This is Delaware’s version of a Chief Data Officer

States creating and appointing Chief Data Officers to manage data is so “in” right now. From the first state CDO appointed in Colorado five years ago, to California’s recent push to create the position in their state, hiring a CDO is what all the cool states are doing.
Except for Delaware.
“We are aware of the recent trend of some organizations creating Chief Data Officers,” writes Mike Hojnicki, Chief of Policy & Communications at the state Department of Technology & Information. “To date, Delaware’s Government Information Center and the Department of Technology and Information have partnered to foster sharing of information among government agencies, and increase the amount and usefulness of information made available to the public.”
While the appointment of a Chief Data Officer was on Compass Red founder Patrick Callahan’s civic tech wish list for Delaware, it might not be necessary.
Read the full wish list
“The state recognizes that data is an enterprise asset that can be leveraged to help government deliver more efficient public services, enable greater transparency and encourage public and commercial use and re-use of government information,” Hojnicki wrote.
In lieu of a CDO, the state established the State of Delaware Data Governance Council (DDGC) in January 2012 to put a greater focus on the management of data within the state. Currently chaired by DTI’s Architecture/Data Management team leader Rhonda Ringer, Hojnicki said the council’s mission is to “implement a statewide strategy that enables government to make informed decisions and publish information for business and citizen use.”
Currently, DDGC is comprised of “technical and functional members from various state agencies focusing on the management and governance of data within the state,” but Hojnicki said the state has bigger plans in the works.
“A data officer role within each agency is a concept currently being discussed to further open data efforts in the state,” he said. “DTI is currently working with stakeholders to enhance the state’s open data portal and further diversify published formats.”
A data officer within each agency would hopefully make the release of state datasets more frequent and efficient.