Page 1 GAO-25-108463 DOT CIO Recommendations
441 G St. NW
Washington, DC 20548
September 3, 2025
Pavan Pidugu
Chief Information Officer
U.S. Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
Chief Information Officer Open Recommendations: Department of Transportation
Dear Mr. Pidugu:
I am writing to you with respect to your role as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the
Department of Transportation (DOT). As an independent, non-partisan agency that works for
Congress, GAO’s mission is to support Congress in meeting its constitutional
responsibilities and help improve the performance and ensure the accountability of the
federal government. Our work includes investigating matters related to the use of public funds
and evaluating programs and activities of the U.S. Government at the request of congressional
committees and subcommittees, on the initiative of the Comptroller General, and as required by
public laws or committee reports. Our duties include reporting our findings and recommending
ways to increase economy and efficiency in government spending. The purpose of this letter is
to provide an overview of the open GAO recommendations to DOT that call for the attention of
the CIO.
We identified recommendations that relate to the CIO’s roles and responsibilities in effectively
managing IT. They include strategic planning, investment management, and information
security. We have previously reported on the significance of the CIO’s role in improving the
government’s performance in IT and related information management functions.
1
Your attention
to these recommendations will help ensure the secure and effective use of IT at the department.
Currently, DOT has 34 open recommendations that call for the attention of the CIO, including 14
that are sensitive and 14 that are relevant to a component-level CIO.
2
Each of these
recommendations relates to a GAO High-Risk area: (1) Ensuring the Cybersecurity of the
Nation or (2) Improving IT Acquisitions and Management.
3
In addition, GAO has designated two
1
See for example, GAO, Federal Chief Information Officers: Critical Actions Needed to Address Shortcomings and
Challenges in Implementing Responsibilities, GAO-18-93 (Washington, D.C.: Aug. 2, 2018).
2
Thirteen of the sensitive recommendations are relevant to the Federal Aviation Administration’s CIO, and one is
relevant to the department’s CIO.
3
GAO, High-Risk Series: Heightened Attention Could Save Billions More and Improve Government Efficiency and
Effectiveness, GAO-25-107743 (Washington, D.C.: Feb. 25, 2025).
