It’s great to be up and running in my new job as Federal CIO. I’m looking forward to be working with Agency CIOs through the CIO Council, but I’m also interested in working with all levels of Federal IT and IT Acquisition workforces. That’s why I’m excited to announce the 2015 CIO Council IT Solutions Challenge.
The IT Solutions Challenge will consist of several small working groups of rising stars within the IT and IT acquisition communities who will identify issues within the Federal Government and work together over the course of six months to develop solutions to those problems. The goal is to tap into the hands-on experiences of front lines and find innovative solutions based on their fresh perspectives.
The CIO Council’s Workforce Committee and the Chief Acquisition Officers Council recently requested Agencies nominate their best and brightest IT staff to participate in the first annual CIO Council IT Solutions Challenge. The Challenge is targeting IT and IT acquisition professionals in the GS-9 through GS-13 range who will be able to uncover and analyze policy and procedural problems within their Agencies or across the Federal Government. We are focusing on these rising stars because looking at problems from a new vantage point will allow important issues to surface that may not have been realized otherwise.
Teams will work with mentors to assist in brainstorming sessions, problem identification, workplan development, and execution. Each team will also have access to subject matter experts who can provide feedback and expertise as they work to develop solutions. In the fall, teams will present their solutions and work with IT leaders to discuss next steps on implementing these solutions across the Federal Government.
I value the insight that the entire workforce can provide and am anxious to see what transformative ideas they come up with. These rising stars will bring a new set of eyes to look at the way we do things, and the motivation and innovative mindsets to find solutions that – with the help of IT leaders – can be implemented to create positive change across the Federal Government.
