Vivek Kundra expected to be appointed as administrator of e-Government and Information technology by president Obama

The expected appointment of Vivek Kundra to be administrator for e-government and information technology in the Office of Management and Budget would put an activist in a position that essentially functions as the government’s chief information officer.

Kundra, the District of Columbia's chief technology officer, has a history of taking an active role in propelling government technology advances, according to observers familiar with his work. The Obama administration had not announced his appointment by Friday afternoon, but various media reports citing sources close to the White House identified Kundra as the president's choice for the position, which reports to the deputy director of management (still vacant).
 
Agencies have grumbled that past occupants of the e-gov position have put more emphasis on compliance and reporting than on achieving results. David McClure, managing vice president at Gartner and a former director of IT management issues at the Government Accountability Office, said that if Kundra were appointed, it would be “a shot in the arm.”
 
Mark Forman, the first administrator in the office, focused on creating the e-government agenda, while his successor Karen Evans targeted the tactical implementation, McClure said.
 
Kundra’s appointment would “be a different chemistry, and sometimes that’s what you need,” McClure said.
 
Kundra has experienced the challenges and limitations of operating in state and local government, including navigating legislative bodies, inspectors general, and budget and policy matters, said Jonathan Breul, executive director at the IBM Center for the Business of Government and a former senior adviser at OMB.
 
“His experience and work with D.C. is probably as good a preparation as you can ask for,” Breul said. Kundra has helped build the technology infrastructure there and is familiar with how to make the city’s operations and performance transparent, visible and available to citizens.