The Chief Information Officer is also known by the title Director of Information Technology. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, “Chief Information Officers are responsible for the overall technology direction of their organizations.” (bls.gov). As part of his various functions, the Chief Information Officer has the ability to hire information technology professionals and other support personnel who can ably assist in the implementation of information technology-related projects. As the highest executive responsible for information technology (IT) and information systems, they also have administrative functions such as creating and implementing policies and procedures. Likewise, the CIO directly manages IT employees and provides appropriate performance review based on the department's key performance indicators. In terms of their IT specialization, they drive planning to maximize IT as a leverage point against competitors. In the case of government agencies, the Chief Information Officer is "highly responsible for strategic planning for all information and technology management functions, hence the term information resource management (IRM) strategic planning" (44 USC 3506 (b ) (2)) It can therefore be said that Chief Information Officer is a crucial senior administrative position in an organization as information technology plays an important role in giving leverage to businesses. Typically, a Chief Information Officer has strong experience in some IT field such as information systems, computer engineering, or computer science. Being a high-level position, it is a must for a Chief Information Officer to possess a post-graduate degree in the field of management such as a Masters in Business… middle of paper… CIO, P. 6. Retrieved February 2 2011 by Granger: The final wordN.A. Direction. competence.com. Current and Future Challenges: The Chief Information Officer Mastering the power of information. Retrieved February 2, 2011, from http://www. leadershipexpertise.com/resources/ CIO%20Current%20 and%20Future%20 Challenges.pdf.44 USC3506 (b) (2). Quoted from FEDERAL CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICERS Responsibilities, Reporting Relationships, Tenure, and Challenges.). July 2004. U.S. Government Accountability Office. Retrieved February 2, 2011, from http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04823.pdf.Mike Gorsage. (2009). Is a CIO a luxury or a necessity?. Available: http://technology.inc.com/managing/articles/200906/gorsage.html. Last visited: April 13, 2011. Phil Windley. (2002). CIO vs. CTO. Available: http://www.windley.com/archives/2002/12/cio_vs_cto.shtml. Last seen 4/6/11