The agency's Chief Information Officer is charged with implementing the operative principles identified in the Act requiring the establishment of a management framework to improve the planning and control of information technology investments and leading change to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of agency operations.

The CIO reports directly to the Secretary of Education and provides leadership and direction to:

• Develop, maintain, and implement a sound and integrated information technology enterprise architecture;
• Provide enterprise-wide IT services that include technical infrastructure support, enhanced infrastructure services, and centrally supported application services;
• Promote the effective and efficient design and operation of major Departmental information resource management processes and recommend, as appropriate, improvements to agency business processes;
• Manage agency information resources to improve the productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness of Federal programs inclusive of information dissemination initiatives and efforts to reduce information collection burdens;
• Develop information technology and information assurance requirements, completing cost/benefit analysis of proposed solutions, managing projects in accordance with sound systems life cycle management procedures and establishing performance standards and measures to assess success of short and long term solutions;
• Define and manage capital planning and investment management processes to ensure their successful implementation and integration with the Department's budget, acquisition and planning processes;
• Monitor the performance of the agency's information technology and information assurance programs and investments, evaluating them against performance and other applicable measures, and advising the Secretary regarding their continuation, modification or termination;
• Assess information technology, information assurance, and information management competencies defined for agency personnel to ensure that Departmental employees are technologically prepared to achieve the Department's strategic goals;
• Manage the agency's Information Assurance Program, developing agency-wide policy for the protection and control of information;
• Deploy and maintain all enterprise-wide information technology;
• Develop recommendations and implement information technology solutions designed to enhance and enable agency business processes;
• Develop and provide technology standards to ensure business alignment and promote a viable enterprise technology framework;
• Provide administrative and technical support to the agency's Data Integrity Board and monitor the Department's compliance with the Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act;
• Manage the agency's participation and implementation of Federal CIO Council Initiatives and coordinate Council activities throughout the Department;
• Coordinate all eGov Initiatives and their status reporting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB);
• Develop and maintain an integrated Departmental accounting and financial management system, including internal controls in accordance with the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990 and the Federal Financial Management Improvement Act of 1996;
• Establish Departmental travel policy and procedures, administer and monitor the agency’s travel system and program, and conduct training to ensure ED compliance with the Federal Travel Regulations.