Dive Brief:
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Outgoing federal CIO Tony Scott says the federal government made significant tech improvements under President Barack Obama, according to Federal News Radio interview.
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Though there were some major hiccups — such as the OPM data breach and the failure of Healthcare.gov — much progress was made around open data, cybersecurity and digital services, Scott said.
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Scott, who will leave the Office of Management and Budget Jan. 17, said the efforts made under Obama helped improve citizen services and back-office efficiencies.
Dive Insight:
Scott said the update of Circular A-130 and the Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA) will likely be the most enduring IT efforts made under the Obama administration. FITARA has been called “the most significant overhaul of the government's technology operations in nearly two decades.” Scott said there is still a long way to go with the program, however, and much will depend on how the incoming administration manages it going forward.
Scott also highlighted the federal 30-day "cyber sprint" held in 2015, which helped federal agencies assess their cyber readiness following the massive data breach at OPM. Scott acknowledged that long-term issues with federal IT and procurement still need to be repaired, however.
President-elect Donald Trump has not revealed much about his technology agenda yet, but details will likely emerge in coming months. Though Obama has been largely viewed as a tech-savvy president, Trump appears to be less of a tech enthusiast.
