christopher J. Dorobek