The Department of Transportation (DOT) Chief Information Officer Council, hereinafter referred to as the "Council", is established to develop and implement a vision and take actions which recognizes that accomplishing DOT's strategic goals and business objectives depend on achieving successful results from our information technology (IT) and information management (IM) initiatives. The Council is considered a permanent DOT body. Toward this end, the Council must champion the creative use of IT to:

• enable DOT to deliver information and service to its employees, customers, stakeholders, and partners in a timely and cost-effective manner, ensuring accuracy, legal sufficiency and availability; and
• integrate the use of IT to maximize the efficiency of DOT's internal operations.

The Council is formed under the authority vested in the DOT CIO in 49 CFR 1.72 and DOT Order 1101.16.

This charter shall be periodically reviewed and updated as necessary, to assure the intended purpose of the Council is being realized. This charter can be amended by a two third's vote of the Council membership.

Article II. Scope.

The Council is a deliberative body for designated Chief Information Officers (CIOs) to:

• collaborate on Departmental IT strategies, management issues, and practices,
• facilitate discussions of new IT systems and programs, and
• work together on crosscutting issues such as IT architecture, workforce IT literacy, administrative systems, IT infrastructure investments, and IM.

The Council will consider any IT/IM issues that have a potential for Department-wide impact. Tactical IT decisions and operational issues that do not raise Department-wide concerns will continue to be handled by the individual operating administrations.

Article III. Responsibilities.

The Council will deliberate on policies and fiscal issues that have a direct bearing on IT/IM (as defined in the Clinger-Cohen Act) and the abilities of the operating administrations to perform their individual as well as collective missions. Issues the Council may consider include the following:

     A. Development of Council strategic direction through shared experience to:

          1) Integrate IT into the varied missions and goals of DOT (as incorporated in the Departmental Strategic Plan) and into 21st century business processes,
          2) Establish IT/IM policies and practices,
          3) Formulate a Departmental IT architecture, and
          4) Create an environment for information sharing with other agencies and other governmental organizations

     B. Implementation of capital programming procedures for selecting, controlling, and evaluating Departmental IT investments, including:

          1) Providing advice and recommendations to DOT senior management concerning IT investments,
          2) Developing performance measures and decision criteria for assessing benefits, costs, and risks of IT investments,
          3) Initiating action on high visibility IT projects which have crosscutting implications, identifying Departmental IT initiatives, and resolving IT problems, and
          4) Maximizing the operational and cost effective use of IT by:
               i. setting priorities for a ONE DOT IT infrastructure through identification of common infrastructure services and systems (e.g., electronic commerce and data sharing),
               ii. eliminating duplicative and redundant systems and services,
               iii. determining appropriate service providers,
               iv. establishing service level agreements and performance metrics,
               v. authorizing operating budgets, cost limitations, allocation formulas, and funding sources and mechanisms, and
               vi. monitoring investment activities.

     C. Charter committees and task forces to support Council priorities (e.g., security, privacy, architecture, capital programming), including determining chairs and member composition and establishing budgets, cost/schedule/performance goals, and reporting mechanisms.

Article IV. Membership.

     A. The general membership will be composed of the following individuals:
          1. The DOT CIO, who will serve as the Council's Chair, and
          2. The Operating Administrations' designated CIOs.

     B. The ex officio membership will be composed of the following individuals:
          1. The Assistant Secretary for Budget and Programs to serve as the Council's budget advisor,
          2. The DOT Deputy Chief Financial Officer to serve as the Council's financial advisor,
          3. The DOT Senior Procurement Executive to serve as the Council's acquisition advisor,
          4. The DOT Director of Human Resources to serve as the Council's workforce advisor,
          5. Representatives designated by the Inspector General, the Director of the Transportation Administrative Service Center, and the Director of the Office of Intelligence and Security, to serve as observers and advisors,
          6. An individual designated by the General Counsel to serve as the representative of that office and arrange for legal advice as necessary,
          7. A designee from the DOT CIO Office who will serve as the Council's Executive Director and will, in consultation with the Council members, set agendas, and prepare and distribute minutes of Council meetings.

Members can vote and represent their organization at the Council meeting. Operating Administration CIOs may designate an alternate to replace them in any Council meeting they cannot attend. They may represent the Council member at the table and vote on Council issues. One nonmember from each operating administration may attend meetings in an observer-only capacity.

Council members and their alternates should meet the Clinger-Cohen core competencies, as endorsed by the Federal CIO Council, when appointed to the Council. If they do not meet those competencies, they should take appropriate training to meet them within a year of their appointment to the Council.

Article V. Chair.

The DOT CIO will serve as the Council Chair. The Chair is responsible, in partnership with Council members, for ensuring DOT implementation of legislation and federal/departmental IT-related guidance (e.g., Clinger-Cohen Act, Paperwork Reduction Act, Government Paperwork Elimination Act, Computer Security Act, Executive Orders, OMB Circular A-130, "Raines Rules", Departmental Information Resources Manage Manual).

Article VI. Vice Chair.

A rotating Vice Chair will be elected by and from the Operating Administrations' designated CIOs. The Vice Chair will serve a one year term from October through September, and will work with the DOT CIO to achieve the objectives of the Council and facilitate communication, participation, and partnership of the Council membership.

Article VII. Committees.

The Chair will establish committees to support the efforts on priorities of the Council (e.g., e-gov, security, workforce IT literacy, etc.). Committees may be permanent, ad hoc, or temporary task forces, and will be chaired by a Council member who has a perspective for the matter being reviewed by the committee. Based on direction from the Council, the committee will:

     A. Resolve IT/IM issues that do not need final Council review by making a decision and formally notifying the Council (e.g., completing assigned committee activities contained in Council approved action plans), or

     B. Develop options and issues for full Council deliberation, including the Committee's recommended course of action.

The Council will approve the process to be used and set firm time lines for committee analysis, and for Council resolution. The Committee will prepare an action plan with metrics to measure progress and will advise and update the Council as directed.

For matters that the assigned committee cannot resolve, the Council shall be used as a mechanism to reach conclusion.

Article VIII. Schedule and Agenda.

Council members will participate in the development and preparation of the schedule, and the prioritization of issues to be discussed, at least semiannually. The schedule will address (a) upcoming issues, (b) when issues will be ready for discussion or action, and (c) progress made on unresolved issues.

The Council shall meet the first Thursday of each month, or as requested by the Chair, to consider issues and make appropriate recommendations.

The final agenda for each meeting will be planned in advance. Agenda items may be proposed by an Council member. Council members are expected to lead discussions of agenda topics periodically. Presentations to the Council will be concise and clearly articulate the issues to be decided. The agenda and supporting materials will be framed for decision-making and disseminated at least one week in advance of the scheduled Council meeting.

IT/IM issues will come first to the Council, then be referred with direction and guidance, including time frames, to committees as appropriate.

The Council will develop a streamlined process for addressing issues requiring quick resolution, and clearly note when issues will be/have been resolved using that process.

Council members are expected to take ownership for implementation of Council consensus decisions within their respective operating administrations.

The Council will review its rules and procedures after one year, and every two years thereafter, and will revise them as necessary to assure the intended purpose is being realized.