The Evolution of Information Technology Management at the Federal Level: Implications for Public Administration

Abstract

Federal agencies rely extensively on information technology (IT) to perform basic missions. Arguably, public administration should be driving the theory, policy, and practice for managing these increasingly important resources. This is especially true as public organizations move to electronic government. Despite some maturation in the literature for managing IT in federal agencies in the last several years, public administration has contributed little to this effort. Other academic fields, such as information science, business administration, and practitioners from the federal government and related contractors have contributed more recently to the theory and practice of IT management at the federal level than public administration. This chapter analyzes federal IT management literature from several academic disciplines and government documents. The analysis compares federal IT management with a normative model of management maturity focusing on the strategic objectives for IT and related management approaches. Public administration’s minimal contribution to federal IT management raises profound questions whether federal agencies are performing commensurate with public expectations in an information age.