Ask the CIO

Department of Veterans Affairs

Robert Howard Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology and CIO August 14th, 2008

Federal News Network Staff

August 11, 2008 1:43 pm

< a min read

Robert Howard – Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology and the Chief Information Officer

The Department of Veterans Affairs has completely changed how it manages information technology.

Now, however, the hard part begins.

The VA is in the process of implementing those changes and making the department run more smoothly.

Robert Howard, VA’s Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology and the Chief Information Officer, is trying to control spending while making sure he estimates the right budget, manages staff shortages and implements systems to serve a growing population in need of the VA’s services.

Howard says the VA is making progress in a number of areas, including cybersecurity, which started this entire sea change at the department.

Other major programs, such as FLITE and HealtheVet, are also making progress in improving how VA delivers services.

Howard says all of this has helped VA become a better agency in how it manages and deploys technology, but they still have far to go.