American Council for Technology

American Council for Technology
Name	American Council for Technology
Abbreviation	ACT
Formation	1979
Status	Nonprofit association
Purpose	Information technology policy and management for public sector professionals
Headquarters	Alexandria, Virginia
Region served	United States
Membership	Federal, state, local, and tribal information technology leaders
Leader title	Executive Director

American Council for Technology is a nonprofit association established to convene public sector information technology leaders, promote best practices among federal and state information technology executives, and advance the professional development of public sector technology staff. The organization functions as a forum for collaboration among senior officials from agencies such as the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Internal Revenue Service, Social Security Administration, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration, while engaging with state entities including the California Department of Technology, New York State Office of Information Technology Services, and Texas Department of Information Resources. It operates in close proximity to national policy centers such as the White House, United States Congress, and the General Services Administration.

History

Founded in 1979 during a period of rapid expansion in civilian automation initiatives, the organization emerged as a collective response from information technology directors representing agencies like the Veterans Health Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and National Institutes of Health. In the 1980s and 1990s it expanded ties with standards bodies and research institutions including the National Institute of Standards and Technology, RAND Corporation, and Carnegie Mellon University to address issues raised by projects such as the Social Security Administration modernization and the Internal Revenue Service computerization. Post-9/11, the association increased engagement with entities involved in national resilience, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security. During the 2010s, it emphasized cyber initiatives aligning with directives from the Office of Management and Budget and partnered with universities like George Mason University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology for workforce development. Its history reflects collaboration among public sector agencies, think tanks, and professional associations like the American Society for Public Administration and the Association for Computing Machinery.

Mission and Objectives

The organization’s mission centers on improving public sector information technology performance through peer exchange, skills development, and applied research. Objectives include advancing interoperability promoted by bodies such as the Internet Engineering Task Force, supporting identity frameworks influenced by the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace, and fostering workforce pipelines interacting with programs at the National Science Foundation and the Presidential Management Fellowship. It seeks to influence procurement practices that intersect with standards from the Federal Acquisition Regulation and to support modernization efforts referenced by the Government Accountability Office and the Office of Personnel Management.

Organizational Structure

Governance typically comprises a board of directors drawn from chief information officers and senior executives across agencies such as the Department of Treasury, Department of Veterans Affairs, and major state IT offices, alongside an executive staff operating from metropolitan centers near the Alexandria, Virginia corridor. Committees mirror topical domains represented by panels with experts from institutions like Johns Hopkins University, Stanford University, and firm partners including Deloitte, Accenture, and Booz Allen Hamilton. Annual and regional conferences provide governance reporting to membership councils modeled on practices used by associations such as ISACA and the Project Management Institute.

Programs and Services

Programming includes conferences, workshops, and training tracks that reflect themes from landmark initiatives such as Cloud First and Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation. Seminars have featured speakers affiliated with the Office of the National Cyber Director, researchers from the MITRE Corporation, and policy analysts from the Brookings Institution. Services include research briefs, white papers, and competency frameworks developed in consultation with entities like the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Harvard Kennedy School, and certification partners comparable to CompTIA and (ISC)². The organization runs professional development academies, mentorship programs paralleling the Presidential Innovation Fellows, and peer review processes used by agency modernization teams in the Department of Health and Human Services.

Membership and Chapters

Membership spans federal, state, local, and tribal IT leaders from entities such as the City of New York, Los Angeles County, and tribal nations engaged with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Chapters operate regionally and are patterned after membership models of associations like the National Governors Association and the Council of State Governments, facilitating localized events in metropolitan areas including Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, and Dallas. Corporate and academic affiliates include technology firms and research centers that sponsor events and contribute to member services.

Partnerships and Advocacy

The association partners with professional societies, academic research centers, and private sector firms to influence policy dialogues at venues like congressional hearings in the United States Capitol and interagency working groups chaired by the Office of Management and Budget. Collaborative projects have aligned with initiatives led by the Federal CIO Council, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and international standards entities like the International Organization for Standardization. Advocacy efforts emphasize procurement reform, workforce development, and cybersecurity practices echoed in reports by the Government Accountability Office and testimony before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Awards and Recognition

It administers awards recognizing innovation and leadership among public sector technology professionals, modeled on honors akin to the Presidential Rank Awards and peer recognition programs used by the Federal CIO Council and Merit Systems Protection Board. Recipients have included executives and teams from agencies such as the Department of Veterans Affairs, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and leading state IT offices, with ceremonies often held alongside major conferences and in partnership with industry sponsors including Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, and Google.

Category:Professional associations based in the United States