Moreover, agencies have failed to take full advantage of IT by failing to first critically examine and then reengineer existing business and program delivery processes. ITMRA builds in essential investment and performance ingredients that empower agencies to make wiser, not just faster, acquisitions of IT products and services. During this period, consistent oversight leadership, coordination, and clear guidance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is essential to getting agency implementation off to a constructive start. For ITMRA to be successful, improved management processes and practices that focus on capital investment and planning, reengineering, and performance measurement are essential. This order will officially create a governmentwide Chief Information Officers Council, composed of agency CIOs and Deputy CIOs and chaired by OMB’s Deputy Director for Management, to provide recommendations to OMB on governmentwide IT policies, procedures, and standards; the Government Information Technology Services Board, staffed by agency personnel, to oversee the continued implementation of the NPR IT recommendations and to identify and promote the development of innovative technologies, standards, and practices; and the Information Technology Resources Board, staffed by agency personnel and used to review, at OMB’s or an agency’s request, an information systems development or acquisition project and provide recommendations as appropriate. Interagency Outreach and Coordination

OMB has also organized an interagency CIO Working Group—comprised of the existing senior IRM officials from the major agencies and departments—to assist in developing the policies, guidance, and information needed to effectively implement ITMRA. Continue to Emphasize an Integrated, Not Selective Management Approach

ITMRA embraces an entire set of comprehensive management reforms to IT decision-making. Focus on the evaluation of results.
Why GAO Did This Study

GAO discussed the implementation of the Information Technology (IT) Management Reform Act (ITMRA).

What GAO Found

GAO noted that: (1) federal agencies have failed to reengineer their business and program delivery processes before acquiring new information systems, which results in costly IT resources; (2) ITMRA should empower federal agencies to make wise acquisitions of IT products and services; (3) lessons learned from other governmentwide management reforms indicate the need for senior management involvement, consistent oversight and leadership from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and a focus on capital investment and planning, reengineering, and performance measurement; (4) OMB has organized interagency discussions on needed policy and guidance changes and issued guidance on selecting, controlling, and evaluating agencies' IT investments; (5) OMB has established an interagency Chief Information Officers (CIO) working group to assist in developing policies, guidance, and information needed for effective ITMRA implementation; (6) the Administration is ensuring that CIO candidates are qualified and given sufficient authority and responsibility and that core legislative requirements are met; (7) challenges to ITMRA implementation include involving top agency management, consistently directing CIO appointments and organizational placement, building new IT skills, focusing on internal implementation at the department-level, and continually emphasizing an integrated management approach; and (8) congressional support and oversight is essential to ensuring successful implementation of ITMRA.