New VA CIO quickly makes his mark

Roger Baker, the new CIO at the Department of Veterans Affairs, wasted no time in setting down markers for better accountability. He's put in place the Program Management Accountability System that will require program managers to deliver systems and applications incrementally rather than all at once, as well as to have accountability.

If managers miss three milestones, the CIO's office could stop program development, according to Allan Holmes, the executive editor of Nextgov.com and Government Executive Magazine.

"We have to do something" to stop the string of IT project failures at VA, Baker told Holmes. "In no shape of my imagination do I believe this is a perfect system. We will learn from it. But if somebody has a better approach, I have a GS-15 job for them."

We applaud Baker for taking charge so quickly at an agency that has been riddled with serious IT problems, including security breaches, for years. And we hope that his leadership will help straighten out so many problems that have contributed to veterans failing to get the very best healthcare from federal VA hospitals. - Judi