Agencies guided in commercial practices
The CIO Council and the Industry Advisory Council release a guide for agencies trying to put in place a privatesectorstyle IT investment process
The federal CIO Council and the Industry Advisory Council released a guide
Monday to help agencies trying to put in place a private-sector-style IT
investment process.
The two organizations developed the guide, "Smart Practices in IT Capital
Planning," shortly after the Office of Management and Budget proposed revisions
to update its Circular A-130, which regulates the management of information
resources, to reflect a commercial-style capital planning process.
In the guide, the CIO Council and IAC examined the practice of nine
federal agencies and seven commercial organizations, including the Education
Department, the Defense Information Systems Agency, Electronic Data Systems
Corp. and Booz-Allen & Hamilton I
"We documented some practices of
leading organizations as a guide, to say, "If you're having some trouble,
here's someplace to go,'" said Joe Leo, CIO at the Agriculture Department
and co-chairman of the CIO Council's Capital Planning and IT Management
committee, at the release of the guide at the IAC Executive Leadership Conference
in Richmond, Va.
The results of interviews with these organizations are presented in
seven areas:
* Strategy.
* Business focus.
* Leadership.
* Capital planning.
* Project management.
* Performance management.
* Technology (acquisition and architecture).
It also presents several commercial off-the-shelf tools used by the
organizations and techniques developed internally. These are provided to
supplement the OMB guidance and the Information Technology Investment Portfolio
System (ITIPS), which the CIO Council helped to develop as an online tool
for agencies.
"It doesn't have to be invented [at your agency]; all you have to do
is find out where its at and take advantage of it," said Daryl White, CIO
at the Interior Department and co-chairman of the committee.
NEXT STORY: Risky Business