TMF methods can drive larger modernization impact, report states

Federal technology officials are looking to the Technology Modernization Fund to provide insight on future shared services offerings, according to the recently released IT Operating Plan. 

The 12-page report, required under fiscal year 2022 funding legislation, states that insights from IT modernization projects, even those that don’t receive TMF funding, can “identify possibilities for new shared services based on an enterprise-level view of agency needs.” These services could  be developed by the General Services Administration with the help of the federal CIO and the U.S. Digital Service.

TMF is also expected to help drive success in IT modernization through “readiness assessments to ensure agencies are equipped for success, including having teams build and test their assumptions through rapid prototypes.”

The Federal Citizen Services Fund, managed by GSA, also has a role to play in scaling up shared services and improving current shared services offerings, according to the operating plan.

“We are at a unique moment in time to drive digital transformation across the federal enterprise,” Federal CIO Clare Martorana wrote in an introduction to the plan. “We

can deploy technology that is secure by design, reduces costs for agencies, eliminates administrative burden for both customers and the federal workforce, delivers government services that meet modern expectations for the American people, and inspires the next generation to serve our great country.”

The plan also noted that the federal CIO “expects to elevate data-driven insights” to make the process of validating and prioritizing agency IT budget requests in collaboration with the Office of Management and Budget’s Resource Management Offices.