Report: Agencies Still Seek Data 'Heroes'

If the federal government is the Gotham of Batman lore, chief data officers are quickly emerging as the heroes it needs right now, according to a study released today.

Authored by MeriTalk and underwritten by ViON Corporation, the report states agencies with a CDO are 69 percent more likely to successfully manage big data than those without.

Other key findings in the survey of 150 federal IT managers include 88 percent in those agencies with CDOs reporting the position as “having a positive impact,” while 93 percent of those without a CDO wish they had one. Big data—an emerging technology that generally refers to growing amounts and complexity of data and is often accompanied by analytic capabilities—is employed by more than 90 percent of agencies, according to report.

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In short, the government is collecting more data than ever, and it desperately needs creative people who know what to do with it.

“It's clear agencies are inundated with data on a daily basis—what they do with that data is critical, though,” Rodney Hite, director of big data and analytics solutions at ViON, said in a statement. “Implementing a CDO ensures your agency is focusing the right amount on mission-critical data management goals—while storing and protecting data throughout the process. Regardless of whether an agency has one or not, the majority—57 percent—believe the CDO will be the hero of big data and analytics.”

Agencies with CDOs appear to benefit in more ways than simply managing data better. According to the report, cybersecurity analytics, strategic decision-making and mission intelligence all fared better in agencies with CDOs than non-CDO counterparts.

Still a relatively new position in government, CDOs range from one-man bands with limited resources to the leaders of large teams with dozens of members.