Political Realities Part Of Life As A State CIOPolitical Realities Part Of Life As A State CIO

What does it take to get picked for--and survive in--a state CIO job? Someone who can understand political realities without becoming consumed with them.

"You want someone who understands the technology business and how to use technology to achieve policy goals," William Leighty, Virginia Gov. Mark Warner's chief of staff, said last week as part of a panel of governors' chiefs of staff at the National Association of State CIOs' midyear conference.

States need to align policy advisers with CIOs and engage IT in the policy process, said Toby Roth, chief of staff for Alabama Gov. Bob Riley. "IT isn't instinctive to policy advisers, and [CIOs] have got to have the policy advisers on board," Roth said. William Goetz, chief of staff for North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven, even suggested state CIO positions hold cabinet-level status. Roth, however, saw trouble in making IT leaders part of the political machinery, since IT initiatives need a long-term focus that survives administrations.

Wisconsin state CIO Matt Miszewski lives along this fine line. Forgetting the political context of a project puts CIOs at risk of driving it in the wrong direction, which can cost states money and cost CIOs their jobs. Said Miszewski, "You have to understand the political reality."