Payroll is 24th e-gov initiative
OMB adds the consolidation of federal payroll systems to the group of high-impact, cross-agency e-gov projects
The Office of Management and Budget this month added the consolidation of federal payroll systems to the group of 23 high-impact projects aimed at improving government service and eliminating redundant systems.
OMB included the 24th initiative upon the recommendation of the Joint Financial Management Improvement Program (JFMIP), the organization responsible for setting standards for federal financial management systems, said Mark Forman, associate director for information technology and e-government at OMB.
A JFMIP study found that 14 processing centers across government are almost ready for modernizing their systems, Forman said. "We're looking at extensive duplicative buys of [enterprise resource planning] systems that are already being dealt with on some other initiatives," he said.
JFMIP recommended that OMB and the e-government portfolio coordinators develop a business case for consolidating federal payroll systems, Forman said.
The business cases for the e-government initiatives detail:
* How each initiative links to the agencies' mission(s).
* What benefits it will bring to users.
* The critical factors for success.
* The necessary back-end process and systems.
* A cost-benefit analysis.
* Where the financing will come from.
* A management and organization plan.
The Office of Personnel Management will serve as the lead agency on the payroll initiative, according to a spokesman at OPM.
OMB announced the other 23 initiatives Oct. 25, 2001, selecting projects that have the potential to improve service at multiple agencies and to significantly impact one of the customer-centric segments outlined in the president's management agenda.