CIO DHS lacks authority to implement programs

The CIO for the Department of Homeland Security does not  have needed authority to implement critical IT infrastructure projects, a new report (view PDF) from the agency's inspector general charges. Much needed, says the IG: The Information Technology Infrastructure Transformation Program, which includes "consolidation of data centers to create a secure, sensitive but unclassified network and a common email system for DHS."

Washington Technology reports:

“The DHS CIO is not well positioned to accomplish these IT integration objectives” because the CIO is not a member of the senior management team with authority to strategically manage departmentwide technology assets, the report said. Furthermore, the CIO does not have sufficient staff to implement the program."