IT security trips up two agencies on scorecard

Systems security concerns caused the Veterans Affairs Department’s and the Small Business Administration’s e-government initiatives to each drop a grade in the latest ratings for the President’s Management Agenda.Clay Johnson III, deputy director for management for the Office of Management and Budget, said in a letter last week that these were two of four agencies that slipped in the final grading for fiscal 2004.Johnson said the Defense Department dropped a grade under the competitive-sourcing initiative because it was not announcing competitions as planned, and the Office of Personnel Management fell to red under financial performance because its inspector general reported new material weaknesses.Although these four agencies lost ground, seven agencies improved, including the Social Security Administration, which earned a green rating for e-gov.In all, the administration handed out 39 green scores, 51 yellow and 40 red, compared with 35 greens, 55 yellows and 40 reds in September.To see the full scorecard, go to and enter 356 in the Quickfind box