President Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday granting more decision-making power to chief information officers at executive agencies, a move that will accelerate efforts to modernize the federal government’s cyber infrastructure, according to senior administration officials.
Guidance released by the White House says the order will allow agencies to “more effectively leverage technology to accomplish their missions,” improve overall spending on information technologies, and consolidate the chain of command for agency CIOs.
“Our goal is simple: we are here to improve the daily lives of the average citizen and run a more efficient government,” presidential son-in-law and White House adviser Jared Kushner said in a statement. “That is our core promise and we are keeping it.”
The executive order is the latest to effort by Kushner and Chris Liddell, a former assistant to the president for strategic initiatives who was recently named deputy chief of staff for policy, to improve the government’s IT infrastructure by drawing on private sector practices.
A senior White House official told reporters on a call Tuesday afternoon that the order prioritizes the sharing of more modern services across government, like “shared email… and cloud systems.”
“Modernizing government is not a partisan issue,” Kushner said in a statement, adding that the effort has been driven by bipartisan leaders who want “to deliver meaningful, lasting and positive change for the American public that will last for a generation.”
The executive order comes months after the White House issued guidance instructing agency heads to use various funds to invest in modern technology and replace antiquated systems with more secure and efficient infrastructure.
A second White House official described Tuesday’s executive order as a “critically important” step toward ensuring the government is investing in its IT systems.
“After recognizing the particular issues, we now have a plan in place and will be reporting each quarter on accomplishments,” the official said.
