According to OMB, USDS’s mission is  to transform the most important public-facing digital services. 18F and USDS Provided a Variety of Development and Consulting Services Supporting Agency Technology Efforts and Agencies Were Generally Satisfied with the Programs

18F and USDS have provided a variety of development and consulting  services to agencies to support their technology efforts. Of the 32 18F projects, 6 are associated with major IT investments. Quality assurance. Problem identification and recommendations. Website consultation. Software engineering. In addition to providing services to agencies, USDS has developed  products to help agencies improve federal IT services. A Majority of Surveyed Agency Project Managers Were Satisfied with Services Provided by 18F and USDS

In response to a satisfaction survey we administered to agency managers  of selected 18F and USDS projects, a majority of managers were  satisfied with the services they received from the groups. However, not all of its goals are outcome-oriented and it  has not yet measured program performance. 18F has largely implemented its procedures. Further, USDS has only measured actual results for one of its goals. Until USDS ensures that all of its goals are outcome- oriented and establishes performance measures and targets for each  goal, it will be difficult to hold the program accountable for results. Agencies Have Begun to Establish Digital Service Teams, but OMB Has Not Taken Steps to Ensure CIO Coordination

To help agencies effectively deliver digital services, the President’s  Budget for fiscal year 2016 proposed funding for digital service teams at  25 agencies—the 24 Chief Financial Officers Act agencies, as well as the  National Archives and Records Administration. Of the 25 agencies included in the President’s budget proposal to  establish teams, OMB has established charters with 6 agencies for their  digital service teams—the Departments of Defense, Health and Human  Services, Homeland Security, the Treasury, State, and Veterans Affairs. In addition, according to the Deputy USDS Administrator, USDS expects  to establish charters with an additional 2 agencies by the end of the fiscal  year—the Department of Education and the Small Business  Administration. For the remaining 16 agencies, as of April 2016, 8  agencies reported that they plan to establish digital service teams but  have yet to establish charters with USDS—the Department of Housing  and Urban Development, Environmental Protection Agency, General  Services Administration, National Aeronautics and Space Administration,  National Archives and Records Administration, National Science  Foundation, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and Office of Personnel  Management. Of the other 9 agencies, 8 reported that they do not plan to  establish digital service teams by September 2016 because they did not  receive requested funding—the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce,  Energy, the Interior, Justice, Labor, and Transportation; and the U.S.  Agency for International Development. Table 7 summarizes agency and OMB efforts to establish  digital service teams. The lack of defined relationships is due, in large part, to the fact that  USDS policy on digital service teams does not describe the expected  relationship between agency CIOs and these teams. To their credit, both 18F and USDS have developed several outcome- orientated goals and procedures for prioritizing projects. To effectively measure performance, prioritize USDS’s resources, and  ensure that CIOs play an integral role in agency digital service teams, we  recommend that the Director of the Office of Management and Budget  direct the Federal Chief Information Officer to take the following three  actions: ensure that all goals and associated performance measures are  outcome-oriented and that performance measures have targets; assess actual results for each performance measure; and update USDS policy to clearly define the responsibilities and  authorities governing the relationships between CIOs and the digital  service teams and require existing agency digital service teams to  address this policy. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

Our objectives were to (1) describe 18F and U.S. Digital Service (USDS)  efforts to identify and address problems with information technology (IT)  projects and agencies’ views of services provided, (2) assess these  programs’ efforts against practices for performance measurement and  project prioritization, and (3) assess agency plans to establish their own  digital service teams. We also reviewed information obtained from 18F and USDS  regarding key projects that did not have agency customers. Appendix II: Projects for which 18F and U.S. Digital Service Provided Assistance

Between March 2014 and August 2015, the General Services  Administration’s (GSA) 18F staff helped 18 agencies with 32 projects, and  generally provided services relating to its five business units: Custom  Partner Solutions, Products and Platforms, Transformation Services,  Acquisition Services, and Learn. In addition, 18F also provided Agency  Digital Service Team Candidate Qualification Reviews. Between August 2014 and August 2015, USDS provided assistance on  13 projects across 11 agencies.
Why GAO Did This Study

In an effort to improve IT across the federal government, in March 2014 GSA established 18F, which provides IT services (e.g., develop websites) to agencies. In addition, in August 2014 the Administration established USDS, which aims to improve public-facing federal IT services. The President's Budget for fiscal year 2016 also proposed funding for agencies to establish their own digital service teams.
GAO was asked to review 18F and USDS. GAO's objectives were to (1) describe 18F and USDS efforts to address problems with IT projects and agencies' views of services provided, (2) assess these programs' efforts against practices for performance measurement and project prioritization, and (3) assess agency plans to establish their own digital service teams. To do so, GAO reviewed 32 18F projects and 13 USDS projects that were underway or completed as of August 2015 and surveyed agencies about these projects; reviewed 18F and USDS in key performance measurement and project prioritization practices; reviewed 25 agencies' efforts to establish digital service teams; and reviewed documentation from four agencies, which were chosen based on their progress made in establishing digital service teams.

What GAO Found

The General Service Administration's (GSA) 18F and Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) U.S. Digital Service (USDS) have provided a variety of services to agencies supporting their information technology (IT) efforts. Specifically, 18F staff helped 18 agencies with 32 projects and generally provided development and consulting services, including software development solutions and acquisition consulting. In addition, USDS provided assistance on 13 projects across 11 agencies and generally provided consulting services, including quality assurance, problem identification and recommendations, and software engineering. Further, according to GAO's survey, managers were generally satisfied with the services they received from 18F and USDS on these projects (see table).
Source: GAO survey of agency project managers that engaged with 18F and U.S. Digital Service. | GAO-16-602
Both 18F and USDS have partially implemented practices to identify and help agencies address problems with IT projects. Specifically, 18F has developed several outcome-oriented goals and related performance measures, as well as procedures for prioritizing projects; however, not all of its goals are outcome-oriented and it has not yet fully measured program performance. Similarly, USDS has developed goals, but they are not all outcome-oriented and it has established performance measures for only one of its goals. USDS has also measured progress for just one goal. Until 18F and USDS fully implement these practices, it will be difficult to hold the programs accountable for results.
Agencies are beginning to establish digital service teams. Of the 25 agencies included in the President's proposed funding for agency digital service teams, OMB has established charters with 6 agencies for their digital service teams. In addition, according to the Deputy USDS Administrator, USDS expects to establish charters with an additional 2 agencies by the end of the fiscal year—the Department of Education and the Small Business Administration. For the remaining 16 agencies, as of April 2016, 8 agencies reported that they plan to establish digital service teams but have yet to establish charters with USDS. The other 9 agencies reported that they do not plan to establish digital service teams by September 2016 and most noted that it was because they did not receive requested funding to do so. Further, of the 4 agencies GAO selected to review, only 1 has defined the relationship between its digital service team and the agency Chief Information Officer (CIO). This is due, in part, to the fact that USDS policy does not describe the expected relationship between CIOs and these teams. Until OMB updates its policy and ensures that the responsibilities between the CIOs and digital services teams are clearly defined, it is unclear whether CIOs will be able to fulfill their statutory responsibilities with respect to IT management of the projects undertaken by the digital service teams.

What GAO Recommends

GAO is making two recommendations to GSA and two recommendations to OMB to improve goals and performance measurement. GAO is also recommending that OMB update policy regarding CIOs and digital services teams. GSA and OMB concurred with the recommendations.