“The former deputy federal chief information officer [Maria Roat] said the effort to create shared calendar and collaboration tools across all agencies is on the right track. ‘When you talk about changing federal IT, we have to continue that work around interagency collaboration and communication. We have to keep in mind the federal enterprise, but also really getting things out of the way around data, using each other’s data, to make things better for the public. That’s ultimately about what we’re doing,’ Roat said on Ask the CIO...” “’Whoever’s coming in, really needs to pay attention to the budget cycle. It’s not moving the needle for just next year, it’s moving the needle for the out years, when you’re thinking through budget,’ said Roat, who became the deputy federal CIO in 2020. ‘I would also tell whoever’s coming in to really build out the relationship with OMB, the desk officers in the Office of the Federal CIO. Their relationships with the agencies is so important, not just the desk officers, but for the deputy, whoever comes in to build the relationship across the federal community. I think that’s really important to stay connected and stay in touch with them. It’s about working on the relationships, have those relationships with the CIOs and keep in touch with them. I always had half of them on speed dial. I was texting them and things like that because the community is so strong and it is so connected, and certainly I could not be successful without having the relationships with the CIOs.’...” “Roat said there are too many disparate initiatives whether at the CIO Council or from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency or from the U.S. Digital Service in OMB. ‘I always thought that if there was a federalwide IT and cyber workforce strategic plan that brought a lot of this together, that incorporated recruiting, marketing, not just USAJobs or LinkedIn, but true marketing like the way DoD recruits for the military,’ she said. ‘It would require agencies to be part of the strategic workforce plan to convert some of the higher graded GS-14 or -15 positions, turn them into career ladders for GS-5, -7, -9 grades or -7, -9, -11, -12 grades. It would bring in digital native high school and college students at the beginning of their careers and put them in a career ladder. While they’re digital natives, you have got to teach and train them. But you could trade in two GS-15 positions in and with that money get three or four GS-5, -7, -9 levels.’...” Read the full article here. Source: Former deputy federal CIO Roat leaned on her relationships to achieve results – By Jason Miller, May 9, 2022. Federal News Network.