President Trump signed an executive order that will enhance the effectiveness of Federal Agency Chief Information Officers (CIOs), senior White House officials told reporters Tuesday.
Officials described the executive order as a “spring cleaning of regulations” and that the order “mandates that technology leadership is closely connected to agency leadership.”
“It is a nonpartisan issue with bipartisan support,” officials said. Officials added that the Department of Defense will be exempt from the order.
“Our goal is simple: we are here to improve the daily lives of the average citizen and run a more efficient government,” Jared Kushner, senior advisor to the president, said.
The executive order will implement successful information technology practices found in the private sector in order to reduce federal agency costs and protect sensitive data. The order also requires agency CIOs to report directly to their superiors.
In increasing federal agency CIO efficiency, the order intends to reduce spending on improving information.
White House officials met with tech companies last June to learn about their processes in increasing IT efficiency. Past legislation has set the groundwork for improving CIO effectiveness, but “funding has gone into modernizing the system as opposed to fighting fires,” the officials said.
“Think of this as a foundational shift in a multi-year journey,” White House officials said.
The president signed the executive order Tuesday.
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