Flyzik agrees the council should have a bigger voice. We need to become a more viable force in vetting policy that has interagency impact, Flyzik said. He said the council also should be more involved in decisions involving states and municipalities. Katzen said some have suggested codifying the CIO Council s role in law to force independent agencies to submit IT policy decisions for council review before taking action. But Katzen cautioned that legislation to formalize the council s role could have unforeseen consequences.
Legislation tends to produce things that are less flexible.
With a formal process we won t be able respond as quickly to change, Katzen said. She predicted the council s role will evolve naturally without legislation because of the move toward electronic government. The technology of e-government transcends agency stovepipes and narrow interests, she said. Agencies will be challenged to work together. They will need the CIO Council to do that.