Transportation IT office sees major reorganization, email shows
As Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy moves to streamline technology operations, the agency’s IT office is facing a new shakeup, according to a recent email viewed by FedScoop.
Under the newly restructured CIO office, the technology leadership will be helmed by a chief digital and information officer. That person will oversee a senior advisor for strategy and governance and a senior advisor for technology and architecture, as well as a deputy CIO for shared services — a position filled by Jack Albright — and a yet-to-be-named deputy CIO for dedicated digital factories.
The CIOs for the Federal Aviation Administration, the inspector general office, and Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (GLS) will also fall under these leaders.
The new shared services division will focus on cloud operation, enterprise architecture, portfolio management, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence. The digital factories office will include chief product and technology officers that oversee several Transportation components, including the Federal Railway Administration and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
“These acting leaders will guide their offices through the detail period, ensuring continuity of operations while we stand up our new product-centric organization,” the email said “They will serve as the primary points of contact for staff assigned to their functional areas and will work closely with me and the senior OCIO leadership team to shape our future state.”
The email was sent by Pavan Pidugu, the agency’s chief information officer.
Earlier this week, Duffy previewed coming changes to the department under a new initiative known as 1DoT. The effort is focused on integrating the agency’s work, including myriad IT systems he says are redundant.
“DoT currently runs more than 425 information systems, many with overlapping roles. There are 45 systems at the end of their life space across seven data centers running on more than 4,200 servers. DoTG operates 10-25 grants systems, 4-5 registration systems, and 3-14 inspection systems,” Duffy said in an email, also viewed by FedScoop, earlier this week. “Despite this, there are still gaps in functions related to product management and artificial intelligence.”
“Our IT and HR systems are outdated, expensive, and unsecure,” he continued. “This complicated web of technology is more than just a nuisance. Less efficiency means longer wait times for project completion, grants signed, or safety reviews conducted.”
Transportation officials are scheduled to discuss the new organization at a town hall meeting next week.
