Almost half of the chief information officers serving at federal executive agencies in 2004 have quit their jobs, leaving others to fill those positions. The average tenure is about two years. Political appointees are typically gone in 19 months.

To find out what makes so many public CIOs rush for the door, FCW Media Group surveyed federal, state and local CIOs in late August and early September. Responses from that survey and interviews with former CIOs show that government's top technology officials are an increasingly frustrated bunch.

Government CIOs are continuously jostling to become major decision-makers at their agencies, compared with their private-sector counterparts, who have gained a large say in decisions that affect their companies' bottom line.

Many public CIOs want to contribute at a comparable level to help fulfill their agencies' mission, but they lack clout. Some former federal officials, however, say it is only a matter of time before government CIOs acquire the same respect now accorded to corporate CIOs.

Many public CIOs are frustrated when their role is to simply serve as information technology managers. They see themselves as seasoned executives who are also savvy about technology, although many agencies exclude them from important budget and acquisition decisions. And that is a significant reason why public CIOs leave government service for the private sector.

In the FCW Media Group survey, 23 percent of the 85 CIOs who responded reported that a primary reason they would leave their job would be differences with strategic direction or to take a private-sector job for greater responsibility and influence.

The survey also found that federal CIOs rank resource planning and investment as their second highest priority, after information security. Strategic IT planning ranks third.

"CIOs are doing quite well in the private sector, not only in terms of compensation and benefits but also in terms of the level of responsibility and accountability they're given to be true partners in the business of the organization for which they work," said Ron Miller, a former CIO at the Federal Emergency Management Agency and now a senior principal at SRA International's homeland security program.