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CIA IT Leaders Are World Class IT Leaders

August 6, 2008 By

Tarasiuk_mainbar_120x80 Federal IT leaders have it tough. In general, they face hard challenges, are constantly getting their budgets cut, they must comply with tough security guidelines, and must support a workforce who think everything should work like it does in rich corporate environments or in computer security lax homes. And they must support and serve some of the hardest missions on earth.

I appreciate most all the IT leaders I have met in the federal IT space. But a select few rise above all others. Folks like Bobby Laurine, Prescott Winter, Bob Flores, and Al Tarasiuk.

One of those, Al Tarasiuk, was the subject of an article in CIO magazine today. See it at http://www.cio.com/article/print/441116

Here is a little bit of what that article says:

Tarasiuk has, so far, opened up the 61-year-old insular spy agency to
the concept of more efficient and effective information sharing by
using Web 2.0 technologies, such as the CIA’s Wikipedia-like Intellipedia
that’s used across the U.S. intelligence community. Another sign of
change is a grassroots, Web-based collaboration among Russian
intelligence experts at several U.S. agencies, which enables analysts
to securely share their insights, analysis and information on breaking
news on Russia.

Tarasiuk has instituted a new IT governance team that has—for the first
time—the highest level of management support at the agency. His team
has also moved completely to agile project management methodologies,
virtualized 1,000 servers that are projected to save $18 million in
2008, and empowered frontline CIA employees to ask for, decide on and
employ new IT tools.

In 2007, Tarasiuk’s team was finally able to the replace the CIA’s main
information-handling system, which was severely outdated and lacked the
basic functionalities found in 1990s-era e-mail systems, with a more
modern and user-friendly system called Trident.

In the process, Tarasiuk has tried to revitalize IT’s image within CIA
to match what’s necessary today, “to be seen an as enabler of mission
and not just a technology shop that’s delivering a desktop,” he says.

One thing I know from first-hand experience is that Al is a model of a CIO all enterprise technologists could/should learn from.

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About BobGourley

Bob Gourley is Crucial Point LLC’s founder and editor of CTOvision.com. Bob has received industry recognition including Infoworld top CTO award, AFCEA’s meritorious service award, and recognition as one of the top 100 “Tech Titans” in DC by Washingtonian magazine. He was named one of the “Top 25 Most Fascinating Communicators in Government IT.”

  • Tim

    Bob,
    Thanks for another timely, relevant posting.
    I have long admired Al as an example of a government IT professional AND a leader, which are all too often mutually exclusive in government.
    Given that, the title of your posting does make me cringe more than just a little.

  • http://profile.typekey.com/ctovision/ Bob Gourley

    Thanks Tim for the comment. Al is a great leader. I have to admit, there are some folks in government IT that make me cringe as well. But in my circular way of thinking I don't consider folks like that as "leaders" so please don't think of them when you read that title. Think of the champions we have worked with in all the agencies.
    Cheers,
    Bob

  • Tim

    Bob,
    Some day I need to come over and see what a glass half full looks like! ;-)
    That said, you're absolutely correct, many folks are optimistically labeled as senior 'leaders', but spend their days defending old think rather than crafting the vision necessary to bring about the enterprise of the future.
    It is a good news/bad news situation that visionaries such as the few folks you list have such a heavy burden. History tells us that great architectures come with small teams, but visionaries, should be surrounded by leaders that enable them to make remarkable changes in Government IT. I fear they are supported today by bureaucrats that can't think in terms longer than 1-year budget cycles.
    I hope to make your list some day, but I fear I will be driven out by 'leadership' long before I can make my mark.
    Blessings to you and yours.
    –Tim