Federal CIO Prioritizes Problem Solvers Over Problem Describers

TL/DR –

The Federal Chief Information Officer (CIO), Greg Barbaccia, has decided that his office will no longer consult with research, advisory, and strategy consulting firms, choosing to focus instead on problem-solving with companies that provide concrete solutions. He stated that meetings should be focused on moving closer to implementation rather than ideation, and that his office will only communicate with vendors if they clearly articulate how their product or service addresses known problems and what value the government will receive in return. Barbaccia did not mandate this change across government, but has shared his decision with other CIOs for consideration.

Federal CIO Emphasizes on Solutions Over Problem Descriptions

Greg Barbaccia, the Federal CIO, asserted the importance of vendors providing clear solutions to known problems.

Greg Barbaccia, the Federal CIO, declared that his office will stop meeting with research and consulting firms, opting to work with solution-providing companies instead.

He emphasized that the office must not waste time discussing problems, but should focus on implementing solutions.

Meetings with vendors, according to Barbaccia, must focus on how their products or services solve known problems, implementation processes, and the value they bring to the government.

This decision was also communicated to agency CIOs for their consideration, though it is not mandated across government.

GAO Shines Light on CIO Challenges

A former Office of Management and Budget official agreed with Barbaccia’s decision, suggesting that insights and recommendations about problems from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and agency inspectors are sufficient.

For instance, the GAO is sending letters to CIOs about open recommendations for their agencies. The first two were sent to the Departments of Defense and Energy.

The letters highlighted a list of open recommendations across various categories including the cybersecurity of the nation and improving IT acquisitions and management.

Barbaccia’s decision echoes the actions of the General Services Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and DoD’s, who are scrutinizing their spending on consulting contracts.

GSA has identified 20 companies for more data and potential savings, while DoD and VA are reassessing their reliance on consultants.

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