DAF CIO Functions & Authorities

 

The DAF CIO’s role is to enable the organization’s mission through the effective use of information resources and information technology. The CIO’s role has been expanded through several key acts of Congress.

SAF/CN FUNCTION AUTHORITATIVE REFERENCES SUMMARY APPLICABILITY
1. LEADERSHIP & ACCOUNTABILITY FITARA (CIO authority) [25] Establishes CIO authority over IT resources, planning, and portfolio management. Requires CIO certification of IT investments and accountability to the agency head and Congress. CIO
Clinger-Cohen Act (CIO duties) Defines CIO duties, including developing and maintaining enterprise architecture, capital planning, and IT management practices. CIO
Paperwork Reduction Act (agency CIO responsibilities) [8] Requires CIOs to oversee information resources management and compliance with OMB policies. CIO
Federal information policy (OMB/NTIS authorities) [10] Grants OMB authority over federal information dissemination; CIOs must align agency policies accordingly. CIO
OMB FITARA implementation guidance (M-15-14) Provides OMB’s framework for implementing FITARA, strengthening CIO oversight of IT investments. CIO
OMB Circular A-130 (Federal information policy) [16] Establishes CIO authority over IT resources, planning, and portfolio management. Requires CIO certification of IT investments and accountability to the agency head and Congress. Forms the statutory backbone for CIO leadership and measurable accountability. CIO, CISO, CDAO
2. STRATEGIC PLANNING Clinger–Cohen (capital planning and IT management) Requires CIOs to integrate IT into capital planning and management. CIO
FITARA (planning and oversight) [25] Ensures CIO oversight of IT planning and portfolio decisions. CIO
OMB Circular A-11 (planning and budgeting, IT) [16] Directs agencies to integrate IT planning into budget submissions. CIO, CTO
Federal Zero Trust Strategy (M-22-09) Requires adoption of Zero Trust architecture. CIO, CISO
3. INVESTMENT & PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT FITARA (portfolio transparency and CIO review) [25] Mandates CIO review and transparency of IT portfolios. CIO
OMB FITARA implementation (M-15-14) Strengthens CIO oversight of IT investments. CIO
OMB Circular A-11, Part 6 (IT capital planning, PortfolioStat, TBM) Provides capital planning and PortfolioStat guidance. CIO, CTO
Government-wide Category Management Requires agencies to manage common IT goods/services strategically. CIO, CTO
4. BUDGETING OMB Circular A-11 (IT budgeting, e.g., Exhibit 53/IT portfolio) Governs IT budgeting, including Exhibit 53/IT portfolio reporting. CIO
FITARA (CIO budget certification) [25] Requires CIO certification of IT budgets. CIO
5. GOVERNANCE & COMPLIANCE FITARA (CIO authority over IT decisions) [25] Grants CIO authority over IT decisions. CIO
DoDI 8510.01 — Risk Management Framework for DoD IT Establishes RMF for DoD IT systems. CIO, CISO
DoD Zero Trust Strategy (2022) Requires Zero Trust adoption across DoD. CIO, CISO
6. POLICY OMB Circular A-130 (information management, security, privacy) [16] Governs information management, security, and privacy CIO, CISO, CDAO
Paperwork Reduction Act (information collection policy) [8] Establishes CIO responsibility for information collection policy. CIO
Federal records management (36 CFR Subchapter B) Governs records management requirements. CIO, CDAO
7. WORKFORCE DoDD 5144.02 (DoD CIO authorities, including workforce) Defines CIO responsibilities including workforce development. CIO
NICE Framework (cyber workforce taxonomy) [20] Provides common lexicon for cybersecurity roles. CIO, CISO
DoD Cyber Workforce Framework (DCWF) [41] Standardizes cyber workforce roles and qualifications. CIO, CISO
Clinger-Cohen (IT workforce development) Includes IT workforce development responsibilities. CIO
8. STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS Paperwork Reduction Act (public information coordination) [8] Requires CIOs to coordinate public information. CIO
GPRA Modernization Act (performance reporting) [29] Requires performance reporting and transparency. CIO, CDAO
FOIA (public access to records) Mandates public access to agency records. CIO, CISO
9. INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT OMB Circular A-130 (IRM governance) [16] Governs IRM strategy and compliance. CIO
PRA (information lifecycle responsibilities) [8] Establishes CIO responsibility for IRM lifecycle. CIO
Federal records (36 CFR Subchapter B) Governs records management. CISO
10. IT PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT OMB Circular A-11 (performance and IT reporting) Requires agencies to report IT performance metrics as part of budget submissions, linking IT investments to mission outcomes. CIO
GPRA Modernization Act (performance management) [29] Mandates performance goals and reporting, ensuring CIOs integrate IT performance into agency accountability frameworks. CIO, CDAO
FITARA scorecard (Congressional oversight reference) Provides Congress with a mechanism to grade CIO empowerment, portfolio management, and modernization progress. CIO
11. INFORMATION SECURITY & PRIVACY RISK FISMA (Federal Information Security Modernization Act) Establishes federal information security requirements, assigning CIOs responsibility for compliance and risk management. CIO, CISO
OMB M-21-31 (event logging and incident response) Requires agencies to implement centralized logging and incident response capabilities, strengthening accountability for cybersecurity. CIO, CISO
OMB M-22-09 (Federal Zero Trust strategy) Directs agencies to adopt Zero Trust architecture, reshaping IT security governance. CIO, CISO
NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 (security controls) Provides baseline security and privacy controls for federal information systems. CIO, CISO
Privacy Act [9] Governs collection and use of personal data by agencies, requiring CIO oversight of privacy protections. CIO, CISO, CDAO
12. ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE Clinger-Cohen Act (developing, maintaining, and facilitating the use of EA) Requires CIOs to develop and maintain enterprise architecture to support IT management. CIO
FITARA (IT portfolio management and EA-related decisions) [25] Grants CIOs authority over IT portfolio management and EA-related decisions. CIO
OMB Circular A‑130 (requiring EA to ensure interoperability, security, and efficiency) [16] Requires agencies to maintain EA to ensure interoperability, security, and efficiency. CIO, CTO
OMB Circular A‑11, Part 6 (capital planning and investment control) Links EA to capital planning and investment control. CIO, CTO
DoD Architecture Framework (DoDAF 2.02) Provides standardized EA framework for DoD, ensuring interoperability and mission alignment. CIO, CTO
13. DATA 44 U.S.C. § 3504 (OMB information policy authority) Grants OMB authority over federal information policy, guiding CIOs in data governance. CIO, CDAO
Paperwork Reduction Act (agency responsibilities for CIO) [8] Establishes CIO responsibility for information lifecycle management. CIO
44 U.S.C. § 3511 (data inventory and planning) Requires agencies to maintain comprehensive data inventories. CIO, CDAO
44 U.S.C. § 3520 (Agency CDO roles, information dissemination) Establishes Chief Data Officer roles in agencies. [47] CDAO
OMB M-19-23 (open data, CDO roles under Evidence Act Phase 1) Implements Evidence Act, requiring agencies to designate CDOs and publish open data. CIO, CDAO
Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act Mandates open government data, evaluation plans, and evidence-building activities. CIO, CDAO
DoDI 8320.07 (data visibility and interoperability) Establishes DoD policy for data visibility and interoperability. CIO, CDAO
Federal Data Strategy (goals and action plans) [51] Provides government‑wide goals and action plans for data governance. CIO, CDAO
14. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Executive Order 14179 (Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence) Establishes Trump administration AI policy, prioritizing U.S. leadership and removing regulatory barriers. CIO, CDAO, CTO
Trump Administration AI Action Plan (accelerating innovation, building AI infrastructure) [39] A coordinated set of EOs under “Winning the AI Race,” focusing on innovation, infrastructure, and diplomacy. CIO, CDAO
Executive Order 14195 (Ensuring a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence) Establishes a single federal AI regulatory standard, preempting state-level AI laws. CIO, CDAO
DoD Responsible AI Strategy & Implementation Pathway (2024) [6] Guides ethical AI adoption across DoD, operationalizing AI ethical principles. CIO, CDAO
NIST AI Risk Management Framework (SP 1270) Provides a structured approach for managing AI risks, ensuring resilience and accountability. CIO, CDAO