As reported in GT on Jan 26, Ohio Gov. Bob Taft issued an executive order to create the position of State Chief Information Officer who will oversee a new Office of Information Technology. Greg Jackson was named as state CIO.

The Executive Order, 2004-02T Specifying Revised Responsibilities for State Information Technology Governance says that historically, the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) has only exercised authority to "recommend standards for equipment, software and information technology, budgeting and spending to state agencies." Now, however, DAS has been ordered to "fully exercise its statutory authority to superintend the computer services of state agencies."

"The State Chief Information Officer," says the order, "shall lead state efforts to re-engineer the state's information technology infrastructure with the goal of achieving the use of common technology across the executive branch and in doing so shall provide statewide oversight, leadership, and direction for all activities related to information technologies by coordinating and superintending their use statewide ..."

The executive order also says the CIO shall have approval authority, in collaboration with the Office of Budget and Management, over all information technology budgeting and spending by state agencies.

The seven-page executive order provides many more details about the state's plans and organization.