Author Archive

Richard Spires

Richard A. Spires has been in the IT field for more than 30 years, with eight years in federal government service. He served as the CIO at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the IRS. More information on Richard can be found at www.Richard-Spires.com.
Ideas

The federal government is already using AI — it's time for a formal process to ensure the technology is safe

COMMENTARY | The rapid operationalization of AI will require federal agencies and industry to work together to achieve success.

Ideas

The government management paradox

COMMENTARY | Change is hard, but agencies can significantly improve their operational performance to deliver on highly complex programs.

Modernization

Why good program governance is a key to success

Having the rights stakeholders with the right information is imperative to improving decision-making.

People

Want to lead in IT? Find a subject to master.

The former CIO at the IRS and DHS explains why early-career expertise is the key to successful leadership.

Digital Government

Are we at an inflection point for IT modernization?

Former DHS CIO Richard Spires sees real momentum and top-level focus, but says the challenge now is to translate that into agency-specific action.

Modernization

Security in the cloud

SaaS applications are changing the way agencies work - but new security approaches are needed when you no longer have a perimeter to protect.

People

Advice for the next administration

A former agency CIO argues that three key initiatives should drive the federal IT agenda.

People

FITARA: Maintaining momentum

The keys to the law's success are identifying and mitigating the risks to its implementation, especially in light of the upcoming presidential transition.

People

Making FITARA matter: An IT management maturity model

The co-chairs of ACT-IAC's FITARA Implementation Project unveil its first tool for agency IT leaders.

Cybersecurity

IT Insecurity: Aggressive use of security solutions

To avoid massive data breaches in the future, the government must address its cumbersome acquisition process and misguided IT security practices.

Cybersecurity

IT insecurity and the need for better management

Effective implementation of FITARA is the government’s best hope to address decades of mismanagement and make IT systems more secure.

Cybersecurity

The root causes of government IT insecurity

In the first of three columns, a former government executive discusses what's really needed to prevent another massive data breach.

People

Improving the skills of your IT staff

Assessing your employees' abilities and identifying skills gaps require a less subjective approach.

People

When the agency CIO heads to Silicon Valley

Never mind the dress codes. The real divide between East and West is over how to build and for whom.

People

Why being on GAO's High Risk List is good for federal IT

By putting the government's management of IT acquisitions and operations on the High Risk List, GAO has ensured it will finally get the attention it deserves.

People

A new model for program management

Creating governmentwide Program Management Centers of Excellence could save countless programs that are otherwise doomed to fail -- and do so on the cheap.

Digital Government

NIEM: The key to improved information sharing

The National Information Exchange Model's usefulness extends far beyond its origins in justice and law enforcement.

Cybersecurity

Information sharing: Are we safer?

A decade after the 9/11 Commission identified agencies' reluctance to share information as a dangerous shortcoming, the government is moving in the right direction.

Cybersecurity

Online privacy: It's time for a new security paradigm

Trust management enforces granular privacy, security and organizational policies for gathering and protecting personally identifiable information.