Air Force rebuilding CIO

The Air Force is restructuring and strengthening the functions of its chief

information officer, in part by creating a new position to take charge of

the service's multibillion-dollar information technology budget and oversight

of information systems.

The plan is to create a new principal deputy assistant secretary for

business and information management/deputy chief CIO — the civilian equivalent

of a three-star general — who will be largely responsible for fulfilling

the day-to-day CIO duties, according to Lawrence Delaney, the Air Force's

current CIO.

The new position will include control of the Air Force's information

technology budget, which totals $3.7 billion in 2001, according to Air Force

figures.

The principal deputy's primary responsibility will be to develop within

the service a corporate mindset and efficient businesses processes. Besides

budgetary authority, the new position will focus on two key areas: establishing

and enforcing security standards for information systems and managing the

IT work force.

The Air Force needs the new position in part because the service's top

two information technology executives perform more than one role and are

unable to fully focus on the CIO responsibilities.

Delaney, for example, is both CIO and secretary of the Air Force for

acquisition. His deputy CIO, Lt. Gen. John Woodward, is the director of the command,

control, communications and computer systems for the Joint Chiefs of Staff

but has been reassigned as director of communications and information for

the Air Force and commander of the Air Force Communications and Information

center.