EPA ‘Fairly Successful’ in IT Modernization, CIO Says

Vaughn Noga, chief information officer of the Environmental Protection Agency, shared the EPA’s approach to information technology modernization during his appearance on the Federal Monthly Insights radio show.

According to Noga, the agency is continuously evaluating IT systems and applications and is looking for more efficient and cost-effective solutions to aid its operations.

Noga said the EPA has been “fairly successful” in its pursuit of IT modernization, Federal News Network reported Wednesday. He admitted, however, that the agency is lacking in resources, both in funding and personnel, to fully realize its modernization goals.

In its push for improvements, Noga’s office started digitizing data-related activities. The digitization effort supported the CIO office in ensuring that data is accessible and driving decision-making.

The change ultimately enabled EPA personnel to work remotely, which, according to Noga, became more important over the last year.

It also gave the EPA an opportunity to step back and reconsider how it conducts business.

Noga explained that it is often easy to overlook business processes especially when organizations are under normal operations.

While Noga said that “everything is fair game” when it comes to IT modernization, he warned against falling victim to the “shiny object syndrome” and driving modernization based on technological trends.

The EPA wants to supplement upgrades by building a cybersecurity-aware culture.

Noga said part of building that culture is helping agency personnel understand their role in protecting information technology systems, data and assets owned by the EPA.