Deputy Dog

scan of most CIO offices reveals that the top dog is typically aided by one, two, or sometimes three able deputies."It's such a big job, a CIO has got to have some help," says Dave Wennergren, the Navy's deputy CIO for enterprise integration and security. Chris Hoenig, director for strategic issues at the General Accounting Office, says duties can be divided among CIOs and their deputies in a number of ways. In one scenario, the CIO focuses on the business while the deputy functions as the technology expert. In another model, the deputy monitors operations while the CIO develops strategic plans. Navy CIO Dan Porter's office illustrates the magnitude of the job of managing technology and modernization for one of the world's largest military services. Until recently, Porter was aided by three deputies. Wennergren managed e-business and security and helped coordinate smart card efforts for the entire Defense Department. Deputy CIO Alex Bennett, now with the Office of Homeland Security, took the lead on enterprise integration and knowledge management, while Deputy Ron Turner managed the Navy Marine Corps Intranet initiative. His other responsibilities entailed infrastructure, systems and technology."We have an unusually good crop of future leaders," says Alan Balutis, executive director and chief operating officer of the Federation of Government Information Processing Councils and the Industry Advisory Council. He should know. Balutis was the deputy at Commerce under former CIO Roger Baker from 1998 to 2000. Baker says the department essentially had two CIOs when they worked together.First and foremost, good deputies must be able to work with their peers and the CIO as part of a team. At the same time, deputies must be strong leaders in their own right. As extensions of the CIO, deputies must communicate the importance of standards and new initiatives to the lines of business they oversee. Experts note numerous able deputies throughout the government. They single out: The council, made up of CIOs from the largest federal departments and agencies, tackles tough issues such as the IT workforce challenge and sets polices for modernizing government IT systems.