Formalizing the Honolulu CDO and a New Office of Data and Innovation

In 2022, the City and County of Honolulu passed Ordinance 22-31, establishing the position of Chief Data Officer (CDO) within the Managing Director’s Office. Then, in April 2024, Kira Chuchom joined the City and County of Honolulu to fill the role as Honolulu’s first Chief Data Officer. In light of the progress Chuchom has made, and the importance of timely and accurate data during uncertain times, Hawai‘i Data Collaborative is seeking to codify the role of CDO and a new Office of Data and Innovation through a proposed charter amendment.

The Proposed Change

The proposed change to Article VI (Managing Director and Agencies Directly Under the Managing Director) Chapter 1 of the Charter of the City and County of Honolulu would codify the Chief Data Officer (CDO) and an Office of Data and Innovation within the Mayor’s office. This would create clear executive accountability, sustained authority across administrations, and enterprise standards that protect residents while accelerating service modernization. The proposed language articulates the responsibilities of the role and office:

There shall be an office of Data and Innovation headed by the Chief Data Officer who shall be appointed and removed by the Mayor. The Chief Data Officer shall:

(a) Create a city data plan that establishes and enforces citywide policies and standards for data governance, quality, privacy, security, interoperability, and responsible AI use;

(b) Lead an enterprise data strategy, including data inventory, data sharing, and lifecycle management across executive agencies;

(c) Coordinate and publish open data to promote transparency and civic engagement, consistent with law and privacy;

(d) Coordinate with departments to provide data analytics support and service modernization support to departments, in coordination with the Managing Director and Department of Information Technology as appropriate;

(e) Review proposed AI and automated decision systems for fairness, transparency, accountability, and compliance with adopted standards;

(f) Establish systems and provide continual support for agencies to consistently evaluate, determine, and report on minimum key performance indicators;

(g) Develop staff capacity in data, analytics, and AI; and

(h) Perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Mayor or prescribed by ordinance, consistent with this Charter.

The office would partner with the Managing Director, Department of Information Technology, and operating departments to leverage data to improve operations, reduce duplicative technology spend, and deliver outcomes that residents can see and measure.

Why a Charter Amendment?

Currently, the role of CDO only exists through a City Council ordinance. Amending the Charter aligns the “constitution” with its day-to-day laws, reducing legal risk that the position will be deemed invalid or unauthorized. Establishing the role and office through the Charter clarifies powers, reporting lines, and stabilizes the role and office, allowing it to perform its functions more efficiently. It also signals to the public that this office is a permanent, foundational part of city government, not just a temporary program. Charter placement ensures transparency through open data; safeguards through privacy and AI risk controls; and equity through performance metrics that surface disparities and guide targeted interventions.

The Importance of a Solid Data Foundation

The CDO and Office of Data and Innovation play a critical role in local government that impacts other offices and the functioning of the City and County as a whole. Issues of data governance, privacy and security standards, open data, analytics, and responsible AI review are currently dispersed and inconsistently resourced, but are increasingly important to safely managing data, making informed decisions, and running government efficiently. In light of events like unpredictable federal funding shifts and shutdowns as well as crises with huge community impact like natural disasters and public health emergencies, quick and equitable access to robust local data to respond to local needs is a must. Adding the CDO role and Office of Data and Innovation to the Charter recognizes the importance of data strategy and management, and ensures that it will be properly funded and integrated into local government for the foreseeable future.