The Next Government

Management Idea: Appointing a Chief Technology Officer

Candidate: Barack Obama

Management Area: Workforce & Organizational Structure

Description: Senator Obama will appoint the nation’s first Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to ensure that the government has the right technological infrastructure, policies, and services for the 21st century. The CTO will ensure the safety of our networks and will lead an interagency effort, working with chief technology and information officers at each of the federal agencies to promote best practices.

The CTO will have a specific focus on transparency by ensuring that each arm of the federal government makes its records open and accessible as the E-Government Act requires. The CTO will also focus on using new technologies to solicit citizen input. The campaign has been unclear as to whether the CTO would serve as an assistant to the President or work in the Office of Management and Budget.