Gartner has grabbed one of the nation's foremost authorities on federal IT as research director of the IT advisory firm's global public-sector research group.

Since August 2002, David McClure has served as VP for E-government and technology with the Council for Excellence in Government, a not-for-profit organization of senior public officials and other leaders aimed at fostering improved government performance. There, he helped develop strategies to use information and communications technology to improve the performance of government and engage citizens. He also helped expand the council's intergovernmental partnerships and shape the E-government fellows program, a leadership-development initiative for government IT managers.

Before joining the council, McClure served as director for IT management issues at what is now known as the Government Accountability Office, the investigative and audit arm of Congress. At the GAO, McClure directed governmentwide evaluations of IT investment and performance-measurement issues and often testified before Congress on federal IT management and E-government issues.

John Kost, managing VP of Gartner's global public-sector research group, says understanding the role of Congress and top political leaders in IT projects is crucial to the firm's clients. McClure, Kost says, offers a unique ability to speak coherently to technology clients as well as explain to political leaders the workings of IT in government.

McClure will be based in McLean, Va.