The federal Chief Information Officers Council has issued a transition guide cautioning incoming CIOs to not overlook private sector innovations and practices in meeting the government’s IT needs.
"In a world of wikis (e.g., wikipedia.org), blogs and social networks . . . using commercially available solutions and adopting industry best practices allows us to rapidly and effectively adopt these new capabilities," according to the council’s transition guide.
"We must not overlook the ingenuity of the private sector and its commitment to efficiency and a sound environment and capitalize on those abilities by maintaining an open dialogue with industry and the citizenry," it said.
The guide outlines the responsibilities of the council and describes on-going efforts and past accomplishments, including work on e-gov initiatives and lines of business.
It also describes an upcoming "boot camp" for newly appointed CIOs and deputy CIOs consisting of a series of sessions addressing issues such as strategic planning, budget formulation and capital planning, program management and performance, security and privacy, information management, and working with Congress and OMB.
The hope is that the sessions will amount to a networking experience that fosters team building and mentoring across the CIO community.