IRAQ MINISTRY CIO PHASE ONE TRAINING A SUCCESS

UNCLAS BAGHDAD 002889 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECPS EINT KGIT KWIR PGOV TINT TSPL IZ SUBJECT: IRAQ MINISTRY CIO PHASE ONE TRAINING A SUCCESS -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. A two-week intensive Chief Information Officer training workshop held in Erbil, Iraq, 18 - 28 August has been completed successfully. Twenty-eight CIOs and information technology (IT) managers from across the Government of Iraq (GOI) attended the Iraq Transition Assistance Office (ITAO)-funded training which was taught by instructors from the U.S. National Defense University (NDU). CIOs from the nine ministries attended the training as well IT managers from the President's Office, the Prime Minister General Secretariat, the Central Bank, and seven KRG Ministries. The interactive workshop included a significant number of group activities, encouraging inter-ministry communication and cooperation. In phase two of the CIO workshop, organized by NDU and tentatively scheduled for October 16-24 in Washington, DC, seven Iraq Ministry CIOs will be introduced to U.S. government agency practices and programs relating to the duties and responsibilities of CIOs. The GOI is funding all hotel and travel expenses for Phase One. ITAO is providing travel and hotel expenses for Phase Two. End summary. -------------- -------------- 18 IRAQ NATIONAL AND REGIONAL MINISTRIES PARTICIPATED -------------- -------------- ¶2. The CIO training program is a capacity development initiative aimed at training information technology (IT) professionals in GOI ministries on developing and implementing IT policy and practices. In order to place the governance of Iraq on a more sound footing, and to provide ministries with reliable and auditable information management systems to support their decision-making, the GOI will appoint a federal CIO council and a CIO for each Iraqi Ministry. In order to support this initiative and build Iraq IT management capacity, the Iraq Transition Assistance Office (ITAO) sponsored a two-week intensive CIO training workshop in Erbil, Iraq, 18 - 28 August. Five instructors from the Information Resources Management College of the U.S. National Defense University (NDU) designed and delivered the Iraq-specific curriculum at the Khanzad Hotel. Embassy Baghdad and Erbil RRT, in cooperation with the Iraq Ministry of Communications, coordinated the program in Iraq. Training costs were paid by ITAO, while participant hotel and travel costs were provided by the GOI. ¶3. The main topics presented in the two-week program included the role of a CIO, Business Process Re-engineering, Strategic Planning and Performance Management, Enterprise Architecture, Information Assurance, and Information Technology Acquisition. Classes were designed with full consideration of Iraq's specific environment. The interactive workshop included a significant number of group activities, encouraging inter-ministry communication and cooperation. Group projects were specifically targeted at issues common across the ministries. ¶4. CIOs from the Iraq Ministries of Science and Technology, Communications, Higher Education, Electricity, Defense, Agriculture, Industry and Minerals, Construction and Housing, and Environment attended the training as well IT managers from the President's Office, the Prime Minister General Secretariat, and the Central Bank. CIOs from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Ministries of Planning, Water Resources, Agriculture, Transportation and Communications, and Investment took part in the training, as well as CIOs from several private firms, including Zagros Group, Korek Telecom, Asiacell, and Newroz Telecom. -------------- PHASE TWO IN WASHINGTON, DC -------------- ¶5. In phase two of the CIO workshop, organized by NDU and tentatively scheduled for October 18-24 in Washington, DC, seven Iraq Ministry CIOs will be introduced to U.S. Government agency practices and programs relating to the duties and responsibilities of CIOs. CIOs from the Iraq Ministries of Science and Technology (Dr. Mahmood Sharief),Defense (Dr. Ali Taresh),Communications (Mr. Kassim Al Hassani),Higher Eduaction (Dr. Imad Ali Hussaini),the Prime Minister's Office (Dr. Qussay),the KRG Director of Information (Mr. Botan Osman),and the KRG Ministry of Transportation and Communications (Mr. Rusech Barzani),will attend the five-day training. ITAO is paying all expenses for Phase Two. The CIO Training point of contact at Embassy Baghdad is the Senior Consultant for Communications and Information Technology, Mr. Shwan Halkurd, 914-360-2116, HalkurdSO@state.gov. The point of contact in Washington, DC, for Phase Two CIO training is Mr. Thomas Gramaglia, NEA/I, 202-647-5202, GramagliaTR@state.gov. CROCKER