GAO Poses High-Tech Confirmation Questions

A new report from the Government Accountability Office for new political appointees facing Senate confirmation includes these questions:

1) Based on your experience, please explain the role technology should play in your agency to support mission needs. What measures would you implement to show the effect technology has in meeting these needs?

2) How would you determine whether your agency has in place the key information management processes and tools required by law, including well-defined enterprise architecture, an investment control process, and computer security plans? What role do you envision you would play in managing or providing oversight over these processes and tools? How would you go about implementing or improving these processes and tools?

3) Based on your experience, how would you go about assessing your core mission and business processes to identify opportunities for reengineering and for the enhanced use of technology? What challenges do you believe your agency may face in reengineering your processes and using technology? In using e-government? In hiring and retaining qualified IT professionals?

4) Every year, the Office of Management and Budget and agencies identify IT projects totaling billions of dollars as being poorly planned and poorly performing. Despite agencies' efforts to address management weaknesses, the numbers remain high. What do you believe are key practices for effective IT project planning, management, and oversight?