Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Where it is here (CIO position within the agency's chain of command) is not
correct because of the buffer created by the current structure, which includes
the associate commissioner. The head of MIS should report directly to the
commissioner.
I'm more convinced than ever that an organization such as ours should have
a much more substantial commitment from the agency. Reporting at a higher
level goes right along with that.
When the interviewees were asked why they felt the CIO, often, does not report directly
to the top decision maker, the following problem was revealed.
CIOs are Not Perceived as True Members of the Top Management Team
The culture within the represented agencies is one in which the CIO and the IT unit are
perceived as serving a support role, rather than a leadership role. As such, the CIO is not a
true member of the top-management team. The following quote illustrates this point:
The traditional boardroom members perceive CIOs as “techies,” second-class
members of the boardroom. Speak when spoken to. The perception is that
people in leadership positions in the IT unit are not boardroom material.
When the contributions of the CIO and the IT unit are viewed purely in a support
capacity, IT is relegated to a reactive, rather than proactive posture. By the time the CIO's
perspective is solicited, the strategy has often been set.
This issue was followed up on to determine why the interviewees felt that program
managers do not perceive the CIO as top management material. The following problem was
revealed.
CIOs Do Not Speak the Language of the Program Heads and the Top
Decision Maker
In all fairness to some top-management teams, CIOs have contributed to the “second-
class” status that they occupy in many boardrooms. The following quote is an indication of
this sentiment:
With some exceptions, they [CIOs] are too technical. If I get too technical when
talking to program heads, their eyes gloss over and I'm dead!
When a CIO speaks in “technobabble,” the top management teams get turned off, and
in turn, turn the CIO off until they feel that the CIO can be useful. To combat this situation,
CIOs must exhibit competence regarding the business issues that managers from varying
program areas deal with on a day-to-day basis. It is not that the CIO's technological
knowledge or, in some cases, expertise is not valued. Rather, it is the manner, perceived or
actual, that the CIO leverages technical knowledge with the business of the agency. This
point is made in the following quote:
CIOs may not be technologists per se, but they need to understand the
importance of technology for the business of what they are doing.
