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270 FW 3 Information Technology Governance |
FWM#: 426 (New)
Date: July 14, 2003
Series: Information Resources Management
Part 270: IT Program Management
Originating Office: Division of Information Technology Management
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3.1 What is the purpose of this chapter? This chapter establishes a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Council to help ensure a uniform, Servicewide approach to information technology (IT) that aligns with Departmental and Federal mandates, minimizes duplication of effort, ensures compatibility, shares expertise, and fosters collaboration.
3.2 What is information technology? Any equipment or interconnected system or subsystem of equipment used in the automatic acquisition, storage, manipulation, management, movement, control, display, switching, interchange, transmission, or reception of data or information. Typically, IT includes hardware and software pertaining to computers, telecommunications, networks, and radio equipment.
3.3 What is the scope of IT governance? The IT governance process addresses numerous IT matters including, but not limited to: connectivity across the Service and with outside stakeholders, telecommunications, technical support and help desk requirements, emerging technologies, networking technologies and strategies, security, data sharing opportunities, electronic government technology and strategies, training, standards, strategies for meeting Departmental and Federal IT mandates, and strategic planning.
3.4 What are the authorities for IT governance?
A. P.L. 104-106, Clinger-Cohen Act
3.5 Who is responsible for implementing the provisions of this chapter?
A. The CIO will:
(1) Ensure that information resources support the Service's mission and strategic goals.
(2) Ratify CTO Council decisions.
(3) Advise the Deputies Group on significant business impacts of IT policies.
B. The Deputies Group will review the business impacts of proposed IT policies, guidelines, standards, and projects. The Deputies Group consists of Deputy Regional Directors and Deputy Assistant Directors.
C. The Service Chief Technology Officer (CTO) is the Chief, Division of Information Technology Management (ITM-WO), and will:
(1) Coordinate IT issues on a Servicewide basis.
(2) Serve as Chair of the CTO Council.
(3) Represent goals and priorities of the CIO to the CTO Council.
(4) Elevate IT issues that have a significant business impact to the CIO and the Deputies Group for resolution.
D. Regional and Assistant Directors will:
(1) Appoint in writing a CTO for their Region/program. The CTO will normally be the senior person responsible for IT in the Region/program. Forward appointments to the Chief, ITM-WO.
(2) Support CTO Council decisions.
E. Regional/Program CTO's will:
(1) Represent their Region/program on all IT issues at CTO Council meetings and identify IT issues in their areas of responsibility for consideration by the Council.
(2) Through established procedures, communicate decisions by the CTO Council to affected users and managers in their Region/program.
(3) Alert managers in their Region/program to the potential impacts of IT policies and issues on budgets and resources.
3.6 What is the CTO Council? The group that fulfills oversight requirements of the Clinger-Cohen Act and OMB Circular A-11. The CTO Council will operate under a charter. Changes to the charter require approval by at least 80 percent of the voting members. The Council will:
A. Review all Service IT policy, standards, and guidelines and make recommendations to the Director through the CIO for implementation Servicewide.
B. Develop and issue procedures, standards, and guidelines for implementing Servicewide policy.
C. Make budgetary and deployment recommendations to the CIO based upon overall Service priorities and requirements.
3.7 Who are the CTO Council members? The Service CTO serves as Chair of the Council. Members include Regional/program CTO's, a rotating member from the Deputies Group, and a rotating member who is an Assistant Regional Director - Budget and Administration.
3.8 Who reviews Servicewide IT policy?
A. The CTO Council will review all IT policy. The CIO will forward those IT projects with total life cycle costs in excess of $5 million to the Deputies Group for review and concurrence. In emergency situations, the CIO may develop and forward policy to the Director for approval, prior to CTO Council review.
B. The CIO will review and concur/approve of all CTO Council decisions. The Director is the final approving authority for all Servicewide policy.
3.9 What are Information Technology Bulletins? The Division of ITM-WO will issue Technical Information Bulletins to document technical policies, standards, guidelines, and plans decided by the CTO Council. Bulletins will not establish Servicewide policy, but may include policy established in an appropriate directive. The bulletins will include:
A. Number. Each bulletin will be numbered sequentially by year.
B. Title of Bulletin.
C. Authorization. Signature of person approving the bulletin.
D. Summary. Brief description of contents.
E. Impact. Summary of impact on users, IT staff, managers, and budget.
F. Point of Contact.
G. Expiration date.
H. Narrative. Detailed standards, guidelines, and plans.
3.10 How are Information Technology Bulletins reviewed and approved?
A. The Division of ITM-WO will distribute each proposed Technical Information Bulletin to the CTO Council for review and comments. Information will include a description of the problem being addressed by the bulletin, what caused the problem, how the bulletin will resolve the problem, a Web link to the proposed bulletin, instructions for submitting comments, and a due date for comments. CTO Council members will ensure that appropriate individuals within their Region/program have an opportunity to review and comment on the bulletin by the due date.
B. ITM-WO will distribute a final draft incorporating comments to the CTO Council and the Deputies Group. The bulletin will be adopted if at least 80 percent of the voting members of the CTO Council are in favor.
C. The CIO or the Service CTO will issue all approved bulletins.
D. The Chief IT Architect will incorporate, as appropriate, the contents of the bulletins into the Service Information and Technology Architecture (SITA) (see 270 FW 1).