NASCIO 2026 State CIO Top 10 Priorities Strategic priorities for state chief information officers covering strategies, policy issues, management processes, and priority technologies for 2026 Extracted from NASCIO's 2026 State CIO Top 10 Priorities document. Includes both strategic/policy priorities and technology priorities for state government IT leadership. Document converted to StratML format using Claude AI (Anthropic). ^^ Submitter's Note: Lightly edited in the form at https://stratml.us/forms/Claude/Part1.html National Association of State Chief Information Officers NASCIO urn:uuid:1c6d5e4g-7h9e-6d2f-e1g0-5i8h2f4d7e8g NASCIO represents state chief information officers and information technology executives from the states, territories, and District of Columbia. The organization provides leadership and services to its members, advocating for technology policies that improve state government. State CIOs Chief Information Officers from state governments - primary audience and implementers of these priorities State IT Leadership Senior IT executives and managers in state government who support implementation of strategic priorities State Government Agencies State agencies and departments utilizing IT services - beneficiaries and users of IT services and initiatives Citizens Residents of states who use government services - end users of digital government services State governments leverage technology effectively to deliver secure, accessible, and efficient services to citizens while managing resources responsibly and adapting to emerging technologies urn:uuid:2d7e6f5h-8i0f-7e3g-f2h1-6j9i3g5e8f9h To guide state CIOs in prioritizing strategic initiatives, policies, technologies, and management processes that enhance government IT capabilities and service delivery urn:uuid:3e8f7g6i-9j1g-8f4h-g3i2-7k0j4h6f9g0i Innovation Embrace emerging technologies and innovative approaches to improve government services Security Protect government systems, data, and citizen information through robust cybersecurity practices Accessibility Ensure all government services and resources are accessible to all citizens Fiscal Responsibility Manage technology resources efficiently and demonstrate value for taxpayer investments AI Implement Artificial Intelligence / GenAI / Agentic AI / Machine Learning 1141da25-a2c1-49da-a1e9-f95361f3bf5f 1 Comprehensive approach to AI adoption including governance, policies, use cases, security, privacy, workforce skills, data quality, ethical use, and overall adoption strategies Governance Establish governance frameworks for AI implementation and oversight c5e4b3c8-a306-4796-841e-f6e3d7ea2d30 1.1 Policies Develop policies for responsible AI use in government operations 4cc77bb0-1d7f-4c64-aafd-55488358c931 1.2 Use Cases Identify and implement practical AI applications for government services c3e52b37-148d-4651-a789-a35fdeb029a9 1.3 Security Ensure security measures for AI systems and applications 44757514-dc9c-4859-b6ab-5a5bb6c86d99 1.4 Privacy Protect privacy in AI data processing and decision-making 7f424f9e-5b64-4921-8573-148a4ab54ae2 1.5 Skills Build workforce capabilities for AI development and management 6cb5b4d7-0ca5-4114-b74d-03f59be13f23 1.6 Data Ensure high-quality data for AI training and operations e699ed07-2fc2-4abb-bef9-aa18c93f8c14 1.7 Ethics Implement ethical guidelines for AI deployment and use d5f0853a-fe85-4df7-acb2-fc6801492dce 1.8 Adoption Drive overall adoption of AI technologies across state government e3851621-d3b7-4e82-85a1-c26b01d2518b 1.9 Cybersecurity Address Cybersecurity & Risk Management 21a2c33c-a34d-4cef-9770-e3777b5b108e 2 Comprehensive cybersecurity program including governance, budget and resource requirements, security frameworks, data protection, training and awareness, insider threats, third-party risk, and whole-of-state cybersecurity coordination Governance Establish cybersecurity governance structures and accountability db89bd1d-7db4-4fee-8a0f-0aa8618f2532 2.1 Budget Secure adequate budget and resources for cybersecurity programs 572182d1-f140-4327-84c6-3925f9546f9e 2.2 Frameworks Implement security frameworks and standards 2782d681-14fe-4aab-b2f7-8afa74b8a726 2.3 Data Protect sensitive government and citizen data 5d705f0c-90aa-4eec-8a3a-8fc507df6c4d 2.4 Training Provide security training and awareness programs aa84aea1-fab0-402e-84f6-6c0cf539030b 2.5 Insider Threats Address insider threats and internal security risks 7eee182d-abd3-419a-b3dd-d2810c7b9339 2.6 Third-Party Risk Manage cybersecurity risks from third-party vendors and partners 1d968dca-26c2-47ca-9fe0-f54ae2a0dde0 2.7 Whole-of-State Cybersecurity Coordinate cybersecurity efforts across all state agencies 472d0615-fbae-4598-8ad3-f8746fcd2ded 2.8 Fiscal Management Address Budget / Cost Control / Fiscal Management requirements 6cd22ea6-7d09-4d60-9283-8b032ad49788 3 Managing budget reductions, federal funding, strategies for savings, reducing or avoiding costs, and dealing with inadequate funding and budget constraints Budget Reductions Manage budget reductions while maintaining service levels 67bb49e9-59d7-4245-82e1-c1ed52633648 3.1 Federal Funding Effectively manage and optimize federal funding sources 948a2f27-9740-47d4-a4bb-b47ba3f0fea5 3.2 Cost Savings Develop and implement strategies for achieving cost savings af0556e1-583d-47e5-a016-bf1e0885efa0 3.3 Cost Avoidance Identify opportunities to reduce or avoid future costs 32e07631-3be4-481c-ba62-2afa240a99a8 3.4 Budget Constraints Address inadequate funding and budget constraints effectively 046de67f-6b34-45a4-a70e-2c449df92e78 3.5 IT Modernization Modernize IT Systems 0eaed994-dbd3-4b05-a4ed-ab27d1743e5d 4 Enhancing, renovating, and replacing platforms and applications; business process improvement; governance Platforms Enhance, renovate, and replace legacy platforms a5b837c5-8e81-4a9c-9304-364e35b9b38e 4.1 Applications Modernize and replace outdated applications f58709d8-00ab-47f0-bae2-431b191deaee 4.2 Business Processes Improve business processes through technology modernization 8fdd8cfa-901b-4b73-881b-5984009e71e4 4.3 Modernization Governance Establish governance for modernization initiatives 36d8d4f6-add1-404e-8e80-a5e1ab13e089 4.4 Digital Services Implement Digital Government / Digital Services e4a80c9f-100c-4661-bf0f-621ab90c7fec 5 Framework for digital services, portal development, accessibility, identity management, crowd sourcing, privacy, security, cross-agency collaboration, and cost/benefit analysis Framework Establish comprehensive framework for digital service delivery f63f9611-5424-4796-ace9-849f28cb6ae0 5.1 Portal Develop and maintain citizen-facing digital portal 17505d2a-8472-4f94-a0e2-669187a381c4 5.2 Accessibility Ensure accessibility of digital services for all citizens 083225a9-9041-4856-b3d3-e9f91418c0ec 5.3 Identity Management Implement identity management for digital services 7ab81426-78a6-41d4-a138-3fd54069f6ca 5.4 Crowdsourcing Leverage crowdsourcing for service improvement 87ee3784-333f-45c4-b26c-4331fb4780f5 5.5 Privacy Protect privacy in digital service delivery 3702209d-0db7-47ff-96a6-7804e7f9d866 5.6 Security Ensure security of digital services and infrastructure 692fdc95-2ca2-4128-a45f-d08f969e8390 5.7 Cross-Agency Collaboration Foster collaboration across agencies for digital services dae7d969-257a-49bb-bcac-ff9cd8091bc5 5.8 Cost-Benefit Analysis Conduct cost/benefit analysis for digital initiatives 17d62ede-a38b-4b73-97b0-1d87105a19da 5.9 Accessibility Address Accessibility Compliance and Implementation b8a4a9d5-828a-4752-938b-5523f248b939 6 Ensuring state services, policies, websites, communications, publications and tools are accessible; ensuring accessibility is considered in the state procurement process; compliance with DOJ rules Services Ensure all state services are accessible to people with disabilities 96839774-f7ed-4a85-a61c-4295b0f118e0 6.1 Policies Integrate accessibility requirements into all state policies 26c5c95f-fa1c-4963-99e7-a55a2270246b 6.2 Websites Ensure all state websites meet accessibility standards 4d8ce1a1-0407-459a-9742-01709c170f1a 6.3 Communications Make all communications accessible to diverse audiences 13e7ac3e-d8ed-498f-829e-82591372dcfe 6.4 Publications Ensure all publications are available in accessible formats 8c80eaf9-60e0-4ae3-b872-55e39f18b6dc 6.5 Tools Provide accessible digital tools and applications 85a19c53-56be-46f3-b8c1-2e80caec3e4b 6.6 Procurement Integrate accessibility requirements in procurement processes 5c2f4db6-c03b-4660-b622-a26c9cde49ad 6.7 DOJ Compliance Ensure compliance with Department of Justice accessibility rules 91dfa652-67c1-4eb7-aec9-15ecbc6fb1d6 6.8 Identity Management Address Identity & Access Management 0c2f90d2-4a99-4373-bada-e0a7ea1edaaa 7 Supporting citizen digital services, workforce access, access control, authentication, credentialing, and digital standards Citizens Support identity management for citizen digital services 0324e793-c15a-4aca-b0d1-2f4216b67c43 7.1 Workforce Access Manage access for state government workforce 4094e5fa-4213-422d-a801-2c92e72f3f0f 7.2 Access Control Implement robust access control mechanisms 695a325f-98b6-4488-b349-039f5da6e708 7.3 Authentication Deploy strong authentication systems cbc67e24-af77-4cbe-b3e0-16a5538c4ba8 7.4 Credentialing Establish credentialing standards and processes 0d1df5ba-fd87-41b9-bfbe-2951b0b83c10 7.5 Digital Identity Standards Adopt and implement digital identity standards 06ddc0a7-a8be-4c96-9fe2-381c01853e17 7.6 Data Address Data Management & Analytics d19fd0f8-ea14-4aa9-8bdf-c71e381dd7fd 8 Data governance, data architecture, strategy, business intelligence, predictive analytics, big data, roles and responsibilities Governance Establish data governance frameworks and policies 996e84da-daf7-4f55-b829-b1deddc74973 8.1 Architecture Design and implement data architecture 36e61616-c07c-4477-b0aa-e325d981fcd4 8.2 Strategy Develop comprehensive data strategy ee86d11c-00c4-4486-8e2b-c773a7c05d21 8.3 Business Intelligence Implement business intelligence capabilities 3a630474-c158-4283-9ada-8cfe2c2fd791 8.4 Predictive Analytics Deploy predictive analytics for decision-making debcb4de-6d24-4edb-8423-4621fe517bdf 8.5 Big Data Manage and leverage big data resources 8d42c632-a76e-4a06-b9f9-af3780a0dfc0 8.6 Roles Define roles and responsibilities for data management 74971f3d-99fc-4ac3-93af-8c8a48315f73 8.7 IT Consolidation Address Consolidation/Optimization ea75a02e-6fc0-4933-b040-d626f05d4c82 9 Centralizing and consolidating services, operations, resources, infrastructure, data centers; communications and marketing "enterprise" thinking Services Centralize and consolidate IT services 291ec4b3-152d-4686-82f0-3af6dbb3e724 9.1 Operations Streamline and consolidate IT operations 88a330a4-1c61-422c-bd5e-c70c4a6f44f8 9.2 Resource Consolidation Optimize and consolidate IT resources 1fc7a412-cd83-4751-bcfd-71d79a14b7f7 9.3 Infrastructure Consolidate infrastructure and data centers 24a56976-6d25-487b-adb7-1cd4c714e354 9.4 Data Centers Reduce and consolidate data center footprint 6d1ecdd8-a5ac-4d6a-9ea7-11af6816df98 9.5 Enterprise Communications Develop communications and marketing for enterprise thinking 6fd0e5b0-b334-495f-a954-4d023f0c61be 9.6 Cloud Address Cloud Services cd03dfee-ac5f-445a-af3d-fe1f06309982 10 Cloud strategy, selection of service and deployment models, scalable and elastic services, governance, service management, security, privacy, and procurement Strategy Develop comprehensive cloud strategy 23f6106f-1599-4077-aeb7-563586d09e07 10.1 Service Models Select appropriate cloud service models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) 3992cd79-9474-47cb-8bc8-ee353040980d 10.2 Deployment Choose optimal deployment models (public, private, hybrid) 5cce4373-e413-4f66-ac48-816e8aa6c0c4 10.3 Scalability Implement scalable and elastic cloud services 8c7aaf69-43f4-4e2b-936c-15841f5c71a9 10.4 Governance Establish cloud governance frameworks 8f916393-48ca-4531-8d30-cb95393f3283 10.5 Services Manage cloud services effectively 95f1306b-6bdb-4595-a76b-5cce9a0dabb7 10.6 Security Ensure security of cloud infrastructure and services b2e88284-1fb9-410a-ae74-0bd03b80a92e 10.7 Privacy Protect privacy in cloud environments a0676e58-bf6d-416d-85ca-54e84e0adfff 10.8 Procurement Manage cloud procurement and vendor relationships fb3a3549-1d71-4232-9486-7254d23d1ad6 10.9 Technology Address Priority Technologies, Applications and Tools for 2026 bdb0d91e-3ec0-45c5-be63-840d1e6dec50 11 Top 10 technology priorities for state CIOs including AI, application modernization, cloud solutions, identity management, SaaS, security tools, ERP, data management, analytics, and networking AI Address artificial intelligence technologies and solutions 71624523-7778-43a2-bb2a-3ca43a0b7b29 11.1 Applications Modernize and renovate application technologies 230adaf9-068f-44c1-8395-785c94e44d10 11.2 Cloud Address cloud computing solutions and platforms 90ac6803-d459-4f3b-80bf-5baf7c56449b 11.3 IAM Address identity and access management technologies 2134b0a5-4475-441b-99a9-c9ab84de241d 11.4 SaaS Address software-as-a-service solutions 2ad59666-edc9-4fc6-b4c2-632b6a36f97a 11.5 Security Address security enhancement tools and technologies c775ebc7-0443-4c01-a64a-c570ba605960 11.6 ERPs Address enterprise resource planning systems 42652fd7-7bb3-44e8-b623-70f7a8878a92 11.7 Data Consider data management technologies and platforms 57e19fb1-6cbc-47ca-a702-29894e3e584b 11.8 Analytics Consider data analytics tools and platforms 1918d762-4c25-4403-b741-ca8350aad312 11.9 Networking Address networking infrastructure and technologies 90ed1d78-6ed8-41e4-b9c2-5b7ee470c74f 11.10 2026-01-01 2026-12-31 2026-01-02 https://www.nascio.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/NASCIO-2026-State-Top-10-Priorities_a11y.pdf Owen Ambur Owen.Ambur@verizon.net