Emerging Role of CIOs Nagy Hanna Senior Advisor, ISGVP

Challenges of e-Government Incorporate ICT into the overall public sector reform strategy Requires flexibility: experimentation, piloting and agile learning Includes process, technological, institutional and social innovations Harnessing intangibles such as information, knowledge, organizational and social capital Requires coordinated approach to cross-departmental issues such as policy, standards and regulations, information infrastructure, ICT capability and skills, joint-up applications Insuring focus on the ultimate beneficiary – citizens and businesses

Why CIO? Initially, e-Gov projects driven by technology departments in separate agencies, or coordinated by Central Technology Office (CTO). Often lead to to technology-driven e-Government that overlooks key elements of change management, process re-engineering, public sector reform and focus on for improving quality of services for citizens and businesses. Such programs faced serious implementation and adoption problems, if not complete failure. Duplication of efforts and failure to deliver joint- up services. Over-reliance on internal recourses: limited outsourcing due to conflict of interests CIO is needed to bring-in crucial change management focus and capacity. CIO’s broadly-defined role is to encorporate ICT into government strategic planning and business process reform to deliver customer- focused services.

Responsibilities of National CIO Both operational and policy responsibilities, balanced according to local needs. May include roles of: –policy and oversight manager –networking specialist –business change agent –operations specialist –interagency coordinator Often focus on strategy and policy-related issues that require central direction Operational and management responsibilities are focused on projects crucial to insure interoperability and to enable seamless integration of ICT systems and services across agencies, leaving agency-specific applications and planning to individual agencies.

Issues in CIO Office Technology vs. policy –Unlike the technology departments CIOs are not necessarily technically oriented. They are more engaged in planning, oversight of the strategic process re-engineering and change management than with the fine details of particular technology solutions. –Emerging model, following the private sector, is a split leadership between a CIO and CTO. The CIO and CTO work closely together with some blurring of responsibilities. Technology departments are often directly or indirectly subordinate to the CIO office. Centralized vs. decentralized function. To strike an appropriate balance between centralized strategic guidance and policy setting and decentralized systems implementation and project development with line management ownership. –Powerful National CIO, tied to key ministry or reporting directly to the PM Office –CIO positions in major ministries and agencies with a significant degree of freedom. Natiuonal CIO Council for coordination –Other issues and solutions?

Tools of Influence A central fund to initiate pilots and finance cost-share projects in support of the e-Gov strategy, especially for projects that cut across agencies. Requiring that all projects receive the approval of the national CIO prior to the release of funds. Internal loans, requiring ministries to pay back funds they consume through budget reductions over time, promoting projects with clear cost benefit paybacks. Making agency’s CIOs formally employees of the national CIO office. They are hired by agencies with National CIO approval. Building consensus and stakeholder commitment through CIO or eGov Council that represents all key agencies and ministries. Others?