Defense Acquisition Reform Panel Suggests Eliminating Department CIO

The latest report from the Section 809 Panel, a commission reviewing the Defense Department’s acquisition problems, includes two significant recommendations regarding how the department buys IT: adopt a more commercial as-a-service purchasing model, and reevaluate the role of the chief information officer.

Under the Clinger-Cohen Act, all large agencies covered under the CFO Act are required to appoint a chief information officer to manage IT across the department. The Section 809 Panel argues that this position has become an unnecessary roadblock for acquisition at the Defense Department, redundant with the layer of bureaucracy the DoD already has to cover this function.

The proposed change in consumption model reflects the way technology is increasingly being purchased today, with software such as Office 365 as an ongoing subscription service rather than a one-time purchase for a given piece of hardware.