The Secret Service would better manage its $1.5 billion information technology modernization program if its chief information officer had the power to review the service's entire IT budget, says a new report from the Homeland Security Department inspector general.

The Secret Service CIO "is not well positioned as a member of the director's management team and therefore does not play a significant role in overseeing IT systems development and acquisition efforts," the report states.

But, the service disagrees, apparently on the grounds that giving the CIO that authority would be tantamount to giving the Secret Service CIO a direct reporting relationship with the DHS CIO. In the official response to the audit, George Luczko, the service's assistant director for the office of professional responsibility, says CIO is "well positioned within the [service's] leadership."

Auditors say the service assistant director "stated that the recommendation for the Secret Service CIO to directly report to the DHS CIO appears to be the premise under which this audit was initiated." Federal law prevents Secret Service personnel from reporting to any individual other than the director

The auditors' response is that they merely want the Secret Service and DHS CIOs to "develop and maintain an effective working relationship" and that giving the CIO more authority would further improve the modernization effort.

For more:
- download the report, OIG-11-56 (.pdf)

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