Information technology security is unsurprisingly the top challenge reported by federal government CIOs in an annual survey conducted by the Technology Association of America -- a group formed earlier this year by the merger of the Information Technology Association of America and the American Electronics Association. Since 2009 marks a period of greater change than normal, with the transition to a new administration, authors revised the study's format to examine impacts of the transition and offer advice for the future. The paper also looks back at the eight years of President George W. Bush's administration and provides commentary on challenges, outcomes and lessons learned. Key observations from CIOs for the Obama administration fit into the following themes: Strong leadership drives change; Employ laser-sharp focus; Demand results and verify; Achieve good IT governance; Fix IT infrastructure; Fund priority initiatives; Continue to standardize and consolidate; and Strengthen the blended workforce.
