Episode 155: Too Few Data Chiefs? Inside the Data Foundation and Deloitte's CDO Survey

This week on the GovNavigators Show, hosts Adam and Robert sit down with Dr. Amanda Cash of the Data Foundation and Dr. Adita Karkera of Deloitte to unpack the latest Federal Chief Data Officer (CDO) Survey and what it reveals about the state of data, AI, and capacity across government.

Drawing on six years of survey data, Amanda and Adita explain how the federal CDO role has evolved since the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act and why today’s environment may be the most challenging yet. With more than half of CDOs operating with five or fewer staff, agencies are being pushed to do more with less, even as expectations around AI, data governance, and transparency continue to rise.

The conversation explores the growing overlap between Chief Data Officers and Chief AI Officers, the risks and opportunities of combining those roles, and how agencies can use AI to compensate for workforce gaps. They also highlight the critical role of the federal CDO Council in enabling collaboration and scaling best practices across government.