By Federal Chief Data Officers Council
On behalf of Federal Chief Data Officers Council’s Business of Data Working Group, we are pleased to announce the Chief Data Officer (CDO) Core Competency Model (opens in a new tab) is now available on resources.data.gov (opens in a new tab).
As data continues to play an increasingly important role in how government agencies operate and make decisions, the CDO role has become essential to ensuring data is managed strategically, securely, and effectively. With responsibilities spanning data governance, access, management, analytics, and compliance, CDOs need a broad and evolving set of skills to lead these efforts across their organizations.
The CDO Core Competency Model provides a common framework for understanding the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for effective CDO leadership. It identifies core competencies across areas such as data strategy, data management, data security, analytics, and regulatory compliance, providing a foundation for understanding what successful CDO leadership looks like.
The model is also intended to support the professionalization and development of the CDO role. Organizations can use the competencies to inform recruitment and onboarding, identify opportunities for professional development and training, and support performance evaluation and career growth. By establishing a shared understanding of the capabilities needed for the role, the model can help strengthen the CDO workforce and support more consistent approaches to data governance across government.
The competencies outlined in the model are informed by the responsibilities of CDOs as outlined in the Evidence Act and OMB Memorandum M-25-05, including strengthening data governance, improving data access, and enabling agency-wide interoperability. Together, these areas reflect the important role CDOs play in building the data infrastructure and governance practices needed to support effective, evidence-based decision-making.
The development of this model represents an important step toward creating a shared language and framework for CDO competencies across government. It is intended to be a practical resource that can evolve alongside the role and the changing data landscape.
