The State of the Federal CDO Community: A Conversation with Kirsten Dalboe

February 12, 2025

The role of the Chief Data Officer (CDO) in the federal government continues to evolve from an additional responsibility into a  primary leadership role. The CDO position is now essential to federal agencies’ data strategies. Kirsten Dalboe, Chief Data Officer at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and Chair of the Chief Data Officers Council, shares her insights with Francis about the current state of the CDO community, the challenges they face, and how the role is expanding.

Dalboe focuses on the results of a recent CDO Council survey, which highlights key trends and challenges while reflecting the evolving nature of the role. She explains that the survey helps the council understand what CDOs need and how best to support them. "We started these surveys to get a better sense of who we are as a community, how we are evolving, and what challenges we face," Dalboe says.

One striking finding is that more than half of the respondents report that their agency’s CDO role has existed for less than five years. This confirms that CDOs are still relatively new leaders in government, with many still building their teams, budgets, and long-term strategies.

Dalboe highlights a growing emphasis on upskilling and cross-agency collaboration. “We see a lot of agencies participating in external training programs and collaborating across organizations to share best practices and tools,” she notes. Collaboration is crucial for federal CDOs, who face similar challenges and benefit from shared solutions.

Despite these collaborative efforts, some challenges persist. Smaller agencies, in particular, continue to experience resource and funding gaps, especially when it comes to building out their CDO teams. “The Evidence Act requires agencies to establish a CDO function and hire a CDO, but many are still working to secure the budget and staff they need to be fully effective,” Dalboe explains. For the CDO Council, these insights guide the resources and best practices it develops for its members.

The survey also reveals that CDOs are expanding into emerging areas like artificial intelligence (AI), privacy management, and geospatial data. Dalboe describes how CDOs are gaining more authority in these areas. “Privacy is a natural connection for CDOs, especially as part of data inventory efforts. AI and geospatial data are also becoming significant parts of the CDO space,” she says. This growing influence reflects how data strategy plays an increasingly central role in supporting agencies’ missions.

The survey shows a shift in reporting structures for CDOs as well. Historically, many CDOs report to Chief Information Officers or Chief Technology Officers. This year, only 42% report to a CIO or CTO, while 58% report to other roles, indicating a variety of organizational structures across government. These changes signal that the CDO role is becoming more distinct and independent within agencies.

Dalboe emphasizes the CDO Council’s efforts to professionalize the role and strengthen federal data culture. The council sets five key goals:

• Empowering the federal workforce in the use of data.

• Professionalizing the CDO function.

• Optimizing data lifecycle management.

• Enhancing customer experience through efficient data collection and use.

• Enabling modern digital experiences with data.

To support these goals, the council recently restructured its working groups, merging the Data Ethics and Equity and Data Skills working groups into a new Data Culture group while launching a new Business of Data working group. These changes aim to streamline efforts and make the council’s initiatives more effective.

Upskilling is a top priority. Dalboe stresses the importance of training not just for CDOs and their teams but for the broader federal workforce. “There’s a need for upskilling at multiple levels—ensuring CDOs understand their roles, supporting their teams, and educating the broader workforce about how to use and collaborate on data effectively,” she explains.

The council is also focused on long-term sustainability and growth. “Other roles in government, like Chief Information Officers and Chief Information Security Officers, have become professionalized over time,” Dalboe notes. “We want to ensure the same thing happens for CDOs.”

As the federal government’s data journey unfolds, Dalboe remains optimistic. The CDO Council’s efforts to support its members and strengthen the community are critical to meeting the growing demands of federal data leadership.