Lawmakers press DOD CIO to speed authorization‑to‑operate (ATO) process for commercial tech

Representative Tom Ryan and other members pressed Kirsten J. Davies on the Authority to Operate (ATO) process, which lawmakers and industry frequently call a barrier to adopting commercial capabilities.

"The ATO process is still frustratingly slow," Representative Ryan said, noting legislative steps in the NDAA (section 1521) that require an expedited review. He asked for updates and what more Congress could do. (Representative Ryan.)

Davies acknowledged the problem: "I think we would agree that that ATO process is much slower than it needs to be." She described fragmented handoffs, reliance on spreadsheets and emails, and the loss of assessment artifacts across lifecycle handovers. "These are the things that we're going to get after under my leadership. This fundamentally can be helped through technology," she said, adding that the department can maintain regulatory alignment while making the ATO process more continual and dynamic rather than a one‑time checklist.

Ryan also pushed on workforce measures tied to ATO acceleration; Davies said the office will take the request for an NDAA update "back for the record" and highlighted workforce initiatives, scholarships and planned internship rotations aimed at addressing staffing shortages that slow processes.

Members asked for a written update for the NDAA; Davies said she would provide material to the record and that the department is working on an expedited review process.