KNOW, the Magazine for Paralegals Fall/Winter 2013.2 | Page 30

Why Can’t a CIO Be More
Like a CFO?

By Debra Juhnke, CRM

The growth of information is
doubling every two years.

I

nformation governance is not IT’s job. But it should be the CIO’s job. It’s time for CIOs to
move beyond their roles as chief technology officers, and embrace the name with all of
its implications: Chief Information Officer.

Why? Because no one is managing the store. The explosive growth of information is
accelerating. According to the 2012 IDC/EMC report on the digital universe (PDF), it’s
doubling every two years. At the same time, technology budgets are static or contracting,
and non-IT execs want more attention to costcutting.
We know this. We’ve heard it before. Yet we continue to ignore it. I’m fascinated by how
deftly conversations about information growth turn immediately to handwringing over how
to store and secure it, avoiding the issue of its creation. The time is ripe for CIOs to take a
page from the CFOs’ playbook to ensure both accountability and responsibility for information creation.
We all know that CFOs are accountable for the financial stewardship of the enterprise.
They fulfill this role by delegating responsibility and establishing control systems such as
budgets, directives, audits, and oversight to drive fiscal compliance. The day-to-day financial
activity within the organization is then executed by management and staff, who shoulder
the responsibility — delegated to them by the enterprise as part of their job — to account
for funds, both incoming and outgoing. Incurring debt without approvals or other failures to
comply with financial controls appropriately results in disciplinary action.
30