Can 16 Principles Fix Federal IT's Leadership Crisis?

CIO Greg Barbaccia's Memo Targets Churn, Burnout, Fragmented Culture Yamini Kalra • June 26, 2025

When Gregory Barbaccia took the job as the U.S. federal CIO in January 2025, he became the sixth person to hold the position in eight years. Five months into his tenure, he laid out 16 operating principles in the latest attempt to stabilize leadership churn.

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Barbaccia's document contains no mandates, no budget figures and no program launches - just a list of values organized under three headers: delivery, management and culture. Its release came as Congress debated a budget bill that would eliminate more than 100,000 federal jobs, with the administration asking workers across all agencies to do more with less - by using modern digital technology.

"This document outlines the expectations we hold for ourselves ...