CAN YOU SPEAK ABOUT THE FEDERAL
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ACQUISITION
REFORM ACT (FITARA)? THIS LAW GIVES
CIOS DIRECT AUTHORITY OVER IT SPEND IN
PARTICULAR, AND DIRECT ACCOUNTABILITY AS
WELL. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR EXPERIENCE?
That is very easy to answer: I couldn’t do my job without it—at
all. Technology often necessitates changes in culture. FITARA
enables me as a CIO to effect change because there is a statutory
awareness now that the CIO is involved in IT spend, not just
here at SBA but at all major Federal departments or agencies.
FITARA is a law with teeth, and it is hugely impactful for
CIOs in the Federal government. That cannot be overstated.
FITARA has led to more interaction between CIOs and
CFOs—also a very important connection. I have a very strong
partnership with the SBA CFO, the senior procurement executive
as well, and the CHCO, and this partnership is essential to me
as CIO. Add to this the Investment Review Board, which also
has been a really big and positive change here at SBA, and I
am sure across the Federal government as well. Yes, FITARA
represents a very substantial step forward for Federal CIOs.
CAN WE CONCLUDE WITH YOUR THOUGHTS
ABOUT WORKFORCE? WHAT ARE THE
CHALLENGES OF ATTRACTING CLOUD
ENGINEERS, DATA ANALYSTS, OTHER
HIGH-DEMAND TECH WORKERS, GIVEN
THE GOVERNMENT’S LIMITED ABILITY TO
OFFER COMPENSATION THESE POSITIONS
COMMAND IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR?
First, people aren’t attracted to government because of
compensation. It is the mission. It is a purpose greater than
themselves. My job is to communicate our mission, which
is an important one. It is one that drives the economy of this
country: small business. If I can attract a really good cloud
engineer, and keep them for three years, then that is worth
it. We’re continually building a high-quality workforce, and
we have an IT Workforce Strategy that we work against.
We also rely heavily on contractors because we cannot
recruit all the engineering and IT talent we require.
We’re incredibly innovative here. We kick tires on lots of things
and we are moving fast. Our projects are substantial—they affect
people, small businesses, directly. Our systems intersect other
agencies providing relief during disasters—FEMA is a big one.
We connect to major financial institutions. SBA is an exciting
and vitally important agency. It is a great place to work, and that
is the message I communicate in our recruitment of tech talent.
CAN YOU COMMENT BRIEFLY ABOUT
YOUR WORK AS A MEMBER OF
THE FEDERAL CIO COUNCIL?
In short, the CIO Council is a really good, effective
team. We regularly share best practices, are making
great progress with shared services, cybersecurity, and
so many other initiatives. Our workforce committee is
addressing issues we just discussed. I chair the Innovation
Committee. Again, the Council is a really good team.
ANY FINAL THOUGHTS?
Yes, IT modernization, cloud migration—everything we
do is wrapped into understanding the life cycle journey our
small business customers take in interacting with our agency,
be it a loan application, information request, training, or
the advocacy we provide for small business. My vision is to
ensure our technology enables each customer journey to be as
efficient and high value as possible. I have some big dreams
on where we can go here at SBA—exciting times.
MEET MARIA ROAT
Maria A. Roat became the Small Business Administration Chief Information
Officer in October 2016 bringing 30 years of professional experience in
information technology. Maria served more than two years as the U.S.
Department of Transportation Chief Technology Officer and was responsible for
establishing and leading DOTs technical vision and strategic direction, driving
innovation and planning for technology growth supporting internal and external
facing mission activities.
Maria served 10 years at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) joining in
June 2004 in a number of capacities including Federal Risk Management and
Authorization Program (FedRAMP) Director, FEMA Deputy CIO, Chief of Staff
for the DHS CIO, USCIS Chief Information Security Officer and CIO Chief of Staff,
and Deputy Director, Technology Development for TSA’s Secure Flight Program.
30 • CESGovernment.com