August 7, 2025
Subscribe and listen to the Fed Gov Today Podcast anytime on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at FedGovToday.com.
Colonel Mac McHenry, US Marine Corps Reserve (Ret.) and senior advisor at the Defense Innovation Unit, shares his perspective on the structural challenges facing Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) in the federal government. Drawing from his article
McHenry explains that federal CTOs were introduced with the intention of scanning the horizon for emerging technologies, encouraging innovation, and advising senior leadership. However, in practice, he believes many CTOs lack the tools and authority necessary to bring those technologies into government operations. “They can see the technologies that we’re going to need,” he says, “but the real challenge is how we bring them in, implement them, and use them.”
According to McHenry, one of the key differences between commercial and government CTOs is the structure that supports their roles. In the commercial sector, CTOs not only identify emerging technologies but also play a central role in integrating those technologies into business operations. They typically have decision-making authority and are empowered to say no to solutions that don’t fit long-term strategic goals. In contrast, McHenry says federal CTOs often operate without that level of influence, particularly when it comes to technology procurement.
To address this issue, McHenry proposes a two-part framework. First, CTOs should report directly to mission leadership within their organization. Second, they should be granted sign-off authority on technology procurements. He emphasizes that this is not about changing organizational charts for the sake of it, but about giving CTOs a formal role in identifying and vetting solutions that align with mission needs.
He explains that if CTOs have early input—before a request for proposals is issued—they can ensure that the government is not duplicating existing capabilities, investing in incompatible architectures, or misidentifying the core problem. McHenry points to examples like the data produced by the F-35 fighter jet, which the government does not own, as the kind of oversight a properly empowered CTO might catch before contracts are finalized.
McHenry clarifies that he is not advocating for CTOs to replace existing acquisition processes, but rather to act as a strategic checkpoint. He suggests that giving CTOs this responsibility could help prioritize the most critical problems and streamline procurement decisions around them. “It’s not an authorities problem,” he says. “We just don’t [move fast]” because the process does not enable CTOs to act when they identify a need.
McHenry believes that the proposed changes could be implemented at the agency level without requiring legislative action. He notes that many current CTOs have backgrounds in the commercial sector and already understand how to evaluate and implement technology—but they need the support and authority to do so effectively within the government context.