Federal Chief Information Officer Gregory Barbaccia has sent out an email outlining 16 operating principles for IT leaders of government agencies.
In the document, Barbaccia called on the government CIOs to build trust, which entails transparency with co-workers, other agencies, the public and government partners, Federal News Network said Thursday. He also urged the CIOs to exercise good judgment when performing their duties and own the outcome of their decisions.
‘Government Must Deliver at the Highest Level’
The document provides a new operating standard to “lead, serve and build in federal technology,” according to Barbaccia, a 2025 Wash100 Award winner. He stressed that the principles are not about a compliance exercise but a culture shift that is “rooted in urgency, ownership, and the belief that government tech can and must deliver at the highest level.”
“Choosing to serve in this office means choosing to build. It means choosing accountability over comfort, clarity over confusion and outcomes over process,” he added. “This is not a typical government shop. We are here to fix what’s broken and build what’s missing,” Barbaccia explained.
The Federal CIO issued the government IT operating principles as the Trump administration faces a high turnover of agency CIOs in its first few months. Currently, seven positions are either vacant or have acting IT leaders, with the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs still waiting for presidential nominations.
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